The Easy Pantry Cookies You Should Definitely Bake This Weekend
Because you deserve to eat dessert first.
Chantell Quernemoen | Brett Quernemoen
Though we love elaborate desserts and freshly baked breads, we won’t deny the fact that big baking projects can often cause as much stress as they’re supposed to relieve. This weekend, unplug and unwind by whipping up a batch of easy, delicious and low-maintenance cookies. Whether you prefer extra chocolate or plenty of peanut butter, these sweet recipes are sure to put a smile on your face — and make the most of your pantry staples, too.
Monster Cookie Dough (pictured above)
Let’s be honest — no one ever bakes cookies without sneaking a spoonful (or two) of the dough first. Luckily, Molly Yeh’s recipe means you can snack on dough completely guilt-free! She heats the flour first to ensure it’s safe to eat, then combines sugar, butter, peanut butter and oats. If you have kiddos hanging around the kitchen, ask them to help mix the candy in next! Once that’s done, all that’s left is to scoop, serve and eat.
MATT BALL
Ree Drummond’s sugar cookie dough is the perfect vessel for baking with whatever you have hanging around the kitchen. She mixes in pretzels, potato chips and crushed toffee bars, but there’s not much that wouldn’t work with her simple cookie base. If Ree’s ingredient list seems a bit daunting, don’t stress — her recipe makes four dozen cookies, but can be easily cut in half for a smaller batch.
Tara Donne, Tara Donne
If you have five minutes to spare and a few pantry ingredients, you have everything you need to whip up a batch of these rich, chocolatey treats. Peanut butter and rolled oats contribute to the chewy texture of the cookies, which only improves as they chill in the refrigerator.
You could use your extra raisins, nuts and oats to make a healthy breakfast, but wouldn’t you rather bake a batch of Ina Garten’s five-star cookies? She says, “the difference between really good oatmeal cookies and really boring ones are things you already have in the pantry, like cinnamon and salt.” If you ask us, that sounds like the perfect excuse to break out the baking sheets!
Armando Rafael
Running low on butter and flour? You don’t need them to whip up a batch of chewy, tasty peanut butter cookies. Peanut butter, two types of sugar and an egg make up the flourless dough, which can easily incorporate mix-ins like chocolate chips. Pro tip? Since these cookies are flourless, they’re extra tender and delicate, so let them cool on the tray for a bit before moving them to a plate.
Matt Armendariz, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
There’s no such thing as too much chocolate. Case in point? These extra-fudgy cookies, which double up on the chocolate by incorporating both cocoa powder and chocolate chips. If you don’t have any chips on hand (or want to be a bit creative), feel free to substitute chopped chocolate bars or candies.
Related Links:
