The Store-Bought Chocolate Chips Chefs Say Are High-Quality And Affordable

Not all chocolate chips are created equal; some brands use better ingredients than others. Good chocolate chips are not only going to taste different, but they are going to behave differently compared to a subpar chip when you bake your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Daily Meal set out to discover a chef-approved, store-bought chocolate chip that is both affordable and high quality. What a professional chef with almost 18 years of experience found, with the help of a pastry chef, is that the chocolate brand with the highest-quality ingredients is none other than Ghirardelli.

Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips can be found at most grocery stores, but the ingredients used to make them are what set them apart from competitors. The company uses chocolate with a higher cocoa content, which gives these chips a rich taste and a smooth, creamy texture. A lesser chocolate chip is going to taste waxy because it doesn't make cocoa butter the star ingredient. Cocoa butter is key because it provides that melt-in-the-mouth sensation. Ghirardelli uses cocoa butter along with unsweetened chocolate, sugar, whole milk powder, vanilla, and soy lecithin. 

Daily Meal also found that Ghirardelli, one of the best chocolate chip brands, melts better than other competitors. This is important because if you are a fan of a chocolate chip that tastes sweet and chocolatey after it bakes, these chips are for you. The inclusion of whole milk powder in their secret recipe means the chips are going to have a creamier taste and softer consistency. 

If milk chocolate chocolate chips aren't your vibe, Ghirardelli produces chocolate chips in a variety of sweetness levels. Its dark chocolate chips, which are 72% cocoa, are exceptionally creamy. Or try its bittersweet chocolate chip, which is 60% cocoa. Either of these is perfect when you want to balance an overly sweet batter. Use these in brownies or a rich chocolate ganache topping.

Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips are also easy to find in the grocery store, and they aren't going to break the bank. Yes, they are more expensive than the cheapest brands, but quality ingredients make for a superior baked good. Depending on where you like to do your shopping, you can find an 11.5-ounce bag of these chips at Target for under $8 — about $2.50 more than Nestle Toll House chocolate chips. Or, if you are a Walmart fan, you can find the same size bag there for just a little more than $7.