{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (2024)

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Kimber|

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What makes this cookie recipeunique is not only is it extra soft, thick, and chewy, but it is a perfect basic cookie dough to add in any combination of mix-ins that you or your kids LOVE! Anything from chocolate chips, sprinkles, or even berries and nuts can be added for your perfect cookie!

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (1)

I am so thrilled to continue my Thick & Chewy Cookie series by partnering with Country Crock® to sponsor this post. I can’t wait to share my recipes and memories and this delicious new cookie recipe with you!

If you have been around here long, you probably know I have a serious love of cookies! Of all my memories growing up my favorites are almost all in the kitchen with my mom. I can’t remember a time when I asked to make something that she said no, instead we were huddled side by side in our kitchen working together, laughing, being creative, licking the bowl and making memories.

I can’t tell you how much I love doing the same with my own kids now! Ionce heard a speaker talking about how to raise children who turn into people you are proud of, and his biggest piece of advice was “Spend twice as much time with them and half as much money on them.” Wow. This really hit me in the heart. How simple, yet how powerful.

Sometimes it is hard to come up with things to do with them each and every day, but no matter what all of my kids always love to be with me in the kitchen so we find ourselves baking quite a bit. Not only is baking a great activity to foster natural conversation and connections, but it also sparks creativity and introduces basic math and reading skills. It is one of those super powerhouse educational things that doesn’t seem like work at all!

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (2)

What we are ABSOLUTELY LOVING lately is the Country Crock® Make It Yours™Cookie Recipe. It makesa basic cookie dough that lets you add whatever your mind can dream up to the dough to give you limitless options for cookie flavors! My favorite part is that I can make the dough, then split it into two or three parts and let each of my kids be creative and create their own signature cookies! There is no taking turns, this recipe just lets it be all about them! They get to have fun, be creative, and create a cookieall their own that they can be be proud of.

Oh and did I mention that these cookies are good? Like seriously good! Me, my kids, and all my neighbors agree. I can say this with confidence since we made them during my littlest’s nap then took them outside to share while we played on a beautiful afternoon and they were gone in about 3 minutes flat! My favorite flavor we made was Oreo Confetti Cookies so I am going to share that recipe with your below!

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (3)

Make It YoursCookie Recipe

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (4)This recipe comes together like a basic cookie recipe- Mix the buttery spread, sugars, eggs and vanilla together. Combine the dry ingredients then pour them into the wet ingredients and stir until everything is well mixed and you have a nice thick and creamy dough.

TIP: I love to use Country Crock in cookie recipes. Since buttery spreadhas a higher melting point than butter, when you put the cookies in the oven it gives them more time to cook before melting so they keep their shape better and most importantly, stay thicker while baking. I LOVE my cookies thick, soft and chewy! If you do too, make sure to check out my other Thick & Chewy Cookie Recipes!

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (5)Now comes the fun part! Pick your mix-ins for the cookies! There are so many options you can choose from. The recipe says to add 1-2 cups of mix-ins, but let’s be honest I am much more toward the heaping 2 cups total. Mix them in well to make sure that every bite is filled with your favorite flavors. Here are some ideas to spark your creativity:

  • Sprinkles
  • Pecans
  • White Chocolate
  • Pretzel Pieces
  • Marshmallows
  • Raisins
  • Chocolate cookie pieces
  • Chocolate Candies
  • Peanuts
  • Dried cranberries
  • Walnuts
  • Coconut
  • Chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (or both!)
  • Chopped up candy bars

Tip: If you are making multiple flavors (for multiple kids) like me, you can split the dough into halves, thirds, or even quarters. The recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies total so there is plenty to split it up without having to double the batch. Just split the amount of mixins equally and you will be ready to create.

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (6)

Drop the dough on a cookie sheet by rounded tablespoonfuls and bake at 375˚F for 8-12 minutes or until they are just set in the middle. Take them out of the oven and let them cool for a minute or two, then move them to a wire baking rack to cool.

TIP: To make sure the cookies are super soft and chewy, keep a good eye on them at the end of the baking time. You want to remove them from the oven when they are just set in the middle, not golden brown all over. I usually can tell because the cookie looses it’s “shine” as it bakes, so when the center is no longer shiny it is ready to take out. They continue to cook after you take them out of the oven so if you wait to remove them until they are golden brown all over, they will often be more crunchy then chewy in texture.

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (7)Grab the Make it Yours™ Recipe below, or scroll down to grab the recipe with our add ins for Oreo Confetti cookies!

Hungry for more family-friendly recipes? Sign up for my free recipe club to get new family-friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing daily meal-time inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (8)

5 from 2 votes

Make It Yours™ Cookie Recipe

Hover over "serves" value to reveal recipe scaler

Author:Kimber

Print Review Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Country Crock® Spreadable Sticks or Tub cold from the refrigerator
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 to 2 cups of your choice of mix-ins

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°. Mix Country Crock® Spread, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla in large bowl until well mixed. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda until blended. (Dough will be soft and creamy.)

  • Add your favorite mix-ins in any combination, and mix until every spoonful of dough has some of the delicious mix-ins.

  • Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on ungreased baking sheets 3-inches apart.

  • Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool 1 minute on wire rack; remove from sheets and cool completely.

  • Add toppings and decorations if desired.

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)

Did you make this recipe?Tag me on Instagram @thepinningmama! If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a review! It helps support my website and makes my day!

We made a few varieties but our favorite from this batch was my daughter’s creation filled with Oreo cookie crumbles and sprinkles! Once the kids create their cookie they then they get to give it a fun name and this one was dubbed the Oreo Confetti cookie! Yum!!

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (9)

Oreo Confetti Cookie Recipe

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (10)

I mean seriously… are you not drooling?! Because I am! Oneof extra thing we didmaking these cookies was since the cookie crumbs make the dough a bit thicker we were able to handle it easily, so we scooped the rounded tablespoonfuls then rolled them into balls with our hands. This made the final baked cookies a really perfect shape and extra thick, just like we love them! Also, we added a few extra sprinkles on top to make sure they were extra colorful since my daughter loves all of the colors all the time! That step is optional but does make them really pretty.

For more great recipes and ideas make sure to follow Country Crock® on Instagram and Facebook!

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (11)

Hungry for more family-friendly recipes? Sign up for my free recipe club to get new family-friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing daily meal-time inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (12)

5 from 2 votes

Oreo Confetti Cookies

Hover over "serves" value to reveal recipe scaler

Author:Kimber

Print Review Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Country Crock® Spreadable Sticks or Tub cold from the refrigerator
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
  • 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles + extra for the tops optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°. Mix Country Crock® Spread, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla in large bowl until well mixed. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda until blended. (Dough will be soft and creamy.)

  • Add cookie crumbs and sprinkles, and mix until every spoonful of dough has some of the delicious mix-ins.

  • Gather dough by rounded tablespoonfuls and roll into balls with your hands. Place on ungreased baking sheets 3-inches apart. Optional: Top with additional sprinkles

  • Bake 8 to 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool 1 minute on wire rack; remove from sheets and cool completely.

  • Add toppings and decorations if desired.

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)

Did you make this recipe?Tag me on Instagram @thepinningmama! If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a review! It helps support my website and makes my day!

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (13)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Country Crock . The opinions and text are all mine.

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{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (18)

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Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

22 Comments

  1. Seana Turner says

    I think my biggest challenge with cookie dough is not eating it before I can get it into the oven:) Great to have a versatile base recipe that you can adapt for various occasions and tastes!

    Reply

    • Kimber says

      You know… I might or might not have consumed large amounts of this before photographing!…. BUT they make such good cookies and I could only sneak bites when the kids aren’t looking so that really limited it 🙂

      Reply

  2. Laura Krugel says

    How many cookies does this recipe make?

    Reply

  3. Sandy says

    I wanted to know what would happens if you use real butter?

    Reply

  4. Donna says

    {Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (21)
    Made these tonight with my 12 year old daughter, she wanted to make her own cookies so i gave her a 2 cup measure and let her at it. She added some semi sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and broken graham crackers. She rolled them into bigger balls so only got about 2.5 doz cookies but they taste great! Going to to make again with poppy seeds and lemon rind or white chocolate and cranberries! So many options….

    Reply

  5. Carin says

    I’m in Australia and we don’t stock this brand. What is the weight of the butter? I’m looking for a great cookie recipe that I can make any type of cookie out of with just one recipe

    Reply

    • gwyn says

      I live in Winnipeg Canada, I’d never heard of country crock, I had to look up what it is. I think butter could probably be used and I’m wondering if I could just buy margarine. It sounds to me from what I read that country crock is just margarine. I hate to use that much butter on a recipe I haven’t tried before but I think butter would be better in same proportion as the country crock.

      Reply

      • Kimber says

        Hi Gwyn- You can use margarine or butter in place of Country Crock if you can’t find it. Either will work well in the recipe! Enjoy!

        Reply

  6. Gayle says

    I’m so glad I found your recipe! I’ve got so many mix in ideas that I might not get through them all.

    Today’s batch gave us chocolate/marshmallow, ginger as well as sprinkles. My son wants lemon next time, so that’s on the list.

    I bake half and freez the other half in ready rolled balls to bake whenever we feel like cookies ?

    Reply

    • Kimber says

      That sounds so delicious! I love that you freeze them for easy to make fresh cookies. That is so smart!

      Reply

{Add in ANYTHING} Soft & Chewy Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making cookies soft and chewy? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

What ingredient adds a chewy texture to cookies? ›

If you enjoy your cookies soft and chewy, chances are likely the recipe contains a common ingredient that serves a very specific purpose. No, it's not granulated sugar, nor the butter. It's not the egg, all-purpose flour, or even the vanilla extract. The simple, yet oh-so-necessary component is cornstarch.

What makes cookies stay soft and chewy? ›

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

Corn Syrup (Light)

In other words, it helps prevent the mixture from clamming up. Light corn syrup is sometimes used in specialist cakes and confectioneries to help keep baked products soft and doughy for longer. Use just a tablespoon for a regular batch of tasty cookies.

What are three factors that contribute to a chewy cookie? ›

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

How do you make cookies soft and chewy vs hard and crisp? ›

Butter contributes milk solids and water to a cookie, both of which soften it. Brown sugar contributes molasses – again, a softener. Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies.

What is the best flour for chewy cookies? ›

Bread flour contains a higher protein content (around 12-14%), leading to more gluten development. This makes it ideal for bakers seeking a chewier texture in their cookies. The extra gluten can help retain gas and moisture, producing a denser and chewier result.

What cookie ingredient that will rise and be softer? ›

Eggs, particularly egg yolks. Eggs work to make your cookies soft in two ways: They add a ton of moisture, and the proteins add structure that prevents spreading. Cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. Low in protein and high in moisture, cake flour is used to leaven all sorts of baked goods.

Does baking soda or powder make cookies chewy? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

Does adding more butter make cookies softer? ›

Also, underbaking them by a minute or 2 will help them retain a dense, chewy bite, explains Jenny McCoy, pastry baking arts chef-instructor at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York. Adding more moisture to your dough in the form of extra butter, egg yolks, or brown sugar will make your cookies even softer.

How to make cookie mix taste like bakery? ›

How To Make Boxed Cookies Better
  1. Use butter instead of margarine or oil.
  2. Add powdered milk. Sprinkling about 2 to 3 tablespoons of powdered milk per cup of cookie mix may seem kind of unconventional, but it is the best hack! ...
  3. Add brown sugar. ...
  4. Add vanilla extract. ...
  5. Brown the butter. ...
  6. Include an extra egg yolk.
Jan 3, 2024

How to make baked cookies soft? ›

Microwaving them. If you cover your cookies with a wet paper towel and nuke them for a few seconds, they should soften up enough to eat.

How do you make cookies chewy and not hard? ›

With less 'free moisture' hanging around, the dough has a higher concentration of sugar, and the higher this percentage, the more likely it is that you'll get cookies with chewy centers and crispy edges.”

What makes a cookie more soft? ›

Soft cookies have a water concentration of 6% or higher – moisture being the variable in texture. To make cookies crispy, add less liquid or bake it in the oven for longer to dry out the dough.

What is the secret for good cookies? ›

Now, follow these more detailed tips for tasty treats every time.
  • 01 of 08. Don't Grease the Pan. ...
  • 02 of 08. Use Light-Colored Pans. ...
  • 03 of 08. Measure the Flour Correctly. ...
  • 04 of 08. Let Your Butter Sit at Room Temperature for 15 Minutes. ...
  • 05 of 08. Use High-Quality Butter. ...
  • 06 of 08. Handle the Dough Gently. ...
  • 07 of 08. ...
  • 08 of 08.
Sep 7, 2023

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

What determines the moistness of a cookie? ›

Water in the butter will aid in leavening the cookie during baking and any remaining water after baking will contribute to moistness in the cookie's texture. The higher butter cookie has slightly more spread than the low butter and control. The biggest difference is in the flavor and mouthfeel of the cookie.

How to make cookie dough more moist? ›

There are a few things you can do to add liquid to your cookie dough if it is too dry and crumbly. One option is to add milk, water, or another liquid until the dough is the right consistency. You can also try adding melted butter or shortening. If your dough is still too dry, you may need to add more flour.

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