I ranked every flavor of Tate's cookies, and the classic chocolate chip didn't make it anywhere near the top
Tate's Bake Shop is a popular store-bought cookie brand, especially on the East Coast.
I tried all of the brand's cookie flavors I could find and ranked them from worst to best.
I wasn't quite sure what to think of the lemon cookie, but I loved the salted-caramel flavor.
Although I've always loved gooey cookies that melt in your mouth, I can understand why many of my friends prefer crunchy store-bought cookies since they'll never be fresh.
But what if you could marry homemade flavor with a fun snap? I think Tate's Bake Shop has come closest to meeting that goal.
The New York-based cookie brand started as one simple bakery in the 1980s and is now estimated to be worth over $20 million.
I embarked on a mission to try all 10 of the brand's cookie flavors that I could find at my local grocery stores and rank them from worst to best.
10. Gluten-free chocolate chip
I'm not one to shy away from gluten-free options. To make sure this taste test was well-rounded, I got my hands on one of the brand's three standard gluten-free cookies: classic chocolate chip.
It was thicker than many of the other cookies I tried, but it still had a nice snap.
Although it was nice and sweet, the cookie lacked a buttery, homemade flavor, making it a bit more bland than its competitors.
I probably wouldn't eat these on their own again, but I'm open to using them in a recipe down the line.
9. Snickerdoodle
The snickerdoodle cookie had a mouthwatering cinnamony and buttery crunch. But I can't say "snickerdoodle" was the first thing that came to mind while eating it.
It tasted more like an autumnal butter cookie than anything else.
8. Chocolate chip
Tate's is probably best known for its crispy, buttery chocolate-chip cookies. But I don't think just being a classic is enough to push this higher up the list.
With so many other unique flavors, chocolate chip will never be my go-to.
7. Coconut crisp
Admittedly, coconut has not historically been my favorite dessert flavor. But there was something a little special about these coconut-crisp cookies.
I could tell that actual coconut flakes were baked in. Although the flakes on top were nice and toasted, the ones inside were more malleable and added a bit of moisture.
6. Lemon
I'm always a little wary of fruit-flavored, store-bought desserts. I don't like it when they have an overly processed, almost chemically, taste.
But I was pretty floored by Tate's lemon cookie. It had a nostalgic flavor — almost like Fruit Loops with a dusting of citrus. They were also the thickest of all the cookies I tried.
5. Walnut chocolate chip
The texture of the walnut-chocolate-chip cookie almost had an aerated quality — I think because of the added nuts.
The walnut flavor was much less noticeable than anticipated. But it was still a nutty, buttery cookie with great texture.
4. Double chocolate chip
Tate's double-chocolate-chip cookie was slightly less rich than anticipated but still incredible. Despite being one of the softer cookies in the lineup, it still had a satisfying crunch.
I liked the cookies, but my dad was even more pleasantly surprised — he expected them to be brittle like most of the others.
3. Oatmeal raisin
Of all the cookies, oatmeal raisin was the most moist, making it a bit chewier. I'm not that surprised since this was the only offering that featured dried fruit.
It bent under my teeth until it snapped at the end, which gave it the most satisfying bite for me.
The flavor was also a dead-ringer for the cookies I often had growing up.
2. Mint chocolate chip
My mom tried the limited-edition, mint-chocolate-chip cookies with me, and we had the same first thought: Thin Mints.
But the butteriness of the cookie base made it taste a little more decadent and homemade.
I loved that Tate's used peppermint oil in these; it really elevated the cookie for me.
1. Salted caramel chocolate chip
These were more pliable than the other, leaning into my love of softer cookies.
The flavor itself teetered between true salted caramel and more of a butterscotch. Paired with the chocolate chips, it was pretty sweet.
But the ratio of the chocolate chips to caramel seemed balanced. Plus, the extra moisture in the cookie further brought out every layer of flavor.
Tate's makes some pretty good cookies, but it was easy to name salted-caramel-chocolate-chip my favorite.
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