These Are The Best (And Worst) Store-Bought Cookie Doughs You Can Bake This Holiday Season, From Toll House To Pillsbury

My #1 pick genuinely tasted homemade — but with practically zero effort.

I strive to be the person who always has cookies on hand over the holidays. That way, if a neighbor stops by or I'm headed over to a friend's house, I'm ready to go with treats. But I've learned the hard way not to overcomplicate things. That's where seasonal store-bought cookie dough comes in.

Grace Elkus

Sure, I might make some simple snickerdoodles or buckeyes (the baker inside me can't help it). But supplementing with shortcuts makes putting together a cookie plate a heck of a lot less stressful. So, to see which ones can hang next to homemade, I decided to break and bake my way through all the varieties I could find. Here's my official ranking:

9. Pillsbury Candy Cane Cookie Dough

Grace Elkus

These scoop-and-bake cookies spread significantly in the oven, so you'll want to give the dough balls plenty of space. And while I liked their crispy edges and crinkled, homemade appearance, I simply wasn't a fan of the candy cane flavor.

8. Betty Crocker Ready-to-Bake Cookies for Santa

Grace Elkus

Despite their bold hue and cream cheese drizzle, these cookies are not red velvet-flavored — they're just red. Unfortunately, this means they're not super interesting to eat. The tangy frosting helps a little bit, but not enough for me to make them again.

7. Pillsbury Shape Reindeer Sugar Cookie Dough

Grace Elkus

The cookies in Pillsbury's Shape series are pudgy and soft, and for many bakers, nostalgic. Their small size also makes them perfect for cookie plates. Because they all taste the same, I based my ranking purely on looks — and unfortunately, the blurry reindeer wasn't quite as effective as some of the other prints.

6. Pillsbury Shape Christmas Tree Sugar Cookie Dough

Grace Elkus

While some of the Christmas tree cookies baked up perfectly, others had misshapen prints. The inconsistency put them firmly in sixth place.

5. Pillsbury Shape Snowman Sugar Cookie Dough

Grace Elkus

I was impressed with the level of detail on the Snowman cookies. I only wished there was a bit more color!

4. Pillsbury Shape Elf Sugar Cookie Dough

Grace Elkus

Out of all the cookies in the Shape series, the Elf print reigned supreme. While they weren't quite as clear and colorful as promised on the box, I was smitten with the movie-inspired design nonetheless. They'd be a whimsical addition to any cookie spread.

3. Toll House M&M’s Mini Holiday Sugar Cookie Dough

Grace Elkus

These break-and-bake cookies start out as small squares, and as you can see, they don't totally lose that shape. But I thoroughly enjoyed their sugary vanilla flavor, soft and chewy texture, and festive mini M&Ms. Pull them out of the oven on the early side of the time range, which will ensure they stay soft as they cool.

2. Toll House Peppermint Cocoa Cookie Dough

Grace Elkus

Fair warning: This cookie dough is super soft and sticky. But if you can manage to get the dough balls on the cookie sheet, it's worth it: The baked cookies are deliciously fudgy. Plus, both the dough and the candies are filled with peppermint flavor, making every bite exciting.

1. Pillsbury Gingerbread Cookie Dough

Grace Elkus

These cookies are crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, with a pleasant ginger flavor that's bold but not overwhelming. I appreciated that they didn't spread too much, making them cute and puffy. I'd be thrilled to serve them to guests! Next time, I'll roll the dough balls in coarse sugar to give them some extra sparkle and crunch.

Do you have a favorite store-bought cookie dough? Let me know in the comments!