5 Pillsbury Ready-To-Bake Cookie Dough Flavors, Ranked

When you're craving cookies that taste fresher than the store-bought variety, making a recipe from scratch might seem like your only option. But if you're pinched for time — or just don't want to buy all those ingredients for a single batch of cookies — following even the simplest cookie recipe from start to finish can feel like a waste of both time and money. That's where ready-to-bake cookies come into play. This is one of the easiest ways to fill your kitchen with the warm and welcoming smell of freshly baked cookies ... just without all the mixing. And Pillsbury just happens to carry a line of ready-to-bake cookies in several different flavors.

I sought out five options to get a sense of how they taste and how they stack up against one another. I've ranked them from worst to best, keeping flavor balance (particularly in regard to sweetness), size, and cookie texture in mind. Of course, my love of chocolate also plays a role in how this ranking has shaken out. If you're on the hunt for an easy and fuss-free way to make cookies, you'll want to keep reading to learn which Pillsbury ready-to-bake cookie doughs are worth it and which you can feel good about leaving out of your cart.

I want to start by clarifying that I am, in fact, a huge fan of Reese's and can even get down with a variety of the Reese's-flavored snacks that have made their way onto store shelves in the past several years. But that doesn't mean any product with a Reese's logo on it is automatically a win in my books. In fact, Pillsbury's Reese's Peanut Butter cookie dough is unfortunately the worst I tried in this entire lineup.

While you may assume that you're getting some kind of chocolate and peanut butter situation here, that's not the case at all. Rather, these are just peanut butter-flavored cookies, which seems a lot less enticing than a version that actually mimics what Reese's candy truly tastes like. They're apparently made with Reese's peanut butter, but to be honest, that peanut butter doesn't even taste that good when it's not enrobed in a layer of chocolate.

You're also not getting a particularly pleasant texture here, either. These cookies have a sugar cookie vibe to them, but they're not as soft or as buttery as I want them to be. Plus, they're quite small compared to some of the other, better cookies on this list. Combine all of that with the overpowering flavor of peanut butter, and it's clear why this variety ranks in the very last spot on this list.

I'll admit that out of all of the different kinds of cookies out there, sugar cookies are one of my least favorite. It's not that I think they taste particularly bad — they're just so blandly sweet that there's not much on the flavor front to truly appreciate. That's exactly the problem with Pillsbury's Sugar Cookie Dough. Technically, they're fine, since they just taste like the most average, standard sugar cookies you've ever had. There's a lot of sweetness there, and it's a bit too much for my taste. But if you took that sweetness away, you'd be working with an essentially flavorless lump of dough.

From a texture perspective, these cookies are actually pretty enjoyable. They have a nice softness to them, without any of the crumbliness I got from the Reese's variety. The exterior of the cookie crisps up nicely, while the inside stays soft and supple. The problem? These cookies don't get very big, which leaves you feeling like you're not getting quite as much bang for your buck as you get with some of the other ready-to-bake dough options here.

Could you make these cookies taste better by spreading some store-bought chocolate frosting on top? Sure. But ultimately, there are better dough options out there to choose from.

These days, it seems like a ton of packaged food companies are doing collabs to make one treat taste like another. That's seemingly exactly what's going on when it comes to Pillsbury Snickers Cookie Dough. I think it's a solid idea, since the flavors you find in a Snickers bar are bound to perform well in cookie form. When this cookie actually comes together with chocolate, peanuts, and little bits of melted caramel, though, it's a bit too sweet for my liking. There's a lot going on here, and that kind of cookie chaos is really only good for a couple of bites. By the time I finished an entire cookie, I wasn't as fond of the flavor as I had been upon that first bite.

That being said, this dough represents a total step up in terms of texture, with a more classic chocolate chip cookie base and a delightful crisp that makes for a really pleasant bite. There's also a nice softness in the center of the cookie if you eat it while it's still warm. Personally, as someone who likes Snickers but isn't the biggest fan of the candy itself (one of the most popular candy bars out there), I probably wouldn't get these cookies again. If you're a serious Snickers fan, though, they might be worth a try.

Looking for a cookie that provides an unexpected mix of textures and flavors in every bite? Then you should probably try to find Pillsbury's Monster Cookie Dough in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store. This cookie dough has it all: chocolate chips, peanut butter, and actual pieces of candy. It also contains oats, which gives it a unique texture that you won't find in any of the other flavors in this lineup. Overall, that mix of elements in these cookies is fun and unexpected, and I like not knowing what the next bite is going to taste like. I also like the flavor mix in these cookies. Most of what I taste is the chocolate chips themselves, but the presence of peanut butter adds excitement. And who wouldn't like the slight crunch from the candy included in the dough?

My only problem with this variety of Pillsbury cookie dough is the effect the oats have on the overall texture of the cookies. It makes them look strange and lumpy, without that crispness you get from a more classic, simpler chocolate chip experience. For those who really want something different in their cookies, this is a great option. But as someone who prefers a more classic combo when it comes to cookies, this still isn't my favorite of the bunch.

Now, maybe I'm a bit boring, but I think that the best cookies out there are pretty understated. Looking at Pillsbury's Ready-to-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, you might think that you're not getting anything particularly special, but this is the variety I actually like the best. It's nothing groundbreaking — just easy-to-prepare chocolate chip cookies that taste way better than any pre-baked store-bought variety you could ever get your hands on.

Bake them correctly, and you'll get a delightfully crisp crust followed by a soft and pillowy (but still moist) center. The edges take on a nice, brown color and somewhat rigid texture that holds the rest of the cookie together. And the best part? You get a lot of chocolate chips in every bite. I also noticed a touch of saltiness in this recipe, which I think is a nice touch that balances the sweetness of the cookies beautifully. However, for even more of that swalty flavor, you can add an extra sprinkling of flaky salt on top before you throw these cookies into the oven.

Yes, this is arguably one of the simpler cookie dough varieties in this lineup, but I like the simplicity. Baking chocolate chip cookies has never been easier.

I found all of the Pillsbury ready-to-bake cookie dough varieties at local stores, and I baked them in the oven according to package directions. I taste-tested them minutes after they came out of the oven, so they were still warm and fresh-tasting. The highest-ranking cookies had more flavor balance and slightly less pronounced sweetness than the lower-ranked varieties. I also sought out the most pleasant texture, and ranked larger cookies higher than smaller ones.