It doesn’t matter if you’ve never made cookie dough from scratch or simply don’t have the time. Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix is a great way to whip up a batch of delicious cookies anytime. However, as good as the mix is, it doesn’t give you the same homemade cookie taste as the kind of cookies Grandma used to make. Keep reading to learn how to make Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix better.
Adding simple ingredients can take this cookie mix to the next level. We’re talking about the next-level where people think you’ve made these babies from scratch. Don’t worry…your secret will be safe with us!
How to Make Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix Better
Box mixes like the one from Betty Crocker are wonderful in a pinch. It can help get a new home chef comfortable with baking. This mix takes the guesswork out of the dry measurements. Flour, baking soda, and salt have already been put together in the box, meaning those wet ingredients like butter, oil, eggs, milk, or water need to be added.
With the Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix, butter or margarine and an egg are required. But knowing a bit more about what you can add in and the following little baking secrets can elevate your chocolate chip cookie from mix to marvelous!
Always use butter
Let’s start with an easy tip to make Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix better. The package tells you to add butter or margarine, but we wholeheartedly encourage you to use butter here. Homemade cookies have that divine, rich, buttery taste because they use butter. So if you want your box mix cookies to have that homemade taste, add butter. As a bonus, they come out crispier and thinner in texture too. Yum!
One pro tip here, though – your butter should be unsalted. Boxed dough already has salt in it. Adding salted butter will result in a chocolate chip cookie that tastes too salty.
And make sure it’s room temperature
Even though you’ve got butter in hand, another trick involves using it. Never use cold, hard butter in your cookie mix recipes. Make sure you let it come to room temperature. This allows air pockets into the butter, making it easier to mix with those dry ingredients.
Uh oh…did you forget to take the butter out? No problem! You can use the microwave but be exceptionally careful as you could melt it completely. Melted butter won’t aerate properly, and you’ll wind up with a tough cookie, the opposite of your baking intentions.
Allow for chill time.
Yes, chill time for you and that cookie dough too! Chilling your Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie dough mix after you put it together gives it a more homemade taste. You should put the dough together and then refrigerate it for 30 minutes. This will keep your cookies from spreading too much while baking. And you’ll also get a richer aroma from your cookie too!
Add vanilla extract and brown sugar
For those next-level cookies from your Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix, if you add a hint of brown sugar and pure vanilla extract, you’re going to be in cookie bliss. There’s sugar in the boxed mix, but just a little sprinkle of brown sugar gives you softer, chewier cookies. Make sure you add it to the dry mix first.
And well, vanilla extract is just like sprinkling a drop of magic for box mix cookies. As you may have guessed, put this liquid addition with your wet ingredients.
Add an extra egg
As you can see on the back of your Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix package, it requires adding an egg. Eggs bind the other ingredients, help the cookie take shape, and add moisture to the final product. The yolk has all the fat and richness that gives your cookie a soft texture. It helps tenderize the dough by shortening gluten strands. This gives your cookie a deeper flavor and chewier texture.
So, what will adding another egg to the mix do? You’ll get a crispier cookie if you add two eggs rather than just one. Try it!
Go for powdered milk
Another cookie mix hack is to add powdered milk to your Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix. It can make the cookies you bake have a slight crust with a chewier texture. Powdered milk locks in moisture without the extra liquid that could throw off the mix. Adding liquid milk isn’t ideal in this way, but powdered milk has you covered. Adding one tablespoon of it will make magic happen in your cookie mix.
Use coconut oil
While we think butter is the best, what if you’re all out? Instead of turning to vegetable oil, we say use coconut oil instead. You may have noticed that other boxed mixes call for vegetable oil. It has a neutral taste, but coconut oil is better because it works more like butter.
To use coconut oil with your Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix, you should keep it solid so it is more similar to the butter texture. Refined coconut oil is the best choice if you don’t want the cookies to have a coconut-hinted taste to them though if you don’t mind, unrefined coconut oil will work too.
Play with the baking time
Baking times often vary drastically on box mixes. Most cookies are baked at 350F, a great temperature that’s just right. But how long you bake can also make your cookies taste differently.
Additionally, your baking pan can affect things. Darker baking pans absorb heat more quickly. So pay attention to which baking sheet you use. The darker it is, the faster your cookies will bake. Bake them a few minutes longer than the mix instructions require for crispier cookies.
Add More Fun to Your Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
All the tips above were for making the dough come out better and resulting in a better chocolate chip cookie from your Betty Crocker mix. But if you add a few little things, you can make cookies with that homemade twist.
What can you add to Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix to improve your cookies? Try these fun ideas!
Orange zest
Grab your grater and orange and create orange zest to add to your chocolate chip cookie mix. A little bit brightens the batter with that fresh citrus taste and gives these cookies a bespoke bakery flavor.
Crushed-up candy bars
Here’s an idea for all that leftover candy your kids still have stashed from Halloween. Crush up those candy bars and throw them into your dough. Anything works here – Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way – whatever you got will surely be a fun way to jazz up your boxed mix! Plus, it removes all that extra candy you’ve got in the house.
Dark chocolate contrast
Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix already has chocolate chips thrown in. But if you add dark chocolate chips, you get an even richer flavor from the contrasting types of chocolate.
Toasted nuts
Delicious slivers of toasted almonds, pecans, or walnuts can make your ordinary box mix taste extraordinary. As long as you’re not serving these to anyone with a nut allergy, toasted nuts can add a crunchy and flavorful boost to this mix.
Toasted coconut
And if you liked our tip about using coconut oil, you can always further enhance a coconut flavor by adding toasted coconut. Coconut is a winning combination with chocolate chips!
Candy-coated ginger
Have you ever tried the delight known as candied ginger? You’ll be pleasantly surprised. It has a hot, sweet, and chewy taste that makes it hard to resist. And within your Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix, you’ll love the contrast.
Trail mix
Even trail mix can elevate this cookie mix with surprises in every bite. Nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and even more chocolate per bite! It’s a great way to add more nutrition to your cookies.
Granola
In the same vein as trail mix, granola makes for more nutrition. And it adds an even more satisfying crunch to your batch!
Peanut butter
If you’re not old enough to remember the old Reese commercials where the arguments ensued about who put the peanut butter in the chocolate and who put the chocolate in the peanut butter, it really doesn’t matter. Because if you put peanut butter in this cookie mix, you WILL have created a chocolate chip peanut butter cookie that will make you Queen of the Cookies.
Nutella
And if you prefer that chocolate hazelnut flavor instead, more power to you. All you need is a heaping spoonful of Nutella to add to your Betty Crocker cookie mix.
Dried fruits
Add your favorite dried fruit to this Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix for something extra sweet with a little more nutrition. A small handful will do, and you’ll be amazed at the results. Go for raisins, craisins, sour cherries, and apricots, or make it a fun mix of your favorites. The possibilities here are absolutely endless!
One Last Tip for Making Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix Better
We recommend you try out your favorite tips you’ve learned here to make your cookie mix even better. Mix and match to your liking, but don’t forget our last tip…use cookie cutters!
Cookie cutters aren’t just for sugar cookies, you know. You can turn your customized chocolate chip cookie creations into fun shapes. That means for any special occasion; you can theme your cookies. You can even frost them or top them with sprinkles, whatever you like!
You will need to roll your dough out a little bit with a rolling pin because you definitely don’t want to make the cookie dough for chocolate chip cookie dough too thin, or they’ll be crisper. Unless you want crisper cookies, of course!
But if not, just a quick roll to flatten them and cut them out will work fine. Then you’ll have soft, gooey cookies you can pipe up with fun designs. Even swirling vanilla frosting with food coloring will give you some cool colors you can customize.
You now have many ways to make that Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix better than ever. Why are you still sitting there? It’s time to bake the best cookies in your kitchen. If you start now, you’ll be on your way to eating them sooner!
FAQs
What can I add to my cookie mix to make it taste more homemade?
You can add a splash of pure vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, or substitute butter for the oil called for on the box. Try mixing in a half cup of your favorite add-ins like nuts, dried fruit, or different chocolate chips to give the cookies a unique twist.
What is the secret to getting soft, chewy cookies from a Betty Crocker mix?
For soft and chewy cookies, make sure to underbake them slightly, pulling them out of the oven when the edges are just turning golden. Also, consider adding an extra tablespoon or two of butter or an egg yolk for richer dough that stays tender.
How do you turn Betty Crocker’s chocolate chip cookie mix into bar cookies?
To make bar cookies, simply spread the prepared dough evenly in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake at the temperature stated on the package, but start checking for doneness a few minutes earlier since the thickness may alter the baking time.
What are some creative ways to modify Betty Crocker’s sugar cookie mix for different occasions?
For festive sugar cookies, mix in spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, zest of lemon or orange, or food coloring. Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters for holidays, or top them with various frosting and sprinkles to match the theme of your special occasion.
