What Is a McDonald’s Cookie Tote?

There’s not much to do in Beaumont, Texas. Aside from taking a moment to admire the world’s largest working fire hydrant, my hometown offers little in terms of entertainment. As a result, my teenage years and the breaks between each semester of college were primarily spent aimlessly driving around town with friends from high school.

Aside from teaching me the lyrics to every popular indie rock album from the 2010s, these drives instilled in me a deep sense of nostalgia for one particular snack: warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies picked up from the McDonald’s drive-thru.

Grabbing a 13-Pack Chocolate Chip Cookie Tote — or simply a cookie tote, as we affectionately called it — from the Golden Arches was a core part of any late-night drive I took with friends in my adolescence. The wafting smell of warm chocolate chip cookies is a notoriously comforting aroma, one that’s inspired realtors to bake a fresh batch before buyers arrive at a house and has even prompted the sale of cookie-scented candles. I can confirm that this intoxicating aroma is just as alluring when enjoyed inside your car.

The McDonald’s cookie tote isn’t a new or secret offering, but it’s one I’ve found to be underappreciated and surprisingly unknown to many. I’m here to spread the good news regarding this convenient container of sweet treats, which happens to be the easiest and most affordable way I know to acquire warm cookies without turning on your oven.

What is the McDonald’s cookie tote?

The name of this item isn’t just intended to sound cute; it is literally a cardboard tote full of cookies. The packaging comes complete with a handle, so you can carry it around like a purse of freshly baked goods if so desired. This would be a great option for a last-minute contribution to a potluck if you forgot to make anything in advance or an excellent midnight order at a birthday party.

Inside the tote, you’ll find 13 — a baker’s dozen — chocolate chip cookies. These are the same cookies that you can order individually at McDonald’s, and they’re soft-baked chocolate cookies that are always served warm. They’re not baked from scratch for each order, but as employees have demonstrated online, they are flash-baked — this involves warming them in the oven until they’re heated throughout, like a freshly baked cookie.

The McDonald’s chocolate chip cookie is even described as “perfectly warm, soft-baked cookies loaded with gooey chocolate chips” on the company’s website, and this is simply a pack of 13 of them. When you tear one in half, expect to see melted chocolate and a moist interior.

There have been a few examples online of customers sharing totes they ordered that didn’t contain warm cookies, but these are the exception, not the norm. Out of the dozens of cookie totes I’ve ordered over the years, only one has been delivered at room temperature. To remedy this, microwave the entire tote in 15-second increments while keeping a close eye on it until the cookies reach the desired state. (This will likely take only 30 seconds.) Ordering a cookie tote for pickup or at a restaurant directly will make it more likely that the treats don’t cool by the time they get to you.

The flavor of these cookies is classic, featuring buttery brown sugar notes and milk chocolate chips. If you’re a fan of other chocolate chip cookie staples, like the ready-to-bake Nestlé Toll House dough, these will satisfy that craving.

How much does the McDonald’s cookie tote cost?

In addition to the flavor and consistently soft, warm texture and temperature, the price is what really makes these cookies perfect — especially when compared with other major cookie vendors.

One Redditor sums it up perfectly as they reminisce about the McDonald’s cookie tote, saying, “It was perfectly warm, soft baked, gooey chocolate chips, and for a dollar a cookie, I’m sold. Every Crumbl cookie I’ve had has left me disappointed and hankering for something more, but McDonald’s has my vote on this one.”

The exact price of a cookie tote will depend on your location, but to give a point of reference, a tote at the restaurant closest to my office costs $7.59, and it would be the same price if I ordered the item in my hometown. Some consumers online have documented cookie tote prices as low as $4.59 for the baker’s dozen. Either way, that’s less than $1 per cookie.

On the other hand, a single Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk Cookie from Crumbl costs $4.99. Crumbl cookies are notably larger than those from McDonald’s — often, two people split one of the former — but if you want enough of these treats to share with an entire group of friends, it will cost you. And they don’t even come in a cute, carryable tote.

How can you get a McDonald’s cookie tote?

Even if you haven’t heard of the cookie tote before, it is likely on the menu at your nearest McDonald’s. This offering is common, and you’ll find it at many locations of the fast food chain, though it isn’t available at every single one.

The cookie tote is available at the McDonald’s restaurants closest to my office, apartment, and childhood home, but employees have previously complained online that preparing the tote is somewhat time-consuming. It takes more effort than other items to assemble the cardboard carrier and ensure the cookies are warm — so some franchisees may opt out of putting it on the menu. 

The easiest way to check if it’s for sale before you drive to McDonald’s? Look at a specific location’s menu on the McDonald’s app or another food pickup and delivery platform, such as Uber Eats. If this glorious tote of comforting cookies isn’t available at your go-to restaurant, I guarantee it’s worth traveling a little further to snag one.