The Perfect Cookie Dough Base | One Recipe Is All You Need (2024)

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★★★★★5 from 35 reviews

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The Perfect Cookie Base is one cookie dough recipe that you can use to make TONS of cookie recipes! Crisp, buttery edges with soft centers, this cookie dough is the perfect canvas to get creative with your add-ins. Chocolate chips, chopped candy, sprinkles, and nuts this foolproof cookie recipe is so adaptable!

The Perfect Cookie Dough Base | One Recipe Is All You Need (1)

Table of Contents

  • One Cookie Dough = Endless Possibilities!
  • How Do You Make Perfect Cookies?
  • Why Do You Add Cornstarch?
  • What Can You Add Into This Cookie Dough?
  • Can You Freeze The Perfect Cookie Base?
  • Looking For More Cookie Recipes? Here Are A Few Of My Favorites:
  • Get the Recipe

    One Cookie Dough = Endless Possibilities!

    I feel like I’m over here solving the world’s problems one cookie at a time. I have created the actual ONLY cookie dough recipe that you will ever need. Let me explain…

    This cookie recipe will give you buttery, crisp edges with thick, soft centers. The texture is sturdy enough to stand up to pretty much anything you want to mix into the dough, while still being soft and tender. Basically it’s magic.

    You can keep it simple and make these into chocolate chip cookies, or you can chop up your favorite candy bar and mix that right into the dough too! Or even keep it simple and roll them in cinnamon sugar for an easy twist on a snickerdoodle.

    The Perfect Cookie Dough Base | One Recipe Is All You Need (2)

    How Do You Make Perfect Cookies?

    The recipe for these cookies is pretty basic, with just a few tweaks to allow it to work as a base for lots of adaptations. The beauty of these cookies, like I said before, is they hold up to just about any type of mix-in, while still being soft and tender. I have found that sometimes cookies with lots of mix-ins can get a little dry and hard. This happens because you need a thicker dough to encompass what is added in, and an easy way to make a dough thicker is to add more flour. This can work in very small amounts, but too much flour will give you a dry, hard cookie.

    The perfect amounts of flour, sugar, and cornstarch stabilize the dough, while still keeping it tender and gooey!

    Why Do You Add Cornstarch?

    Cornstarch is a secret ingredient that you see in some cookie recipes that helps add to the thickness of the dough without having to add too much flour. Ot stabilizes the dough and keeps it thick, while adding a soft, slightly melty texture.

    You can definitely overdo it with cornstarch if you add too much and it will give your cookies a strange, chalky texture. So stick to the recipe and know that 1 tablespoon is all you need!

    The Perfect Cookie Dough Base | One Recipe Is All You Need (3)

    What Can You Add Into This Cookie Dough?

    Ok, this is the fun part! Now is the time to get creative! You can keep these simple, because this recipe makes a delicious chocolate chip cookie…BUT let’s push it to its limits. Here are a few ideas of yummy add-ins. Mix and match flavors to make your own unique cookie. AND this is a great way to get the kids involved in the baking too! Everyone will love their own custom flavor!

    • Chips: chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter…or any combination of them all!
    • M&Ms are an easy add-in. And with all the fun flavors of M&Ms out now, the sky is the limit!
    • Peanut Butter Cups. Use regular sized cups and chop them up or minis. You could even swirl in 1/2 cup of peanut butter to the dough if you want!
    • Pretzels or potato chips. A salty/sweet combo would be delicious!
    • Candy Bars…really you could chop up just about any kind! Beware if you use a candy bar with a lot of caramel it will ooze out and could burn while baking, so I like to freeze caramel candies before adding to the dough, to help minimize this!
    • Sprinkles…because don’t sprinkles always make everything more fun?!
    • Crushed Cookies like Oreos, Circus Cookies, or Nutter Butters! Turn these into a Cookies and Cream dream with crushed Oreos and white chocolate chips!
    • Cereal. I mean why not? Add in Golden Grahams, milk chocolate and marshmallow bits for a s’mores cookie…or Fruity Pebbles and white chocolate chips for a creamy, fruity party cookie!

    Can You Freeze The Perfect Cookie Base?

    Yes! You can freeze the dough unbaked OR you can freeze the cookies after they’ve been baked!

    To freeze the dough:

    1. Portion out the dough with a cookie scoop.
    2. Place all the dough onto a baking sheet.
    3. Freeze the portioned dough for 30 minutes.
    4. Remove the tray from the freezer and transfer the dough into a large zip-top bag to freeze for up to 30 days.
    5. Bake according to recipe instructions, but add 2 minutes to the bake time. No need to thaw!

    To freeze baked cookies:

    1. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
    2. Place the cookies in a large zip-top bag in a single layer, or a large airtight container stacked, with parchment or wax paper in between the layers.
    3. Freeze for up to 30 days.
    4. Thaw at room temperature. Microwave each cookie for 10 seconds to get it warm and gooey.
    The Perfect Cookie Dough Base | One Recipe Is All You Need (4)

    Enjoy and get creative!

    Looking For More Cookie Recipes? Here Are A Few Of My Favorites:

    • Cinnamon Roll Cookies
    • Triple Chip Pudding Cookies
    • Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
    • Pressed Sugar Cookies

    This recipe was originally published in 2013. The photos and recipe tips have been updated in 2020. The original recipe remains the same!

    Print

    The Perfect Cookie Dough Base | One Recipe Is All You Need (5)

    The Perfect Cookie Base

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 35 reviews

    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 9 minutes
    • Total Time: 19 minutes
    • Yield: 24 cookies 1x
    • Category: Cookies
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: Dessert

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    Description

    The perfect cookie base recipe that you can use time and time again!

    Ingredients

    Scale

    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
    • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • 1 1/2 cups your favorite candy or chocolate chips

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper, set aside
    2. In medium bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
    3. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
    4. And add in egg and vanilla and mix for 1 minute until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
    5. Turn the mixer to low and add in flour mixture until dough just comes together.
    6. Stir in candy until evenly incorporated.
    7. Using a medium (2- tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet 2- inches apart.
    8. Bake for 8-9 minutes until edges are golden. Make sure not to over-bake.
    9. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

    Notes

    When adapting this recipe feel free to swap out vanilla extract for another flavor for an extra twist!

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 cookie
    • Calories: 198
    • Sugar: 16.7 g
    • Sodium: 130.4 mg
    • Fat: 10.1 g
    • Carbohydrates: 25.9 g
    • Protein: 2.4 g
    • Cholesterol: 23 mg

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    FAQs

    How do you make cookie dough in Little Alchemy 2? ›

    Little Alchemy 2
    1. Dough + Cookie.
    2. Dough + Sugar.
    3. Dough + Chocolate.

    What makes cookie dough fluffy? ›

    That fluffy texture you want in a cake results from beating a lot of air into the room temperature butter and sugar, and it does the same for cookies. So don't overdo it when you're creaming together the butter and sugar.

    What makes cookies soft or hard? ›

    Butter contributes milk solids and water to a cookie, both of which soften it. Brown sugar contributes molasses – again, a softener. Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies.

    How do you make dough in Little Alchemy 1? ›

    Recipes
    1. Flour + Water.
    2. Flour + Puddle.
    3. Flour + Rain.

    What can you mix with banana in Little Alchemy 2? ›

    Little Alchemy 2 Cheats - List of All Combinations
    Resulting ElementIngredient Combination(s)
    A
    Bananafruit + monkey
    Banana Breadbread + banana / dough + banana
    Bandageblood + fabric / sword + fabric / blade + fabric
    222 more rows
    Aug 23, 2017

    Is cold butter better for cookies? ›

    There is a reason why bakers recommend room temperature butter. Butter is a solid fat, but it's also able to be whipped at room temperature. The whipping process will create air pockets, resulting in a fluffier, even-textured cookie.

    What messed up my cookies? ›

    Not Enough Flour

    Our cookies were brittle and greasy and cooked much faster than the other dough balls on the sheet. Though the culprit is usually a flour deficit, butter could also be to blame for this problem. Adding too soft or slightly melted butter to the dough can also result in flat cookies.

    Why did my cookies turn out dry? ›

    Overmixing the dough

    If you overmix the dough, the cookies will be dry and crumbly. The best way to fix this is to add more liquid to the dough. This can be done by adding milk, water, or even melted butter. You may also need to add more flour to the dough if it is too wet.

    What makes cookies chewy and not hard? ›

    If you enjoy your cookies soft and chewy, chances are likely the recipe contains a common ingredient that serves a very specific purpose. No, it's not granulated sugar, nor the butter. It's not the egg, all-purpose flour, or even the vanilla extract. The simple, yet oh-so-necessary component is cornstarch.

    How long to chill cookie dough before baking? ›

    As a general rule of thumb, you should refrigerate cookie dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. More than that, and you won't see a noticeable difference in the final product. Once the dough has chilled, let it warm up at room temperature until it's just pliable (about 5 to 10 minutes).

    What texture should raw cookie dough be? ›

    Soft – Dough that's “soft” or “runny” can be thickened by adding one or two tablespoons of flour to your mix. This will help keep your batch from “Spreading” and coming out of the oven looking like flat, not-so-cookie-like puddles.

    How thick should my cookie dough be? ›

    If you roll them the thinner side, about 1/8″ thick, they will bake quickly and be quite crisp when cooled. If you roll them to 1/4″ thick, they'll be easier to handle and slightly softer, even when baked to a pale golden brown. In the end, the best thickness is the one you prefer.

    How thick should cookie dough be before baking? ›

    Place each portion onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use more flour if the dough seems too sticky. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.

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