A cookie clash amongst convenience store chains. 

It’s a great time to be a convenience store customer in Japan right now, as Family Mart is holding a special upsize campaign that gives us more for our yen for a limited time. One of the products that’s been upsized is the “Big Cookie”, which we heartily recommend trying, but as it turns out, over at 7-Eleven you can find a similarly good cookie, and some people say it could give Family Mart’s a run for its money.

▼ 7-Eleven’s “Baked In-Store Chocolate Cookie”.

As part of 7-Eleven’s “Baked In-Store” series that the chain introduced a little while ago, the cookie is displayed inside the countertop display near the registers, and warmed up after ordering. With such attention to detail, it’s a cookie that’s received a huge amount of praise from customers, so we were curious to find out if it could beat the deliciousness of the one sold at Family Mart.

▼ Family Mart’s “Big Cookie” vs 7-Eleven’s “Baked In-Store Chocolate Cookie”.


Family Mart’s cookie costs 258 yen (US$1.60), while 7-Eleven’s is slightly cheaper at 200 yen. The 7-Eleven cookie is smaller, though, so we whipped out our ruler and scales to accurately assess the discrepancies.

The Family Mart “Big Cookie” was just over 13 centimetres (5.12 inches) in diameter and it weighed 170 grams (6 ounces). Although we didn’t measure the exact thickness, it looked to be around 1.5 centimetres thick. As the name suggests, it’s genuinely large and feels quite heavy when you hold it.

The 7-Eleven cookie was just over 10 centimetres in diameter and weighed 99 grams. The thickness was probably around 1 centimetre, so in terms of size and weight, it was significantly smaller than the Family Mart cookie, but still pretty large for a cookie in the grand scheme of things.

▼ Now, it was time to move on to the most important aspect: taste.


▼ Starting with the Family Mart variety, we opened the bag and immediately sensed the delicious aroma of cinnamon.

Biting into it, the exterior was slightly crisp, and quickly followed by a soft texture that crumbled in the mouth. Normally, with a cookie this large, you’d expect the sweetness to become overwhelming as you keep eating it, but the crisp-and-crumbly texture, combined with the gentle spiciness of cinnamon, provide a nice accent that keeps it well-balanced.

▼ Now, for 7-Eleven.

As this one had been freshly warmed by staff after we purchased it, the chocolate aroma was much richer and fragrant.

By the time we were tasting it, the cookie had cooled somewhat, but it was still slightly warm and soft, and the chocolate inside was a little gooey. As we broke into it, we saw that the chocolate chunks were pretty dense too, which was impressive.

Biting into this one, it seemed to be more like a chewy, American-style cookie, compared to the crunchy varieties that most Japanese people are used to. It certainly did feel freshly baked, with an out-of-the-oven softness, and it had a more intense, dessert-like chocolatey quality, which we really enjoyed.

▼ To try and even the playing field, we warmed up some of the Family Mart cookie in the microwave, and although it did become warm and soft, the bottom turned out a bit soggy, and it just didn’t deliver the same level of satisfaction as the 7-Eleven cookie.

▼ So which one was our winner?

Well, they both have their good qualities – Family Mart’s serves up excellent satisfaction in the eating, as just one bite is enough to fill your mouth with cookie, which is very enjoyable. However, the 7-Eleven cookie is slightly cheaper, and no less delicious. Despite its smaller size, it doesn’t feel like its lacking in any aspect – if anything, it feels like an elevated version of a cookie, which is why, for us it’s the winner.

Considering that the Family Mart cookie is only upsized for a limited time, when it shrinks back to its regular size, 7-Eleven definitely has it beat. For 200 yen, it’s a bargain for what you get, and now you know how good it is, be sure to keep an eye out for it on when you’re trying the chain’s new creamy iced latte on your next convenience store run.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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