Chips Ahoy! Cookies, Ranked Worst To Best

Just about everyone loves chocolate chip cookies baked from scratch. But making homemade cookies on a regular basis can be time-consuming — after all, you probably don't want to come home from a busy day of work just to spend an hour or more making a batch of cookies when you're tired and just want to rest. That's when store-bought cookies can come in handy. They may not be quite as delicious as fresh, but they'll still sate your sweet tooth and offer you something sugary to snack on when you're having a cookie craving. And although there are a ton of different cookie brands to choose from out there, Chips Ahoy may be one of the most recognizable.

Chips Ahoy cookies are seemingly everywhere, and the company boasts quite a lot of different flavors. But which of these flavors taste best, and which might you want to stay away from? I tasted my way through 10 different Chips Ahoy flavors to deliver the info you need to make the best possible grocery shopping decision. I considered texture and overall flavor, prizing less-crumbly cookies and those with a more concentrated, chocolatey flavor profile. Try some of these cookies out for yourself to see where your favorites lie on this list. And who knows? You might just find a new favorite in the process.

As a big fan of caramel, I had high hopes for Chips Ahoy's Crunchy Chocolate Caramel cookies. How can a combination of chocolate and caramel (like in this chocolate caramel tart recipe) ever be wrong? But what I tasted left me disappointed. Since some of the cookies on this list are filled with sweet ingredients, that's what I assumed I'd be getting into here. But the "caramel" is really just caramel-flavored chips that ultimately leave you feeling like you're just getting artificial flavors without any real caramel in the mix. There's none of the gooey, silky texture that you'd expect from caramel — just dry chips like any other store-bought chocolate chip cookie.

Texture-wise, Chips Ahoy's crunchy cookies, in general, aren't amazing. They're super crumbly, which makes them quite messy, but they do offer a slight crunch if that's what you're into. Combined with the fact that the flavor misses the mark a bit, these were definitely my least favorite cookies of the lineup. They're not actively bad, but the brand has better options from which to choose.

A few years ago, it was excessively difficult to find decent gluten-free products on store shelves. Now, there are more — and tastier — options than ever, and Chips Ahoy's Gluten-Free Original chocolate chip cookies are one of them. They're definitely not the best cookies I've ever had, especially considering the slightly sandy texture and the fact that, compared to traditional Chips Ahoy cookies, they're quite thin. You'll also pay more for these cookies than you will for any of the original flavors. But all that being said, it is nice to have a solid gluten-free option that makes these cookies more accessible to people with different dietary needs. And although these cookies were some of my least favorite of the lineup, they are shockingly similar to the original crunchy version of Chips Ahoy that it may be worth seeking out.

All that being said, as a gluten consumer myself, I wouldn't buy these pricier, less delicious gluten-free cookies over the standard version. If you do keep a strict gluten-free diet, you can give them a try. Otherwise, there are much better (and cheaper) Chips Ahoy flavors out there to try.

If you grew up perusing the snack aisle of your local grocery store, then chances are that you've come across Original Chips Ahoy many, many times. It's a perfectly standard chocolate chip cookie — nothing special, but nothing to really dislike, either. I personally am not a fan of the crunchier varieties since they produce so many crumbs and don't have that satisfying softness that you'd expect from a freshly baked, homemade cookie. That's why this flavor is near the bottom of the list. Although Original Chips Ahoy aren't particularly bad, they're not really anything for which I'd ever get excited.

For those who do want to take their chances with the original flavor, there are a few ways you can make these cookies more palatable. First of all, you can crumble them up and mix them into other desserts to create elevated homemade ice cream or a cookie-topped cheesecake. If you're just eating them on their own, dip them into some whole milk until they're nice and softened, and enjoy.

Chocolate chunks are better than chocolate chips, and that's simply not up for discussion. With chunks, you get more chocolate in every bite, whereas with chips — especially the tiny chocolate chips you'll find in Chips Ahoy cookies — you'll have a more sparse chocolate experience. However, I'm also a strong believer in the fact that white chocolate (or in this case, white fudge) is an abomination that does nothing but add cloying sweetness to a dessert. After all, it's not actually chocolate, and it's usually just sweet and creamy without a lot going on flavor-wise.

That puts Chips Ahoy's Crunchy Chunky White Fudge cookies in a weird place. Yes, the chocolate chunks are delicious, but no, the white fudge is not good. Overall, I do think it's possible to ignore the white fudge since these cookies are so chocolatey, but the fact that these cookies are crunchy, not chewy, means that they still fall in the bottom half of this ranking. If this were the only package of Chips Ahoy left at your local grocery store, and you were really craving cookies, I would say go ahead and get it. With better options on the shelf, though, this is one cookie product I probably won't buy again.

Given my previously stated distaste for white chocolate desserts and simultaneous love for chocolate chunks, it should come as no surprise that the plain Chunky Chips Ahoy cookies are next on this list. Yes, they're definitely a step up from their white fudge-infused counterparts. Without that super-sweet addition, you can really hone in and focus on the deliciousness of the chocolate chunks without being distracted by a superfluous, unnecessary extra flavor.

Still, though, the same problem persists regarding the crunchy texture. Again, these cookies are too crumbly, without that fresh-baked sweetness that's so appealing with a homemade cookie. Of course, this flavor, like the original, works well as an ingredient in other desserts. The Chunky variety also stands out when it comes to milk dipability, as you have more chocolate to work with. It ranks in the bottom half of this list, but it's still worth seeking out if you prefer crunchier, more chocolatey cookies.

Does the idea of a chocolate-filled chocolate chip cookie sound absolutely incredible? Yes. But once you find out that the chocolate inside the cookie is from Hershey's, you might be disappointed, considering it's one of the least delicious types of chocolate on the market. That's certainly how I felt biting into this cookie, at least. The result was definitely not bad, though. Since this cookie is chewy, not crunchy, it already ranks higher than the crunchy varieties on this list. That soft, buttery texture makes these cookies enjoyable right away.

The center of the cookie does, in fact, taste like Hershey's chocolate. If you like the brand's chocolate, then you're in luck: You're absolutely going to love these cookies. Those who aren't big fans, like me, probably won't think it's the best cookie they've ever tasted, but considering that the actual cookie provides a lot more flavor than the layer of chocolate inside, it's not too bad. It's an unconventional take on an iconic baked good, and although this variety doesn't earn the top spot in this ranking, I appreciate Chips Ahoy's ingenuity in producing such a product.

The Chewy Chocolatey Cookies With Hershey's Fudge Filling from Chips Ahoy seems like they would be so similar to the version above, and, of course, structurally, they're basically the same. This is a chocolate chip cookie with a Hershey's chocolate filling, after all. What makes the biggest difference here, though, is the fact that the base of the cookie is also chocolate. That means you get triple chocolate: a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips and a chocolate center.

That chocolate cookie base may not seem like it would make such a significant difference, but it really does. The bold, chocolatey flavor is rich and fudgy and helps distract from the not-so-great chocolate filling inside. The result is a soft, decadent cookie that true chocolate lovers aren't going to want to miss. Of course, after a few cookies, all that chocolate starts to feel a bit one-note, but these cookies are certainly delicious enough to land on the top half of this ranking.

I've never been a huge fan of red velvet anything because it's always kind of felt gimmicky to me. Why would I want something that's just colored with red food dye that has nothing to do with how it actually tastes? But Chip's Ahoy's Chewy Red Velvet cookies made me rethink the way I typically think about red velvet. These cookies are deeply decadent, with a chocolatey flavor that's bold but not quite as intense as the chocolate with chocolate filling cookies. There are also cream cheese chocolate chips in the mix, which may sound strange, but their lightness, in conjunction with the chocolatey flavor of the cookie itself, actually really works here. You'll also notice a white, creamy filling that just adds another layer to the decadence of these cookies.

They're a bit nontraditional, and they're definitely not what I would want if I were looking for chocolate chip cookies specifically. But for packaged, store-bought red velvet cookies, they're surprisingly delicious, and it's a product I may just go back for some time in the near future.

Chewy Chips Ahoy are the best cookies Chips Ahoy has to offer, and Reese's are the best widely distributed candy, so it just makes sense that Chewy Chips Ahoy With Reese's would come together beautifully. These chocolate chip cookies are studded with peanut butter chips (which are, admittedly, not my favorite) in conjunction with actual pieces of tiny peanut butter cups (which absolutely is my favorite). You can find M&M cookies everywhere, but getting a Reese's cookie feels a bit rarer and more special, and I'm absolutely here for it.

Whether you love peanut butter generally or you're also a huge Reese's fan, this decadent combo is one that just works well together. Not only is there a lot going on flavor-wise, but the addition of the chocolate peanut butter cups makes for an interesting, chunkier texture as well. If you can't decide whether you want to snack on candy or cookies, these may just be the cookies you need.

At last, we reach the best of the group. Although I do love Chips Ahoy's ingenuity when it comes to some of the less-expected flavors on this list, when it comes to something like a chocolate chip cookie, it just makes sense to keep things simple. That's why I love Chips Ahoy's Chewy cookies best. There's nothing wild going on here — they're literally just chocolate chip cookies. But instead of being hard, crumbly, and crunchy like their original counterparts, these are soft and easy to bite into, giving more of a fresh-baked feel.

Now, are these the best chocolate chip cookies you're ever going to have? Probably not. After all, they come in a package at the grocery store, not even from the bakery section. That being said, for packaged, store-bought chocolate chip cookies, these really are tasty. They taste amazing when dipped in milk, although it's not necessary to pair them with a glass of milk since you don't need to do anything to make the texture more palatable. Give them a try the next time you're craving a sweet snack.

These cookie varieties were chosen based on local availability. I tried each of the cookies at the same time, both with and without a glass of milk, to determine the pros and cons of both their flavors and textures. Softer, chewier cookies with better, more complex, or more interesting flavor profiles ranked near the top of the list, while simpler, crunchier, and less well-constructed cookies were ranked lower.