The Original Chocolate Chips Were Nothing Like The Ones We Have Today

When you think of chocolate chips, you probably picture those tiny, uniform morsels of melty goodness suspended inside a warm cookie. But as it turns out, , because these chocolate bits of happiness had a not-so-sweet beginning. The original chocolate chips had absolutely nothing to do with the smooth, bite-sized drops we know today.

In fact, they weren't even made of chocolate. Before Nestlé revolutionized baking with the Toll House branded chocolate chip cookie, chocolate chips were a completely different treat; hard molasses candy, more akin to brittle than anything you'd toss into cookie dough. Even when chocolate entered the picture, it wasn't pre-molded into the convenient drops we recognize today.



Instead, bakers had to chop chunks of chocolate by hand, which meant that every cookie had a slightly different, irregular bite. So how did we go from prepping chocolate bars with a knife to the neatly packaged bags of chocolate chips that we mindlessly toss into batter to make the most iconic cookie to date? The answer involves an accidental invention, a marketing revolution, and a fair bit of sweet serendipity. From molasses to melty goodness The first "chocolate chips" were molasses-based candies that resembled tiny wood chips.

These early chips were more like sugar shards than anything remotely creamy or melty. Chocolate chips as we know them today owe their existence to Ruth Wakefield, expert baker and owner of the Toll House Inn, who created the first chocolate chip cookie in the 1930s. Whether , Wakefield changed the cookie game forever.

Still, even after chocolate chips became a cookie staple, they weren't packaged as the neatly molded morsels we buy by the bag today. Bakers originally had to chop pre-scored chocolate bars into chunks by hand. It wasn't until 1940 when Nestlé saw an opportunity in Wakefield's creation that pre-made chocolate chips hit the shelves, forever simplifying baking (and snacking straight from the bag).

Chocolate chips then and now While chocolate chips were, in fact, invented for cookies specifically, they've taken on a life of their own over the decades. Now, chocolate chips are used for all sorts of desserts and treats, from baked goods to parfaits. Before chocolate chips, chopped chocolate bars created cookies that were never the same — and required a lot of extra elbow grease.

Today, chocolate chips are engineered to hold their shape, making them ideal not just for cookies but also for pancakes, muffins, challah, and even trail mix. Thanks to their adaptability in a variety of recipes as well as a serving as a timeless element in culinary trends, chocolate chips remain one of the most versatile and beloved ingredients in baking. Whether you're making a batch of Toll House using or eating them straight from the bag (no judgment), remember: These tiny treats have a history far richer than their size might suggest.

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