One Of The Worst Store-Bought Chocolate Chip Cookies We Tried Had A Seriously Fatal Flaw

Even if you are devoted to your homemade recipe for extra chewy chocolate chip cookies, sometimes popping to the store can be the convenience you are grateful for when you want cookies without any of the hard work. When Chowhound set time aside to chomp through and rank 16 of the best and worst store-bought chocolate cookies, one packet disappointed the taste buds in more ways than one: Keebler's Chips Deluxe Soft Batch. 

As a brand, Keebler has a history of dominating the soft cookie wars, FYI. Particularly throughout the '80s, the brand had the nation hooked with its genuinely grandma-worthy soft and chewy cookies that several other brands had a hard time coming close to in terms of taste and texture. Today, it seems that Keebler has lost its spunk (so much so it even made it to the list of snacks from the '80s no one remembers anymore). Not only are the chocolate notes missing in the Chips Deluxe Soft Batch cookies, but they also tasted burnt (like, seriously burnt) to the extent that the acrid notes overwhelm the palate. Even though these cookies are supposed to be homemade-style, they don't taste at all like grandma made them, but rather like some elf sabotaged the batch by leaving them in the oven for far too long.

The issues were not singular with these Keebler cookies. The problems begin before you even bring the cookie to your mouth, as these look pretty flat and unappealing. Good cookies — the types you can't help but eyeball as you plan on munching on "one last one" — are generally well rounded with plenty of visible chocolate chips. These cookies have an oblong shape, are on the thin side, and are visually off-putting; it's worth noting that the cookies don't really resemble the chocolate-chip laden cookies on the packaging. The bigger issue in our ranking was the overall taste, which isn't likely to blow other cookie lovers away either. After all, our reviewer noted an overwhelming burnt taste that managed to disguise even a hint of sweetness, let alone any potentially subtle flavors.

For those whose go-to chocolate chip cookie of choice is soft batch, you'll probably be disappointed by Keebler's take and its lack of melt-in-your-mouth oomph that you're used to. The fact that these cookies are not crowd-pleasers for those who prefer this style of cookie means that the pillowy soft reign of Keebler's era of unrivaled baked goods might be over. Keebler's Chips Deluxe Soft Batch cookies are probably worth passing on if you're looking for plentiful chocolate chips and undeniable flavor. Instead, for store-bought options, we recommend the classic Chips Ahoy! or Famous Amos.