The Single Ingredient That Gives Store-Bought Cookie Dough A Texture Upgrade

Store-bought cookie dough doesn't have to taste store-bought. While this dough is the perfect buy when you don't have the time and energy to break out measuring cups and bowls, it has a semi-homemade vibe. But if you really want to put your "I made it myself" thumbprint on these premixed doughs and transform store-bought cookie dough into a treat that tastes homemade, add some brown sugar to it. Rob Smith, private chef for The Culinary Collective Atl, previously told Chowhound, "This will introduce moisture and a richer flavor, resulting in chewier cookies." 

Brown sugar is different from white granulated sugar because molasses has been added to it. Molasses doesn't just turn sugar brown, it enhances the taste, making it sweeter and richer while producing a softer, moisture-rich consistency in comparison. It's important to remember that a little goes a long way here. Store-bought cookie dough already contains sugar, so a couple of tablespoons is the maximum amount you want to add. Before mixing it in, make certain to soften up that tub or log of dough by bringing it to room temperature. This will help it blend into the dough more evenly.   

If you find that the sugar is difficult to work into the pre-made dough even after it has softened, melt some butter and mix it with the brown sugar. This is going to give your cookies an even chewier texture. Once it is thoroughly distributed, make certain to chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before you start baking. This can help prevent every cookie's nemesis: the spread, at least when baking some types of cookie dough.

Brown sugar is not a one-size-fits-all addition. Whether you are working with the best or worst store-bought cookie dough, brown sugar can affect different types of cookie dough differently. If you are adding this sweetener to your pre-made sugar cookies, you can expect the brown sugar to cause the dough to spread as it bakes, producing a thin, crispy cookie. It will also give your sugar cookies more of a buttery caramel taste. When you add it to chocolate chip cookies, it is going to make the dough thicker. This can be a trial and error process, so make a test batch so you can perfect and refine the amount of brown sugar that produces a cookie to your liking.