Turn Store-Bought Cookie Dough Into The Ultimate PB&J Snack With One Easy Step

Store-bought cookie dough is the perfect blank canvas for building tasty desserts. Since you don't have to put in the effort to make the dough from scratch, you can focus your energy on more fun endeavors, like upgrading it with brown butter and spices. However, if a peanut butter and jelly twist is what you're after, look no further than those two main ingredients.

Here's what you'll do: Separate your store-bought dough into individual pieces, then roll each one into a ball and press it in the middle to flatten it out. Place little spoonfuls of peanut butter and jelly in the center and seal the top so that the fillings are completely covered, then gently roll it into a ball shape once more. Finally, either bake your cookies in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 18 minutes or pop them in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. With hardly any extra effort, you'll be left with deliciously gooey, peanut butter and jelly-filled centers that will make your cookies feel like rich desserts.

If you're not sure where to start when it comes to store-bought cookie dough, it's true that some brands are just tastier than others. Our favorites include Trader Joe's, Nestle Toll House, and Private Selection, and we advise staying away from Great Value. When it comes to flavors, pretty much anything goes with peanut butter and jelly. Chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter, and even pumpkin spice make for tasty options, although white chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, turtle (which comes with chocolate chips, pecans, and caramel), lemon, and red velvet would all work too. However, you may want to stay away from mint or peppermint-flavored dough.

To make the assembly even easier, you can freeze your peanut butter ahead of time so it won't stick to your cookie dough. Separate it out into small dollops on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, then freeze it until it hardens. Both chunky and smooth options will work well here, along with versions flavored with honey, chocolate, or cinnamon. Berry jam will evoke that classic peanut butter and jelly taste, but apricot, orange, cherry, or pear jars are excellent choices too. You can even try fruit butters (which aren't made with actual butter) such as pumpkin, apple, or peach, as they'll taste delicious with a cinnamon-flavored cookie or peanut butter. This extra step is so simple, that there's plenty of room to get creative.