Baker-Approved Ways To Make Store-Bought Cookie Dough Taste Homemade

We know that nothing hits the spot quite like a homemade cookie. At the same time, we also know that a deep-rooted craving for a sweet treat doesn't always coincide with feeling productive enough to whip up a tray of cookies from scratch — which is where store-bought cookie dough comes in handy.

Some baking purists may turn up their nose at the idea, but plenty of premade doughs are delicious enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. Most importantly, they're quick, easy, and reliable. Once you know how, they can also easily be hacked to rival the homemade stuff. While we're content enough slicing up and baking the occasional roll of Nestlé Toll House Cookie Dough, we were curious as to how we could jazz up our next batch.

Instead of just throwing in random ingredients and hoping for the best, we thought it would be better to let the experts guide the way. We spoke to three bakers — all of whom are fluent on the ins-and-outs of a delicious cookie — to discover their tips for making store-bought cookie dough taste homemade. Apologies to your dentist in advance: Things are about to get very sweet.

Candy tastes good, and cookie dough tastes great, so it only makes sense that the two combined elevates cookies to a whole new level of heavenly indulgence. Considering the fact that both count sweetness as their primary descriptor, you can't really go wrong when picking a candy to mix into your store-bought dough. New England-based recipe creator Alexa Carter lists Oreos and caramel as two of her favorites. "These are two simple ingredients you can add that make your cookie look like it just popped out of the oven at a bakery," she explains. "What you need to do is shape your store-bought cookie and pop the crushed Oreos on top. And once the cookie is done baking, drizzle some caramel on top and enjoy!"

Tammy Stiffler, owner of Stiffler's Mom's Cookie Factory, is a big fan of Hershey's. "My grandkids love it when I put a Hershey's Kiss in the center while it's hot," she says. "The Kiss just melts into it." If a Hershey's Kiss isn't your thing, don't be afraid to experiment. As Heather Mubarak, creator of Browned Butter Blondie and author of "Stuffed: The Sandwich Cookie Book," says, "Let your sweet tooth be the guide! It's easy to customize store-bought cookie dough by adding extra chocolate chips, M&M chocolate candies, chopped nuts, or mini marshmallows." In other words, go crazy, because nothing's off limits.

Not all vanilla is built equal. While the majority of store-bought cookie doughs will contain some kind of vanilla flavoring, odds are it is a synthetic or imitation form of vanilla — sometimes known as "vanillin," the name for a chemical naturally found in vanilla beans. This version is much cheaper and requires far less manual labor for big businesses to acquire en masse. Unsurprisingly, its flavor profile isn't quite as nuanced as pure vanilla extract.

If you want to take your bake to the next level, Heather Mubarak recommends finding a bottle of the good stuff. "Consider adding a teaspoon or two of high-quality vanilla extract to store-bought chocolate chip cookie dough," she says. If you don't already have some at home, keep an eye out for darker-hued vanilla extracts on your next stroll down the baking aisle at the grocery store. Obvious though it may be, skip anything that mentions the words "imitation" or "artificial," and try to find the bottle with the shortest, simplest ingredients list possible. Ideally, this should consist of just vanilla, water, and alcohol, with none of the bonus sweeteners (such as sugar, corn syrup, and dextrose) that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) legally allows in vanilla extract.

Just because you're going down the quick and convenient route of store-bought cookie dough, it doesn't mean you need to sacrifice quality. Some cookie dough brands are held in higher regards by bakers than others. All three of the bakers we spoke to highlighted Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough as their go-to. "Nestlé Toll House is the only refrigerated cookie dough we use," says Alexa Carter. "It's number one for me! It's easy to bake, and they also make edible cookie dough."

If you're in the market for something other than chocolate chip, Heather Mubarak is also a big fan of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough. "The flavor is so nostalgic, and they're delicious topped with a dollop of vanilla buttercream and rainbow sprinkles," she says. These definitely aren't the only store-bought cookie doughs worth your time — and if you've already found your favorite, then by all means, ignore us on this one. Regardless, it's still worth knowing what's earned an expert's stamp of approval — and what they typically avoid. According to Tammy Stiffler, "I would probably stay away from store brands."

Just like candies, the world is your oyster when it comes to the extracts and spices you can add to your cookies. Adding in the flavor of your choice is an easy way to customize dough to your personal preferences. While you're free to experiment to your heart's content, expert bakers have a few favorites up their sleeve to take premade cookie dough up a notch.

Cinnamon is by far the most popular addition — especially in fall and winter, which we personally consider peak baking season. This gives cookies a slight kick, which Alexa Carter likes to combine with nutmeg. Her preference is to add both in before baking to infuse the dough with flavor. However, she also warns against doing so with a heavy hand. "I wouldn't add too much so the spices don't overpower the cookie," she says.

If you're feeling a little bit more adventurous, Tammy Stiffler also suggests adding a splash of lemon or orange extract into your cookie dough. This is a tip probably best reserved for sugar cookie dough, which can benefit much more from a refreshing citrus note.

Yes, we know that cookie dough is already packed with sugar, but we're in the business of indulgence right now. If she's dealing with sugar cookie dough and not chocolate chip, one of the ways that Heather Mubarak likes to make her cookies feel homemade is by adding extra sugar. "I love adding a snickerdoodle twist to a basic sugar cookie dough by rolling the dough in a cup of cinnamon sugar before baking," she says. "So easy and so delicious! These simple additions really help enhance the flavor and make a store-bought cookie taste like it was made from scratch."

Fortunately, making your own cinnamon sugar is possibly even easier than baking store-bought cookie dough — and that's saying something. All you need is 1 tablespoon of cinnamon per cup of white sugar, plus a pinch of kosher salt. The best part is that you can make it in bulk and store it in an airtight container, ready to grab and use every time you feel like putting a spin on premade dough. That's a hack within a hack.

We know that adding nuts to cookie dough doesn't automatically make them healthy, but let us live in our delusion for a moment. One thing it does do, however, is offset the saccharine aftertaste that can come with store-bought dough, as well as provide some added texture. "My favorite nuts are pecans, peanuts, macadamia, and walnuts," Tammy Stiffler lists as her top add-ins.

If nuts aren't really your thing or if you're allergic, don't be afraid to play around with other savory additions. Heather Mubarak is a big believer in switching up the profile of your cookies. "If you want to add a little savory flavor to your cookies, try adding mini pretzel twists or even crushed potato chips to the mix," she suggests. Although the latter may sound strange, the final result is tastier than you'd think. Not only does throwing potato chips into your dough give it a unique crunch, but the saltiness sits strangely well alongside the rich sweetness of chocolate chips. If it's a combo good enough for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, then it's good enough for your cookies.

There's a reason why most homemade cookie recipes call for you to refrigerate the dough before baking (and no, it's not just to add another obstacle between you and your sweet tooth). Chilling the dough can prevent cookies from overspreading while they bake and encourages them to brown more evenly. It can also improve the final flavor and texture, by giving the cookies a crispy exterior and a chewy center. To reap the benefits, you usually need to pop dough in the refrigerator for anywhere between 30 minutes and 24 hours.

Store-bought cookie dough is no different. The vast majority of packaged doughs are plucked straight from the refrigerator and require the same treatment once you reach home. As per Heather Mubarak, "For a flavor and texture that mimics a homemade cookie, be sure to keep the dough cold until ready to bake." This means leaving it in the refrigerator and only letting it rest at room temperature for a maximum of five to 10 minutes, as is the cookie dough habit of Martha Stewart, before transferring the cookies to the oven.

Vanilla extract is the default choice for many bakers, both professional and amateur. If you're looking for a more sophisticated flavor, however, you may want to consider giving almond extract a whirl. This has long been the secret weapon for Duff Goldman, star of the Food Network's "Ace of Cakes" and the man behind Baltimore's famous Charm City Cakes. It turns out it's just as useful for cookies as it is for other baked goods.

For Heather Mubarak, the primary use for almond extract is elevating sugar cookie dough. Tammy Stiffler is an equally big fan, viewing it as one of the most versatile tools in your kitchen cupboard when it comes to upgrading cookies. "One of my favorite tricks is to add in almond extract, which can give your recipe so many flavors from wedding cake to Amaretto," Stiffler says.

Less is more when it comes to almond extract, so don't feel like you need to add heaps to subtly improve the flavor of your cookies. One of its greatest qualities is that the nutty notes blend well with so many sweet flavors — especially vanilla. Try adding a few drops of both extracts to store-bought dough for the ultimate flavor upgrade.

Unless you stick to a vegan diet, the vast majority of cookie recipes will contain butter. When it comes to store-bought cookie dough, however, you'll often struggle to find butter listed in the ingredients, with the likes of vegetable oil shortening or just plain old oils often standing in its place. That's the case for doughs from big brands such as Nestlé Toll House, Pillsbury, and Great Value.

While oil essentially serves the same purpose as butter, many bakers consider the latter superior for the role it plays in enhancing a cookie's flavor and texture. For that reason, Tammy Stiffler recommends blending some in with your store-bought cookie dough to bring it closer to the standard of the dough you'd make from scratch. "I would crumble the dough into my mixer, then add a little real butter and vanilla or whatever extract you fancy," Stiffler explains. "Maybe even add a little dark brown sugar. Store-bought dough just isn't as rich as homemade so add these ingredients to improve the richness and enhance your recipe."

Texture is everything for a stellar chocolate chip cookie. Even the tastiest cookie in the world falls flat if it's, well, flat. This can happen for plenty of reasons, such as setting the oven temperature too high or forgetting to chill your dough, but most of the time, it comes down to errors in the actual preparation of your dough. Failing to strike the right ratio with your ingredients, over-mixing the dough, or using overly soft butter can all have an adverse effect on a cookie's finish.

Theoretically, using store-bought cookie dough means avoiding all of these pitfalls as the dough has already been prepared to a standardized, oven-ready state. However, if you follow the instructions on the dough to a tee, you may still find yourself pulling out a tray of freshly baked yet lackluster cookies. To avoid this, Heather Mubarak has a solution. "My favorite tip for improving the texture and overall flavor of a store-bought cookie is to slightly underbake the cookies," she says. "Store-bought cookies are notorious for baking up crispy and flat. I recommend reducing the baking time by one to two minutes for an extra soft and chewy cookie."

Upgrading store-bought cookie dough doesn't end the moment you close the oven door. The devil's in the details with cookies, and the best homemade offerings manage to balance the sugar and chocolate. That's exactly why Heather Mubarak recommends undertaking one final step to take your cookies from good to gourmet.

"A dusting of flaky sea salt on top helps contrast the extra sweetness you get from store-bought cookies," Mubarak explains. Using sea salt, not regular old table salt, is the key here. Aside from the role it plays in the flavor, the crunch of the large granules is a welcome addition to what's hopefully turned out to be a crispy exterior and gooey interior. To add another element of textural variety, Mubarak also recommends scattering a few extra chocolate chips atop of your cookies post-baking. If you're keen to keep the sweetness of store-bought cookie dough in check, choose semi-sweet or dark chocolate.