The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
What does the best chocolate chip cookie look like for you? Is there one cookie that hits the spot every single time and makes you the happiest person alive? Well, there is one for me and it will always reign supreme.
National Cookie Day is on December 4 and to honour Santa Claus' favourite snack, I went out to five fast food chains in Canada to find out which spot has the best chocolate chip cookie and it was obvious right from the start.
I may not be a professional baker, but I know a good cookie when I see one. I have been a cookie-lover for as long as I can remember. In fact, one of my favourite childhood memories is looking for delicious cookies with my dad each week behind our family's backs.
A great cookie to me means something with chocolate, moisture and a bit of a crunch. It must be sweet but not too sugary and it should taste decadent too. The heavier and less chocolatey the cookie is, the less likely I am to like it.
I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie from McDonald's, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Subway and Chick-fil-A in Toronto, and one of them will always have a soft spot in my heart.
Here's how the cookies crumble, from least to most favourite.
5. Chick-fil-A Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Chick-fil-A Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Chick-fil-A is a fast food restaurant known for its fried chicken sandwiches, but they also have a dessert menu filled with items that people love.
Some of their famous treats include Frosted Coffee, Cookies & Cream Milkshake, Chick-fil-A Icedream Cone and their Chocolate Chunk Cookie.
Unlike all the other cookies in this taste test, Chick-fil-A had the thickest one and included more than just chocolate chunks.
Chick-fil-A's cookie consists of semi-sweet dark and milk chocolate chunks, along with oats. Now, I hate to admit it, but I actually like oatmeal cookies, so I was disappointed to find out that this cookie wasn't the best one.
The cookie was too thick and dry, which made it hard to enjoy because biting it was unpleasant, and chewing it made a loud crunching noise.
Additionally, it lacked moisture, and the chunks weren't melty. I picked up the cookie right when the store opened, hoping to receive the freshest batch, but I guess that wasn't the case.
Price: $2.09
4. McDonald's Chocolate Chip Cookie
McDonald's Chocolate Chip Cookie
McDonald's McCafe chocolate chip cookie was the smallest one from the list of fast food chains in this taste test, and it wasn't as chocolatey as I hoped it would be.
McCafe's perfectly circular and thick cookie does promise a "soft and chewy" texture that they truly deliver, but my problem with the treat is that it doesn't have as much sweetness as the others.
If you don't have much of a sweet tooth but want to end your McDonald's meal with something light, this cookie will make you happy. But for me, a person who loves the taste of decadent chocolate chips in a gooey base, this circular biscuit was not it.
McDonald's uses a semi-sweet chocolate chip in their mixture, and I believe if I had warmed it up, I would've had more of a melty cookie.
Price: $1.19
3. Tim Hortons Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Tim Hortons Chocolate Chunk Cookie
A summer road trip isn't complete without an Iced Capp in one hand and a Tim Hortons chocolate chunk cookie in the other. But unfortunately, the cookie I received from the Tim Hortons near my house was not up to par and I can't help but defend it.
In my previous experiences, Tim Hortons cookies are a perfect mix between crunchy and soft. It typically has enough chocolate chunks to satisfy my sweet tooth and an aftertaste that I enjoy. But the cookie I received today ticked none of the above boxes.
The cookie was stale, hard and dry, which was quite disappointing, mainly because I went to the Tim Hortons at 11:00 a.m. hoping for some freshly baked goodies.
If this were my first Tim Hortons cookie experience, I probably would never order it again, but because I know what it should taste like, I will rank this one in third place.
Price: $1.49
2. Starbucks Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Starbucks Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Starbucks was the only fast food chain that asked me if I wanted my cookie warmed up. This instantly earned it more points but didn't get the top spot in this taste test because it's just not there yet.
Starbucks Canada uses semi-sweet chocolate chunks that are mixed in with the dough. The cookie is thick and chewy, and even though I didn't ask to get it warmed up, it was still moist, and the chocolate chunks were melty.
The outer part of the circle was perfectly crispy, but once my teeth dug into the middle, I could enjoy the soft part of the cookie too.
Starbucks' cookie also had a delicious aftertaste that kept me wanting to bite into it more and was the largest circle compared to all the other ones.
The cookie certainly felt fresh, and if I got it warmed up, it would've definitely been more delicious than it already was. But it's still not a Subway cookie.
Price: $3.45
1. Subway Chocolate Chip Cookie
Subway Chocolate Chip Cookie
Subway cookies are the best in the world, and no matter where you go, people will always bring up their goodies as the gold standard.
In the Middle East where I grew up, Subway cookies were premium. They were a treat my father bought me a lot growing up. It was moist, decadent, chewy and always fresh.
Now, 10 years later, Subway Canada delivers the same high-quality cookie that I loved in Dubai. Isn't that nuts?
Walking past a Subway doesn't make me crave a sandwich, but it does make me want to indulge in a chocolate chip cookie.
In fact, you can find a whole bunch of recipes online that instruct bakers how to make a cookie similar to the Subway one.
Regardless, Subway cookies are moist, perfectly thin, chewy and decadent. Each bite is better than the last, and its distinctive taste makes it so memorable in my mind.
I truly tried to find something to replace this cookie, but I have come to the conclusion that I will forever have a place for it in my stomach, and it could never disappoint.
Price: $0.99