The Secret To Rich, Bakery-Style Cookies Comes In A Box

When it comes to cookies, some people swear allegiance to team crispy and thin, while others fall into the large and fluffy camp. Cookies found at bakeries tend to fall into the latter category, sporting oversized portions, bold flavors, and an impressive thickness. The good news is that there's a secret hack to make bakery-style cookies at home. All you need is boxed cake mix.

When you want something that tastes homemade but requires less effort, the box of cake mix sitting in the pantry provides the perfect solution. Packaged cake mixes are intended to provide a soft, springy texture with the nice level of moisture. With a few modifications, any flavor of cake mix — triple chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, or spiced — can become the ideal dry base to make cookies with these desirable cake-like traits. 

This is a great hack for beginner bakers who want a recipe with less steps or for those who are in a time crunch to make dessert. With less time spent making the dough, a home baker has more time to focus on incorporating flavorings and toppings that can make the cake mix cookies taste more homemade.

You'll need to make a few modifications when using cake mix as the base for cookies. Instructions on the back of the box will normally call for three eggs, but for cookies you'll use only two. You'll want a fluffier cookie that rises more, but not something that rises as much as a cake. Vegetable oil is the other ingredient that is typically called for in cake mix instructions. Disregard the box's listed measurement and use ½ cup of oil for cookies. It's fine to stick with vegetable oil, but butter can also be used for richer cookies. 

For the best cookie texture, chill the dough before putting it in the oven. This process is also sometimes called "aging" the cookie dough, and it helps amplify the flavor. By letting the fat solidify, the cookie spreads less in the hot oven, resulting in a denser cookie with a rounded top. 30 minutes in the fridge will work just fine but leaving it overnight will allow the flour to become fully hydrated, giving the cookies a truly thick and chewy texture. 

Finally, big cookies need a big ball of dough, so don't be afraid to scoop a larger ball than normal. Each portion of dough should be formed into a loose, imperfect mound and weigh around 6 ounces.