This American-made brand topped their list for flavor, quality, and price.
Reviewed by Dietitian Madeline Peck, RDN, CDN
Key Points
- Ghirardelli chocolate chips were a top-choice among bakers across the country.
- Bakers and nutritionists liked their short ingredient list and varied cacao percentages.
- Size, cacao levels, and melting ability were all important to the bakers we spoke with.
With the weather starting to cool, it’s the biggest time of year for baking! With that in mind, it’s best to give your baking ingredients a once over and make sure you’re fully stocked before diving into recipes for pumpkin bread, apple pies or (a back-to-school non-negotiable) chocolate chip cookies.
Chocolate chips are a must in your “capsule” pantry, whether you’re mixing up cookies, brownies or looking to toss a few into a homemade trail mix. So, we asked the experts—bakers and pastry chefs, specifically—which chips are always in their pantry. Eight all told us the same brand: Ghirardelli. Suzanne Lyon, founder of Heathcote Bakery, said, “I’m actually looking in my cupboard right now because I’m 90 percent certain I have seven open bags of them.”
Why Bakers Love Ghirardelli
For most of the bakers we spoke with, Ghirardelli was one of their top chocolate chip choices for a simple reason: they’re ubiquitous and high quality, with no waxy texture.
Jake Bonzer, executive pastry chef at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, is a loyal Ghirardelli shopper. “I don’t stray from them if making things at home,” he said.
“I think it’s great quality, and it’s a brand I feel you can find in most grocery stores,” said Katherine Sprung, Chopped Sweets winner and founder of Squish Marshmallows. Baker and recipe developer Heather Janak agreed and noted that they are affordable too. Pricing across major retailers shows a 12-ounce bag priced between $7 and $9, depending on region and grocery retailer.
Numerous chefs with whom we spoke appreciate that Ghirardelli offers chocolate chips in a range of cacao percentages, which lets them dial in the sweetness and chocolate-y flavor, depending on the dessert they’re making. “My favorite is the 72 percent dark, but I also frequently use the semisweet and bittersweet varieties as well,” said Lisa Keys, recipe developer and Chopped champion.
What Bakers Look for in Chocolate Chips
A clue that a particular bag of chocolate chips will be high-quality? If it has a short ingredient list. “The fewer ingredients, the better,” says Arielle Israel, co-founder of Black Box Bakery in Edgewater, Colorado. “If there are too many additives, I’ll choose something else,” she adds.
Sprung looks for ships with chocolate as the first ingredient, which is the case with Ghirardelli’s 60% and 72% dark chocolate chips. Cocoa butter and sugar are also common in high quality chocolate chips, while soy lecithin might be used to ensure the chocolate holds its shape while baking.
Odette D’Aniello, co-owner of Dragonfly Cakes in Tacoma, Washington, agreed that a short and recognizable ingredient list is a green flag. “Ingredients like chocolate or chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar and vanilla are generally what I want to see,” she explained.
Chocolate content is also key: while the chefs appreciated having so many varieties of chips available, knowing what you’re getting (without tasting them!) can be tricky. “More cocoa butter means a chip that stays fluid after baking,” explains Shante Dorsett, executive pastry chef at The Cooper in Charleston. Percentages on the bag refer to the amount of cacao in the chip, says Sprung. “The higher the percentage of cacao, the less sugar there will be,” she notes. Chocolate chips with less sugar typically have a richer, more intense chocolate flavor, similar to the difference between milk chocolate and dark chocolate.
Depending on the recipe, the shape of the chips also matters. Lyon prefers to use mini chocolate chips in her chocolate chip cookies, while Dorsett preferred flatter options that mimicked the look of chopped chocolate, without the knife work. If you’re eating them straight out of the bag, or leaving them unbaked in a dessert like cannoli, the chip choice is even more important. “You’ll first need the tiny ones and also, they’re not getting baked into something, so their flavor will be more pronounced,” explained Sprung.
Dietitians Agree
Being able to recognize most of the ingredients on the package of chocolate chips is a start, but don’t ignore the rest of the nutrition label, says Gabrielle Kishner, M.S., RD, CDN. “Try to choose chocolate chips with less added sugar. I recommend aiming for under 5 to 10 grams per serving,” she said. The Ghirardelli chocolate chips, both 60% and 72% cacao, contain less than 5g of saturated fat per serving. Lower saturated fat, which is the type of fat you want to limit for heart health, is also a plus.
Kory DeAngelo, M.S., RDNoffers an easy tip for choosing chocolate chips: look for ones with at least 70% cocoa, such as Ghirardelli’s 72% dark chips. “Choosing a bittersweet dark chocolate chip with 70% or more cocoa will yield a richer, more well-rounded flavor,” she added.
More Baker-Approved Chocolate Chip Brands
While more expensive than most supermarket options, many of the chefs we spoke with also named Guittard chocolate chips as a top choice. It’s their preferred option when they want to elevate their dessert, without changing the recipe.
And while Lyon uses Ghirardelli regularly at home, the chips she uses in her viral, thin cookies at Heathcote are actually mini chips from the allergy-friendly brand Enjoy Life. She says their smaller shape fits better in her flatter cookies, and she prefers that they don’t have added vanilla, which allows the flavor of the chocolate and the cookie batter to shine. Most importantly, though, Enjoy Life chocolate chips are vegan, soy and nut-free, making them a safe option for those with dairy, soy or nut allergies.
Our Expert Take
Eight different bakers and recipe developers from across the country all said that they keep Ghirardelli chocolate chips in their pantry. They like that the brand has a simple ingredient list, high quality taste, reasonable price point and that it’s easy to find in most stores. Being able to choose chips with specific cacao percentages also lets them fine tune how their desserts taste. If you want an elevated option, Guittard is also a pastry chef favorite, while Enjoy Life is best for those who have allergies or need a vegan option.