8 Chips Ahoy! Cookies, Ranked Worst To Best

I'll be the first to admit that I have an embarrassingly strong sweet tooth — from my favorite Aldi mini pies to the perfect rum cake and everything between, I simply can't help but to partake. But, I did spend most of my life training, working, or hanging out in bakeries. So, it's possible that this love of good sweets flows through my blood. It also means I can be quite picky with the sweets I consume, and often find that store-bought varieties don't live up to my high standards. However, there are always exceptions to this rule. One of those exceptions are for Chips Ahoy! Original Cookies, which have been a favorite of mine since childhood. Thanks to my fondness for these classic little joys, I began to wonder whether all of their many other flavors were also fantastic ... or at least worth my hard-earned grocery money and a spot in my pantry.

If you've ever wondered the same thing, you're in the right place. I was given the opportunity to taste test eight unique Chips Ahoy! cookie types and flavors before ranking them from worst to best. To do this, I judged each cookie's taste, texture, and smell, using my food industry background and other relevant experiences. You can find my full methodology at the end of this article. Ready to discover how the Chips Ahoy! cookies crumble? Let's get into it.

I want to start everything off by saying not a single one of the Chips Ahoy! cookies I tried were terrible or disgusting, which was a pleasant surprise since most of my rankings don't go that way. However, there were definitely a few options that stood out as exceptional, while the rest were a bit mediocre. These Chips Ahoy! Crunchy Candy Blasts are a prime example of a meh cookie.

For starters, I'm not a huge fan of the texture of this brand's "crunchy" options. It's not so bad that I can't eat them, but the crunchy cookies tend to cut my gums if they aren't thoroughly dipped in milk, which is kind of a downer. That being said, the taste of the base cookie was fantastic and embodied everything I've come to expect from Chips Ahoy! — with a dense sugary starch interlaced with the faintest buttery notes. But, the candy bits had a hard shell that further risked injury to my mouth (and even more than risked, actually caused). The initial taste was fine when everything was eaten together, but it wasn't mind-blowing and the candy blasts had a faint but lingering artificial aftertaste that I didn't find appealing.

I likely wouldn't purchase these again, nor would I eat them if I had a choice. I recommend skipping these in lieu of better options that won't feel like razor blades in your mouth.

Truthfully, I thought these Chips Ahoy! Chunky cookies were going to rank higher based on my memories of them, which promised chocolatey cookies of unrivaled deliciousness. But, I hadn't had them in quite some time and it turns out that nostalgia just wasn't enough to create new fond memories here.

These are a bit larger than the standard sized cookies in the Chips Ahoy! line. And the chocolate pieces are much larger and more encompassing than the original version, which lends itself to an overall more chocolatey cookie. This aspect is fantastic since I'm a big fan of chocolate — and if you don't believe me, I also did a ranking of Hershey's Kisses flavors. Going purely based on taste, this has a super rich chocolate flavor interspersed with starchy notes featuring the faintest buttery hints. Unfortunately, the texture here is once again a little harder than I prefer. I am, however, thankful that there was no artificial aftertaste.

Despite great memories of this specific cookie, I likely won't purchase it again and can't recommend it. The cookie's not terrible, but it's mediocre without any awe-inspiring qualities.

I adore a sweet and salty combination, and find that this is an especially good flavor merge in cookies or pastries. So, I was excited to try this Chips Ahoy! Crunchy Reese's, which promised to fulfill those cravings.

I'll admit this cookie did the sweet and salty flavor combination really well. There were rich chocolate notes and robust peanut butter tones throughout an otherwise sweet, starchy and slightly buttery cookie profile. A faint scent of chocolate and peanut butter emanated from the package, which was nice when a lot of the other cookies on this list didn't have a defining smell — and if you've ever read anything I've written, you'll know the smell of my foods are important to me. But, yet again, we had that rough texture I'm not fond of. I don't think this is just a personal bias, either, because my partner and children both agreed that the crunchy Chips Ahoy! options are a bit too crunchy.

I wouldn't purchase this cookie again, although I could probably be tempted to eat it if offered by someone else, so long as they provided a big glass of cold milk for dunking. Still, I don't recommend it since there are better options on this list, even for those who prefer a harder cookie.

Often, the original version of our favorite treats turn out to be among the best. Or, at least that's how my rankings usually go when trying variations of favorite brands — like when the original came in second place in my ranking of Dot's Homestyle Pretzels. That wasn't the case here, although I certainly enjoyed the Chips Ahoy! Original better than the crunchier options.

The taste of this original cookie is the base of every other one, featuring a richly sweet starchy canvas interspersed with buttery notes and faint hints of vanilla. Through this are strewn mildly sweet but richly chocolate chips that feel decadent without being over-indulgent. Texturally, this is a definitive step up from the crunchy varieties that encompass the bottom of our ranking. It's still crunchy, but not so much that it hurts my gums. Instead, it's fairly light and airy with a medium weight mouthfeel and a satisfying crunch when you bite into it. While better, I much prefer the textures and more intricate flavor profiles of our highest ranking cookies, which is why this ranked lower.

Would I buy this again? Probably not, but only because there are options I prefer significantly more. Would I eat it again if offered to me? Absolutely. If you're looking for a standard-sized crunchy cookie, this will be your best option.

I wasn't sure what to expect here. Chips Ahoy! cookies have a definitive taste, but so does Hershey's chocolate. I wondered how these two flavors would blend, or whether one hallmark taste would overtake the other.

Interestingly, the answer to that question is neither hallmark flavor shined through. Instead, it was a slightly sweeter cookie with softer bits of chocolate. Although there was still a delicious combination of sweet, starchy, buttery, and vanilla, it wasn't quite the same as the other options in this brand. Also, "crunchy" isn't the word I would use to describe the texture, despite it definitively not being chewy, either. I think "crisp" is a better word — while still being a firmer cookie, the Hershey's option was more light and airy like the original, but with a softness that reminds me of homemade chocolate chip cookies. While far from terrible (and even veering into "good" territory), this cookie felt like it was missing something on its path to greatness, although I can't quite put my finger on what that is.

I wouldn't buy this again because I prefer other options, but I'd definitely eat it if offered to me. If you enjoy Hershey's chocolate, you'll probably like this just fine — but I encourage you to try our top three if you want to experience the best Chips Ahoy! has to offer.

Most of the cookies on this list are of the thicker variety, but the Chips Ahoy! Thins Original are just as thin as you'd expect. I wasn't sure how that would affect the taste or texture, if at all, but I was pretty excited to find out because I'd never had one of the Thins varieties before.

I couldn't resist breaking the cookie in half because I hoped to be rewarded with an incredibly satisfying snap — and I'm happy to report my efforts were, indeed, rewarded. Although there was no definitive smell (as was the case with most of these cookies), the flavor profile was quite nice. This was a delicately-flavored cookie, featuring light starchy notes with a mild sweetness, streaked with faint vanilla tones and a soft chocolate flavor. Paired with this was a crisp but thin texture that I vastly preferred over the crunchy Chips Ahoy! options.

I'd buy this cookie again, although I'll mostly keep my pantry stocked with the top two options. But, if you're looking for a cookie that isn't too sweet or indulgent and still satisfies your cravings, this is the best option.

To say I was stoked to try this cookie would be an understatement, and there are a few reasons for that. First and foremost, I adore the sweet and salty flavor profile of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. But, second, I tried the chunky version of this cookie first and was hopeful the taste would be the same, but with a better texture. Considering how well this cookie ranked, you can guess that the Chips Ahoy! Chewy Reese's did a good job of living up to my expectations.

The cookie here features that same sweet and salty combination of perfection as the crunchy variety. Sweet chocolate notes and salty peanut butter bites are generously strewn throughout a sugary starch backdrop that still manages to relay the faintest hints of butter among the stronger flavors. The texture is everything I look for in a cookie — soft and crumbly in a way that practically melts in your mouth. Truthfully, I have nothing bad to say about this cookie, although I do warn it's indulgent so you probably don't want to partake too often.

I will definitely be purchasing these Chips Ahoy! Chewy Reese's again. In fact, they've earned a recurring spot in my pantry's sweet treat section. I highly recommend trying these if you're a fan of peanut butter and chocolate. Of course, as a warning, this combination does mean these cookies aren't appropriate for anyone with nut allergies.

To offer a full disclosure, the Chips Ahoy! Chewy were already among my favorite cookies before this ranking — and not just from the brand itself, but among all store-bought cookie brands. That being said, I did approach the taste test with every hope of finding a new favorite, but nothing else quite lived up to the taste, texture, or overall quality of these.

The cookie itself features the sweet starchy flavor profile I've mentioned in this ranking (and I love when a brand turns out to be that reliable). But, it also features defined vanilla notes, rich buttery tones, and another taste reminiscent of brown sugar rather than the granulated white variety. Strewn through this are semi-sweet chocolate chips that are generously proportioned enough that you get a taste in every bite — but also nicely balanced so it doesn't overwhelm the flavor of the base cookie itself. The texture is soft and chewy, just as promised, with a substantial bite that quickly melts in your mouth. I have zero negative things to say about this cookie and believe its balanced profile is perfect for regular indulgences.

I'll continue to keep the Chips Ahoy! Chewy cookies in my home for those times when my sweet tooth needs satisfying, and strongly recommend you grab some for yourself. Once you do, you'll have no doubts as to why these were the highest ranked Chips Ahoy! cookies.

I chose Chips Ahoy! Cookies based on their availability at my local Shoprite in Vineland, New Jersey. From those options available, I aimed to choose a variety of unique cookie flavors and types. Each cookie was judged based on its taste, texture, and smell, with taste being the largest determining factor. Each cookie was eaten exactly as-is, without alterations, and was eaten entirely on its own (i.e. not even dunked into milk), for the fairest taste test possible.

To make my judgments, I relied primarily on more than 15 years of food industry background. Previous consumership of Chips Ahoy! Cookies and similar other cookie brands also contributed, as did prior experience creating Daily Meal ranking articles. This includes similar sweets-based articles like this one ranking frozen fruit flavored popsicles and this one ranking Hostess Donettes flavors. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased about product quality as possible.