REVIEW: Trying the Tik Tok trick to make cookies better

• I tried the popular TikTok hack that involves putting a store-bought sugar cookie in a waffle iron.
• Although some of the cookie’s frosting nicely crystallized, the treat was too dry and not worth the effort to make. 
• I also experimented with putting other store-bought cookies, like chocolate chips and Oreos in my waffle iron. 
• The Oreo cookies turned out the best in the waffle maker, but the filling had an odd aftertaste. 
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Sometimes all you need to make a great treat is a waffle iron and a ready-to-eat cookie — at least that’s what TikTok user @michaellasmitth illustrated in her popular video.

The short clip, which currently has over 2 million views and 183,000 likes, shows a store-bought frosted sugar cookie going into a waffle maker and coming out as a totally new, crispy treat. Some commenters who tried the hack for themselves called it “genius” and “game changing” while others noted the disrespect to their favorite cookie. 

As a devoted sugar-cookie fan — especially of the Lofthouse-style ones — I immediately knew I had to try this waffle-maker trend to see if it really deserved all the hype it’s been getting.

Read on to find out how my experiment went and if I’ll make these treats again.

I used a standard-size waffle maker instead of a miniature one, so I experimented with placing the cookies in the center and individual corners

I bought Lofthouse-style sugar cookies.

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The TikTok user didn’t clarify exactly how long to leave the sugar cookie in the waffle iron. The editing makes it seem like it was ready in a few seconds, but the dessert could have been in there for well over a minute or longer.

My appliance has an adjustable temperature setting, and I don’t even know which level to choose when making standard waffles.

I opted for a medium-high heat in the hopes of getting that signature crinkle look without burning the frosting.

I baked the cookies for just over a minute and a half.

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To prepare the waffle treat, I applied a light coating of nonstick spray to my iron, placed the cookies on it, closed the top, and let the dessert bake for a little more than a minute and a half.

When I opened the waffle maker, I saw that the frosting had melted into the cookie and around the sides of the iron

The sugar sizzled in the oil.

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The cookie looked nothing like what I had expected it would, but it appeared quite similar to the results of other TikTok users. 

Some of the colors were totally absorbed by the sugar cookie itself, and the baked crevices turned a rich, golden hue that resembled an actual waffle. 

The residual sugar on the sides of the iron combined with the nonstick spray and made loud smacking, sizzling sounds as I removed the treat.

The cookie smelled amazing

I loved how this experiment made my apartment smell.

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My entire apartment smelled like a cross between a bakery and an ice-cream parlor within 30 seconds of this cookie being under the iron.

Seriously, if I could capture that exact scent in a candle, I’d burn it all year.

The hack completely changed the flavor and texture of the cookie

The twice-baked cookies were more buttery and less sweet.

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It could’ve been that I’m used to eating these desserts at room temperature or cold, or maybe the frosting melted into the dough and made the cookie itself the center of attention, but the change was drastic. 

The waffle treat had more of a butter-forward flavor than of a sugary-sweet one. It was actually pretty tasty but undoubtedly different from the original cookie. 

If anything, it mostly reminded me of eating something between a boxed ice-cream cone and a carnival funnel cake, which is a pretty delicious duo.

It probably would be best enjoyed paired with a rich flavor of ice cream or another topping.

As other users mentioned, it seemed like the frosting became crumbly after melting and solidifying

The crystallized frosting resembled a glaze.

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The cooked frosting tasted a lot like the kind you’d find on a glazed doughnut. 

Sure, it had a yummy flavor, but I didn’t think it compared to the rich, smooth alternative the cookies had straight out of the container. 

I thought the waffle cookie was pretty good but not as impressive as the hype made it seem

The waffle-maker hack completely changed the dessert.

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I’ll give credit where credit is due: I thought it was neat how the soft cookie formed a super crispy exterior without burning.

There may be a mess of melted frosting and cooking oil sitting in my waffle iron, but nothing about this dessert was soggy. It had a scrumptious crispy bite on the outside that easily crumbled but did a good job of staying together.

At the same time, it also had a drier, crunchy interior that I wasn’t thrilled about. 

The twice-baked cookies were too dry on the inside to be fully enjoyable.

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I would have preferred the middle to be fluffier like a normal waffle, but since these cookies already go into the iron precooked, it would likely be a challenge to make happen.

After scrolling through TikTok’s waffle-maker hashtag, I saw that many people who made these served them with whipped cream, which would probably make them taste a lot better.

I wasn’t too impressed with the finished product.

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Ultimately, I didn’t think the flavor or texture was anything to write home about.

The cookie looked cool and interesting, but at the end of the day, it was just a drier version of the original with some yummy pockets of crystallized sugar.

I didn’t want to eat more than one, even if I had experimented with making several batches on different parts of the iron to see how they would look.

I also tried this same waffle-maker trick with a store-bought chocolate-chip cookie

I wanted to try this hack with other store-bought cookies.

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After seeing how the Lofthouse-style cookies turned out in the waffle maker, I was curious to see how the process would affect the texture and flavor of other popular store-bought cookies.

The waffle-ironed chocolate chip had the most pleasing aroma but it didn’t taste great

Reheating these cookies burned some of the chocolate.

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The biggest issue was that the added heat created an uneven texture throughout this cookie.

Some bites had a slightly crunchy, yet soft texture like an actual waffle, but others kept sticking to my teeth like pieces of hard candy or overcooked toffee. 

I suppose that should’ve been expected from a cookie that was technically already baked.

This option may have worked better if I had cooked it at a lower temperature.

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Additionally, some of the chocolate chips nicely melted in the waffle maker while others developed an unpleasant, burnt taste, which sort of ruined the whole thing.

On the plus side, I was impressed with the yummy brown-sugar notes the second bake highlighted. If I ever opt to try this experiment again, I’ll probably heat up the cookie at a much lower temperature to harness this rich flavor.

The last cookie I used in this experiment was an original Oreo

I was curious how Oreos would come out twice baked.

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Like with the previous two options, I placed the cookies on the iron, closed the top, and let them cook for a little more than a minute and a half. 

The Oreos were too hard to mold to the waffle maker.

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Aesthetically speaking, the Oreos looked the least appetizing out of all of the reheated treats.

After I pulled them out of the waffle press, each one looked like a cookie that had been smashed by an angry child. 

The cream leaked out of the sides and the exterior was squished with two square, waffle-like indents in the center.

To my surprise, the waffle-iron hack worked best with the Oreos, but their filling developed a weird aftertaste

Other Oreo alternatives may also work with this hack.

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The Oreos looked the least appetizing in terms of aesthetics, but their cocoa component took well to being cooked again.

Through the heating process, the crunchy cookies developed a toasted nuance that reminded me of a chocolate-flavored graham cracker.

The iconic Oreo flavor was slightly tainted.

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However, the signature cream didn’t fare as well when warmed.

In addition to forming a sticky mess in the iron, the famous filling lost all of its signature sweetness. Instead, it had an oily, processed flavor and an unpleasant aftertaste.

Overall, I had a fun time making the waffle cookies, but I’m not sure if the end product was worth the effort and cleanup

Although the waffle cookies were a fun, tasty snack, they weren’t as amazing or life-changing as some people on TikTok made them out to be.

Although this hack wasn’t game changing, it could still be a fun pastime.

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These waffle cookies may be your answer if you’re a big fan of crispy, sweet treats or looking for something fun to make with roommates or kids. 

But if you’re devoted to the fluffy sweetness of soft cookies, you probably won’t be impressed with the way this dessert turns out. I know I wasn’t.

On the plus side, this experiment inspired me to check out #miniwafflemaker on TikTok, where I’ve since learned that there are so many things that can be “waffled.”

But for now, I think I’ll stick to eating cookies my favorite way — straight from the box.