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Pillsbury Bake-Off Recipes for Cookies

Pillsbury Bake-Off recipes are tried-and-true by cooks just like you – and have been named winners by culinary experts.

The Pillsbury Bake-Off is an iconic cooking contest. Every day cooks enter it by submitting their original recipes – ones that use a Pillsbury ingredient (or two or three) from a specified list. Thousands of entries each year are narrowed down to 100 finalists, who convene for the final contest in a room remodeled specifically to accommodate 100 kitchens. Finalists prepare their recipes for a panel of judges. Winners receive cash prizes for their recipes and notoriety in the cooking world.

Recipes are published worldwide and include breakfast foods, appetizers, main courses, sandwiches, casseroles, breads, quick snacks, desserts … and cookies.

How the Bake-Off Came About

The Pillsbury Company launched the contest in 1949 as a way to get consumers to use Pillsbury all-purpose flour in their recipes.

The contest’s success led to successive bake-offs and allowed the company to expand, adding more products to the original seven in its product line. The flour was a required ingredient for the bake-off’s first ten years.

Today, the contest’s recipe submission requirements and eligible ingredients changes from year to year. Trends follow the changes in the American cooking scene, from the “busy cook” of the 1960s to the health food craze in the 1970s, followed by ethnic foods, convenience foods, and simple, easy preparation in latter decades. The contest was held annually until 1976 and is now a biennial event.

Pillsbury merged with rival good giant General Mills in 2001. The Pillsbury baking line was acquired by International Multifoods Corporation and ultimately Smucker’s – but naturally its products maintained its Pillsbury branding, including Pillsbury mascot Doughboy and of course, the iconic Bake-Off event.

Bake-Off Recipes for Cookies

Desserts (in general) and cookies (in particular) have been part of the contest since the beginning. Winning recipes are crowned based on taste, uniqueness, and specific requirements for the year.

Over the years, favorite Bake-Off cookie recipes have included bar cookies, drop cookies, holiday cookies, brownies – even cookies to sell at bake sales. Tried-and-true cookie types like chocolate, oatmeal, caramel, cherry, and peanut butter are favorites right along with less-commonly flavored cookies like apricot, applesauce, banana, butterscotch – even pineapple cookies. Most recipes have a unique twist either in the combination of ingredients or how they are prepared.

Occasionally, a cookie recipe has been named grand prize winner. More often, cookie recipes are named as finalists.

But all Bake-Off cookie recipes that have become favorites have stood the test of incredible scrutiny during their bake-off year and now, after withstanding a go in the Elf kitchen, have also withstood the test of time.

The common thread for beloved Bake-Off cookie recipes? They are simple and easy to make.

That alone makes these recipes a favorite for The Elf, of course, who firmly believes that easy cookie recipes make life a little bit sweeter.

Elf-Tested Pillsbury Bake-Off Recipes for Cookies

Almond Crunch Cookies: easy cookie recipe from Bake-Off #30 ..

Choco-Butterscotch Bars: from Bake-Off 22 ...

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Caramel Squares from Pillsbury Bake-Off #37...

Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Squares from Bake-Off #38 ...

Cinnamon Toffee Pecan Cookies: just 6 ingredients ...

Maple Oat Chewies: Drop Cookies and Bake-Off #32 Favorite ...

Pecan Pie Surprise Bars: easy cookie recipe and Bake-Off #22 winner ...

Pineapple Coconut Bars from Bake-Off #35 ...

White Chocolate Key Lime Calypso Bars: from Pillsbury Bake-Off #40 ...

More Cookie Trivia

Cookie trivia: fun facts about eating and baking cookies ...

Cookie trivia: all about Rice Krispie Treats ...

Red Velvet Cake History: fun baking and cookie trivia ...

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