8 Frozen Cookie Dough Hacks That Make This Freezer Staple More Than a Fresh Cookie Substitute

by Luisa Colón

Frozen cookie dough. It’s a staple in refrigerators across America. It’s great on it’s own or baked to an ooey, gooey, dessert. But this baking shortcut isn’t just an way way to whip up a warm batch of confections. Thanks to some mouth-watering frozen cookie dough hacks, this treat is getting it’s time in the spotlight. No longer do you have to follow the instruction on the package. Now cookie dough, a delicious treat on it’s own, can be the base on an even more delicious dessert. (Though you should still save a generous helping of raw bits to eat even though it's totally dangerous.)

Love brownies? Well, how much would you love brownies made with cookie dough? A lot, right? How about a pie made up entirely of cookies? Yes. You can do it. And even if a recipe calls for homemade cookie dough, go ahead and substitute store-bought. Just remember, store-bought is meant to be baked. If you decide to snack on some raw cookie dough, make sure to use a safe recipe. But these 11 recipes all call for baking, so take that log of frozen dough and use it to supercharge cakes, pies, and the best breakfast treats ever.

1Cookie Dough Waffles

If you’re torn between chocolate chip pancakes or a Belgian waffle, you can have it both ways by making Pillsbury’s cookie dough waffles.

2Coconut (Cookie) Macaroons

Macaroons seem like a delicacy, but you can impress your friends and family by whipping up a sweet, crispy batch at home using sugar cookie dough à la this clever recipe from Real Simple.

3Slutty Brownies

Combining brownies, Oreos, and cookie dough is a sublimely wicked thing to do, and its wickedness has earned this recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking the name Slutty Brownies. Tip: if making with your children, simply substitute “sassy” for “slutty” and you’ll have Sassy Brownies: a new, favorite, family-friendly treat.

4Soft, Sugary Pretzels

Real Simple shows you how to twist sugar cookie dough into a delicious soft pretzel. How’s that for delicious?

5Super Seven-Layer Bar

Sometimes when only a bar will do, you’ll want to make The Domestic Rebel’s seven-layer bar. This tantalizing treat uses frozen cookie dough, cake batter, Oreos, chips, and . . . well, it’s seven kinds of delicious.

6Fruit Pizza

Who says pizza is only for dinner? Great for dessert or even brunch, you can create a delicious fruit pizza using frozen sugar cookie dough, fruit, and a tasty icing.

7Cookie Dough Cake Roll

Once upon a time, someone had the brilliant idea of rolling up a cake with the filling inside of it, whether that filling was jelly or icing or some other type of deliciousness. Now the cake roll meets the chocolate chip cookie with this recipe from Grandbaby Cakes.

8Cookie Dough Chess Pie

A cookie pie made with a cookie crust topped with cookie dough ice cream is, I dare say, a cookie-lover’s dream come true. Substitute some store-bought frozen dough for the baked portion of this cookie dough chess pie recipe from The Domestic Rebel. But when it comes to the ice cream, either stick to the instructions or buy up some Ben & Jerry’s.

Images:Jennuine Captures Photography, Emily Carlin, Roxanna Salceda, Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife, Wen Tong Neo, Mattie Hagedorn, Isabelle Plante, Katie/Flickr; Grandbaby Cakes