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When it comes to chocolate chip cookies, are you Team Big and Chewy (like the rendition Reddit believes are the “pinnacle of perfection”), Team Thin and Crispy, or Team Best-of-Both-Worlds, a la Chef John’s crispy-edged, chewy-middle Chocolate Chip Cookies? Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum and no matter which recipe you personally believe yields The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever, there’s one feature we can agree on that is an essential element: chocolate chips.

The little morsels pack a big dose of chocolate flavor. But with more than a dozen different options at most major retailers these days, how is a baker supposed to choose among the chocolate chip brands? 

We put six brands of chocolate chips through the paces in a staff taste test a few years ago, and Ghiradelli came out on top. Still, we know that we didn’t sample the full array of options and new contenders that have since entered the market.

So, to help all of us shop wisely and bake better, we tapped a panel of professional bakers and cookbook authors to dish about their top choice for chips.

Our Panel of Chocolate Chip-Rating Bakers

Qualities of the Best Chocolate Chips

“Chocolate chips aren't as smooth as bar chocolate because they contain stabilizers to hold their shape,” admits Erin Clarke, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based recipe developer and the author of ”Well Plated Everyday”.

The stabilizers are designed to keep chocolate from melting too much at high temperatures, “which is the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish when you are trying to melt chocolate,” adds Meggan Hill, the Valencia, California-based executive chef and CEO of Culinary Hill.

Our pro bakers agree that a chocolate bar reigns supreme in s’mores, when you’re craving irregular, larger pockets of chocolate (like in a chocolate croissant), or for most melted chocolate recipes like chocolate truffles or chocolate-covered strawberries. 

Still, “I can’t deny the perfection of a chocolate chip in a classic cookie,” explains Alisa Woods, owner of Sift n Sprinkle Bakery in Des Moines, Iowa. And chips are ideal in many brownie, cake, muffin, and pancake recipes, too.

“For everyday, I do opt for chocolate chips more often because the consistency in their size and shape ensures even chocolate distribution in baked goods,” says Yumna Jawad, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based CEO and founder of Feel Good Foodie and the author of "The Feel Good Foodie Cookbook". "Plus, it’s much more convenient without the added step of having to chop a chocolate bar."

When it comes time to choose your chips, Clark reminds us that “all brands are not created equal!” The easiest way to land on your personal favorite is to taste them. However, the label can give you some good clues.

The best chocolate chips must...

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The Best Chocolate Chips, According to Pro Bakers

After earning three votes from our experts, Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips takes the crown as the best morsel for your money.

“My absolute favorite supermarket chocolate chip is Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. These chips have a superior flavor; they’re deep, dark, and chocolatey with the right balance of sweetness,” Hill explains. “Beyond that, they melt like a dream, and they somehow elevate every baking application they are used in. They really do taste the best, and it's not even close!”

Clarke and Woods echo those sentiments—also giving a hat tip to the Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Baking Chips and Milk Chocolate Chips as worthy investments—and adore the brand’s wide availability and larger size. The price is right, too, clocking in at about $4.59 per 12-ounce bag.

“Ghirardelli chocolate chips are a little larger than most, so they’re a nice big surprise in a chocolate chip cookie, and melt to be oh-so creamy,” Woods adds.

Four other brands earned an honorable mention from the pro bakers:

How to Use Chocolate Chips Like a Pro

Whether you switch teams to Ghiradelli—or any of the other baker-beloved chips—or stick with the store brand or another that has your heart, you’re going to want to stock up on a bounty of bags. Chocolate chip cookies are just one of the dozens of possibilities for using your chips.

Chocolate chips make an incredible addition to all of these pro-approved desserts: