Store-Bought Cookie Dough Ranked Worst To Best

9. Cappello's Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Cappello's Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is among the priciest options available, and it's the only product from our taste test that we wouldn't repurchase. Made with almond flour and numerous organic ingredients, it cannot be classified as an organic dough. The texture was quite grainy, and the baked cookies were so brittle that they broke apart when we tried to lift them from the baking sheet. We also found it challenging to keep the raw dough intact while shaping it into cookies. Since it comes in a log format, enhancing it with a sprinkle of sugar—one of Alex Guarnaschelli's tips for elevating store-bought dough—could be a simple improvement.

The dough contains semi-sweet chocolate chips and is sweetened with maple syrup, resulting in a milder flavor overall. However, it was the texture that disappointed us, placing this option at the bottom of our rankings. Considering its higher price and subpar texture and taste, we would recommend skipping this dough. We preferred the other gluten-free alternatives, as they more closely resembled the flavor and texture of traditional chocolate chip cookies. Cappello's website does mention a brown butter sugar cookie dough and a sea salt version of the chocolate chip dough that may offer a richer taste, but we couldn't find either in the store.

8. Miss Jones Baking Co. Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Miss Jones Baking Company offers a solid variety of almond flour cookie doughs, including a monster cookie dough featuring chocolate candies and chips. We opted for the chocolate chip version. This gluten-free choice is crafted with almond flour, making it suitable for those avoiding gluten, though it does change the cookie's texture. While it wasn't as grainy as Cappello's almond flour dough, it still felt noticeably rougher than traditional cookie dough.

The use of chocolate chips instead of chunks allows them to melt quickly and evenly, resulting in a dough that remains a bit gooey and soft. Additionally, this variety contains more chocolate chips compared to other options from the same brand. However, even with the melted chocolate, the baked cookie turned out somewhat grainy and brittle, lacking the rich flavor we expected from a chocolate chip cookie.

This option is on the pricier side, priced at over $10 for a 12-ounce package. Each package yields only six large cookies unless you choose to divide them into smaller portions. Unless you are specifically seeking a gluten-free and dairy-free cookie, we suggest exploring other alternatives. Not only is it more expensive, but it also falls short in flavor richness and texture compared to other choices.

7. Eat Pastry Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

The Eat Pastry Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is packaged in a tub, which sets it apart from the pre-portioned options offered by many other brands. This allows for customization in cookie size, but it also makes it a bit challenging to determine the appropriate baking time. Keep a close eye on the oven, as we found that these cookies tended to overbake when we followed the same timing as with other brands. The dough can be enjoyed raw, making it a great addition to ice cream or other desserts. We even incorporated it into a sweet dip for added texture. The flavor was significantly richer when consumed raw compared to the baked version. On the plus side, these cookies maintained their shape well and exhibited minimal spreading during baking.

However, we noticed that there were fewer chocolate chips in this dough compared to most others we sampled. While it's possible to add extra chips or other ingredients like orange zest to enhance the flavor, this would increase the overall cost. The product is already somewhat pricey and comes in a small 14-ounce tub. It is vegan and non-GMO, which may be appealing if those factors are important to you, making it potentially worth the extra expense for Eat Pastry. However, for us, the average flavor did not justify the higher price tag.

6. Sweet Loren's Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

You can still savor delicious cookies without gluten by choosing Sweet Loren's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. This dough is crafted with oat and tapioca flour, along with potato starch, to mimic the texture of traditional cookies. As a result, it offers a texture that is much closer to regular cookies compared to brands that rely on almond flour. Sweet Loren's boasts the widest variety of flavors, including unique options like gingerbread and oatmeal cranberry, all of which are gluten- and dairy-free.

While we preferred cookies made with traditional flour, this was our top pick among gluten-free options. If we weren't aware it was gluten-free, we would struggle to tell it apart from standard chocolate chip cookies. The texture was chewy rather than brittle, a quality we didn't find in other gluten-free doughs. With chocolate chunks incorporated, it delivered a richer chocolate flavor than some of the other varieties we sampled. The generous chocolate chunks in the dough were definitely the highlight for us.

It is somewhat pricey, which is expected for a specialty dough. The package yields only 12 cookies if you stick to the pre-portioned sizes, but they are quite large. If we were to make these again, we would opt for smaller portions. Be prepared to adjust the baking time, regardless of whether you keep them as they are or not. To maintain their softness, we had to reduce the recommended baking time by a full two minutes.

5. Puff Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Puff Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough stands out from the other varieties we sampled, making it a bit challenging to compare. Instead of spreading out into soft cookies while baking, this dough maintained its small ball shape, truly embodying the puffy cookie style. The exterior was slightly crisp, while the interior was incredibly soft and airy. The brand claims that the cookies will "melt in your mouth," and they certainly delivered on that promise. We rated them highly for texture, as we appreciate a light and fluffy cookie. However, if you prefer your chocolate chip cookies to be denser, this dough may not be to your liking. Our personal preference for a gooey cookie placed these higher on our list.

They are less sweet than some other varieties we tried, which is the primary reason they ranked lower. If they had a touch more sweetness, Puff cookies would have soared to the top. As it stands, the flavor was merely average for a chocolate chip cookie. Puff also offers a confetti cookie that might be more aligned with this style. The price of this 12-ounce package is also in the mid-range compared to other options. Overall, if you enjoy a lighter cookie, this one is definitely worth a try, and you may find yourself reaching for more than one. Just keep in mind that it doesn't deliver the rich, chocolatey flavor that many people expect from a chocolate chip cookie.

4. Trader Joe's Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough

Trader Joe's Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough is indulgent and flavorful, featuring generous chunks of chocolate. Enhanced by a touch of sea salt, the sweetness is beautifully accentuated. This brand stands out for its rich taste and would rank highly if we were solely considering flavor.

While the variety of flavors is limited, Trader Joe's does provide a gluten-free option that is equally packed with chocolate chunks. We followed the suggested baking time, which proved to be perfect. The cookies held their shape well and didn’t spread as much as some other doughs we tested. It's advisable to leave an inch or two of space between each cookie, but they are unlikely to merge into a single mass while baking. The result is a soft center with firm edges, making them delightful to enjoy, especially when dipped in milk.

Although we appreciated both the flavor and texture, it’s difficult to justify making a special trip to Trader Joe's for this dough, given its similarity to other available options. They are tasty and reasonably priced, but they ranked slightly lower on our list due to their limited availability compared to brands found in various grocery stores. We would gladly purchase them when visiting Trader Joe's, but wouldn’t go out of our way for this specific brand.

3. Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Pillsbury offers a wide selection of ready-to-bake doughs in the refrigerator section of stores, and their cookie dough is among the best. We opted for the chocolate chip variety, but we also enjoyed the sugar cookie and Reese's peanut butter flavors. This cookie dough is safe to eat raw, making it an excellent addition to ice cream. The 16-ounce package typically costs around $5.50, but you might find discounts at certain stores if you use your loyalty card. Since Pillsbury products are widely available, it's a good idea to check multiple stores in advance to find the best price.

The dough comes in small circular pucks that hold their shape well when removed from the tray. While they are slightly smaller than some other pre-made cookie dough options, you can easily combine two to make a larger cookie. If you prefer a thinner cookie, you can flatten them a bit on the tray, but we found that unnecessary. The chocolate chips melted beautifully and were gooey when we took them out of the oven. We appreciated the smaller size because they baked faster and were easier to transport. We suggest taking them out a minute earlier than the recommended time for a softer texture. Instead of relying solely on the timer, watch for the edges to turn golden brown. When we followed Pillsbury's suggested baking time, our cookies ended up slightly burnt.

2. Giant Ready To Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

To our surprise, there weren't many store-brand options for chocolate chip cookie dough. Giant was one of the few retailers that provided an alternative to the well-known brands, and their product was quite comparable to Pillsbury or Toll House. The 16-ounce package yielded 12 cookies, which turned out to be some of the largest among the varieties we sampled when we kept the portions as they were. Next time, we plan to divide them into smaller pieces to expedite the baking process, though we’ll also need to adjust the baking time accordingly. The suggested baking duration resulted in cookies with edges that were a tad too crispy for our taste. A minor adjustment of just a minute or two would remedy this issue.

These cookies also spread out more than those from other brands, so be sure to leave ample space between each portion on the baking sheet. If you place them too close together, you might end up with one large cookie instead of the smaller individual ones you intended.

At only $4, this was the most economical choice. The flavor was very similar to the top name brands, coming in second place simply because it was slightly less rich than our favorite. Nonetheless, this is a dough we would gladly make again, and we could likely pass it off as homemade.

1. Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Lovers Cookie Dough

Nestlé Toll House is our preferred choice for chocolate chips when making homemade cookies, so we were eager to try their ready-to-bake chocolate chip cookie dough. As we anticipated, the chocolate chips were the highlight of this dough, which remained wonderfully soft after baking. It also boasted a robust vanilla flavor that added to its richness, delivering the indulgent taste we adore in chocolate chip cookies.

Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Lovers Cookie Dough was on par with both Giant's store brand and Pillsbury in terms of price and flavor, although the cookies turned out to be noticeably larger. They were a bit tricky to remove from the baking sheet due to their softness, and we had to reshape them as we transferred them to the tray. Chilling them in the freezer for a few minutes would help with this issue.

Instead of opting for the pre-portioned cookie pucks next time, we would choose the tub of the same chocolate chip cookie dough to scoop our own portions. This not only allows us to control the size better but is also slightly more economical per ounce. In terms of taste and texture, this cookie dough receives high praise. It was a close competition among our top three favorites, but ultimately, the rich vanilla flavor of this brand gave it a slight advantage over the others.

Methodology

To determine the best store-bought cookie doughs, we brought home several popular options and got to baking. We focused on chocolate chip and chocolate chunk varieties to ensure a fair flavor comparison, while also noting other flavors we might consider in the future. We prepared a few cookies from each dough, keeping them in their pre-portioned sizes as they came on the tray. Although we aimed to follow the recommended baking times, we had to remove a few trays early to prevent burning. We used the traditional oven baking method outlined on the packaging, but an air fryer could also be a great option for those who prefer crispier cookies.

When tasting the cookies, we prioritized flavor and texture. In our opinion, the ideal chocolate chip cookie is soft and indulgent, with gooey chocolate in every bite. We also evaluated cost and availability, noting which options were worth a special trip and which we would only buy if we were already at that store. Our top picks offered a delightful combination of sweet, rich flavor and a soft texture at a reasonable price. There were many delicious choices, and the competition among our favorites was tight. Ultimately, the ranking was determined by the richest flavor with a subtle hint of vanilla, evenly melting chocolate, and a soft yet firm texture.