Anyway, I usually just tell myself that I can make cookies from scratch anytime with the plentiful ingredients of my pantry, but then it came to me...Why can't I make cookie pre-mixes and keep them in ziplock bags for use at my convenience? It's a similar idea to those beautiful Cookies In A Jar gifts, but just not as fancy!
So, I've come up with recipes for four of my family's favorite Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes. They are a cinch to put together for your quick use later! They're also as convenient as the Betty Crocker Mixes in that they only require butter, egg and vanilla to make!
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1 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips
Mix together and store in a quart size ziplock bag. Write instructions on the bag to add: 1 Stick Softened Butter, 1 Large Egg, 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract. Mix & Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
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1 1/2 Cups Flour
3/4 Cup White Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Mix together and store in a quart size ziplock bag. Write instructions on the bag to add: 1 Stick Softened Butter, 1 Large Egg, 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract. Mix & Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
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Fake Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookies:
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Optional: 1/2 Cup Raisins and/or Nuts
Mix together and store in a quart size ziplock bag. Write instructions on the bag to add: 1 Stick Melted Butter, 1 Large Egg, 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract. Mix, Refrigerate for 30 Minutes & Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
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1 3/4 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 Tablespoon Ground Ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
Mix together and store in a quart size ziplock bag. Write instructions on the bag to add: 1/2 Stick Softened Butter, 1 Large Egg, 1/8 Cup Molasses. Mix & Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
I put together these 8 different mixes in under 20 minutes!
The Fake-It Yourself Breakdown:
Fake Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes (Pantry Ingredients, Between $0.30-$0.40 each mix)
Total Fake-It Cost: $3.20 (possibly less) for 8 Cookie Mixes
Compare to Real Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes ($2.50+ each)
Total Fake-It Savings: $16.80
Linking Up at Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, The Frugal Girls, Funky Junk Interiors and these other Great Parties!
I love this idea! I am really trying to keep my shopping to the outside aisles of the grocery store where the fresh foods and unprocessed items are.
ReplyDeleteThank you for everything you post! I recently 'discovered' your blog and immediately subscribed to it and read everything back through at least last summer. My favorites are the homemade cleaners and such. I have been making my own laundry soap for years but I have now entered a whole 'nother level of homemade products! Thank you!
You are awesome! I was also remembering when the prices on these were so low. Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. I love making mixs for later use. It just makes life a little eaiser. :)
ReplyDeleteThese look great! I used to have a recipe for a universal baking mix you could make like 30 or 40 things from. I will have to see if I still have it. (Like a Bisquick or Jiffy mix). Do you have a peanut butter cookie recipe? That's my son's favorite, other than no bake cookies!
ReplyDeleteHi Allora!
DeleteI bet you could use the same recipe as the sugar cookies, cut the butter to 1/2 stick and add 1/4 Cup Peanut Butter! Cheers!
The best and easiest Peanut Butter Cookie recipe ever. Just 3 ingredients.
Delete1 cup peanut butter (any brand)
1 cup white sugar
+ white sugar for dipping the fork in.
1 egg
Mix the 3 ingredients together.
Roll into 1 inch balls.
Dip fork into sugar and flatten cookie balls with a criss-cross pattern.
Bake cookies for approximately 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned.
These cookies are simple and awesome.
The only downfall is that the batch does not double well. The mix tends to dry out and the cookies fall apart when you try to roll them.
Happy Cookies,
Grammiesthings
What temperature do you bake the peanut butter cookies at? This sounds so good :-)
DeleteProbably 325-350° like most cookie recipes
DeleteThis has been our family PBC recipe for years and people are always blown away that it is that easy. Christmas time pop a kiss on top and you have three easy dozen to give away!
DeleteSounds good and they are gluten free!
Deletethank you for posting these...i was looking for some more mixes to add to my pre-mix list!
ReplyDeleteAshley what other pre-mix things do you already have? Would you share with me or us??
DeleteAshley do you have any cake mix ideas
DeleteWhen I adopted my boys they loved muffins, but I had 2 - pre2 year old boys and not a lot of time to be making muffins from scratch all the time. I found a great large batch muffin mix that I still make in a huge tub and can mix with the wet ingredients as I need. I would love to see if I can do these in big batches and measure out the dry. Thanks - I just discovered your blog site and am really happy to be here.
DeleteAny ideas on the pizza crust mixes? They, too, used to be cheap but are getting more & more spendy!
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention pizza crust...I'm currently researching that - it's hard to find a really good recipe for just the right crust!
DeleteThanks! We make peanut butter cookies the most out of mixes so I'm going to try this!
DeleteThe pizza crust mastermix on allrecipes.com is great. I do mix the yeast into the water before adding the flour. And I like to add a little italian seasoning into the crust mixture before it raises. I usually double it for a family of 4. YOu could easily make a mix by mixing all of the dry ingredients in a bag and just having to add the hot water and knead it and let raise. It is so much less expensive than buying dough or buying a pizza. Also, Pictsweet has a frozen diced onion, red and green pepper and celery mix in the frozen vegetable section of your local grocery store that is wonderful for pizza or scrambled eggs, or other cooking. It is 12 oz. for about 99 cents. I use it a lot. I like to make mini pizzas and freeze them for meals in the future when I make a large pizza.
DeleteThat is such a good idea, I know what you mean, I keep thinking that I should be able to do the from scratch cookies all the time too, but there are just times when I just don't have the energy, so this would be perfect! I found you via the Somewhat Simple Link Party.
ReplyDeleteOh..how easy is this..!!! I love this idea. Always ready, no mixing , measuring, just throw in a bowl.. add the butter and egg and your good to go!!! I'm loving this idea sooooooo much!!!
ReplyDeleteSo smart! I'm pinning this.
ReplyDeletethese are so awesome i made them for my pinterest 365 challenge today, thank you so much for the inspiration :)
ReplyDeleteThese look amazing! How long do they keep for and how do I store them? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteUsually the Cookies In A Jar recipes say that they will keep for 4 months. (I think probably 6 if kept in a cool, dry pantry). Cheers!
DeleteIf you use a foodsaver machine with the jar attachment, you can put the bag in a Mason jar, poke a couple pinholes in the bag, vacuum out the air and it will extend the shelf life to 20-24 months easy. Some even say you could go 5 years. Not sure on that. Store your jars in a cool dry place. You won't believe how long you can prolong the shelf life of dry foods with this gadget. Can't live without mine.
DeleteI'm confused...on how to do this with the jar attachment and poking holes?
DeleteAnother fantastic and money saving idea. Do you happen to have one for their Brownie Mix?
ReplyDeleteComing Soon!!!
DeleteI was just going to ask the same thing, bring on the brownie mix!!!! They've gone up in price too, remember when name brand brownie mixes were 79 cents a box? Now they're anywhere from $1.99 to 3.50, boooo!
DeleteYeah, I was getting mixes for 0.75 at the military commissary with $1.00 off two coupons, and I was like, HEY! When did these get so expensive!? This is a fab idea - found it on Pinterest and am totally going to go do it soon!
DeleteGoogle Baker's One Bowl Brownies. So easy, and so much better than a box mix!
DeleteGreat idea and you can also make cookies using cake mixes!
ReplyDeleteOh, you are getting pinned, girl!
ReplyDeleteI tried the sugar cookie version this afternoon. They turned out perfectly. I had to substitute raw sugar and white whole wheat flour, but they are still wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI linked to your blog today. I just had to share, you have such great ideas!
Deletehttp://www.you-can-make-that.com/2012/02/fascinating-find-cookie-mixes.html
Thanks so much!
DeleteThis is perfect, because I was just thinking about all of the chemicals, preservatives, and other non-pronounceable ingredients that are often in these types of mixes. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteany idea on how to make it into the pumpkin cookie mix?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great thing! I am very excited to put these together. I am looking forward to more from you.
ReplyDeletewould this not be amazing to leave for a sitter. Can not wait to try this one.
ReplyDeleteJust found you via Pinterest. Now following and so so happy I found you!
ReplyDeleteYou should live in Canada. These same mixes are anywhere between 3.95 to 4.95. I used to look forward to my trip to Bellingham where I could stock up on them for $1.50. Now, I'm going to be trying out your recipes for sure to see how they stack up as this is a tremendous savings. I've always used these cookies as a base and doctored them up with other goodies such as cranberries, raisins and nuts. Thanks again!
ReplyDeletePenny,
DeleteI hear ya! I used to live in New Zealand and the mix (they only had choc chip) was $5.25 NZD! Nuts! That's why I resorted to making my own! Cheers!
Great post--so many great ideas! Store mixes have too many additives I just don't to eat.
ReplyDeleteOH, how I adore you. Thank you! Pinning this for sure!
ReplyDeleteI make a lot of scones, so for Christmas, I made up some of my scones into mixes. I have buttermilk powder, so used that, and even used my food porcessor to cut in the butter. In the instructions, I wrote to store in the refrigerator, and add the egg and water or whatever liquid was required. And then to shape and bake. I did put a date to use by, as I knew the butter would go bad if not used soon. There is egg replacer powder available, so that is also a component that could be used in the mixes so that the eggs wouldn't even have to be added. I am experiementing with different things to try to make mixes better tasting and more useable.
ReplyDeletethis is so great!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!!!!
These are wonderful - thank you so much for coming up with these! I might have to whip a couple up!
ReplyDeleteHow long are these mixes good for?? Do you just keep them in the cabinet?
ReplyDeleteDepends on how old your sugar and flour are when you make them, but they should last 5-6 months - just in the pantry! Cheers!
DeleteGENIUS!!! I was thinking the same thing, why can't I make the same dry mix (like the mixes in jars) and store them in a bag?!?! Thank you for sharing...
ReplyDeleteOur family loves to camp and this is a great thing to throw into the camper and whip up a treat on a rainy day. LOVE fresh baked cookies!
ReplyDeleteWe do this with pretty much anything that you can easily add all wet ingredients to dry. Pancakes, cookies, and cornbread are ones that have worked great!
ReplyDeleteLooking for the cake mix recipes. Have I missed it? Thanks
ReplyDeleteI made strawberry cake mix cookies last night. Mix 2 eggs and 1/3 cup oil with cake mix. Roll into balls and bake 6 - 7 minutes at 375 degrees. They turned out super.
DeleteI made strawberry cake mix cookies last night. Mix 2 eggs and 1/3 cup oil with cake mix. Roll into balls and bake 6 - 7 minutes at 375 degrees. They turned out super.
DeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteOne day, when I feel like I have so much energy to bake up a storm, I hope I remember to make a bunch of these - for those days when I don't have as much energy to measure and all. :) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDo you have these for betty crocker cake mixes as well? I would love to know if you know of any or where I can find a pre-made recipe? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMade these last Friday and they were so YUMMY! Shared today on my FB page! {HUGS} http://www.facebook.com/pages/Three-Mango-Seeds/187636704599785
ReplyDeleteDo any of you have a do-it-yourself recipe like this for the Jiffy brand cornbread mix?
ReplyDeleteComing Soon!
DeleteI made the some of these and for one of the chocolate chip I omitted 1/4 c flour and added 1/4 c cocoa powder. Turned out great as chocolate chocolate chip cookies. Thanks for the idea !
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! I was specifically looking for the double choc chip variety, and I'm thrilled to find your success with it! Trying it this weekend!
DeleteI am looking for something that tastes like the Almond cake mix from Tastefully Simple....any ideas on that one??
ReplyDeleteI just made the chocolate chipe recipe and it is really good! I will definately make these again.
ReplyDeleteI shared this blog with my friends and family as you have so graciously shared with us.
ReplyDeleteLove this idea. Would the cookie mixes fit into a 1 quart preserving jar. I have many of these jars that I don't use for preserves any more.
ReplyDeleteHi Gail,
DeleteYes, I think they would fit into a quart jar. Great way to use those jars!
Can you use self-rising flour and skip the baking soda and baking powder?
ReplyDeleteGood question! I'm not sure. If you try an experiment, let us know!
DeleteTake it a step further! Then place balls of dough on waxed paper lined cookie sheets, and put in the freezer for a couple hours. The frozen cookie dough can then be put in Ziploc freezer bags and stored until you are ready to bake them! To bake, you simply pull out the desired number of balls and let them thaw while the oven preheats, then bake as you normally do. The only problem with this method is leaving the cookie dough alone...it seems my whole family enjoys snitching them! :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks great. Although I'll store them in Mason jars because...well, I like Mason jars. :)
ReplyDeleteBrownie Mix, Brownie Mix, Brownie Mix, Brownie Mix chanting chanting chanting can you figure out a brownie mix? :) Please!
ReplyDeletethis is great! how long can they stay in the pantry? shelf life?
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking up this wonderful post in Mommy Solutions last week! Congrats on being my #2 most clicked link! That is wonderful! I'm featuring you on my blog post for the new link up Thank you for linking up this wonderful post in Mommy Solutions last week! Congrats on being my #1 most clicked link! That is wonderful! I'm featuring you on my blog post for the new link up ... and of course it gets posted on twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!
ReplyDeleteHave a super week and stop on over and link up something else. I love reading your blog.
http://www.crystalandcomp.com/2012/02/the-mommy-club-share-your-resources-and-solutions-33
Have a super week and stop on over and link up something else. I love reading your blog.
Crystal
Do you have a recipe for Betty Crockers Pumpkin Spice Cookies? They are my favorite but hate all the mystery ingredients in the package. thanks!
ReplyDeleteI would love a recipes for that too!!
DeleteGreat post! Just pinned it. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAwesome idea! I'm doing this tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteHow bout cake mixes??? To make cakes and cupcakes!
ReplyDeleteThe cookie mix recipe is wonderful, but do you any for the Betty Crocker Muffin/bread mixes too. I'm always buying the choc chip muffin, and cinnamon muffins for morning functions and they are so darn costly!
ReplyDeleteOh- I was wondering the same thing - we love the Cinnamon Streusel around here, but can't find a good recipe.
DeleteThis is great but I'm confused.... the intro says "They're also as convenient as the Betty Crocker Mixes in that they only require butter, egg and vanilla to make!," but the directions after the 4 recipes says "Write instructions on the bag to add: 1/2 Stick Softened Butter, 1 Large Egg, 1/8 Cup Molasses." (where'd the vanilla go? where'd the molasses come from?), then again the photo shows directions with butter + egg + vanilla no molasses...???
ReplyDeleteLori, Read the entire post - the recipe that requires Molasses is only for the Gingerbread cookies. All others are Butter, Vanilla & Egg.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLove this! How about the Double Chocolate Chunk? You are awesome!!
ReplyDeleteI was looking for this too, and a previous commenter suggested subbing 1/4 c flour with 1/4 c cocoa for double Choc! WHOOO HOOOO!
DeleteHow long will these mixes keep? And should I freeze them? Will it last longer if I DO freeze them?! :) Thanks for posting these-- as all the others have said. :)
ReplyDeletecan you share the 3-2-1 recipe?
DeleteWOW so glad i found your page ! forgot my pswd for google mail so i have to sign in anonymous sorry !
ReplyDeleteI just got interested in "Make at Home" mixes when someone gave me a 3-2-1 cake recipe that is so kool. Thank you
ReplyDeleteSaw this on Pinterest. What a fabulous idea! I only bake once a year, at Christmas time. Sometimes, I've done scratch; sometimes, I've done pre-made mixes (like this year, when I was recovering from surgery). The appeal of these mixes is that they are fast. But taking the time to make them ahead of time (and with my own ingredients)is, in a word, genius!
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome idea! I wish I had thought of it before the holidays!
ReplyDeleteGreat Idea.. Have you thought about adding powdered eggs to those that need eggs? It would make it so much easier when time to prepare and a more complete gift as well ..
ReplyDeleteDehydrating eggs is SIMPLE (no dehydrator needed).. and they have a LONG shelf-life ... (several months)...
Just a suggestion.. I'm gonna try it .. both ways.. :)
Thanks for sharing !
Sabrina Massie
Just found this on Pinterest and I love it! I wonder if I could just add the wet ingredients to the bag and have my 3 yr old 'help' mix it by squishing the bag.
ReplyDeleteFabulous idea! If you try it, let us know if that works! It would save us all a dirty bowl to clean!
DeleteLOVE THIS!!! Can I pin this on Pinterest?
ReplyDeleteYes, of course! It's viral on Pinterest right now! Cheers!
DeleteHow much is a stick of butter in cups?
ReplyDeletea stick of butter is 125ml when melted, and a cup is 250 ml, so a stick would be half a cup.
DeleteThis is AWESOME!! Wow, talk about convenient.... Thanks a million!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! Found you on pinterest! So glad I did! I love this stuff! :)
ReplyDeleteI am definately going to try this. Thanks for this terrific idea.
ReplyDeleteAHHHHHHHHHHH! That you so much. I love these cookie mixes for when you're in a pinch or need something sweet. I am so happy to DIY!
ReplyDeleteLindsey @ GrowingKidsMinistry.com
Great idea! You can mix your vanilla flavoring with your sugar and let it dry before bagging up, then you will just have egg/oil/water like the store bought kind and you can probably get away with using at least half white whole wheat flour- healthier!!
ReplyDeleteWe really like the walnut chocolate chip. Do you think there'd be a problem adding 1/4 cup (or so) of walnuts to the choc chip mix, or would you do 1/2 cup choc chips + 1/4 cup walnuts? Add walnuts + some oil? What do you think?
ReplyDeleteSomething I like to do is to completely make up the cookie batter. After I spoon them out onto a cookie sheet using a small stainless steel scoup. I then freeze the portioned out cookies. Afterwards I put all of my cookie shaped dough into an air tight freezer container and have the cookie dough available whenever I need it. All I have to do is take out the batter, place it on a cookie sheet and bake. I like doing it this way also, because the batter is cold to begin with and doesn't spread out flat as it is baking.
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY what I do! I always have frozen cookie balls in the freezer, and while they are baking, I mix and freeze a new batch.
DeleteThis is such a great idea! Especially since my hubby has a sweet tooth and sometimes I wish I was unhealthy enough to buy the box junk. But now I can have a stock of healthy cookies made with Whole Wheat Flour and Turbinado Sugar!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this! http://www.tanastable.com/
ReplyDeleteBasic Cake Mix Recipe
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to make your own basic cake mix with these instructions
Prep Time: 30-45 minutes
Ingredients
15 cups all purpose flour
copied from Squidoo.com
9 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups cornstarch
7 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 3/4 cups shortening
Instructions
In a large bowl, blend all dry ingredients until well mixed. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Mixture will keep two to three months. Makes about 25 1/2 cups mix.
For yellow cake, combine 5 cups Cake mix, 1 1/4 cups milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat well. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each additional egg. Pour into two greased and floured 8- or 9-inch pans. Bake 350° for 35 to 40 minutes. To make white cake, simply use only the white of the eggs.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIs the flour all purpose or self-rising? I am just now getting into baking and wanted to make sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Good question! It's All Purpose. Self-rising flour is just more expensive flour that has baking powder in it. :) Cheers!
DeleteHow long will these mixes last for?
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to mine, I tried the chocolate chip one and the turned out thin, super sweet, and greasy?
ReplyDeleteSounds like you forgot the Flour. Check your measurements and try again!
DeleteI put a cup of flour in and went by the recipe above for the choc chip. So I'm not sure what happened.
DeleteHi can you tell me how much a stick of butter is as our stores do not sell butter by the stick, only by pound blocks
ReplyDeletei wonder if you can subsitude wheat flower with a gluten free flour blend in these recipes? I'll havt to try it.
ReplyDeleteHi there, awesome recipes! Can you tell me what a "stick" of butter is in either grams or ounces?
ReplyDeleteI used to do the same thing for my bread machine. I would pre-mix all of the dry ingredients and only have to add the wet stuff when it was time to throw it in. Saved me a ton of time.
ReplyDeleteHow long do the mixes last for?
ReplyDelete