Chocolate chips are an essential ingredient in many favorite treats, from cookies to muffins, and more. Because they can make or break a recipe, we asked the pros to weigh in on the best brands to stock up on.

The group of culinary professionals narrowed down the best chocolate chips to one winner, with a few runners-up to choose from as well, and gave us the perfect recipes to test them in.

When it comes to chocolate chip cookies, are you Team Big and Chewy (like the rendition Reddit believes is the "pinnacle of perfection"), Team Thin and Crispy, or Team Best-of-Both-Worlds, a la Chef John’s crispy-edged, chewy-middle Chocolate Chip Cookies? Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum and no matter which recipe you personally believe yields The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever, there’s one feature we can agree on that is an essential element: chocolate chips.

The little morsels pack a big dose of chocolate flavor. But with more than a dozen different options at most major retailers these days, how is a baker supposed to choose among the chocolate chip brands? 

We put six brands of chocolate chips through the paces in a staff taste test previously, and Ghirardelli came out on top. Still, we know that we didn’t sample the full array of options and new contenders that have since entered the market.

So, to help all of us shop wisely and bake better, we tapped a panel of professional bakers and cookbook authors to dish about their top choice for chips.

"Chocolate chips aren't as smooth as bar chocolate because they contain stabilizers to hold their shape," admits Erin Clarke.

The stabilizers are designed to keep chocolate from melting too much at high temperatures, "which is the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish when you are trying to melt chocolate," adds Meggan Hill.

Our pro bakers agree that a chocolate bar reigns supreme in s’mores, when you’re craving irregular, larger pockets of chocolate (like in a chocolate croissant), or for most melted chocolate recipes like chocolate truffles or chocolate-covered strawberries. 

Still, "I can’t deny the perfection of a chocolate chip in a classic cookie," explains Alisa Woods. And chips are ideal in many brownie, cake, muffin, and pancake recipes, too.

"For every day, I do opt for chocolate chips more often because the consistency in their size and shape ensures even chocolate distribution in baked goods," says Yumna Jawad. "Plus, it’s much more convenient without the added step of having to chop a chocolate bar."

When it comes time to choose your chips, Clark reminds us that "all brands are not created equal!" The easiest way to land on your personal favorite is to taste them. However, the label can give you some good clues.

The best chocolate chips must:

After earning three votes from our experts, Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips takes the crown as the best morsel for your money.

"My absolute favorite supermarket chocolate chip is Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. These chips have a superior flavor; they’re deep, dark, and chocolatey with the right balance of sweetness," Hill explains. "Beyond that, they melt like a dream, and they somehow elevate every baking application they are used in. They really do taste the best, and it's not even close!"

Clarke and Woods echo those sentiments—also giving a hat tip to the Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Baking Chips and Milk Chocolate Chips as worthy investments—and adore the brand’s wide availability and larger size. The price is right, too, clocking in at about $4.59 per 12-ounce bag.

"Ghirardelli chocolate chips are a little larger than most, so they’re a nice big surprise in a chocolate chip cookie, and melt to be oh-so creamy," Woods adds.

Four other brands earned an honorable mention from the pro bakers:

Whether you switch teams to Ghirardelli—or any of the other baker-beloved chips—or stick with the store brand or another that has your heart, you’re going to want to stock up on a bounty of bags. Chocolate chip cookies are just one of the dozens of possibilities for using your chips.

Chocolate chips make an incredible addition to all of these pro-approved desserts: