The One Minute Trick To Make Store-Bought Cookies Seem Fresh

Fresh-baked cookies are an iconic sweet treat. They're always a fan favorite on any dessert table, but the downside is that from-scratch cookies can take a little bit more time and technique than you might have. Store-bought is just easier sometimes, but you can usually taste the difference — unless you use one simple oven trick.

Next time you're in a rush to prepare dessert and reach for the store-bought cookies, just know that you can make them taste fresh by popping them in the oven for about a minute. Everyone loves a warm cookie, and while the microwave might turn them soggy, warming them in the oven helps keep their texture; plus, if you only keep them in there for about a minute, you won't have to worry about over-cooking them. It's just enough time to give them that fresh-from-the-oven feel — firm on the outside but soft in the center with gooey chocolate chips.

No need to adjust the oven temperature; a standard 350 degrees Fahrenheit is fine. Depending on the cookies' thickness, they might require a little more time to heat up, so just check them after one minute and warm them for longer as needed.

If possible, buy the cookies from your local grocery store's bakery department as opposed to the packaged ones on store shelves. The bakery cookies are usually made that morning or the day before (and there is often a date on the package that specifies), so they should still taste pretty fresh; reheating them just gives them that extra touch.

If you froze the store-bought cookies and want to reheat them, warming them in the oven is another way to get them back to that fresher state. It will take a little longer, so lower the temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and check them after five minutes.