Chips Ahoy! Is Changing Its Iconic Cookie Recipe
You can't improve upon perfection, but that won't stop Chips Ahoy! from trying when it debuts a new and improved spin on its iconic chocolate chip cookie. According to Food & Wine, the brand, which has been around for 60 years, will introduce a new cookie recipe this month that it hopes fans will love. The new and improved cookies are expected to be available in stores nationwide in April.
Chips Ahoy! revealed the news on Wednesday, calling it an "MMMproved" recipe and the cookie's "biggest update in 10 years." The updates will include a better cookie texture, just the right amount of chocolate chips, and even new packaging. The company teased the change with a post on Instagram earlier this week that featured a blurred-out photo of a cookie and the phrase "They say change is good," leaving hungry fans to try to decipher the message.
For the official announcement, Chips Ahoy! enlisted the help of actress Keke Palmer to spread the word. While cookie lovers may worry that their favorite treat might not be the same, the company said it incorporated feedback from customers before making changes.
"To start the process of creating an MMMproved cookie recipe, we identified which aspects of the cookie were most important and linked to customers' overall liking of the recipe," said Sabrina Sierant, senior director at Chips Ahoy! "Then we went to work in the kitchen, investing over 5,000 hours in creating more than 60 recipes, including one that even had 15% more chocolate. At the end of the day, we went with the recipe that kept what our customers liked most, including a nice balance of chocolate to cookie, and worked to make that cookie even better."
Sierant also said the company has perfected the batter mixing process, to create a rich base for the cookie. The new cookie, she says, will have an even better texture than customers are used to. Currently, Chips Ahoy! cookies contain 160 calories and 8g of fat per serving (three cookies). It is not yet clear whether the new recipe will change the nutritional content of the snack.
Perhaps the most important tweak involves the chocolate chips. Chocolate chip cookie fans everywhere know that the ratio of chips to cookie can make or break the treat. The new Chips Ahoy! cookie promises to get the amount of chips just right. The chips themselves will have a higher cacao content and a higher concentration of Madagascar vanilla extract. That combination will create just the right amount of chocolatey, creamy sweetness with less bitterness—the cookie flavor kids love (and, you too, if you're anything like us).
The cookie recipe isn't the only thing that's getting a makeover. The new Chips Ahoy! packaging will feature an updated logo, a new cookie image, and a new background that reflects the brand's modern and fun personality, per the company's statement.
Now the only question is, will these new cookies be even better than Chips Ahoy! Chewy?
