This Bakery-Style Cookie Dough is your secret weapon for crafting a variety of cookies that taste like they came straight out of a Manhattan bakery. This base recipe will have you creating a huge variety of flavors so you can have amazing cookies in the comfort of your home in less time than it would take to drive to a bakery!
Why Our Recipe
- A foolproof base that allows you to use one recipe to create any flavor.
- Achieves that bakery-quality texture that’s soft and chewy every time.
- Add your favorite mix-ins for endless cookie possibilities.
We have a bit of a love affair going on with bakery-style cookies. Cookie Shops have popped up all around the United States and we can’t seem to keep away! These cookies are so large, indulgent, and incredibly sweet. Go ahead and pocket that money you would have spent on a four-dollar cookie, and enjoy this homemade version with us!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Unsalted butter is ideal for full flavor, but salted butter works too—just reduce the added salt by 1/4 teaspoon. Make sure it’s softened for easy creaming.
- Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work. Dark brown sugar adds a richer, caramel-like flavor and creates extra chewiness.
- Granulated Sugar: Balances the sweetness and helps the cookies achieve lightly crisp edges.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract provides the best flavor, but imitation works if that’s what you have on hand.
- Cake Flour and All-Purpose Flour: The combination of these two flours gives the cookies their signature texture. Cake flour creates softness, while all-purpose flour provides structure. If you don’t have cake flour, replace it with an equal amount of all-purpose flour. The cookies will still be delicious, just not quite as tender.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These leavening agents ensure the cookies rise and puff beautifully. Be sure they’re fresh and not expired for the best results.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors and balances the sweetness.
Endless Flavor Combinations
One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s the perfect blank canvas. Whether you’re a fan of classic cookies or love experimenting with bold new flavors, the possibilities are endless.
Mix-Ins
Start by choosing your mix-ins. Chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruits, shredded coconut, or even crushed candy bars all work. For more playful variations, add colorful sprinkles, mini marshmallows, or candy-coated chocolates like M&Ms. These are perfect for creating themed cookies for holidays or special occasions. Aim for about 2–3 cups of mix-ins per batch to maintain the dough’s consistency.
Flavor Enhancers
Take your cookies beyond mix-ins with subtle additions like a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or espresso powder. Stick to small amounts like 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon so you don’t overpower the cookie.
Sweet and Savory Combinations
Don’t be afraid to mix sweet and savory elements. Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top or try incorporating pretzels or potato chips for a unique crunch.
Alternative Textures
Play with textures by incorporating oats, graham cracker crumbs, or even crushed cereal into the dough. These add-ins not only enhance the flavor but also create a satisfying bite.
Why Cake Flour?
Cake flour is the key to creating that soft, delicate texture in bakery-style cookies. It has a lower protein content compared to all-purpose flour which means it develops less gluten. This results in lighter and fluffier cookies. We balance it with all-purpose flour to give the cookies enough structure to hold their shape without spreading too much.
No cake flour on hand? Simply substitute it with an equal amount of all-purpose flour. The cookies may lose a bit of their tender texture, but they’ll still turn out delicious!
Dark Brown Sugar vs Light
The difference between dark and light brown sugar lies in the molasses. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses, which deepens the flavor and adds extra moisture. This results in cookies with a richer, almost caramel-like taste and a slightly chewier texture. The added moisture also helps keep the cookies soft for longer. We promise, light brown sugar works too.
The Science Behind High Heat
These cookies are baked at 400°F (200°C), which is higher than the typical temperature for cookies. Baking at a high heat causes the butter in the dough to melt quickly, spreading the cookies slightly while setting the edges fast enough to create that golden, slightly crisp exterior. The high temperature shortens the baking time which helps the centers stay soft and chewy.
Extra Thick Cookies
Want to achieve those ultra-thick, bakery-style cookies? Chilling or freezing the dough balls for 20 minutes before baking is the trick. Cooling the dough slows down spreading during baking, resulting in cookies that stay tall and chunky. For the thickest cookies, bake them straight from the freezer—you won’t regret it!
Smaller Cookies
This recipe is designed to make 12 large cookies. For the classic oversized bakery feel, divide the dough into portions weighing 5–6 ounces each using a kitchen scale.
If you prefer smaller cookies, the dough can be divided into 24 portions, around 2 ounces each, or use a 2-ounce cookie scoop. Bake these smaller cookies at 400°F for approximately 8 minutes for perfectly sized treats.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze baked cookies by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze initially, then transfer them to a resealable freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. This prevents them from sticking together. To enjoy, thaw at room temperature, or warm them in the microwave for 10–15 seconds.
Freeze cookie dough in pre-portioned balls. After shaping the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
To bake from frozen, transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F (200°C). Add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time, and enjoy fresh, warm cookies on demand!
More delicious cookies…
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
These cookies are my absolute favorite!!!
I’ve made these cowboy cookies twice and they’ve been a hit both times
My mom and I tried these cookies. Firstly, they are huge! Secondly, 14 minutes is nowhere near enough time to cook these. We added an extra 4-5 minutes to make sure the inside was cooked. At 14 minutes it was basically soft cookie dough with a browned shell
I’ve found that if you leave them on the pan to cool, they continue baking on the inside, and will firm up nicely.
These cookies are so big and puffy! Are they supposed to look like that? They look more like little cakes
I followed this recipe to the “T” and it tasted fantastic, huge cookies, beautiful brown out of the oven, and allowed them to cool. However, after 12 minutes, carry over cooking and allowing them to sit, the middles were not cooked through. Next time, I’ll be making them smaller, and hopefully this will remedy that situation. However, the granddaughter I made them with, loved the fact they had “cookie dough in the middle, that’s a great trick!”.
These cookies are delicious! I made them with butter flavored Crisco and dark chocolate chips, they came out fine. I have made them twice in the past two weeks! Thank you for the recipe.
I was wondering if I could sub in Crisco, at least for half the butter if not all of it. I recently made the “Joanna Gaines” chocolate chip cookie recipe which was all butter and truthfully I was disappointed. I will definitely try this one, my family has loved all the Stay At Home Chef recipes I’ve shared. Perhaps I’ll do multiple batches….one just butter, one just Crisco and one half and half. Then do a test and see who likes what the best.
We have baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies for years, my mother got the great recipe from an aunt and it’s very similar to this… We have always used half butter and half Crisco or margarine and it works out very well. I think when you use all butter they spread a little more and are crispier which is the way I like them! Happy baking❤️
How much longer to bake cookies (both smaller and larger) when baking from frozen? I like the taller cookies but don’t want to under or over bake.
With the oatmeal/raisin cookies, have you ever tried the old fashioned oats, instead of quick oats? I’ve always used the old fashioned oats, so would like to know if there would be a significant difference if you used the old fashioned oats. Thanks for any help you can offer. 👩🍳
I only ever buy old fashioned oats and used them in the cowboy version. Delicious! I think they just add more texture than the quick.
This recipe is a 🥇.. I added one extra add in… I made the cowboy version and added Skor pieces, about 3/4 cup… Yumm-o
Cannot wait to try this recipe. Can Crisco be used in place of butter? I am lactose intolerant.