How We Make Our Handmade Cookies

When we say our cookies are handmade, we mean it. Every single cookie that leaves Clever Cookie is crafted by hand in our kitchen - no factory lines, no mass production. Just real bakers making real cookies with real ingredients. Here's a look at how we do it.

It Starts with Ingredients

Great cookies start with great ingredients. We're particular about what goes into our bakes:

Belgian chocolate chunks are our go-to. We use proper chocolate - not chocolate chips - because they melt differently and create those gorgeous pools of chocolate throughout the cookie. The quality difference is noticeable in every bite.

Premium spreads and toppings make the difference. Whether it's Lotus Biscoff, Nutella, or quality caramel, we use the real thing - the same products you'd find in the shops, not imitation versions.

The Mixing Process

We mix in small batches. This might seem inefficient, but it's the only way to maintain consistency and quality. When you're making hundreds of cookies at once, it's easy for things to become homogenised and lose that handmade character.

Our doughs are made fresh. We don't use pre-made mixes or frozen dough. Each batch is mixed from scratch using our carefully developed recipes - recipes we've tested and refined over thousands of bakes.

Baking to Perfection

Different products need different approaches. Our Classic Cookies are baked until just set - we pull them when they still look slightly underdone because they continue cooking on the tray. This is what gives them that soft, chewy centre.

Deep Dish Cookies are a different beast entirely. These 500g giants need careful temperature control to cook through without burning the outside. The filling goes in raw, which is why they have that incredible gooey centre when you reheat them.

Cookie Pies have their own process too - the crust needs to be par-baked before the filling goes in, then everything bakes together until the filling is set but still has movement.

Quality Control and Decoration

Every single cookie is checked before it leaves us. We look for proper colour, texture, and appearance. If something doesn't meet our standards, it doesn't get sent - simple as that. We'd rather remake an order than send something we're not proud of.

Toppings and decorations are applied by hand. Those swirls of Biscoff on our Loaded Cookies? Done individually. The chocolate drizzles on our Cookie Bars? Each one decorated separately. It takes time, but the results speak for themselves.

Packaging for Freshness

We've put a lot of thought into our packaging. The goal is simple: your cookies should arrive looking and tasting as good as they did when they left our kitchen.

Sturdy boxes protect against the inevitable bumps of transit. Internal inserts keep products secure and separated. Each item is wrapped to maintain freshness and prevent any cross-contamination of flavours.

We're also working on making our packaging more eco-friendly. It's a balance between protection and sustainability, but we're committed to reducing our environmental impact where we can.

Delivery Across the UK

We ship via Royal Mail Tracked 24 because speed matters when you're dealing with fresh baked goods. Most orders arrive within 1-3 working days of dispatch. You'll get tracking information so you know exactly when to expect your delivery.

We bake to order, which means we don't have cookies sitting around waiting to be shipped. When you place an order, we make it fresh for you. This is why we need a bit of lead time - your cookies are literally being baked after you order them.

Why Handmade Matters

You might wonder why we don't just automate everything. The truth is, we tried - and the results weren't the same. There's something about hand-shaped cookies, hand-applied toppings, and human attention to detail that machines simply can't replicate.

When you order from Clever Cookie, you're getting something made by real people who genuinely care about what they're sending you. We eat the same cookies we sell, and we wouldn't send anything we wouldn't happily eat ourselves.

Want to see more behind-the-scenes content? Follow us on Instagram and TikTok where we regularly share videos from the kitchen.