9 Cookie Shop Chains Across America, Ranked Worst To Best

Gone are the days of buying pre-made dough from the grocery store; customers today love buying fresh, gourmet cookies from curated stores. Across the country, the success of cookie shops has exploded in the past several years, with local chains turning into nationwide franchises in a matter of years. Much of this success can be attributed to social media, with apps like TikTok promoting these cookie chains to millions of users online.

One chain that has attracted particular success is Crumbl Cookies, a company that started as a small business in Logan, Utah, and exploded to become a national success with over 1,000 locations open today. But Crumbl Cookies isn't the only company that has gained national attention; several other chains have seen a boost in visibility in recent years. However, not all of these cookie chains are producing the same level of quality cookies.

To help cookie fans spend their money on only the best products on the market, I ranked nine of the most popular cookie shop chains in the United States today. Based on factors such as taste, quality, price, and creativity, and the store's atmosphere, here is my ranking of these nine cookie shops, from worst to best overall.

Founded in 2017, Chip City is a quirky and colorful cookie chain based out of Astoria, Queens. Despite being less than a decade old, the franchise has quickly grown to have 47 locations across the New York City area. The success of this cookie chain can be attributed to its adorable aesthetic, delicious cookies, and the millions of dollars that have been invested into the company to help it expand at a rapid pace.

While I love the atmosphere and branding of these stores, unfortunately, the cookies themselves were underwhelming for me. In my opinion, this company has not yet nailed its baking process, and I found that each of my cookies was dry and crunchy on the outside and seemingly underbaked on the inside. This was particularly noticeable with the chocolate chip cookie, but I also noticed the same issue with other cookies.

Flavor-wise, the store does offer a large selection of rotating flavors, including Blueberry Cheesecake, Cap'n Crunch Cookie, Chip-O-Mar Cookie, and the Teddi-Fetti feat. Teddy Grahams cookie. While I do appreciate the creativity here, Chip City sadly fell short of my expectations, and I do not find the cookies worth the price, which is $4.99 per cookie.

What started as a dorm room dream in Arizona grew to become Dirty Dough Cookies, a cookie franchise with over 50 locations scattered across the United States. Unlike other locations that focus on elaborate toppings, Dirty Dough centers its recipe on the unique fillings inside each cookie. When you bite into a Dirty Dough cookie, you will bite into a gooey, stuffed filling, which is where the "dirty" name comes in.

When I first tried a Dirty Dough cookie, I was impressed by the creative design of these stuffed cookies. Similar to Crumbl, these cookies can be ordered in a combination box, allowing customers to sample different flavors in this unique line. A box of four cookies costs $16.99, and flavors include options like Cookies n' Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, Kooky Monster, and PB Overload. As evident with these options, these cookies are very sweet, and I was disappointed that the line doesn't offer any flavors that cater to more savory taste preferences.

While the filling makes these cookies incredibly moist and gooey, I do find them to be overbearingly sweet and slightly greasy. Perhaps because of the filling, these cookies are also extremely soft, and they taste more like you are eating dough than a fully formed cookie with a solid bottom. Dirty Dough Cookies offers a creative and decadent product that I think is best suited only for those who prefer their cookie to be as gooey and doughy as possible.

If there is a king of the cookie store popularity content, the winner of the last couple of years would be Crumbl Cookies, a Utah-based franchise that has exploded in popularity since its creation in 2017. Despite being so young, Crumbl Cookies and its signature pink boxes have grown to over 1,000 stores in all 50 states. The company's success can be attributed to the weekly cookie "drops," which helped make the cookies feel rare and opened the door for fans to review each weekly selection on social media platforms like TikTok.

Crumbl co-founder Jason McGowan explained how the weekly drops helped the business, stating in a CNBC interview: "It creates that hype. It creates that excitement. And it also creates some scarcity, because you can only have that cookie for that week." Flavor-wise, Crumbl is known for having an incredible variety of cookies, with flavors including Pink Sugar Cookie, Brownie Batter, Snickerdoodle, Ultimate Peanut Butter, and Dubai Biscoff Brownie.

I have tried Crumbl cookies several times, and while I do appreciate the creativity and diversity of the options, the majority of the cookies I have tried here are overwhelmingly sweet. I have also noticed that some of the flavors taste very different from their inspired desserts, including the Apple Pie Cookie, the Banana Bread Cookie, the Mooncake Cookie, and the Piña Colada Cookie. While I commend Crumbl for its design, creativity, and entrepreneurship, for me, these $4.49 cookies miss the mark overall.

In 2000, Tiff's Treats opened its first location in Austin, Texas, where the store became locally known for offering warm, fresh-baked cookies to customers in the college community. Unlike many of the other cookie store chains on this list, Tiff's Treats keeps its menu simple, focusing on only its specialty flavors, which include options like Protein Chocolate Chip, Dubai Gold, Gingerbread, Cinnamon Eggnog, and Dubai Chocolate Filled Cookies.

These cookies are thinner and smaller than many of the other cookies on this list, and they start at $35 a dozen. I enjoy the size of these cookies, and they are easy to eat, but I do find that they taste less decadent and extravagant when compared to the other cookie shop products we've mentioned. In addition, these cookies taste considerably less special when they start to cool down. When I am paying a premium for a cookie, I expect something that tastes gourmet and unlike anything I could make at home, and unfortunately, these cookies don't quite meet my mark. 

As referenced in its name, Insomnia was created by a group of college friends who dreamed up a plan to fulfill their late-night cravings. With over 200 locations open today, Insomnia Cookies has become the go-to place for night owls everywhere, with stores staying open until the early morning hours to allow for deliveries and pickups when most other stores and restaurants are closed.

Insomnia Cookies has a decent variety of cookie options, with flavors like Chocolate Chunk, Snickerdoodle, Sugar, White Chocolate Macadamia, and a variety of vegan options available for order. These cookies are soft, chewy, crisp on the outside, and a nice medium size. Most cookies cost $2.99 at my nearest location, making this one of the more affordable options on this list. While the flavors are not too unique, they are well-balanced and accurate to their inspiration. I wouldn't say this is the best cookie chain, but the quality is good, and the convenience late at night makes it a popular choice.

As a New York resident, Schmackary's has a special place in my heart as a landmark chain of New York City, Long Island, and New Jersey. Schmackary's also has a strong presence within the Broadway community, and the store has cemented itself as the place to get a post-show treat in the Hell's Kitchen area. The store offers a variety of rotating flavors, including Funfetti, Classic Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Cream, Oh My Guava!, Glazed Pistachio, and Oatmeal Scotchie, and each cookie costs $4.25.

One thing that I love about Schmackary's is that the cookies here taste less sweet and focus more on the highlighted ingredients of each flavor. If you are someone who feels overwhelmed by the sweetness of cookie brands like Crumbl and Dirty Dough, Schmackary's could be the perfect middle ground for you. The cookies are medium-sized and moist without feeling underbaked. Every cookie I have tried here feels very high quality, and I have been impressed with the variety of flavors the store has introduced over the years. While Schmackary's is a smaller chain, the store does offer nationwide shipping, and it has announced plans to expand to the West Coast with its new San Diego location coming soon.

With locations across the country, Crave Cookies has quickly become a dominant force in the world of sweet treats. Crave's mission is simple: It aims to offer gourmet, deep-dish cookies that make customers satisfied with every bite. The company calls out "The $5 Cookie Problem," which is essentially the concept that surging cookie prices are not reflecting enough quality to justify the high cost. 

In every way, Crave has gone above and beyond to solve this problem. Every cookie that I have ever had from Crave feels premium and incredibly well thought out. Instead of pumping out new flavors as fast as possible, Crave hones in on making sure every recipe is perfect before releasing them every two weeks. Customers can expect thick, large cookies with quality toppings and a moist, filled center cavity. Flavors rotate every two weeks, with current offerings including Dubai Chocolate, The Twix, Biscoff Explosion, and Campfire S'More, sold for $4.99. 

For many years, Chip Cookies was my undisputed favorite cookie store of all time. The store was created after founders Sean and Sarah were searching for a solution to Sarah's pregnancy cravings for warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies. Instead of just making the cookies, Sean created Chip Cookies, which is noted as "the original gourmet cookie delivery company." Since then, Chip Cookies has grown to have 25 locations nationally.

Chip Cookies keeps its menu small, with a rotating cast of flavors like Sugar Chip, Biscoff Chip, and Cocoa Chip cookies. Chip is also less expensive than many of its competitors, with a box of four large cookies costing $14.49. While I like a lot of the cookies at Chip, the undisputed star of the show is the OG Chip, the massive chocolate chip cookie that features huge chunks of chocolate, a crisp exterior, and a gooey center. While I will say these cookies lean a little bit underbaked, they pull it off because of the quality of ingredients used to make every cookie. If the large cookies are too much for you, Chip Cookies also offers a mini version of the OG Chip, which tastes slightly less gooey but is still delicious.

It takes a truly special kind of cookie to top Chip Cookies for me, and the only store that has exceeded that standard is Levain Bakery. In 1995, this small New York-based bakery decided to try selling massive chocolate chip walnut cookies, a decision that would go on to make Levain a go-to destination for desserts in the city. Today, tourists and locals alike head to Levain to stock up on a much-needed sweet treat and to try one of the store's extra-large cookie creations.

Unlike other cookies, the dough at Levain is piled high, giving each cookie a whimsical shape. The exterior is crunchy, but the interior is dense and buttery, making these cookies extremely filling. Levain keeps things simple with flavors like Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip. At Levain, quality trumps everything, and I have yet to have a cookie that didn't taste extremely decadent, fresh, and perfectly cooked. With 20 locations nationwide, these cookies, which cost $32 for a four-pack, are a bucket-list item for any true cookie lover.

While living in Utah, the founding place for several of these cookie chains, I became a dedicated and experienced cookie connoisseur. With so many cookie stores emerging in a highly competitive market, chains have to be truly unique and excellent to stand out amongst the rest. The nine cookie companies listed in this article were selected for being among the largest and most popular chains with physical storefronts.

To rank these cookies, I took into account a variety of factors, including price, quality, uniqueness, branding, and variety of items. All cookies in this article have been personally tried and reviewed by me several times in advance of writing this review. At each location, I have tried a standard chocolate chip cookie in addition to some specialty flavors, so the chocolate chip cookie was used as a baseline to compare each chain. All prices are based on each store's location that is closest to my residence in New York City.