I Just Discovered the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie in NYC (and It’s Sold in Grocery Stores!)

published Aug 20, 2024
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As a New Yorker and a notorious sweets lover, I’m constantly on the lookout for the best chocolate chip cookie in NYC. While my favorite food sites single out specific bakeries on their yearly “Best Of” lists, and social media influencers claim they’ve just discovered the Holy Grail, I have to say that the places they’ve hyped up don’t — and I’m quoting Shania Twain here — impress me much. So it came as a surprise (even to myself) when I discovered on my very own that the best chocolate chip cookie has been hiding in plain sight in the refrigerated section of the grocery store: Sweet Loren’s Chocolate Chunk Pre-Cut Dough. These bake-it-yourself cookies are better than anything I’ve tasted from a New York City bakery, and I even add a finishing touch to them that takes them to the next level.

What Is Sweet Loren’s Cookie Dough?

Credit: Mark Marino

Sweet Loren’s is a company that makes a variety of refrigerated cookie dough flavors using only all-natural, high-quality ingredients like cane sugar, plant-based chocolate chunks, sustainable palm oil, refined sea salt, and oat flour that’s been pre-steamed, which makes the dough safe to eat raw (score!). The pre-cut doughs, which come in 11 flavors — including Fudgy Brownie, Sugar Cookie, Salted Caramel Chocolate, and the aforementioned Chocolate Chunk — are all Certified Gluten-Free, Vegan Certified, Peanut-/Tree Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Non-GMO Project Verified, 100% Whole Grain, and Kosher Pareve. You can find Sweet Loren’s at most local grocery stores, including Whole Foods, or purchase bundles of six directly from Sweet Loren’s (including the Best Seller Variety Pack). Each pack of Sweet Loren’s pre-cut dough makes a dozen cookies.

Why I Love Sweet Loren’s Cookie Dough

I never thought a gluten-free cookie could taste good — let alone become my favorite cookie — but Sweet Loren’s are amazing! All of those natural ingredients add up to one seriously tasty cookie. Chocolate Chunk has a rich chocolaty taste, with just the right balance of sweet and salty, thanks to the caramelizing of the sugar. 

Credit: Mark Marino

The best part? Making the cookies couldn’t be easier. Just take the pack out of the fridge or freezer, pop the pre-cut dough onto a baking sheet and into the oven, and in just 10 minutes it bakes to perfection, with crispy edges and a soft, chewy middle. While the cookies taste absolutely delicious as they are, I like to give them a tiny sprinkle of sea salt on top for a little extra flavor and flourish. 

My search for the best cookie in NYC is over, and I honestly don’t think I’ll ever buy from the bakery again. And here’s the other thing: The other flavors of Sweet Loren’s cookies are just as incredible! Fudgy Brownie is a chocolate-lover’s dream and tastes exactly like you’re eating the crisp corners and chewy middle of a brownie; Salted Caramel Chocolate is all kinds of salty-sweet-butterscotchy goodness; and Sugar Cookie is a classic that I use for making mini ice cream sandwiches. 

I’ve been keeping my fridge and freezer stocked with different flavors of Sweet Loren’s pre-cut cookie dough so that I have something on hand when I’m in the mood for a sweet treat (raw or baked), and have a quick dessert ready for special occasions. Be a smart cookie and give them a try; I’m certain they’ll land on your personal best list too.

Buy: Chocolate Chunk Pre-Cut Dough, $60 for a Case of 6