We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (2024)

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We decided to stick to Nestle, Ghirardelli, and Hershey's semi-sweet chips for consistency. The recipes on the backs of the packages were virtually identical. Since the cookie recipes were basically the same, the best cookie would be heavily determined by the differences between the chocolate chips. Preparing each batch of cookies started by measuring out the dry and wet ingredients separately. The dry ingredients were then slowly added to the wet ones and beat together with a mixer. In went the chocolate chips! With the chips mixed in, we were ready to form the cookies. Nestle and Ghirardelli instructed that each cookie be a tablespoon's worth of dough. Hershey's said a teaspoon. All of the cookies baked beautifully. After a few minutes cooling on the kitchen table, it was time to start taste-testing. The cookies all looked equally delicious. For the purposes of the experiment, I kept track of which cookies were from which brands, but kept my two fellow testers in the dark. First up were the Nestle cookies. One tester remarked that he tasted "a good saltiness with the sweetness" — perhaps because the recipe called for slightly more salt than the others. Hershey's chocolate chip cookies were a little bit softer than Nestle's, but the bitterness of the chocolate wasn't everyone's favorite. "The sweet to bitter ratio of [Ghirardelli's] is the best," one tester said. "This one is right down the middle." After a very scientific analysis ... ... Ghirardelli cookies won the day. FAQs

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Talia Lakritz

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2019-12-04T14:35:00Z

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (1)

  • We tested recipes from Nestle, Hershey's and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages to see which one makes the best chocolate chip cookies.
  • Nestle's recipe had a nice saltiness, while the Hershey's chocolate chips tasted a little bitter to some of us.
  • Ghirardelli's chocolate chip recipe was the winner with the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (2)

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We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (3)

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We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (4)

After comparing different brands of grocery store cookiesand pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough as part of Insider's taste test series, we decided to try chocolate chip cookies made from scratch.

I enlisted a few brave volunteers to help taste test chocolate chip cookies made with the recipes found on the back of three different brands of chocolate chips: Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli.

Keep reading to see which one was our favorite.

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We decided to stick to Nestle, Ghirardelli, and Hershey's semi-sweet chips for consistency.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (5)

I was able to find all three brands of chocolate chips in the baking aisle of my local supermarket.

In New York City grocery store's baking aisle, a 12-ounce bag of Hershey's chocolate chips cost $4.19 and 12-ounce bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips cost $5.49. Nestle chocolate chips only came in a large 24-ounce package and cost $7.69. At those prices and sizes, Hershey's chips were 35 cents per ounce and Ghirardelli's were 46 cents per ounce, and Nestle's bigger bag contained the most value at 32 cents per ounce.

Target sells 12-ounce bags of Nestle and Ghirardelli chocolate chips for $2.99, and Hershey's chips for $2.49, making Hershey's the most affordable option there.

Prices will vary depending on where you purchase these chips.

The recipes on the backs of the packages were virtually identical.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (6)

The only difference was that Nestle's Toll House cookie recipe called for a teaspoon of salt while Hershey's and Ghirardelli called for half a teaspoon.

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Since the cookie recipes were basically the same, the best cookie would be heavily determined by the differences between the chocolate chips.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (7)

We decided to evaluate the cookies based on three factors, ranking them each from one (bad) to five (delicious).

  • Overall taste
  • Texture of the cookie
  • "Meltiness" of the chocolate chips

Preparing each batch of cookies started by measuring out the dry and wet ingredients separately.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (8)

Flour, salt, and baking soda went in one bowl. Butter, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla went in another.

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The dry ingredients were then slowly added to the wet ones and beat together with a mixer.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (9)

Softening the butter beforehand makes this process easier.

In went the chocolate chips!

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (10)

Each recipe called for two cups of chocolate chips.

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With the chips mixed in, we were ready to form the cookies.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (11)

I may or may not have eaten a few spoonfuls of raw dough. Don't try that at home.

Nestle and Ghirardelli instructed that each cookie be a tablespoon's worth of dough. Hershey's said a teaspoon.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (12)

I just eyeballed the amounts and rolled the dough into balls with my hands.

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All of the cookies baked beautifully.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (13)

All three recipes said that the cookies should bake at 375 degrees for between eight and 11 minutes.

After a few minutes cooling on the kitchen table, it was time to start taste-testing.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (14)

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The cookies all looked equally delicious.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (15)

It was hard to tell them apart.

For the purposes of the experiment, I kept track of which cookies were from which brands, but kept my two fellow testers in the dark.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (16)

We tried the Nestle cookies first, then Hershey's, then Ghirardelli.

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First up were the Nestle cookies. One tester remarked that he tasted "a good saltiness with the sweetness" — perhaps because the recipe called for slightly more salt than the others.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (17)

To me, they tasted exactly the way you'd want chocolate chip cookies to taste. With the perfect amount of crunch and gooey chocolate chips, Nestle's Toll House recipe is considered the original chocolate chip cookie for a reason.

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Hershey's chocolate chip cookies were a little bit softer than Nestle's, but the bitterness of the chocolate wasn't everyone's favorite.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (18)

One tester said of Hershey's that "I usually don't like their chocolate, but this is good."

Another was "not digging the chocolate" because it tasted bitter in his opinion.

I agreed that the chocolate tasted a tad bitter. While the fluffy texture of the cookies and the oozing chocolate chips made this cookie a strong contender, it wasn't our favorite.

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"The sweet to bitter ratio of [Ghirardelli's] is the best," one tester said. "This one is right down the middle."

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (19)

One tester said that the chocolate tasted better than Hershey's but "it's not as salty as I would like." The rest of the group appreciated how the cookies struck the right balance of sweetness without being too over-the-top.

After a very scientific analysis ...

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (20)

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... Ghirardelli cookies won the day.

We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (21)

If you prefer sweeter chocolate chip cookies with a hint of saltiness, Nestle's recipe might be for you. But we enjoyed the melty, understated sweetness of the Ghirardelli the most.

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We tested the cookie recipes on Nestle, Hershey's, and Ghirardelli chocolate chip packages, and Ghirardelli's was our favorite (2024)

FAQs

Why was the chocolate chip cookie so successful? ›

The chocolate chip cookie's popularity skyrocketed during World War II, when local soldiers who were stationed overseas received and shared care packages containing the treat with soldiers from around the U.S.

Was the first chocolate chip cookie a mistake? ›

In this era, the Toll House Inn was a popular restaurant that featured home cooking. A myth holds that she accidentally developed the cookie, and that she expected the chocolate chunks would melt, making chocolate cookies. That is not the case; Wakefield stated that she deliberately invented the cookie.

Is chocolate chip cookies a chemical change? ›

The sugar, flour and eggs can no longer be separated. The properties of the materials have changed so it is a chemical change. Baking the cookies is a chemical change, but some of the ingredients may go through a physical change before entering the oven.

What was the accidental invention of the chocolate chip cookie? ›

The chocolate chip cookie was created by accident.

In the 1930s, Ruth Wakefield, owner of the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, added broken chocolate bar pieces into her cookie batter thinking that they would melt. Instead, the classic dessert was born.

What is the number one selling cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co. But did you know Oreos are a copycat product?

What is the great cookie experiment? ›

The GCE was developed to give undergraduate nursing students a taste of basic research practices and concepts. The original exercise, published in a 1987 issue of Nurse Educator, involved students sampling and comparing cookies, completing a survey, and analyzing and discussing results as a group.

What cookie was not invented until 1938? ›

It wasn't until very recently, around 1938, that chocolate chip cookies were first invented. Unlike a lot of other things, the chocolate chip cookie was not invented by accident. During the 1930s, a chef named Ruth Graves Wakefield decided to give something different to her customers.

Who was the first person to eat a cookie? ›

Cookies appear to have their origins in 7th century AD Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain.

What cookie was invented in 1912? ›

On this day in 1912, Oreo cookies were first developed and produced by Nabisco in New York City. It's time to celebrate the iconic crunchy chocolate sandwich cookie with the sweet vanilla cream filling that Americans have enjoyed for over one hundred years. March 6th is National Oreo Cookie Day!

What does adding water to cookie dough do? ›

The most likely benefit of adding water to your cookie dough is to help hydrate the batter. If your dough looks dry after mixing (especially when using browned butter), adding a tablespoon or two of water could be just what your dough needs to prevent a dry, crumbly cookie.

Why dissolve baking soda in water for cookies? ›

As the butter melts, the cookie's structure loosens, so that the water in the dough is able to combine with the baking soda, dissolving it. The baking soda then reacts to the acidic components present in brown sugar, creating gases that cause the cookie to rise.

Is toasting marshmallows a physical change? ›

When marshmallows are roasted, a chemical change happens. When you toast marshmallows, the heat causes a chemical reaction producing water molecules, which then evaporate, leaving carbon behind (the blackened part of the roasted marshmallow).

What was the first cookie in history? ›

The Origin of the Cookie

The first cookies are thought to be test cakes bakers used to test the oven temperature. They date back as early as 7th Century A.D. Persia which is now Iran.

Who made the first chocolate cookie? ›

Believe it or not, everyone's favorite chocolate chip cookie is now over 80 years old! The original recipe was created in the late 1930s by Ruth Wakefield who famously ran the Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts.

Why did all the chocolate chips sink? ›

Why Do Chocolate Chips Sink? Chocolate chips often sink to the bottom of a cake or muffins for a few reasons, all related to the physics of baking: Density: Chocolate chips are denser than the batter they are mixed into. As a result, gravity pulls them down through the batter to the bottom of the tin as the bake cooks.

What is the most successful cookie? ›

Oreo. Oreo is the world's best-selling cookie and has been a favorite for over 100 years.

When did chocolate chip cookies become popular? ›

The delicious mix of crispy cookie and melted chocolate chunks first appeared in her 1938 cookbook “Tried and True,” and was intended to accompany ice cream. The recipe became so popular that it showed up on Betty Crocker's influential radio program, further cementing its reputation as America's go-to cookie.

Why is the chocolate chip cookie so versatile? ›

The Versatility of Chocolate Chip Cookies

You can add nuts or use different types of flour to make them without gluten. They're perfect for any occasion, whether you're looking for a quick snack or a dessert to impress at a party.

Is the chocolate chip cookie the most popular cookie? ›

Nearly 93% of all American households serve and enjoy cookies as treats or after meals. However, it's the chocolate chip cookie that's the most popular in the U.S. and around the world.

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