15 Chips Ahoy Flavors Ranked Worst To Best
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Chips Ahoy cookies are the sweet treats many of us grew up eating. They're also a snack we reach for as adults, in part because they're sold practically everywhere. It's not for nothing that Chips Ahoy is a brand owned by Nabisco, which owns many of our other favorite snack brands like Oreos, Ritz Crackers, and Teddy Grahams. No one knows exactly where this cookie company's name comes from, but it may have originated as a nod to the old nautical expression "Ships Ahoy" used as a maritime warning (via Biscuit People). We're not really sure what that has to do with cookies, but hey, we'll take it.
Wherever the name came from, it stuck and became a familiar brand many still know and love. Aside from the never-ending debate about whether the crunchy or chewy cookies are better (we're #TeamChewy here at Mashed), Chips Ahoy tends to create universally loved products, though they aren't above a few slip-ups here and there. Ranking them is no easy task, but we were up to the challenge. Here are all of the currently available Chips Ahoy cookies ranked from worst to best.
15. Sour Patch Kids
Have you ever been at a party with an assortment of snacks available, and in your haste to try everything you ended up throwing some gummy candies in your mouth before you were finished chewing a cookie? That's sort of what this variety of Chips Ahoy is like. As you may well have guessed, each cookie is made with Sour Patch Kids bits and brightly colored white chocolate chips mixed in. This limited-edition flavor isn't being circulated by Chips Ahoy anymore, but it can still be found online through some third-party retailers.
This was a fun idea in theory but just doesn't work in execution. Biting into a cookie and getting a mouthful of sour sticky gummy candy is a little off-putting. The texture of the gummies is a strange thing to pair with the more crumbly texture of the cookie and the odd combination honestly feels kind of gross in your mouth. The sour flavor of the gummies really doesn't work with the more classically sweet flavor of a cookie, either. The addition of white chocolate chips helps blend the two flavors together a bit but doesn't provide the relief we need to make this cookie enjoyable.
When it comes to this flavor, we give Chips Ahoy an "A" for creativity and a "D" for execution. If you wanna enjoy both of these flavors, you're better off buying Chips Ahoy cookies and Sour Patch Kids and enjoy them separately.
14. Thins
There is something inherently wrong with a "thin" version of a cookie. Less cookie overall means less cookie flavor in each bite. Instead of being rich and sweet, these Chips Ahoy thins have a mild flavor and taste a little toasty, like cookies that sat in the oven for a minute too long. The chocolate chips themselves taste a little overdone, too, which really translates to them tasting slightly burned. While you do get more chocolate chips in each bite with less cookie mass to drown them out, this means that the extra flavor isn't as appetizing as it could be.
These thin Chips Ahoy cookies aren't bad, per se, but they leave us unsatisfied and reaching for more to get that comforting cookie taste. This, in turn, defeats the whole point of a "thin" cookie. We'd rather have a couple of the regular ones instead of an entire bag of these. If you love the crispy texture, fine, but otherwise just enjoy the real thing!
13. Original Crunchy
Chips Ahoy's original crunchy cookies are good, but they taste like pretty much any other cookie you've ever eaten. And look, we're not saying these are bad. The cookie is crisp without any burnt flavor, and there are plenty of chocolate chips scattered around to melt in your mouth with each bite.
To be fair, some customers think these are the next best thing to homemade cookies while others believe they're a tasty treat that gets the job done. "This is a fairly inexpensive, good tasting option for store bought cookie. I personally don't love the crunchiness and would go with a softer cookie. The taste is good though, nice and sweet but not too sweet," one reviewer wrote on Family Rated.
Ultimately, there's nothing unique about these cookies. They're also crumbly and messy, which poses a challenge when you're trying to eat them in the car or during class. Between the unsurprising flavor and the crumbs covering every square inch around us, we'll pass on these for another flavor.
12. Candy Blasts
In addition to chocolate chips, these Chips Ahoy Candy Blasts are filled with small candy-coated chocolates that add a bright pop of color. They also add some extra sweetness to the cookie, which may be appetizing to some people. Or, it could be off-putting to others who think the rest of the cookie is already sweet enough.
"The bits of candy-coated chocolate fudge [do] not taste very good. It tastes like cheap M&M's, meaning that the chocolate flavor is definitely missing. They are just overly sweet instead. Because of these candied bits, the cookies have very few actual chocolate chips in them, and I really miss that chocolate!" one reviewer on Amazon wrote.
Because the candy bits are the one unique aspect of these cookies but don't add much flavor, the cookies still taste very similar to the original Chips Ahoy variety. They're just more sugary with some added texture. We think this elevates them a little bit, but not enough to make it to the top of our list.
11. Reese's Pieces
We love Reese's Pieces, and so we were thrilled to see Chips Ahoy cookies packed with this candy. However, the concept does not work as well as you'd think it would. Consider the fact that Reese's Pieces have a pretty thick candy coating, which creates a weird texture when the candies are combined with the soft cookie. Hard nuts work well in cookies, sure, but hard candies don't.
In terms of flavor, we really like how the peanut butter flavor of the candies mixes with the cookie, yet the nutty taste isn't as strong as we would like. "I was very disappointed in these cookies. They had Reese's pieces in them but didn't really have much peanut butter flavor," one reviewer wrote on Influenster. There are reportedly some chocolate chips in there too, but we're craving more.
These cookies come in crunchy and chewy versions. We recommend chewy for the best experience, as the candy texture actually works better when it's contrasted with a chewy cookie. Overall, these aren't bad but they aren't our favorite version either.
10. Choco Chunky
As big fans of chocolate, we're always excited to see chocolate-on-chocolate products. Chips Ahoy's Choco Chunky cookie, a chocolate cookie with large chocolate chunks, seemed too good to be true. And that's because it is. Again, it's not a bad cookie, but it rather disappointingly looks quite a lot better than it tastes.
The cookie flavor itself is the worst offender here, as it doesn't taste very chocolatey at all. That's doubly disappointing given the look and name of this variety. We expected a rich, cocoa flavor but the actual product only has a light, slightly sweet chocolate flavor. The chocolate chunks likewise didn't deliver as much of their namesake taste as we wanted.
"It delivered a light chocolaty quality but is otherwise pretty plain compared to the caramel-y sweetness of a typical chocolate chip cookie. I was expecting a more prominent chocolate flavor," Brand Eating wrote. All told, if you're going to promise big chocolate flavor, you'd better deliver — and this Chips Ahoy flavor just doesn't cut it.
9. White Fudge Chunky
You can't quite blame this cookie for being mediocre. White chocolate is tricky to work with even for professionals, as it can be super sweet without much distinguishing flavor. Unfortunately, while a gourmet chef might do well, Chips Ahoy hasn't found the secret to white chocolate success. The White Fudge Chunky cookies are pretty bland, as the white chocolate chips just add a blandly sugary flavor to an already sweet cookie.
"It's an unidentifiable sweetness, not really white chocolate and definitely not fudge. The result isn't bad, but it's not that great either. I was expecting something with more flavor but that's not at all what I got here," Carstairs Considers wrote.
We agree. While the milk chocolate chips that come to play in the cookie create a slightly stronger depth of flavor, it's hard to ignore the yawn-inducing blandness of the white chocolate. While we probably wouldn't turn one of these down if it was presented to us, neither are we going out of our way to buy this flavor.
8. Chunky Chocolate Chip
If you're looking for a decent crunchy chocolate chip cookie, the Chips Ahoy Chunky is a good option. It tastes just like the original version but with somewhat more chocolate flavor thanks to the chunks scattered throughout. Yet, because we didn't give the Chips Ahoy original crunchy cookies a terribly good rating, we can't place these much higher, either.
One reviewer from ViewPoints agreed with us, writing that this cookie flavor "isn't really any different from regular Chips Ahoy. The "chunks" are only slightly bigger than the regular "chips," and are simply a different shape (square instead of round). Chips Ahoy are crumbly and dry as soon as you open the bag."
Now, these are better than the originals, given that the individual cookies offer up more chocolate in each bite, but they still ultimately leave us unsatisfied and covered in crumbs yet again. Thanks but no thanks, Chips Ahoy.
7. Original Chewy
We know the flavor of Original Chewy and Original Crunchy are technically the same, but the chewy version is just so much better. Chewy cookies are top-tier (we won't be debating this) and Chips Ahoy is no exception. The cookie portion is soft, sweet, and has the slight brown sugar flavor that you'd expect from a good cookie. The chocolate chips add even more creaminess and pull the whole thing together.
"The chewy chips ahoy cookies are better than the crunchy ones I don't care what anyone says, they're delicious. I'm not knocking the crunchy ones, they certainly are good. However the chewy ones are where it's at, they taste so much better to me," one Reddit reviewer wrote.
Perhaps our favorite part of chewy Chips Ahoy cookies? They don't fall apart! No wiping crumbs off your lap and no need for napkins whenever you want to indulge. The lack of messiness makes these perfect for a road trip, office, or classroom snack. Now, they may get a little crumbly if left in the heat for too long, but that's true with anything that contains chocolate. That being said, although the chewy original is better than the crunchy, it's still a pretty plain chocolate chip cookie, which is why it doesn't rank any higher on our list.
6. Chewy Brownie Filled
As fans of cookies and brownies, you can bet we were excited to try these. However, as with several Chips Ahoy ideas, the concept is better than the actual thing. These are supposed to be a regular Chips Ahoy cookie stuffed with a rich brownie center, but we didn't really get that. The flavor is richer and more cocoa forward, which we like, but it doesn't taste like a gooey brownie as promised. Moreover, the texture of the center isn't much different than the rest of the cookie.
"I also found myself mourning the fudgy flavor typical of brownies, and wished there was an extra oomph of cocoa butter to round out the flavor and decrease the slightly artificial vibe. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, the ingredients show no sign of cocoa butter – neither in the chocolate chips of the cookie, nor in the brownie," wrote The Impulsive Buy.
This flavor is pretty unique and we applaud the idea, but we aren't totally sold on buying these again.
5. Hershey's Fudge Filled
Similar to the chewy brownie flavor, these cookies are stuffed with a rich fudge center. These treats are actually a great pick if you're someone who dreams about drinking Hershey's chocolate syrup all day, given that the chocolate filling is very creamy and decadent.
However, while many of Chips Ahoy's flavors don't have enough of the advertised extra flavor, this is a rare exception of the brand going overboard. While we're all about rich chocolate taste, the ratio here is too uneven. You can barely taste the cookie at all, which provides some much-needed relief from the intensely fudgy center. All told, it tastes more like a chunk of fudge coated in a cookie than a cookie filled with fudge.
The packaging of this cookie flavor notes that these are great paired with ice cream, and we agree. A non-chocolate addition to the party in your mouth, like a good vanilla ice cream, would go a long way to make these more balanced. We recommend pairing them with ice cream or milk instead of eating them plain.
4. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Crunchy
We know that we've gone on and on about how much we love chewy cookies, but there are exceptions to every rule. And, if you're willing to deal with a few cookie crumbles, these are an exception that could be worth your time. The saltiness from the pieces of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in these cookies works really well with standard Chips Ahoy flavor. The flavors of peanut butter and chocolate were more pronounced here than in other purportedly similar flavors. Perhaps that's because we don't have to manage any hard candy shells here. Instead, it's all Reese's, all the way, complement by some chocolate chips for good measure.
These cookies have a leg up on other crunchy varieties because the creaminess of the peanut butter cups helps offset the dryness and propensity to crumble that's so often seen in Chips Ahoy's other flavors. Overall, these are tasty and great for fans of peanut butter and chocolate.
3. S'Mores
Chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers make a fantastic flavor combination. S'mores first appeared in a Girl Scouts cookbook in 1927 (via Food & Wine). The word is commonly understood to be a contraction of the phrase "some more." S'mores have been an integral part of campfire culture for years, but unfortunately, Chips Ahoy wasn't able to totally deliver on this classic flavor.
Don't get us wrong: these cookies are delicious. The soft chewy cookies are packed with chocolate chips and contain a fudgy chocolate center. They also have white chocolate chips that are supposed to be marshmallow flavored, but we didn't taste any of that at all.
While the cookie tastes slightly more like a graham cracker than the regular Chips Ahoy variety, we really had to think hard to pick out that flavor. We think Chips Ahoy should have added actual graham cracker chunks to their cookie dough along with the chocolate chips to really get their poitn across. They also should have swapped out the chocolate center for a marshmallow one. All in all, these cookies are tasty but they don't deliver the promised flavor experience.
2. Red Velvet
Fans of red velvet cake will be surely impressed with these cookies. Chips Ahoy did an excellent job of capturing the cocoa and cream cheese nuances of this classic cake flavor, with its slight edge of bitterness and tangy notes from the cream cheese. These cookies even have a tangy white icing center, which makes this traditional cake flavor even more believable.
"The red dough has the bitter cocoa of a red velvet cake fairly on point. The cookie is a little saltier and tastes a little more floury than other Chips Ahoy! cookies, which goes a long way for drawing the bridge from cookie to cake," Junk Banter wrote.
Overall, we're quite impressed with Chips Ahoy's take on this cookie. It doesn't taste exactly like a slice of red velvet cake, of course, but it comes awfully close for a pre-packaged cookie. We're happy and we'll buy these every chance we get.
1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Chewy
A chewy Chips Ahoy cookie stuffed with mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? This flavor is what dreams are made of. These have all of the things we love about the original chewy cookie — a soft, fluffy texture, melty chocolate chips, and no messy crumbs — with the addition of one of our favorite candies baked inside each bite. They practically melt in your mouth and create a salty-sweet taste that is to die for.
Other folks certainly agree with us. "Soft, chewy cookie. They didn't skimp on the Reese's either. Will buy again when another craving strikes," one Amazon reviewer wrote. Another raved, "Warning, these are addictive. Despite the recommended serving size being something stupid like 2 cookies, you just as well grab an entire row of them the first time!... If you like the standard chewy Chips Ahoy and you like Reeses, you'll love these."
Unless we want to try a new seasonal flavor, this is our go-to Chips Ahoy flavor every time.