My kids and I recently channeled our inner Cookie Monster as we traveled around our area devouring every chocolate chip cookie we found in our quest to find the best for the upcoming National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day on Sunday the 4th . We inspected, dissected, and devoured every crumb and morsel. If it was a cookie and had chocolate chips, you better believe we ate it. Enjoying the cookies was the easy part. Picking our favorite? Well, that was a lot harder but we were up to the challenge.
We tested the cookies according to 5 requirements;
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ratio of chocolate to cookie
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texture of the cookie
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quality of ingredients
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ooey-gooeyness
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overall flavor
Here are our results:
Sodatopia
The creativity at Sodatopia on the Westside of Idaho Falls in the parking lot of Rocknak’s Hardware Store goes above and beyond. With fun song names for all of their drinks and delicious snacks, you just “Can’t help falling in love” with their soda shop. They use quality Monin gourmet syrups and purees in their drinks which sets them apart from other places. While they’re famous for their Mexican Corn in a Cup which they serve on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Baker’s Dozen donuts and fresh tamales on Fridays, they also serve hot dogs, popcorn, sugar cookies and a delicious little number they call Aunt Joanna’s cookie. They make them using a special family recipe from the owner’s sister, Joanna. This peanut butter cookie full of butterscotch and chocolate chips was nostalgic of my childhood and brought back happy memories. They got high scores for the texture of the cookie which was soft and chewy and for the overall flavor, which was a great combination.
Fizz Bizz
The Fizz Bizz can be found on the Westside of Idaho Falls and also in Rigby. They have the cutest little soda shop and also have tasty snacks. Their oatmeal chocolate chip cookie was soft and chewy and thus rated high on texture. Having oatmeal in them makes them healthier too, right?! At least that’s what I tell myself so I can eat more than one! They are known for their delicious sugar cookies and “Wicked Grin” drink. Use their convenient drive thru when you visit one of their shops to get your “soda fix” and try a muffin top, Italian Ice, or one of their great cookies. Don’t forget to try something off of the “secret menu”!
Geraldine’s
Mouthwatering aromas greeted us as we walked into this local hot spot well-known for their wide variety of soups, sandwiches, salads, breads, and pastries. Geraldine’s Bake Shoppe & Deli has been serving up amazing food in our area for almost two decades and is family owned and operated. Located in Ammon, they are a great option for when you need lunch, rolls for Sunday dinner, or a treat. A treat is what brought us to their fine bakery recently, a chocolate chip cookie treat, of course. Their cookie is the cookie I always hope I can bake at home, crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, melty semi-sweet chocolate and the perfect amount of salt. They scored high in all our testing categories and our only remorse after trying them was that we hadn’t tried them sooner.
JB’s Soda Barn
JB’s Soda Barn is such a fun shop with quality customer service located near Bowl-ero on 1st Street. They are loved for their featured “cookie of the month” which customers anxiously anticipate. Their latest was a graham cookie with huckleberry frosting that sounds divine. They also have their sugar and chocolate chip cookies all the time which are baked at a local bakery. We were lucky enough to get to try their chocolate chip cookie which was soft, thick, and full of mini chocolate chips which made them score high with ratio of chocolate to cookie. JB’s is said to have the best tasting Pepsi around and they have a variety of flavored sodas. Follow them on Facebook to stay up to date on their featured cookie of the month and specials.
The Cookie Place
They haven’t even been open for quite 2 years but with 4 locations in Eastern Idaho, 2 of which we are lucky enough to have in our town, The Cookie Place leaves a great impression. They have 6 different cookies you can order regularly but also sell a special edition cookie which is changed frequently. Their current special edition cookie is the white chocolate raspberry which you really need to try along with their buttery, thick, crisp yet soft and rich chocolate chip cookie. We loved how big and tasty their cookie was with the perfect texture. It’s no surprise that they were recently voted “Best Bakery” and “Best Cookie Shop” by the readers of the Post Register. They won over my oldest daughter as she loved their cookie the most. They will be celebrating National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day on Monday due to being closed on Sundays by giving every customer who buys a box of their delicious cookies, 1 FREE chocolate chip cookie. You can also get a free cookie on your birthday, just bring your license to verify. The owner puts in so much effort creating and testing every detail of every cookie sold at their shop so you know you will be getting a delicious and high quality cookie.
La Vanilla Bean
Downtown Idaho Falls is a great place to visit with a large variety of tasty eateries including La Vanilla Bean, an European bakery and coffee shop. They serve breakfast, lunch, desserts and speciality drinks.Their owner puts lots of effort into every detail of his menu and comes up with new items all the time. His bakery is an excellent place to visit for an incredible bite to eat while using their free Wi-Fi and enjoying their calm atmosphere. Their crunchy, chocolatey cookie was large and flavorful, perfect for enjoying with your favorite drink. There was a good amount of chocolate in the cookie and they also scored high for quality of ingredients. With gluten-free options and a variety of enticing desserts you won’t find anywhere else in town, you should pay them a visit next time you are downtown.
Crumbl Cookies
New to our area but award-winning and well known throughout Utah, Crumbl Cookies is making quite an impact with their large cookies served warm and packaged in their cute pink boxes. We were delighted to try their scrumptious cookie which was as big as my hand. Fresh from the oven, we savored every bite of its crisp outside, warm ooey-gooey inside with melty milk chocolate chips. You can try them for yourself when you are in Ammon or next time you have a late-night hankering for a delicious cookie without having to do any dishes, they deliver until midnight. They have their standard chocolate chip and sugar cookies along with many other varieties that change every week.
Pick Me Up
It’s obvious that Pick Me Up Drinks in Ammon is well-loved in this town as the steady stream of cars lined up proved when we stopped to try their chocolate chip cookie. Their quick and friendly service makes them the Chick-Fil-A of soda shops according to my kids. They serve cookies alongside their variety of pops, lemonades, and hot cocoas. Their cookie was buttery and had great texture. It was big, thick and chewy, and had large chocolate chips. They scored high in most of our categories, especially the overall flavor and quality of ingredients. If you are ever needing a pick me up, the energetic staff and their delicious drinks and treats will definitely brighten up your day.
The Cookie Cottage
From the moment we opened the door to The Cookie Cottage in Rigby, to the moment we left, it was hard to not have a smile on our faces. We knew we had to include them in our review when so many of you recommended them and they did not disappoint. They have over 150 different varieties of cookies and frostings from huckleberry to birthday cake and everything in between. Jen, the owner, really loves what she does and it shows, her shop is the cutest and her cookies are out of this world. The way she treats her customers and her delectable desserts keep them coming back for more. We tried her basic “chipper” which was anything but basic along with her deep dish, Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies and they both blew us away. My son found his favorite in the Nutella stuffed “chipper” and would be happy eating them again and again as he said they’re over the top. We gave them almost perfect scores and all agreed they were amazing. Jen told us they wake up every morning wanting to make the best cookie and we’d say they succeed!
We felt very fortunate for this opportunity and are grateful to all the gracious owners of these amazing local bakeries and shops to let us stop by and try their delicious treats. I had too hard of a time picking my favorite because I loved something about each of them and we have some amazing options here in our area! My youngest daughter decided it was a tie for her favorite between The Cookie Cottage and Crumbl as she loved them both. Our overall winner was The Cookie Cottage for their rich and flavorful cookie. The Cookie Place, Geraldine’s, Crumbl, and Pick Me Up rounded out our top 5. Though they were all different, they were all delectable and we delighted in them all. There’s definitely room for each tasty version so, we hope you’ll get out there, support these wonderful businesses and don’t forget to celebrate this tasty holiday!
Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!
