Armed with a purpose, a spreadsheet, and our trusty Crumbl cookie divider, we boldly set out to find Portland’s best chocolate chip cookie.
The judging categories were texture, flavor, and ingredients. Each offering would be scored on a scale of 1-5 per category, offering up a total potential of 60 points.
Keeper Coffee
We began our mission at Keeper Coffee. The cozy ambience and smell of coffee invited us in, and we knew we’d be in for a treat. The cookie was solid, earning a total point value of 38.5/60. Classic, buttery, crispy edges, and a good chocolate to dough ratio.
Lauretta Jeans
Next was Lauretta Jeans, famous for its pies, but we felt hopeful that it would deliver on a classic. This was nostalgia at its finest, like the cookie your gourmet best friend’s mom would make on a cold day. Leo gave it 5’s across the board, and it was ultimately his favorite. High marks at 52.5/60. We were tempted by the delicious pies in the window, but we were on a mission.
Oui Press
Oui Press followed, and it was inarguably the least favorite. Dry and cakey, this cookie only scored an 18.5/60. It tasted stale, I was surprised it even found its way onto a top cookie list.
Bake Shop
We were ready for a gourmet cookie, and Bake Shop did not disappoint. This tiny shop delivered on every category. The scent of butter and sugar baking wafted in the air, and Rydell said it best, “This place just smells like treats.” Dense with high quality chocolate, crispy edges and a chewy center, it was a cookie we would definitely come back to. 51/50
Cafe Olli
We chased that decadence with more decadence at Cafe Olli. This cookie was salty and rich, with dark chocolate. A very good texture, but we felt the flavor was bordering on savory; however, we thought it would be excellent paired with a morning latte and would definitely eat again. 48.5/60
Jinju
We were then led to Jinju, a patisserie and chocolate shop with a non traditional chocolate chip cookie. It contained both dark (semi-sweet?) and milk chocolate, marshmallows and pecans. A favorite of our kindergartener, he declared it “a clear winner, straight 5’s.” As for me, I felt it was too sweet but loved the addition of the pecans for texture. 49/60
Cloudforest
After Jinju, we only had 1 left for the morning and we headed to Cloudforest, the Portland Monthly favorite. This chocolate cafe delivered on every category, and despite being our 7th stop of the day, we were tempted to order another (but we held back!). The chocolate was rich and decadent, sweet but not overly so, crispy edges with a perfectly gooey center. For the grownups, this was the cookie champion, and we are anxious to return soon with a bigger appetite. 56/60
