Due to her roles, she is the voice of Anna in Frozenthe love interest Forgot Sarah Marshalland the amateur detective of the same name is there Veronica Mars– It’s clear that Kristen Bell has range. This also applies to her recipes, if the actor's popular “Everything Cookies” is any indication. With oats, butterscotch, chocolate chips and warm spices in the mix, as well as clever alternatives to make them gluten-free and lower in fat and added sugar, Bell said TODAY back in 2017 that this cookie recipe was her “tried and tested” cookie swap contribution.
Even though it feels like we just celebrated another summer of splashes, I know the holiday season will come sooner than I can imagine. So I went to my kitchen, preheated my oven, and set about recreating Bell's Best Cookie Recipe to see if it was everything my cookie swap had been missing.
Never lose a BHG prescription again. Find a recipe you like on BHG.com? Click the heart icon to save it to MyRecipes.com (and find it later).
How to make Kristen Bell's Everything Cookies
Aside from the generous additions that satisfy many cookie cravings in one bite, Bell's cookies seem worthy of their “everything” designation because they can be easily adapted to many dietary preferences. (Bell's husband, Dax Shepard, for example, follows a gluten-free diet to manage the symptoms of his psoriatic arthritis. That's why she offers flour alternatives. Bell also mixes the cookie dough with applesauce so she can reduce the need for butter.)
How to bake the star's favorite cookies:
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to combine unsalted butter, unsweetened applesauce, light brown sugar, agave syrup, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt and a splash of white or apple cider vinegar. Once everything is smooth, stir in an egg.
- Add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, stir in baking powder and flour (all-purpose flour or coconut flour for a gluten-free version) and mix well. Fold in the oats, semisweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Stir until chips and oats are evenly incorporated; Be careful not to over mix.
- Shape and bake. Use a #40 cookie scoop or tablespoon to form cookie dough balls, 2 tablespoons each. Place them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, then bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then use a heatproof spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Tips for making gluten-free cookies
If you also want to give these wonderfully shareable cookies a chance, here are a few tips from my test and our test kitchen.
- Be a softie. Bell doesn't provide specifics, but if you're baking cookies, our Test Kitchen recommends starting with softened butter. Compared to refrigerator temperature butter, softened butter is easier to mix with the other wet ingredients. Softened is different from melted butter because softened butter still holds its shape but dents when pressed. About 30 minutes on the counter should be enough.
- Choose your favorite grain. Kristen recommends all-purpose flour or coconut flour as a GF alternative. Our Test Kitchen also loves the gluten-free flour blends from brands like Cup 4 Cup, Bob's Red Mill, and King Arthur Baking Company.
- Add acid. It may sound strange – and perhaps a little off-putting – to add vinegar to cookie dough. But Bell calls for just a teaspoon, not for its flavor but for its pH. The sour apple cider or white vinegar activates the baking soda and creates carbon dioxide bubbles, which help the cookies rise and end up airy and somewhat cakey instead of flat. If you use all-purpose flour, the acidity also hinders gluten development; produces more tender cookies.
- Temporary things based on your desired texture. Pull the cookies out after 12 minutes if you prefer a softer texture, or let them bake for about 14 minutes for a crispier texture.
The verdict on Kristen Bell's Everything Cookies
The health-conscious tweaks — agave nectar instead of white sugar, applesauce replacing some of the butter, the option to use an alternative flour — might make you think these taste more like a granola bar than a dessert. But I was pleasantly surprised by the balance in Bell's signature cookie recipe. While they're undeniably delicious, these viral sprinkle cookies are occasionally overly sweet — and always larger than you'd think for a snack.
Bell's cookies are just sweet enough, and their clever ingredient additions ensure they're still light, fluffy, eye-catching, and satisfying. With oatmeal and two types of chips, my first bite reminded me of the monster cookies I looked forward to at every bake sale in elementary school. As a tribute to these, I'm looking forward to adding some M&Ms into the mix next time too.
I also appreciate Bell's advice on timing for these cookies, which don't require chilling time. To eat them alone, I like to bake these everything cookies for 12 minutes. But for ice cream sandwiches (which I think are always a good idea regardless of the season) I stick with 14 as they are a bit more stable.
When she shared the recipe 8 years ago, Bell said TODAY that “baking around the holidays goes far beyond making delicious sweet things…The whole process – being together in a warm kitchen, the smells wafting through the house – feels so comforting and familiar.” I completely agree and look forward to making Everything Cookies a familiar performer in my cookie recipe rotation.