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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This recipe is way too dry. I had to add an extra egg and 3tbsp of milk to make it a better texture.
Can I use this recipe to make a peanut butter choc chip cookie as well?And how do I go abouts mixing it?Thank you.
Used this base for a crystallized ginger cookie it was perfect.
Made heath bar and walnut cookies with this..they were amazing 🙂
I derped a little when buying ingredients. I bought cornmeal and not cornstarch. They still came out really good. I think I should have chilled the dough before portioning though. I added a packet of hot cocoa mix and it made them taste like chocolate chip but without the chocolate chips.
I followed this recipe exactly as written. The dough is far too dry. It needs less flour or more butter. I used unsalted butter (always when baking) and there is less moisture than salted butter…maybe that is the difference. The flavor is good and they were ok if I didn’t bake them too long and then gave them a few “love taps” to help flatten them out a bit.
Same here! So dry 🙁
Same, i found it too dry so I kept adding a little more egg until it seemed moist enough based on cookie doughs ive made in the past. Took about 12 minutes in the oven at 180 before the edges coloured up. They look great now although I’m yet to try one.
I added 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 extra egg
I made this recipe. The dough tasted very good and I haven’t tried the actual cookies yet, but they melted down way too much. The recipe says to add flour until just combined, but that implies adding less than the flour mixture makes. Maybe change the wording of that step for future reference?
My advice for you is to freeze them for 15-30 minutes before you bake them. I’ve made this recipe about 10 times they always come out perfect they’re a family favorite.