There are few things more comforting than the smell of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies coming out of the oven.
And while homemade is great, chances are you’ve cheated with a refrigerated cookie dough (hey, no judgement here — we love the stuff, too!)
For many, Pillsbury's ready-to-bake cookie dough is a staple when it comes to faking freshly baked goods. The recipe has been beloved by many through the years. And that’s what makes the company’s recent change to the product a bit hard for many consumers to accept.
Earlier this fall, Pillsbury rolled out — pun intended — a change to its classic chocolate chip cookie dough. "With our new Pillsbury cookie recipe we have improved the taste and been able to remove artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup from the recipe," Tammy Swanson, a General Mills spokesperson, told TODAY Food.
"The calorie count did not change from the old recipe to the new," she confirmed. "It remains at 170 calories for 2 cookies."
While General Mills tells us that they've heard from many consumers who are delighted by these changes, some fans are saying they can taste the difference ... and they aren't too happy with it.
“My family and I are highly disappointed in the new recipe,” wrote one consumer on the brand’s product page. “THEY ARE HORRIBLE! Taste like they have been sitting out all day right after you take them out of the oven. Please bring back the old recipe.”
“We've been buying these cookies for years, never thought they'd change the recipe,” wrote another. “Definitely not a huge fan of the new recipe.”
The reviews aren't all negative though. Some are pleased with the new recipe with one saying, “I don't know what everyone is talking about, the new recipe is DELICIOUS! I liked the old one as well but I love the taste of these, much more life homemade.”
Foodie site Delish conducted its own taste test comparison between the new and old versions (guess some stores are still stocking both!). The main difference that they found between the two is that the original recipe batch was a little "pillowier" and boasted a "gooier center." Multiple taste-testers found the new version had crispier edges and a more caramelized flavor.
While six tasters preferred the original recipe, four liked the new one more, and three couldn’t tell the difference at all.
This isn’t the first time food fans have been up in arms over a brand changing its recipe to remove artificial ingredients.
Trix cereal, which is also owned by General Mills, eliminated artificial flavors and colors but it turned out that fans really missed the bright colors in the whole grain puffs. The company recently brought the old version back, and now offers two versions of the cereal: one without artificial flavors or colors and one with.
No word yet on whether Pillsbury plans to do the same, but in the meantime, if you do happen to buy a new version of the dough and aren’t in love with it, the company is offering a money back guarantee.