Tatler’s ultimate guide to the best cookies in Metro Manila 2026

Under the moniker Apron Girl, self-taught baker Len Ilagan-David started selling her homemade treats at the height of the pandemic, just four months after giving birth. Though it was the faux Twix bar (available weekly in limited quantities) that put her on the map, her chocolate chip cookies have become another crowd favourite. Made with muscovado sugar, these cookies boast a deep toffee-like flavour thanks to their higher molasses content. From there, she folds in coins of Auro’s bean-to-bar 64 per cent dark chocolate, which melt into delectable pools as they bake.

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Bake Scout is best known for its Belgian chocolate chip cookies—a textbook take on the classic, not too thin nor too thick, just enough for you to get that perfect chew with a gentle crisp. Though they are on the sweeter side, they’re finished with a thoughtful sprinkling of salt for balance. Buy them in boxes or in their handy cookie jars, or opt to order their frozen cookie dough so you can quickly pop them in the oven when the craving strikes.

The people’s choice. When Tatler Dining posted on Instagram to ask users where they get their favourite cookies, the comments clamoured for Blends and Batter. While they do offer a soft and gooey chocolate chip cookie, it is not their favourite of the bunch—that honour goes to their white chocolate macadamia, made with nutty brown butter and white couverture chocolate. Not quite your speed? Consider their lightly spiced Biscoff gold chocolate chip or dark and intense Auro midnight caramel instead.

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Give in to temptation and order The Dark Side’s “sinfully decadent” cookies. Weighing in at a hefty 145 grams, their cookies come in four flavours: dark chocolate chip with walnuts, double dark chocolate chip, dark chocolate with peanut butter chips, and oatmeal raisin. Though thick, their rough, craggly, golden-brown edges promise textural interest and deeper flavour, making it hard to stop at just one bite.

Based in Nuvali, Laguna, Donya is a home-based bakeshop by Clare Gotera specialising in eclairs, burnt cheesecake, tres leches, and last but certainly not least, cookies. Explore their playfully named selection of cookies, including the Paint The Town Red Velvet with white chocolate and a cream cheese filling; That’s Me Chocolate Espresso for a chocolate chip cookie with an espresso spiked batter; Oz Dust Wicked for the matcha lovers; and the Uptown Chunk with chocolate, pecans and toffee. Our pick of the bunch, however, remains the Oldie But Goodie, a well-balanced, soft, moist yet slightly chewy chocolate chunk cookie.

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Chocolate chip cookies come in all shapes and sizes, but Goo’s cookies certainly stand out. Inspired by Levain Bakery’s famous chocolate chip walnut cookies, Goo’s cookies come at 100 grams a piece. “Thick” is an understatement; each cookie has an incredibly ooey, gooey centre that evokes the guilty pleasure of sneaking raw cookie dough from the bowl. Those averse to nuts in their cookies but still want a piece of the gooey action can opt for the Double Goo, with twice the chocolate and none of the walnuts.

Hella Good’s cookies live up to their name. Chewy, gooey, and ever so slightly crispy, their sea salt chocolate chunk cookies are made with premium French butter, meticulously browned to create a delicious cookie base for their blend of Filipino and Belgian chocolate. The others on their lineup are equally tempting: fudgy dark chocolate with a crunchy peanut butter filling, Uji matcha with white chocolate chunks, an espresso-infused cookie with a luscious hazelnut spread, and the decadent double chocolate chunk. Better yet, they’re all baked to order, Mondays to Fridays, with a forgiving same-day cut-off at 3:30 pm.

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When in need of a fun, playful cookie, look no further than Kukidō. There are 21 flavours to choose from, ranging from the “Klassic Kuki” and white chocolate walnut to more inventive picks like ube white chocolate, pistachio Nutalla, and salted caramel crunch, each available in 30g minis, 65g munchies, and the whopping 130g signature “Kukies”. Nothing quite catching your eye? You can even craft your own custom cookie—choose from the classic or chocolate dough, then add whichever fillings you desire. These cookies are known to be on the sweeter side, delightfully tender, gooey, and full of flavour. 

Have you ever craved a chocolate chip cookie so badly that it drove you to theft? The Manila Baker went viral back in 2023 when a customer, in a hurry, took two boxes of cookies from their kiosk at The Podium Mall while the staff was on break. Though they did reach out to the brand online to pay for the cookies thereafter, the customer then left a negative review due to the incident. Many weighed in on the controversy, with a legal account even determining that this was a crime of theft. The item of desire? Their brown butter salted chocolate chip cookies—crunchy on the outside with a chewy centre, generously loaded with premium chocolate.

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Mo’ Cookies was born in the kitchens of The Mess Hall, The Moment Group’s no-fuss canteen in Karrivin Plaza frequented for office lunches or post-work feasts. Word soon spread about their addicting cookies—perfectly chewy, bigger than the palms of your hands and utterly delicious. Today, Mo’ Cookies boasts 12 branches across Metro Manila and Cebu, with a broader selection of flavours to choose from, plus soft serve and seasonal specialities. Though you can’t go wrong with the chocolate chip, the Naked oatmeal, triple choco mallow, and peanut butter crackle (also delicious in the style of their Mo’ Blockies bars) are certifiable hits, too.

Baker Joaquin Katigbak and his Lipa City viennoiserie Ijo Bakery first appeared on our radar thanks to their signature croissants, which many consider the best in the country. It was here that we first got a taste of their chocolate chip cookie, which at the time was overshadowed by their impressive selection of laminated pastries. Through Oona Cookies, the ever-reliable treat gets its much-deserved time in the spotlight. Acquaint yourself with the one that started it all, then dive into the other variations in the collection, including the red velvet cookie and campfire cookie with marshmallows and graham crackers. Their cookies are slightly browned to develop delicate crisped touches to their exterior, while maintaining a chewy, buttery interior (without an overwhelming amount of chocolate chips) for optimal mouthfeel and balance.

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Once a from-home operation, Pink Bakery by Ange opened its first brick-and-mortar shop early this year. Open daily from 10am to 7pm, the shop offers 13 flavours to choose from; there’s a cookie for every craving. Play it safe with the ever-reliable chocolate chip, or opt for something more festive like the Birthday Dynamite with white chocolate, caramel chips, and rainbow sprinkles. After something a bit more unique? Try the zesty lemon drop, or get your dose of caffeine with their caramel macchiato cookies. Head baker Ange Leonor’s customisable cookie pizzas have also become a popular pick, ideal for celebrations.

A passion project by Johanna Garcia, Real Girl Toy Kitchen (RGTK for short) started in 2013 as a blog for the passionate homecook to share her recipes. Now, the brand has evolved to include an assortment of “heat and eat” items and party trays geared at offering “slow food for fast lives”, plus cooking classes, private dining services, too. Also available to order are her dark chocolate chip cookies—expertly balanced and not too sweet, featuring world-famous French Valrhona chocolate.

Sourdough is no doubt Scratch’s claim to fame—in fact, it’s the product that brought co-founders Charlene Ng and Ralph Sy together all those years ago. But longtime fans of the bakery will know there’s a delicious gem hidden among their signature breads and brunch specialities. Available for pre-order Wednesdays and Fridays, “Mikaela’s cookies” (named after Sy’s niece, whom he would frequently bake cookies with as a child) is a winning execution of the chocolate chip cookie. Over time, they’ve tirelessly tweaked the recipe until they arrived at a dough they were happy with: one with a flavour that can stand on its own, with that perfected crisp-to-chew ratio.

Follow us on Instagram at @tatlerdiningph for our next “What’s the T?” segment, where we ask our readers about their favourite eats.

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