How to make the best Starbucks chocolate chip cookie mimic

Cookies baked from the “A Dash of Sanity” website’s recipe are fresh out of the oven and melting together into a chocolaty mound. Presley Davis/Lariat

Rumor has it Starbucks sells a cookie worth sitting through a half-hour-long drive-thru for. But is there a cookie recipe that is worth a mountain of dirty dishes?

Dozens of recipes claim to mimic Starbucks’ chocolate chip cookie. I tried out three of these recipes in my own kitchen and succeeded in finding a mouth-watering replica. 

Cookie one: Starbucks’ recipe

The Starbucks website does list a chocolate chip cookie recipe itself.

These cookies were demolished within 24 hours of making them, so that says something. However, I would not say they hold a candle, or even an ember, to the cookies sold at Starbucks storefronts. 

The cookies rose into biscuit shapes crispening evenly. Cut in half, the inside revealed a melty chocolate core surrounded by fluffy dough. Presley Davis/Lariat

The cookie had a nice vanilla flavor, but it could have been more distinct. 

Several of my family members who tried them said it tasted like a peanut butter cookie even though the cookies did not contain peanut butter.

The crunchy outside gave the cookie a little depth, however, it detoured from Starbucks’ cookies’ soft and chewy texture. The sweetness was subtle, ideal for people who like treats that aren’t too rich, but Starbucks cookies are much sweeter with a nearly caramelized taste. 

The recipe instructions conveyed the main points but several steps seemed open for interpretation. For the novice baker, this could be confusing. 

The main issue I encountered was with the butter. The Starbucks instructions page said the butter needed to be “Properly Aerated.” After spending an unnecessary amount of time googling what on earth that meant I concluded that this meant to get air into the butter by mixing. 

After several minutes of struggle, it became clear that cold butter doesn’t care to be aerated. It just got stuck in the whisk and made the bowl look gross.

Following the so-called aeration, Starbucks’s instructions then said to“fully combine” the butter with the egg. After smearing the mixture around for five minutes I accepted the fact that it wasn’t going to be any smoother than what resembled expired cottage cheese.

Cookie two: “Delish” recipe

Thanks to “Delish” I’m happy to say I will never again look longingly at Starbucks cookies and think droopy thoughts about my cooking.

Fall was defined at the first bite of the “Delish” cookie with its rich whole wheat flavor. Presley Davis/Lariat

However, the cookie had an extremely rich and slightly saltier taste, making it so it could not be truly enjoyed without a glass of water. 

The middle was also a little more doughy than Starbucks, but this could be attributed to me forgetting to rotate them when cooking.

The “Delish” recipe was easy to follow and didn’t leave me in the dark. It even specified to soften the butter and aerate it with an electric mixer. 

I cannot begin to describe my excitement when the butter combined with the sugar smoothly instead of making a disgusting mess. It took great self-control to eventually turn off the joy-provoking appliance.

They still had a great texture and taste the next day, which was a big plus.

Cookie three: “Dash of Sanity” recipe

“A Dash Of Sanity’s” cookies did not disappoint. Their melty inside and crisp edges mimicked Starbucks cookies’ texture. Presley Davis/Lariat

I was anxious to try “A Dash of Sanity’s” recipe; the first paragraph of the recipe says that it would be “sharing Starbucks’ secret.”

The recipe creates 24 cookies, just a little smaller than a Starbucks one. Cooked at 350 degrees the cookies come out flimsy and fluffed up, but slowly flatten into firm creased disks as they cool.

One noticeable difference with this recipe was that the cookies were not as thick as Starbucks.

The cookie tasted like a mix of the last two recipes, slightly less sweet than the “Delish” recipe, yet maintaining the Starbucks vanilla flavor. The cookies also did not require any salt or as much butter, making the flavor less powerful. 

“A Dash of Sanity’s” cookies required both wheat and all-purpose flour, giving them a finer consistency than the “Delish” cookies, and not quite as rich of a nutty fall flavor. 

The recipe was clear, giving all the necessary information without babysitting the reader. Tips like “Divide 1/3 cup of dough in half, [and] roll each half into balls,” as stated in the instructions section of the “Dash of Sanity” recipe were helpful.

Staying true to its name, “Copycat Starbucks Chocolate Chip Cookies,” these could pose for Starbucks cookies.

Summary

All the recipes turned out to be a success, although I would not say all the cookies tasted the same nor did they all taste exactly like Starbucks. 

I would not recommend the recipe listed on the “Starbucks” website if looking for a copy of the cookies sold at storefronts, but they were still delicious. The “Dash of Sanity”  and “Delish” recipes could both pass as Starbucks cookies, their diversions from Starbucks being subtle. “Dash of Sanity’s” recipe would please a baker looking for a mouthwatering cookie that is not too overwhelming, whereas a “Delish” cookie would be great for someone wanting a stunningly rich cookie to nibble at. 

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