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In a world filled with crème brûlée, chocolate truffle, and crepe cakes, one sweet treat remains superior: the timeless chocolate chip cookie.
You don’t need to be fancy to enjoy this snack favorite. Sure, there are plenty of artisan cookies in the market, but they’re pricey. And your local supermarket doesn’t fail in satisfying your cookie cravings without the steep cost. All of their shelves are stocked with popular cookie brands, with prices ranging from P10 to P80.
With so many options available, the cookie lover in me asked, “Which packaged brand is the best?”
It gave me the excuse to hold a chocolate chip cookie taste test.
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Cookie Criteria: How to Judge the Best Choco Chip Cookie
Together with some of my friends, we bought several popular brands — most of them you probably loved when you were a kid, and you still love as an adult.
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Before we dove into the diabetes fest, we came up with these criteria to judge each cookie:
- Appearance
- Crunchiness/chewiness
- Sweetness
- Compatibility with milk (because of course, you gotta dunk it in milk)
Once we got the nitty gritty of this super important test out of the way, we began the “scientific” part. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.
Quaker Oatmeal Cookies (P44.95/12 cookies)
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One of my friends said, “This is definitely the healthiest cookie. You can tell by how it tastes.”
Quaker’s oatmeal cookies live up to its healthy cookie nature. The texture’s a little rough due to the oatmeal and doesn’t taste too sweet. “Just right,” as my friends said. The cookie is tough to bite, so not braces-friendly (one of the testers has braces and had to chew carefully) at all.
If you dunk it in milk, the taste improves and the texture becomes softer (naturally). Think of it as an actual oatmeal breakfast, but in cookie form.
Total score: 6.5/10
Cream-O Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Cream-O has two variants of chocolate chip cookies: the original one and the double choco chip version.
Original Chocolate Chip (P78/10 pieces)
If you’re a big fan of creamy-tasting chocolate chip cookies, you’ll probably like this one. The first bite already introduced a choco chip explosion, plus the cookie itself is sweet and creamy. My friend Grace said that the cookie was too sweet, though. Milky and very sweet were her descriptions for it.
When we dipped it in milk, the cookie’s taste improved. The sweetness was sort of downplayed and the milky taste was emphasized. I don’t know what sort of cookie magic happened, but it was amazing.
Total score: 7/10
Double Chocolate Chip (P79.50/10 pieces)
Have you ever wondered what a Fudgie Bar tastes like in cookie form? Get one of Cream-O’s Double Chocolate Chip cookies.
It tastes like melted chocolate cake, which is awesome. The fudge-type cookie can be too sweet for some, but I like it. If you dunk it in milk, it tastes even better. It’s like eating a brownie and having more than you should.
Total score: 7/10
Bingo Cookie Feels (P10 per piece)
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In terms of smell, this one takes the trophy. It smelled so good: buttery and chocolate-y. And the cookie looked so nice. It’s like the ones you see on cartoons: smooth and filled with black dots of chocolate goodness. The best part? It has chocolate filling.
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As for the milk criteria, it tastes lovely with milk, but you can live without it, too!
Total score: 8.5/10
Goldilocks Chocolate Chip (P54.50/ Eight pieces)
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Just like Cookie Feels, the contender from Goldilock’s smelled so good. The buttery cookie smell wafted in the air, which enticed us to take a bite. It also looked good; the surface was smooth, and you could see the chips.
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There’s just one problem: it’s too hard.
Pasalubong uraro levels, as my friends said. The texture isn’t like a cookie’s; it’s more like a biscuit. Lyka, my friend with braces, had a hard time eating the cookie. She didn’t finish it because it felt like the cookie could damage her braces.
The milk sort of helped in terms of texture. It softened some, but it’s still one tough cookie.
Total score: 6.5/10
Fibisco the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (P45.50/200 grams)
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This is the quintessential cookie you see in your lola’s jar; the one your mom warned you about. I have fond memories about Fibisco’s cookies, and I couldn’t wait to eat and be seven again.
Unlike the other cookies, this one was crumbly. Even if you’re not a messy eater, you’re bound to leave a crumb trail. In terms of taste, it’s sweet enough. According to Lyka, it’s the type of cookie she could eat every day and not feel guilty about it. Fibisco’s cookie is the perfect mix of sweet and salty — a combination we didn’t come across with from the other brands.
Total score: 8.5/10
Chips Delight Chocolate Chip Cookies (P23.20/80 grams)
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Someone once told me that Chips Delight was the poor man’s Chips Ahoy. As a student, this was my favorite treat to gorge on while my teacher talked about physics or algebra. It was the go-to cookie to satisfy my cookie cravings behind my mom’s back (sorry, mom). I knew what to expect, but after eating the other cookies, my perspective changed.
The lovely chocolate chip smell is still there. It’s OK in terms of taste, despite its crumbly texture. Saktong sweet, as Grace said. There is no wow factor, though. It’s just another cookie — but still one of the PH’s best cookies. Also, the taste remains the same with or without milk.
Total score: 8/10
Chips Delight Butter Oatmeal Cookies (P51.20/130grams)
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Similar to the original chocolate chip version, the butter oatmeal cookies were a little crumbly. Unlike the regular version, this flavor is available in bite-sized pieces only, which made it the PERFECT snack to gorge on.
Let me explain: the taste is incredible. It’s the perfect mix of buttery and chocolate. The small size keeps it from tasting too sweet. Hindi nakakaumay, as Lyka said. It’s so good; you’ll end up eating the entire thing.
It tastes better with milk. Since the cookies bite-sized, you can pour it in a bowl and add milk for a chocolate chip cookie cereal.
Total score: 9.5/10
Chips Ahoy Chocolate Chip Cookies (P36.65/90 grams)
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We ended with the iconic chocolate chip cookie: Chips Ahoy.
We drank water to cleanse our palates before tasting, but for some reason, Chips Ahoy tasted different. It’s still the same sweet and salty goodness, plus it had a lot of chocolate chips on it. But after everything we tasted, Chips Ahoy tasted a little bland.
Still, it’s good for pambaon. Just it with milk for better taste.
Total score: 9/10
THE WINNER: Chips Delight Butter Oatmeal
This one is the real MVP. After the taste test, we all agreed this heavenly treat will take us down. Its sinister size, crumbly texture, and buttery flavor may win you over, too.
Whether you agree with us or not, head to your nearest grocery store and pick up any of these packaged cookies the next time you get a craving. Pair it with a glass of milk, warm it a bit, and cozy up with your pals as you indulge in some cookie madness.
How about you? What’s your fave brand?
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