Naked Dough: the good, the bad and the ugly
Have always wanted to try cookie dough but never gotten around to it? Fear not, we’re back with a full-on comprehensive review of (almost) everything Naked Dough has to offer, and our honest opinions (hint: they’re very good, but read on to find out). We promise your taste buds will be tingling after this one
Remember that cute little stand that sells big tubs filled with mouthwatering cookie dough that we told you about in the “2 Girls, 1 Dessert” article earlier this year? Well, we felt like we just had to go back and satisfy our cravings, so we bring you the ultimate guide to (almost) every single Naked Dough product so that when you go there yourself, you know precisely what you want (I mean, isn’t that always the hardest thing when getting food? We certainly think so).
Decision, decisions
To get a full-on experience for taste testing, we decided to visit Naked Dough’s Westfield branch, which is the most adorable little bright pink stall that smells like a piece of heaven. Honestly, it’s a massive real-life marshmallow and we are SO here for it. With neon signs everywhere and the cutest little pentagon-shaped tables, our Instagram feeds were also loving the trip there. The queue of people vying for cookie dough certainly added to the conviction that this would be a good experience.
But it was time to get down to business - was the cookie dough they offered up to the Felix Food standard? Was it worth all the hype people were raving about? In one word, yes. But here’s a more comprehensive view on the flavours we tried (pretty much everything, yum!) and exactly what we thought:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Julia says: A classic cookie dough that can be found anywhere, but certainly doesn’t disappoint. Perfectly curated to not be excessively sweet, but also to give you that sugar high that you so desire (because clearly, a sugar high is the best kind of high). The only thing that could make it better is more chocolate chips!
Eva says: Your bang-on classic cookie dough flavour - you just can’t go wrong with this one. As someone with a massive sweet tooth, I’ve tried my fair share of choc chip cookie doughs, but this one definitely takes the crown. I was obsessed straight away, and luckily, each tub comes with two scoops of cookie dough, so I had enough left over for another week or so!
Rating: 4/5
Kinder Bueno and Nutella
Eva says: This was my all-time favourite flavour. Whether you’re a seasonal chocolate eater or breathe, eat and sleep chocolate, this will 100% satisfy every single one of your cravings. We recommend pairing this with soft whippy ice-cream (as with all the cookie dough) else it’s slightly too rich and will have you reaching for that bottle of water!
Julia says: Who doesn’t love Nutella? Chances are, you probably love Kinder Bueno as well as all things Ferrero. Coming at a close second for me, the combination of chocolate paired with the hazelnut twist that we know all too well from our eating-Nutella-with-a-spoon binges is a match made in heaven - although you can’t really taste the Kinder Bueno in here, does it matter?
Rating: 4.5/5
Vegan Cookies n’ Cream
Julia says: If you’re vegan and concerned about the ingredients used in typical cookie dough, this is the answer - one of two great vegan flavours offered at ND. Tastes just like a super chocolaty and rich brownie (and for the No-Meat Monday haters - you really wouldn’t be able to tell it was vegan!), smells great and is slightly less sweet than the rest.
Eva says: Honestly, as someone who’s always wanted to go vegan but was always too worried about missing out on yummy food following an awful experience at a vegan restaurant, this cookie dough restored my faith in vegan food and felt just like the push I needed. Probably the least sweet cookie dough on the list, cookies n’ cream is probably the only flavour you can have with no ice cream without it feeling too sickly.
Rating: 3/5
Salted Caramel and Honeycomb
Eva says: Caramel is one of those words where everyone’s complaining about the pronunciation - is it car-mel or car-a-mel? Well, one thing we won’t be arguing about is how delicious this salted caramel and honeycomb cookie dough is. With bits of honeycomb adding a wonderful texture to the dough and the salted caramel adding a little extra oomf, this was definitely one of my favourites.
Julia says: Although this flavour is particularly sweet, that should not be taken as a vice - the perfect combination of sweet & salty in a tub, plus it being one of the more original flavours definitely appealed to me and places this in my top three favourite flavours. Add some marshmallows on top and you’ve got a match made in heaven.
Rating: 4.5/5
White Chocolate Chip
Julia says: My favourite thing about this is the noticeable flavour of the chocolate chunks, which are often enveloped too much in the dough to actually taste them. Although a bit too sweet for my liking (dark chocolate fans hit me up!), it was still definitely worth a try and will probably become one of your favourites if white chocolate is your preference (is it really chocolate though?).
Eva says: White chocolate is one of my favourite things ever, and that combined with cookie dough is definitely something worth swiping right for. This is your classic chocolate chip with a twist and is the most amazingly indulgent tub of cookie dough. The small chunks of white chocolate literally melt in your mouth, and the aftertaste is something I wish I could savour forever (and always).
Rating: 4/5
Sprinkles & Marshmallow
Eva says: Unfortunately, after trying so many amazing flavours, this was not the one for me. It tasted like something they served us in school lunches way back. Definitely the sweetest of the doughs, this flavour was a little difficult to eat, even with ice cream to kill the sweetness a bit, and gave me the classic “sugar headache”.
Julia says: This flavour is like your classic cookie dough with a little boost - you think you’re having the typical, until you encounter a chewy marshmallow within which makes this flavour super cool. The texture is also smoother than the other flavours, making it melt in your mouth - only caveat is its over sweetening effect if you consume too much.
Rating: 2.5/5
Vegan Lotus Biscoff
Julia says: My number one top flavour, left for last! If you’ve ever had the Lotus spreadable Biscoff (or the true Speculoos), you’ll get an immediate feeling of déjà vu (déjà goûté?), along with pure happiness from the indulgent texture that is the essence of cookie dough. This flavour is the one I’d make an exception for and definitely not leave any for later.
Eva says: This is the cookie dough flavour that got me absolutely hooked. Lotus Biscoff Biscuits have always had a special place in my heart, but the vegan lotus biscoff was just out of this world. Pair it with toppings such as sprinkles, marshmallows or even an oreo (double cookie - genius, right?) and you’ve got a tub of divine heaven right there.
Rating: 5/5
The ultimate lowdown on our top 3? If you’ve got to pick any, we’ve made the decision for you: go for Kinder Bueno & Nutella, Salted Caramel & Honeycomb or our fave, Vegan Lotus Biscoff - we promise you won’t be disappointed!
DIY Cookie Dough
After our amazing experiences at Naked Dough, the next step was to try their DIY cookie dough to see how it compared to all the mouthwatering flavours we got at Westfield. Does DIY cookie dough live up to the high standards of professionally curated recipes?
As soon as it arrived in the post, the excitement began. The cute packaging and the pink tissue made for memorable first impressions. When it came to actually making it, we got some friends together to truly make the most of the experience. The instructions on the package were pretty simple: add the cookie dough mix to some butter and milk, and stir until combined, and you get a whole 8 portions for you and your friends to share (or just you, of course!). Initially, we were worried about the proportions of milk and butter suggested on the packaging, but with a little patience (a good exercise to practice the skill of not eating the whole thing while mixing!), you will end up with something that looks exactly like the cookie dough served in their shops. Magic at work basically.
The taste? Almost identical to the store-bought chocolate chip cookie dough - amazing. And the best part of the whole thing is, you can store it in your fridge or freezer for a few weeks or even months (not like it will last that long, who are we kidding), so you can just nibble on it whenever you feel like it! This also solves the problem of getting into a sugar coma after consuming an entire tub from the store, but that’s all easier said than done really...
Overall, although it costs £10, the DIY kit is a pretty worthwhile investment if you’re satisfied with the classic flavour and yields many more servings than your typical tub, plus it makes for a super fun bonding activity with your friends!
Also, special shoutout to Steph for allowing us to try all these different flavours, and of course our friends for trying them all out with us!
So what are you waiting for? Head straight down to your nearest Naked Dough and you’ll see exactly what we’ve been raving about! Stores in Westfield London or Camden Market are waiting.
