Chocolate chips are one of the most loved baking ingredients in America. They turn cookies, pancakes, muffins and banana bread into treats. National Chocolate Chip Day, on May 15, celebrates these small morsels of chocolate and the famous cookie that started it all. Whether you prefer milk, semisweet, dark or white chips, it's a perfect day to bake something sweet.
History of National Chocolate Chip Day
In the 1930s, Ruth Wakefield ran the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, with her husband. She was known for her cooking and desserts. Around 1938, she chopped up a bar of semisweet chocolate and added it to cookie dough, creating what became known as the Toll House cookie, the original chocolate chip cookie. Contrary to legend, she did so intentionally, not by accident.
The recipe appeared in her cookbook and in newspapers, and the cookies became extremely popular. Sales of chocolate bars increased, and in 1939, Wakefield made an agreement with the chocolate company Nestlé, allowing it to print her recipe on its packaging. Nestlé began selling chocolate in chip form, called morsels, in 1941.
During World War II, soldiers from Massachusetts shared cookies sent from home, helping spread their popularity nationwide. In 1997, the chocolate chip cookie became the official state cookie of Massachusetts. Who started National Chocolate Chip Day is not documented.
Why National Chocolate Chip Day Matters
Chocolate chips show how one baker's creativity can change food culture. Ruth Wakefield's cookie became one of America's most popular desserts.
Baking with chocolate chips is also an easy way to introduce children to cooking.
The story also highlights a woman entrepreneur in the 1930s, when few women owned businesses, making Wakefield's success all the more remarkable.
Chocolate chips also play a big role in home baking traditions. Many families have a favorite cookie recipe passed down through generations, often written on a worn index card. Baking those cookies together is a way to share memories and create new ones, and a warm cookie fresh from the oven remains one of the simplest pleasures there is.
How to Celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day
- Bake chocolate chip cookies: try the classic recipe.
- Add chips to breakfast: make chocolate chip pancakes or muffins.
- Try new chips: bake with dark, white or peanut butter chips.
- Make trail mix: combine chips with nuts and dried fruit.
- Learn the history: read about Ruth Wakefield and the Toll House Inn.
Celebrating at Work, School and Home
At work, a chocolate chip treat table with cookies, muffins and bars is an easy way to celebrate; include allergy-friendly options. In classrooms, students can learn about Ruth Wakefield as an inventor, estimate and count chips in cookies for a math lesson, or explore how chocolate melts and hardens. At home, families can bake cookies together, letting children measure ingredients and scoop dough. Try experimenting with different chip types or add-ins.
Fun Facts About National Chocolate Chip Day
- Ruth Wakefield created the chocolate chip cookie around 1938.
- Nestlé introduced chocolate chips (morsels) in 1941.
- The chocolate chip cookie is the official state cookie of Massachusetts.
National Chocolate Chip Day FAQs
When is National Chocolate Chip Day?
National Chocolate Chip Day is May 15.
Who invented the chocolate chip cookie?
Ruth Wakefield, around 1938.
Was the chocolate chip cookie an accident?
No; Wakefield created it intentionally.
When were chocolate chips first sold?
In 1941.