The Chocolate Chip Brand We Honestly Think Tastes Like Dirt

There's nothing like biting into a warm, gooey, melty chocolate chip cookie that's hot out of the oven (bonus points if you dunk it in a refreshing glass of ice-cold milk). But one of the most important parts of crafting this superb tried-and-true sweet treat lies in choosing the best chocolate chips from the best chocolate chip brands. The trouble is, not all brands are equally tasty, and there's one brand in particular that you might want to skip: Hu Kitchen. Unfortunately, the morsels this brand offers lack the rich and sweet flavor for which chocolate chips are known and loved. Among other factors, they have no added sugar, contributing to a chalky aftertaste and disappointing flavor reminiscent of potting soil. 

But perhaps the worst offense is that they don't even melt in the oven, giving you that gooey, warm bite you look for in classic chocolate chip cookies. The cocoa butter in chocolate helps it to melt, and chocolate chips with less cocoa butter tend to have a higher melting point. While Hu Kitchen doesn't specify the exact amount of cocoa butter in its chocolate chips, it lists organic fair trade cocoa butter as the second to last ingredient. Since ingredients are ordered on food labels from greatest to least, this may indicate that there isn't a lot of it in the chocolate chips, which would ultimately lead to less melty, gooey goodness in your cookies.

The unpleasant taste in Hu Kitchen's chocolate chips lies in the ingredients. For one thing, these chocolate chips contain just 4 grams of sugar, which comes from the inclusion of organic dates rather than cane sugar. While dates on their own are yummy, they can overpower the taste of chocolate chips, leading to morsels with a strong date flavor. Moreover, date sugar absorbs moisture more readily than white sugar, which may contribute to the dry, chalky texture of the chocolate chips.

Now, that's not to say that this brand doesn't have its upsides. It's fair trade, organic, and vegan, which can all make it an attractive pick for ethical individuals. Plus, the ingredient list is relatively short, containing only cacao, cocoa butter, dates, and vanilla beans, and skipping the chemicals and additives many other brands include. It's up to you to decide whether those labels outweigh the unpleasant flavor of the chips.

If you don't want to use Hu Kitchen's chocolate chips, you'll need to know how to find a suitable swap. The key to doing so is understanding what semi-sweet chocolate chips are. These common baking ingredients are a type of dark chocolate, typically containing anywhere between 35-65% cacao and containing no more than 50% sugar. They're not entirely bitter, but they're not as sweet as milk chocolate chips, either. Semi-sweet chips work well for baking because they balance the already sugary dough and prevent the treats from becoming cloyingly sweet. Plus, they're designed to hold their shape while still taking on a melty texture when you bake them, thanks to the sugar and cocoa solid content.

Now, these aren't to be confused with bittersweet chocolate, which is different from semi-sweet. Bittersweet chips have a higher percentage of cacao and typically contain less sugar. As a result, while they can still work for baking, they won't give as much of a sugary taste, although the chocolate flavor may be richer. Of course, while that's the gist of semi-sweet chips, different brands can still use different ingredients, which can ultimately change how they taste. That's why Hu Kitchen chocolate chips taste so bad while other brands, such as Nestle Tollhouse, can taste so good. With this in mind, you're ready to hit your local supermarket to find a better option when it comes to baking the perfect chocolate chip cookies.