Maybe you’re walking down the baking aisle and casually looking at it. Bags of chocolate chips And snapped up the vendors without a second thought. Aren’t they all the same anyway? No, they are not. You deserve it. The best chocolate chipsinstead of the usual chip from the old block.
To help you make the most of it Fabulous Chocolate Chip CookiesWe tried six different brands of chocolate chips, and the results of our taste test may surprise you.
How We Tested Chocolate Chips
To find out which chocolate chips give you the best bang for your buck, we tested six of the top brands available in stores and online. We experimented. Semi-sweet chips Only, so this review does not include special flavors like milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
Each brand of chocolate chip was tasted unbaked, and both my partner and I noted the texture and flavor. Then I used Standard. Toolhouse Cookie Recipe For a batch of chocolate chip cookies with all the ingredients except the chips. I divided the dough evenly and made 8 cookies with each brand of chocolate chip. All cookies were scooped using the same cookie scooper, which was baked on. A single sheet panand at the same temperature to avoid any variability in baking that could affect quality and taste.
What we looked for in chocolate chips.
Chocolate chips have been a staple in American baking since their invention. The first chocolate chip cookies in 1937. A chef at Toolhouse Inn, Ruth Graves Wakefield, added bits of Nestle’s chocolate bars. Her cookie recipe. Originally, Nestlé sold baking chocolate bars that came with a tool for home cooks to cut the bars into pieces. But by 1941, the chocolate chip morsels we know and love today were being sold in stores.
Today, different brands offer their own version of the classic chocolate chip. To find the best, we had to set ground rules for how we measured what was good and what could be left out.
- taste. When it comes to chocolate chip cookies, the chips are the stars of the show, so they need to taste just right. We took into account how each morsel tasted before baking, and then how it tasted after baking into a cookie. Were the morsels bitter? Creamy butter? spicy Smooth? What was the sweetness level? Were there any artificial flavors, or were there solid authentic cocoa and cocoa butter flavors?
- texture Were the morsels chalky, sticky, or smooth when cooked? Do they melt in your hands? How well did the morsels hold up when baked? Have they lost their taste or flavor? Are the chips nice and melted?
Without further ado, here are the rankings.
The best chocolate chips
Best Chocolate Chips Overall: Gharardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Runner Up: Great value semi-sweet chocolate chips
The Most Polarizing Chocolate Chips: Toolhouse Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip Morsels
Best Allergen-Free Chocolate Chips: Toolhouse Allergen-Free Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Best Vegan Chocolate Chips: Geffen Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Runner-up: Great Value Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Great value chips were coming in a close second. Uncooked they had quite a complex flavor with hints of bright fruit and a soft texture that melts in your hand. Of the cookies, they were beautifully indulgent with my partner describing them as “velvety, melty goodness.” He was surprised that one store brand performed so well compared to other popular brands. And at less than $3 a bag, they’re also a great budget option.
Most Polarizing Chocolate Chips: Nestle Tollhouse Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
All Recipes/Toolhouse
There is no doubt that this is the classic chip for chocolate chip cookies. We all grew up watching cozy, sentimental Tollhouse commercials that made us feel warm and happy inside. So I was surprised to see how different my perspective on this chip was from my colleague’s. I did a little research online, and it seems like everyone feels very strongly about this chocolate chip: you either love it, or you hate it.
Unripe they have a strong nutty flavor. I like nut milk, while my partner doesn’t, so he wasn’t a fan. When baked into cookies, they were chewy, but not melty like Ghirardelli chips. They have a complex flavor profile that is buttery and spicy with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. Again, I liked this combo, but my partner did not. Overall, I have to give these chips a lot of praise for the complexity and nostalgia, but be careful if you’re cooking for a crowd with different tastes.
Best Allergen-Free Chocolate Chips: Toolhouse Allergen-Free Chocolate Chips
All Recipes/Toolhouse
We were pleasantly surprised by the texture and taste of this allergen-free chip. These chocolate chips are free of all major allergens. Unripe they had a dense texture and a bright flavor with a hint of blueberry. They dispersed really well in the cookies giving the same amount of chocolate to each bite. Although they didn’t achieve the gooey, melty texture of the others, they were soft to the bite and nicely sweet. If you like a sweet chip, this is for you.
Best Vegan Chocolate Chips: Geffen Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
All Recipes/Gifn
Just like Toolhouse Allergen-Free Chocolate Chips, these chips are free of most major allergens, including dairy or animal products, and are almost half the price! They are very sweet and crunchy when eaten uncooked. When baked into cookies, they hold their shape and have a nice bitter dark chocolate flavor.