Anyone that knows me knows I’m synonymous with chocolate chip cookies. As a self-proclaimed chocolate chip cookie connoisseur, I have spent the past years of my young adulthood searching for the perfect cookie. Trying everything from chains like Crumbl to local New York City bakeries, I’ve been on the hunt for a cookie that is the perfect balance of a soft, chewy center with slightly crispy edges, packed with just the right amount of chocolate chips (which means more chocolate than cookie).
Let’s start with the basics: Levain. What once started off as a small NYC bakery has blossomed into a small chain with locations all over the United States. I hate to admit it, but it’s a phenomenal cookie. With a couple of NYC locations scattered across the map, and my personal favorite one near Central Park, something about the walnut chocolate chip is the perfect amount of chewy, gooey and chocolatey perfection. While on the pricier side, the chunky cookie is surely worth the dollar. Unfortunately, while this cookie is wonderful, it is insanely dense and heavy; I’m unable to eat more than a couple of bites without feeling overwhelmed, and it’s just too heavy to be the best everyday cookie.
Another New York City favorite is Culture Espresso, and I hate to tell this story — but I discovered it before the hype. My friend and I were once just wandering around Chelsea after getting off at Penn Station and stumbled across this coffee shop. While the coffee itself is subpar at best, the chocolate chip cookie I got on the side was absolute perfection and I dreamt about it for months. Once my friend and I looked up the coffee shop on Yelp, we discovered we were not the pioneers for this. We were Christopher Columbus, stumbling upon new territory that had already been talked about. Their cookies are delicious and chewy and I can tell they really take the time with their brown butter. It is the kind of cookie that lingers in your memory, the kind you think about for weeks, even months, afterward. While still being fluffy and crumbly, they aren’t as overwhelming as the Levain ones and come at a more reasonable price point. I have to give this place the best chocolate chip cookie in the city; it tastes just as good as if Grandma made it, if Grandma had mastered the art of brown butter and lived in a shoebox apartment in Midtown.
Another emerging favorite has become Maman, a local NYC French coffee shop. Their chocolate chip cookie is certainly more unique with bolder, more nutty flavors but something about this cookie just didn’t do it for me. It didn’t taste as fresh as the others, and while being nominated by the likes of Oprah, I would skip this cookie. I’m not sure if I went on a bad day, but I was incredibly underwhelmed. The cookies were a bit overcooked and didn’t have that fluffy middle that I’m usually drawn towards in a chocolate chip cookie. If you like a more complex flavor profile with less emphasis on the classic chewy texture, you might love it. But for me, it’s a pass.
An up-and-coming NYC chain has been Chip City. While I appreciate their inclusivity and halal marshmallow usage, their cookie also fell short to me. Something about it also did not taste the freshest to me and I prefer a chewier, softer cookie. However, if you’re into crispy cookies, their s’mores one is delicious, but just skip the classic chocolate chip if you’re expecting something soft and gooey.
Of course, no cookie conversation would be complete without mentioning Crumbl. With new locations in the city, Crumbl blew up from its humble Utah origins to becoming a TikTok and dessert sensation. However, every time I eat one, I feel like I’m eating an entire stick of straight butter with not enough flavor. The rotating flavors do keep things interesting but for $5 a cookie and 52 grams of sugar, I do not find it anywhere near worth it, minus the cute pink box.
As a Rose Hill student, I’m not sure if I could write a list of chocolate chip cookies in the city without including the Insomnia Cookie on Fordham Road. While I cannot compare their recipe to the likes of Levain and Culture, something about eating their cookie with a scoop of snickerdoodle ice cream at midnight will always be perfect and nostalgic. Maybe it’s the warmth of the cookie melting into the ice cream or the fact that it’s often shared with friends after a long day, but there’s a certain magical remedy to eating it whenever it’s available that Crumbl could never compare with.
To wrap up, if you’re looking for the best chocolate chip cookie in New York City — from an expert — my advice is to make the trip to Culture Espresso. It is beyond worth the price point and MTA ticket. Levain is a must-try but be prepared to share or save half for later unless you can make it through the density. Maman and Chip City, while popular, didn’t quite hit the mark for me and Crumbl feels more like a sugar overload than a well-balanced cookie. But no matter how many trendy bakeries pop up, there’s something timeless and comforting about Insomnia Cookie, especially after a long day at Fordham that nothing comes close to.
