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!
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 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!
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!
Yes! You can freeze the dough unbaked OR you can freeze the cookies after they’ve been baked!
To freeze the dough:
- Portion out the dough with a cookie scoop.
- Place all the dough onto a baking sheet.
- Freeze the portioned dough for 30 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the freezer and transfer the dough into a large zip-top bag to freeze for up to 30 days.
- Bake according to recipe instructions, but add 2 minutes to the bake time. No need to thaw!
To freeze baked cookies:
- Allow the cookies to cool completely.
- 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.
- Freeze for up to 30 days.
- Thaw at room temperature. Microwave each cookie for 10 seconds to get it warm and gooey.
Enjoy and get creative!
This recipe was originally published in 2013. The photos and recipe tips have been updated in 2020. The original recipe remains the same!
Print
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 19 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
The perfect cookie base recipe that you can use time and time again!
Ingredients
- 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
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper, set aside
- In medium bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- 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.
- And add in egg and vanilla and mix for 1 minute until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in flour mixture until dough just comes together.
- Stir in candy until evenly incorporated.
- Using a medium (2- tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet 2- inches apart.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes until edges are golden. Make sure not to over-bake.
- 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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Love this cookie base recipe! Mine is so similar, but I use all brown sugar instead of white and always add a dash of cinnamon to help emphasize the flavors of the add ins. It’s so easy to whip up a bathc of the base and then portion out to make several different kinds using add ins. Love it!
Do I have to add something liquid to add cocoa powder to this recipe?
No, you should be fine!
I just tried these and although I haven’t sampled any yet (I am sure they are delicious) my cookies didn’t spread out nice and thin like yours… they remained somewhat in their ball formation. I love thinner cookies so was wondering what I may have done incorrectly for this to happen?
Thanks!!
That’s strange! Could be a difference in the oven temperature..
can you make a big batch ahead and portion them out and freeze them
Sure!!
Hi! I read this recipe and it is AMAZING!!I have a question though, can you add gummies? Like Welches or some sort?
Thxs again for the awesome recipe!!
Sure you could!
Hey there Shelly!
I woke up yesterday morning and had this sudden urge to bake cookies for some reason! (The last time I made them was using Betty Crocker’s expired cookie mix and safe to say I thought I won’t try my hand at cookies again). Anyway I googled, came across your recipe and aha! they turned out to be so good Masha’Allah. Yummy and crunchy and chewy. I think i overdid the salt and baking soda but guess that counts as learning for next time. (wait- next time?! yes!) Thanks alot for sharing this recipe and specially for the pictorial depiction.
I love this!
That is all. 🙂
I don’t have any brown sugar! Can I sub honey or molasses?
I would just sub in more granulated sugar…or here’s a post about how to make your own! http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/makeyourown/r/brownsugar.htm
Thank you for the amazing recipe. I added butterscotch and white chocolate chips to this recipe. My son loves them. He says they taste just like blondie bars which are his favorite. Looks like I will be sending theses to his dorm room this semester! Thank you =)
If i bake them on a muffin top pan how many minutes do i have to bake them?
You are AWESOME!! I’m using up all my leftover Halloween candy to make batches for my “adopted” soldier. This recipe is seriously on point and delicious!!