I love an old favorite as much as the next cookie-enthusiast, but some days, the classic chocolate chip cookie just doesn’t cut it.
After almost a-year-and-a-half of buying chocolate chip cookie dough whenever I pass it at Paws & Go, WashU's on-campus market (because who can resist?) I sometimes feel like I'm ready for a change. Still, for me, nothing really compares to store-bought cookie dough, especially because it’s not always easy to keep baking supplies on-tap in a college dorm room, and I have no plans to stop baking cookies. Left with my go-to dough, I realized that I needed to find alternative ways to add some excitement to my cookies, so I began exploring the wonderful world of cookie dough mix-ins.
To begin my search, I recruited a few friends, and we put our stockpiles of snacks to good use, setting about trying to find the best additions to store-bought cookie dough. In case you ever want to do the same, here are our thoughts on the best (and worst) cookie dough mix-ins you can buy at Paws & Go, ranked from our least favorites to the mix-ins that you don't want to miss.
What to Avoid
Gouda Cheese
Average rating: 1/10
Among our available snacks, we had gouda, so we tried gouda, and we found out (unsurpsingly) that it doesn't belong in cookies. No one really thought it would work, and now we can guarantee you that it doesn’t. Thankfully, most cookie dough mix-ins are better than gouda (and it's pretty obvious which ones you might want to avoid—among them, sharp hard cheeses).
Cookie Dough Mix-Ins to Consider
Cookies and Cream Muddy Buddies
Average rating: 5/10
This was a huge step up from the gouda. (Huge). But we still thought that the Cookies and Cream Muddy Buddies didn't add a lot in terms of flavor. This was a solid combination, but they might have been just as good apart as they were together.
Lays Chips
Average rating: 5.5/10
Inspired by Christina Tosi's "Compost Cookies," we thought we'd try throwing some potato chips into our cookie dough. I kept trying to convince people that this was a thing, but in the end, we weren’t wild about the outcome. Most of us thought that the chips were too salty or too crunchy for the dough, but one person liked it, so maybe give it a try?
Marshmallows
Average rating: 5.5/10
We thought that, taste-wise, the marshmallows were a good addition, but not everyone was a fan of their gummy texture in otherwise crispy cookies.
Hershey’s Bar
Average rating: 6/10
We stuffed a few pieces of a Hershey’s dark chocolate bar inside some cookie dough, and it tasted exactly how you’d expect. The Hershey's Bar didn’t really add anything to the cookie besides chocolatey-ness, but if you’re a fellow believer that you can never have too much chocolate, then this might be a good cookie for you.
Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddies
Average rating: 6.5/10
This combination was solid, especially if you're a fan of cinnamon. But, admittedly, the Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddies weren't really anyone's favorite cookie dough mix-in.
Vanilla Pudding
Average rating: 6.5/10
We were going for a milk-and-cookies thing, and a few pudding-lovers were big fans of this combination, but some people also thought that the texture of baked pudding didn't work super well with the cookies, especially as they cooled.
Oreos
Average rating: 6.8/10
We couldn't always taste the Oreo flavor in every bite (even though I put so many Oreo crumbs in the dough that the cookies almost lost their cookie-shape), but when the Oreos did shine through, we all loved the taste.
Raisin Bran
Average rating: 6.8/10
We all really liked the consistency and flavor of the sugary raisins, but some of us were less sure about the texture of the bran. Still, some people said this combination was their favorite. If you're like us and have bought too much Raisin Bran, then this cookie combo is a great way to use it up.
Our Favorites
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Average rating: 7.4/10
We thought these Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies tasted like churros. If you don’t like anything crunchy in your cookies, these might not be for you, but if you like crispiness, and you’re a fan of cinnamon and chocolate, then we highly recommend this cookie combination.
Cinnamon Strawberry Pop-Tarts
Average rating: 7.7/10
If you have extra Pop-Tarts and want to make an exciting baked good, mix them into your cookies. The sweetness of the Pop-Tarts wasn't overpowering, and the flavor combination was really nice. The process of making and eating this Pop-Tart-flavored cookie was also everything my five-year-old self ever could have hoped adulthood would be.
Mint Chocolate Muddy Buddies
Average rating 7.8/10
We thought the mint chocolate muddy buddies added a fun texture and minty flavor to the cookies. If you like the combination of mint and chocolate, you should definitely try this mix-in.
Pretzels
Average rating: 8/10
Christina Tosi's "Compost Cookies" also inspired us to add pretzels to our cookie dough, and we loved the crunch and the sweet-and-salty combo. Also, pretzel-filled cookies might be one of the more "professional" combinations we tried, so if you want to be respectable or have to bring your cookies somewhere, this might be one of your best mix-in options. Ultimately, we highly recommend putting pretzels and cookies together.
Reese’s
Average rating: 8.3/10
The peanut-butter fans among us absolutely loved this cookie combo. If you like peanut butter and chocolate together, definitely try baking your Reese's into your cookies. You won't be disappointed.
Cream Cheese
Average rating: 8.75/10
We spread a thin layer of cream cheese over a piece of cookie dough and then sealed it with another piece to make stuffed cookies, and the results were incredible. It was cheesecake and cookies literally rolled into one, and if that sounds good to you, you should definitely give cream cheese cookies a try.
Nutella
Average rating: 9.5/10
Warm Nutella mixed with chocolate chip cookies sounds like an extraordinary combination, and it certainly does not disappoint. If you have Nutella and cookie dough accessible to you, and if you like Nutella, then you must make Nutella-stuffed cookies.
Final Thoughts
Cookie Dough Mix-Ins as a Concept
Average rating: 10/10
The best thing about our mix-in adventure was the excitement and variety of having lots of different flavors at the end. It was also super easy to add a few things to our cookie dough, and we liked almost everything we tried better than plain chocolate chip cookies. Plus, there's so much room for creativity. There are lots of other unique cookie-dough mix-ins definitely worth trying. You can play with different combinations, even the base cookie dough, if you want to make your own.
I recommend at least trying the activity of spicing up your cookie dough, because you never know which random snacks might make for extraordinary cookie dough mix-ins.