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.
Delicious!! Keeper recipe for certain!
Last batch is cooling. Simply delicious!!!!
I love these cookies! They are so good and easy.
What a wonderful recipe for lots of cookie options! Thank you for sharing this!
These are absolutely the BEST cookies I have ever made. Made them a few days ago and was gonna jump on and say how good they were then, but had to slow myself down, because I had only tried one of the kinds I’d made. Figured I would leave a comment after trying all four of the different kinds that I made that day…hahaha. I made the two different batches, one plain and one chocolate. To each of those batches I had made two different types of cookies. One of which was oatmeal and raisins, and to the other plain batch I tried just the milk chocolate chips. The other chocolate batch I added peanut butter chocolate chips.
They were all great!! In fact, I already have a supply of chocolate chips, nuts and coconut. I’m anxious to make more cookies with other add-ins. Still haven’t finished all the cookies I made the first time (made 48, 12 of each kind).
I wasn’t sure if i could freeze them or not after baking. If I can, I would be making more right now, as I am wanting to bring these cookies to my sons on Christmas Eve, where we will all be meeting this year for our celebration. My grandchildren, as well as my children would love these!
Please let me know, at your earliest convenience, if I can freeze them AFTER I bake them and they’ve cooled. Thanks again .
I just made the chocolate chip as written and they are AMAZING!!! I did make them smaller and put them in the freezer after I rolled them into balls. They stayed nice and high. My family loved them and now I doing another batch with different add-ins. Thank you once again for an excellent recipe. I can’t wait to get my cookbook!!
This is my second year making these cookies for Christmas cookie tins. I’ve made so many, and if I continue next year , I’ve got to simplify a bit. I’ve not frozen dough before ,so really need best freezing ideas. I want to make and freeze the dough balls around September/ October. After the dough balls are frozen , what’s the best way to store them ? Baggies, air tight containers, do I wrap them ? Thanks in advance.
I also just do resealable plastic freezer bags, but containers can work too. I’ve never wrapped them, but if I were planning to store longer than 3 months, I’d either vacuum seal them or wrap them.
I made these as chocolate chip cookies and they were absolutely delicious. I think my fave choc chip cookie recipe yet. Thanks for sharing. I will have to try the other variations.
Wow! These are fabulous. I split the recipe into two variations. One with just dark chocolate chunks and Maldon salt sprinkled on top, and the other with white chocolate chips and toasted macadamia nuts. I did refrigerate the dough overnight but otherwise just as stated. I weighed my balls each to 60 grams which was still a good size but I did get more cookies that way.
I’d ask what the secret is but there really isn’t one! I’ll certainly use this recipe again – maybe it’s the cake flour?? Thanks!
These are very very very good!
I made these for my Daughter’s Birthday. They were fantastic! Thank you!