- 2 days ago
Think cookie dough is just for cookies? Think again! We’re transforming this dessert staple into 10 creative treats that prove it’s one of the most versatile ingredients in your fridge. From gooey cobblers and no-bake pies to festive cupcakes, candy-inspired bites, and even an ice cream cake, these genius cookie dough hacks will have you rethinking what a tub (or batch!) of dough can do. Whether you’re craving a quick dessert, a party-ready treat, or a clever twist on a classic, Nicole’s fun and foolproof ideas will make you see cookie dough in a whole new light.
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00:00I've got 10 genius hacks that will turn this cookie dough
00:04into all new desserts.
00:05Whether you use store-made or homemade cookie dough,
00:08you can do way more than just make simple,
00:10decorative cookies.
00:11Just in time for the holidays,
00:13I'm about to blow your mind.
00:14Hack number one, I'm turning cookie dough into dessert bars.
00:17Basically, you can take any bar recipe, your favorite,
00:20whether it be lemon bars or pumpkin bars,
00:23and use, instead of a shortbread crust,
00:26use a roll of cookie dough.
00:27This is gonna be a whole lot easier.
00:29I've done this before with lemon bars,
00:31and instead of the shortbread crust, use this.
00:33So it is a little bit sweeter than a shortbread crust.
00:35So just take a nine by 13 baking dish,
00:38give it a little spray,
00:39and then just press your cookie dough along the bottom.
00:42And it can really be whatever flavor you want.
00:44Sugar cookie is just neutral.
00:46You know, it kind of goes with everything.
00:48These are just the kind of things
00:49that when this kind of thing goes on sale,
00:51pick some up and just keep them in your fridge.
00:53They're guaranteed to come in handy when you're in a pinch.
00:56This goes into the oven 350 degrees
00:58for about 15 to 20 minutes.
01:00And then while that happens, you just make the filling.
01:02For this, truthfully,
01:03you can just get whatever pecan pie recipe you love.
01:06We start out with some brown sugar.
01:08To that, add in a couple tablespoons of flour.
01:11This isn't really standard in a pecan pie recipe,
01:13but it's gonna help the bars,
01:15like have a nice layer, like a thicker layer.
01:17And then a little bit of kosher salt.
01:19I always use kosher salt.
01:21I'm gonna go in with a couple eggs.
01:22And with a teaspoon and a half of vanilla,
01:24a little bit of baking soda, give that a stir,
01:27and then go in with the melted butter.
01:29And then the pecans or pecans.
01:33I like to kind of have them finely chopped.
01:35Fold that in and then we'll spread this
01:37right over our crust.
01:38I love a dessert where you don't have to break out the mixer.
01:40Crust, that's 15 minutes later
01:42and we're gonna pour the pecan filling
01:44over this while it's still warm.
01:46Spread it out and then it goes back into the oven
01:48at 350 degrees for about another 15 minutes.
01:52This smells so good and looks good.
01:56The easiest version of a pecan pie I've ever made.
01:58The hardest part, however,
02:00is that you have to let it cool completely,
02:03like at least an hour or two.
02:05That's gonna be the hard part,
02:06but if you cut it too soon,
02:07you're gonna get messy squares
02:09and it won't be cute little bars.
02:11So it'll be worth the wait.
02:13The perfect little handheld dessert.
02:16I've totally forgotten that there's a sugar cookie
02:19involved in this whole thing.
02:22Mm, I need a cup of coffee with this one.
02:24It is the perfect little bite of pecan pie.
02:27That brown sugar has created just almost like a,
02:30like a caramel sauce in the middle.
02:32And then the sugar has also risen to the top
02:34to make that nice little crust.
02:36And contrary to what you might think,
02:37having a sugar cookie crust instead of a short bread crust,
02:41it's not overly sweet.
02:43We're off to a great start.
02:44And the next dessert is a little bit of a magic trick.
02:48Next up, we turn cookie dough into cobbler.
02:50That turns this into basically a two ingredient dessert.
02:53You know, when you do those dump cake cobblers,
02:55you just put the pie filling or whatever,
02:58and then you just put cake mix and butter.
03:01It's like the same idea here.
03:02All right, so I'm just gonna dump pie filling right in.
03:05I'm doing an apple cobbler.
03:06Whatever fruit you want,
03:07this would really be good with blueberries or peaches.
03:10Spread that on the bottom,
03:11and then we're gonna take the cookie dough
03:13and just kind of crumble it on top.
03:15I mean, I don't know why we haven't done this before.
03:17And there's butter in the cookie dough.
03:20And the amount you need is really based on the size
03:23casserole dish you're using.
03:24You just want to like cover the top.
03:26It's gonna spread out a little bit.
03:27And I like, you know,
03:29some of the fruit to kind of peek through.
03:31Before I put it in the oven,
03:32I'm gonna give it like a homemade touch.
03:35Sprinkle it with a little cinnamon sugar.
03:36Now, into the oven 350 degrees till it's browned and bubbly
03:40for about 30 to 35 minutes.
03:42Bubbly around the edges.
03:44You know, I gotta break out the ice cream for this one.
03:46And we have toasty edges, gooey inside.
03:50You got your cobbler, then you top it.
03:53Let it do its thing.
03:54Let me just go in for that perfect bite.
03:59Mmm.
04:00Never, never would have known
04:02that started with sugar cookie dough.
04:04Oh my gosh, that little cinnamon sugar that we put on top
04:07gets a little crusty too.
04:09This is better than I thought it was gonna be.
04:11Next time you're in a pinch, you need a fast dessert.
04:14Two ingredients is all you need.
04:16Breaking out the chocolate chip for this next one.
04:18We are turning cookie dough into pie crust.
04:21Smart.
04:22Now this is best for pies that are like no-bake pie situations.
04:26Pretty much any no-bake pie.
04:28I'm gonna do a chocolate chip cookie crust for a chocolate pie.
04:33Just a little bit of insurance.
04:35Even though typically when you're baking like cookie dough,
04:38you don't have to do a greased pan.
04:40And then you're just gonna take a roll
04:41and you're gonna form it around the pie plate.
04:43Just get it into an even thin layer.
04:46This would also be really good as an ice cream pie.
04:49So just bake your crust,
04:50fill it with ice cream and keep it in the freezer.
04:53I think there's a lot you can do here.
04:55All right, into the oven.
04:56350 degrees for about 18 minutes.
04:59One little trick you need to do when this comes out.
05:02See how it puffed up in the center?
05:03You can take another pie plate
05:05or you can even do this with a measuring cup.
05:06But you wanna kind of make the indention into the pie
05:09to bring back its pie shape.
05:11Lightly kind of press it down.
05:13See, back to being a pie.
05:16You could also do it with measuring spoons
05:18and just kind of press it back down and around the edges.
05:22All right, then you're gonna let this cool completely
05:24before you fill it.
05:25While that happens, we'll quickly make the filling.
05:27Doesn't get any easier.
05:28Again, you can use whatever no-bake pie filling you want.
05:33This one is really just chocolate pudding
05:35because it's all about the concept,
05:37not necessarily the recipe.
05:38Just mix this up.
05:39Let it sit for about five minutes to thicken.
05:41Crust is mostly cooled.
05:42Then in goes our pudding mix.
05:45This is just one of those desserts.
05:46It's like, it doesn't need to be fussy.
05:49This chills for at least an hour
05:51until everything is cold and completely set.
05:53Beautifully set.
05:56I've taken too many shortcuts already
05:58to break out homemade whipped cream at this point,
06:00but you do you.
06:01Cute, cute, cute.
06:03Take a little chocolate bar and shave it on the top.
06:06Nobody's not gonna be happy to eat this right here.
06:09Cookie dough turned pie.
06:12That crust reminds me of a cookie cake
06:13and I'm all about that.
06:17The cookie is tender, lightly toasty around the edges,
06:20but then you get that soft cream in the middle.
06:23That was a good idea right there.
06:24Any clue to the next dessert?
06:26Fruit pizza.
06:27This might be one of the most iconic desserts of the 80s,
06:30AKA my childhood, and I'm here for it.
06:33Always the base of a fruit pizza is sugar cookie crust.
06:36You could make your own.
06:39I'm not, but you can really get creative.
06:41I'm going the classic way.
06:43So you just take some cookie dough,
06:45kind of like how we did the pie.
06:47A little cooking spray, and then just like the pie plate,
06:49you're just gonna press the dough into a circle.
06:52Can lightly grease your hands with cooking spray
06:55to make this process a little bit easier.
06:57All right, and this just goes into the oven,
06:58350 degrees until it's browned.
07:00Just take about like 10 to 15 minutes.
07:02Once it's completely cooled, then you can decorate.
07:05This is just a mixture of cream cheese
07:07with a little powdered sugar and some vanilla.
07:09You can also just do a store-bought cream cheese frosting
07:12if you want, and this is your pizza sauce.
07:15You just want it to be a thin layer.
07:16This is really just gonna act as your glue
07:18to hold all your fruit.
07:20What I love about this is you can customize it
07:21to whatever, you know, holiday is nearby.
07:24I'm gonna keep it festive with a little red and green,
07:26some star fruit, because how cute is that?
07:29If it was 4th of July, you could easily do this red,
07:31white, and blue.
07:32It's cute and festive and full of perfect bites.
07:36No cheese pull, but it's worth it.
07:38I mean, when you get the juicy fruit
07:42with that cream cheese icing and the sugar cookie crust,
07:46lightly toasted.
07:51Mm, this is everything,
07:53and still one of my favorite desserts of all time.
07:55Love it.
07:57Breaking out the pre-portioned cookie dough
07:59for my next trick, turning cookie dough into dessert cups.
08:03Dessert cups are the perfect vessel
08:05for whatever you're craving.
08:06It can be creamy, it can be a fruit, it can be chocolate.
08:10Let me show you how easy these are.
08:11This is the perfect party appetizer.
08:13You know, you go to places like Costco,
08:16and they have, you know, the little brownie bites
08:19or whatever, hey, they're just average.
08:23You know, they kind of taste a little stale.
08:25These at least will taste like freshly baked,
08:28and they can look more homemade,
08:30because you can customize them to your occasion
08:33or whatever you're feeling.
08:34Mini muffin tin, lightly greased,
08:36and they're just the perfect size.
08:38There's 24 cups and 24 little bites.
08:42You kind of want these to be a little bit
08:44not straight from the fridge.
08:46Then just use your fingers to kind of form them
08:48into the same shape as the muffin tin.
08:51That's it.
08:52And per usual, into the oven, 350 degrees.
08:55All right, about 12 minutes later,
08:57you'll see that it's slightly browning around the edges
09:00and on the bottom,
09:01and it has kind of risen up in the center,
09:03but there's no problem there.
09:04You just take a little bit of a wooden spoon
09:07and then just create a little indention.
09:09This is like therapeutic.
09:11It's just very satisfying.
09:13So form the indentions,
09:15and then we got to let it cool per usual
09:17before we fill it up.
09:19For the filling,
09:20I'm doing the no-bake cheesecake filling.
09:25All right, after these have cooled,
09:26you can just kind of loosen them up.
09:29Cute little pie shell.
09:31Perfect for whatever you want it to be.
09:33Got that cheesecake filling in a bag.
09:34I'm just gonna snip off the end
09:37and use that as a piping bag.
09:38Doesn't have to be perfect.
09:40You'll see why.
09:40I've done these before where you just top it
09:42with like a single little berry,
09:43and that's really cute.
09:45So I'm just gonna do a simple blueberry filling
09:47straight from the can.
09:49Oh my God, those are so cute.
09:50Little mini blueberry three-ingredient cheesecakes.
09:53You can also do these cups
09:54with chocolate chip cookie dough.
09:57You can do chocolate chip cheesecake,
09:58but you could also put a little scoop
09:59of ice cream in it.
10:00And they make the best presentation,
10:01and no one really cares
10:03that it started with a store-bought pack of cookie dough.
10:05I promise.
10:06Well, perfect bite desserts.
10:08Okay, I'll take a bite.
10:12That's so cute and so delicious.
10:14When you just want that one little sweet bite
10:18at the end of the meal, this is perfect.
10:21We're just knocking these out of the park.
10:22I've got a two-for-one special coming up next.
10:26I'm giving you number six and number seven all in one.
10:32The kids all know what I'm staring.
10:34We are making cookie sticks and cookie dippers.
10:38They're made the same way,
10:39but they serve kind of two different purposes.
10:41And this will work with whatever cookie dough you want.
10:43I'm gonna start with the cookie sticks and sugar cookie dough.
10:47You just take your dough,
10:48and you fold in like three to four tablespoons of flour.
10:51And we're gonna knead this together until it forms a dough.
10:54And you do this, this way,
10:55when you roll the cookies out into the stick shape,
10:58that it won't spread so much.
11:00So we're adding a little more flour
11:02to soak into that butter or oil.
11:06These are fun to do for like a good kid's treat.
11:09They also make good baked gifts
11:11because you could package these up really cute.
11:14You'll see how cute they're gonna look.
11:16All right, once that's all in there,
11:17we're gonna roll this out into a rectangle.
11:19You want it to be about a quarter inch in thickness.
11:22Just try to get the edges as straight as you can.
11:27All right, so we're gonna cut this into sticks.
11:29Notice that I'm also doing it on parchment paper,
11:31because this is how we're gonna transfer it to our baking pan.
11:34I'm keeping them kind of long.
11:35You could divide this into like shorter sticks
11:37and do three sets.
11:38I'm just gonna do two sets.
11:40Just gonna cut in half.
11:41And then I'm just gonna cut down to make these sticks
11:45just about an inch wide.
11:46And we're not gonna separate them yet.
11:48We'll just cut them again when they're warm,
11:50when they come out.
11:51And then into the oven for just about 12 to 15 minutes.
11:55I've gone ahead and done the same thing
11:57with the chocolate chip cookie dough.
11:58And these are gonna be our dippers.
12:01They have cooked back together,
12:03but we're gonna separate them again.
12:05So just take your knife while it's hot and cut it again.
12:08Now just cut it into sticks.
12:10This is a good time to break out that pizza cutter.
12:13And then let them cool completely.
12:16For the sugar cookie sticks, take your stick.
12:19I've got some melted, just white chocolate.
12:21And you're gonna dip just like the top third in it,
12:24and then decorate it,
12:26according to whatever occasion you're celebrating.
12:28And then we have these festive little cookie sticks
12:31that look like something you would get from a bakery.
12:34This is a great baking activity with the kids,
12:37because you know when they're like,
12:38Mom, I wanna make something,
12:39and then you're like, all you can think about is the mess.
12:41But when you're really dealing with two ingredients,
12:44then you can be the cool mom that says yes.
12:46Then just let them cool completely,
12:47and that white chocolate will harden a little bit.
12:50See, after you let them cool,
12:51you can package this up in some little cellophane,
12:53little bags, or this.
12:55Kids are gonna love them, they can decorate.
12:57You know, this is more fun,
12:59and a lot easier than a gingerbread house.
13:04Mm-hmm.
13:05Now let's melt some chocolate.
13:07I've just got some dark chocolate chips here,
13:09and I'm pouring over some hot, heavy cream,
13:11and we're just making a simple ganache.
13:13Let it sit for a couple minutes and stir it up.
13:15You could also just use some store-bought white frosting.
13:18You could do caramel sauce, whatever you want here.
13:21Makes for a fun little party snack.
13:26You know that's not gonna be bad.
13:28Perfection.
13:29You could probably put some booze in that chocolate
13:31and make this an adult treat,
13:32but kids will go crazy over these.
13:34Number six and seven,
13:36have I convinced you to cut your cookie dough into sticks
13:40instead of round cookies?
13:42Yes.
13:44This next hack might quasi...
13:46Quite possibly.
13:49This next hack might be the greatest one of the day.
13:53We are turning store-bought cookie dough
13:56into homemade cookies.
13:58So for this one, you're going to take the cookie dough,
14:02roll it into walnut-sized balls,
14:05and this is the part that is according to a recipe I found.
14:08So I'm just taking an existing recipe
14:10and adapting it for store-bought cookie dough.
14:13The recipe has you make the cookie dough and then do this,
14:16which is roll it into finely chopped pecans.
14:21We are making turtle cookies,
14:23and I'm telling you, this cookie is the one you need to bring
14:26to the cookie swap this year.
14:27Nobody will think it's not homemade,
14:29and everyone will be asking for the recipe.
14:31Trust me, because this is what I did one year,
14:33and I brought them to every Christmas party that I went to.
14:35Take a wooden spoon.
14:37You could also do this with your thumb or your finger,
14:39kind of like a thumbprint cookie,
14:41and just make a little well in the center
14:44because we're going to bake this
14:46and then fill it with the essentials
14:48to make it a turtle situation.
14:51Roll them, coat them, put a well in them,
14:53and then bake them at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes.
14:56They have spread a little bit.
14:58Maybe our dough got a little warm.
15:00If that happens, you can just take something round,
15:03like a small cup, and do this.
15:05Get them back into their shape,
15:07and then you can still make sure your little divot's in there.
15:10I'm going to let them cool slightly,
15:11and then I'll fill it with the caramel.
15:13I like this caramel dip because it's a little bit thicker.
15:15Just take a little bit, just about a teaspoon,
15:17and add it right to the middle.
15:19Your cookie will still be, like, slightly warm.
15:21Just don't want to do it, like, piping hot
15:23right when you pull it out,
15:24or it'll just all melt everywhere.
15:26Turtle candies are chocolate, caramel, and pecans.
15:29So for the chocolate, I've just melted some chocolate.
15:32Then I like to kind of give them a little zigzag.
15:34Now, completely optional, but highly recommended.
15:37I'm going in with a little flaky salt.
15:39Just a tiny bit is all you need.
15:41Not one person will know or care
15:43that it started with store-bought cookie dough.
15:45How cute are those?
15:47You'll win the holidays this year, I promise.
15:50Oh, my gosh.
15:53Mmm.
15:54That's just what I remember.
15:56Sweet and salty, gooey, but then slightly crunchy,
15:59thanks to, like, the toastiness around the cookie
16:01and the pecans.
16:03This is my kind of cookie right here.
16:05Soft in the middle.
16:06Not overly sweet.
16:07Perfection.
16:08Did you know that you can turn cookie dough
16:11into muffins or cupcakes?
16:14Let me show you.
16:15Sugar cookie dough is perfect for this
16:17because it's kind of a neutral flavor.
16:19So you can turn it into whatever you want,
16:21and we're going to turn this into pumpkin cupcakes
16:23or muffins.
16:25Take your dough and throw it in a bowl
16:27along with one can of pumpkin puree.
16:30This one's kind of like a magic trick.
16:32And then three-quarter cup of self-rising flour.
16:35Although you could do this with chocolate chip cookie dough
16:37and make chocolate chip muffins.
16:39Ooh, or pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
16:41That would have been good.
16:43And then two eggs.
16:44And then blend until it's smooth.
16:46It's just so neat how that pumpkin and the egg, like,
16:50make that cookie dough soft again.
16:53Spin this into a cupcake liner,
16:55and then these go into the oven 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
16:59These smell divine.
17:01Look how cute they are.
17:03So I'm going to let them cool completely,
17:05and I'm going to top them.
17:06To me, when you top them, they become a cupcake.
17:08But at this point, it's a muffin.
17:09So it can be whatever you want it to be.
17:11Store-bought frosting,
17:13because I'm not trying to impress anybody.
17:16And now the muffin becomes a cupcake, just like that.
17:20You could just drizzle it with frosting,
17:22and then it still becomes, it's still a muffin.
17:25Ta-da!
17:26Let me show you the reveal.
17:28I don't know why I think this one's so, like, magical.
17:32I feel like it's not supposed to work.
17:40But it does.
17:41It's so moist and tender.
17:42It's not overly sweet.
17:44Therefore, it really is a muffin.
17:46Even with the frosting, it's perfect.
17:50For my final trick, I'm turning cookie dough,
17:53this time chocolate chip cookie dough,
17:55into an ice cream cake.
17:56Because why not?
17:57We've done everything else with cookie dough.
17:59It's basically like a cookie cake,
18:01but layered with something in the middle.
18:04Ice cream.
18:05You could just do frosting in the middle,
18:06or whatever you want to fill it with.
18:08This is a roll in each pan of cookie dough.
18:11And then these just go into the oven 350 for about 20 minutes.
18:14Our cake layers are ready.
18:17Soft, golden brown.
18:19You don't want these to be too soft in the middle,
18:21but you definitely don't want them to be too crunchy,
18:23because we want to be able to get slices out.
18:26So you want them to still be, you know, tender, but not raw in the middle.
18:30And you'll see that they have, like, a little bit of a concave center.
18:34That's good, because that's going to hold the ice cream.
18:36Let it cool completely, and then fill it with whatever ice cream your heart desires.
18:41I'm going butter pecan.
18:42I think it's going to be perfect.
18:43Fill it, and then freeze it solid.
18:46Filled and frozen.
18:49So good.
18:50Looks pretty perfect.
18:51You do not have to ice it at all.
18:53You could just decorate the top, kind of like the birthday cake experience,
18:57the cookie cake.
18:58Or you can go all the way around with the frosting.
19:00I think chocolate does sound good.
19:02I can tell you one thing.
19:03This is a lot cheaper than buying from that company that has cookies.
19:09This will be a surprise.
19:11Usually you just see flat cookie cakes.
19:14You do kind of have to act quick.
19:17Ta-da!
19:19Just a few little sprinkles around the edge.
19:21I mean, this is a three-ingredient cake also.
19:26We've done some magic today, guys.
19:28I mean, come on.
19:29Oh, that is a hearty piece of cake.
19:31This is what you call a shareable slice,
19:33which is exactly what I'm going to have to do after 10 recipes of cookie dough.
19:38After 10 recipes, I can only handle about one bite,
19:41so I'm glad this is what we call a shareable slice.
19:48Mmm.
19:50Mmm.
19:51That'll take you back to your childhood.
19:53That is like an old-fashioned ice cream sandwich in the best way,
19:58like the cookie ice cream sandwiches that your mom used to make,
20:01and that is worthy of a celebration.
20:03What's also worthy of a celebration is now you have 10 new dessert hacks
20:07that all start with cookie dough.
20:09And if you have any cookie dough hacks that I've never heard of,
20:12please send them my way.
20:13Somebody better eat this before it melts.
20:15Mmm.
20:16Mmm.
20:17Mmm.
20:18Mmm.
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