FAQs
Temperature. Dough that is too warm or soft will spread more than dough that is cooler, so if you're working in a very warm kitchen, putting your dough in the fridge for 15 minutes or longer before using it will help prevent spread. Butter that is too warm or soft is also a major culprit.
What causes cookies to spread more? ›
Temperature. Dough that is too warm or soft will spread more than dough that is cooler, so if you're working in a very warm kitchen, putting your dough in the fridge for 15 minutes or longer before using it will help prevent spread. Butter that is too warm or soft is also a major culprit.
Does white sugar make cookies spread? ›
White sugar, with its neutral pH, interferes with gluten development, allowing the dough to spread more before it sets. The result is cookies that are thin and tender/crisp.
How long should you chill cookie dough? ›
As a general rule of thumb, you should refrigerate cookie dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. More than that, and you won't see a noticeable difference in the final product. Once the dough has chilled, let it warm up at room temperature until it's just pliable (about 5 to 10 minutes).
Why are my cookies puffy and not flat? ›
Q: Why are my cookies so puffy and cakey? Whipping too much air into the dough. That fluffy texture you want in a cake results from beating a lot of air into the room temperature butter and sugar, and it does the same for cookies. So don't overdo it when you're creaming together the butter and sugar.
What happens if you use more brown sugar than granulated sugar in a cookie recipe? ›
Using brown sugar will result in a denser, moister cookie. Brown sugar is also hygroscopic (more so than granulated sugar) and will therefore also attract and absorb the liquid in the dough.
Does brown sugar make cookies spread more? ›
The white sugar versus the brown sugar. makes such a difference in the color of the dough. But most importantly, let's talk about the end results. The cookie with all white sugar spread a lot more, and it was crispy around the edges, whereas the one with brown sugar didn't spread as much.
What ingredient helps the cookie spread? ›
This contributes to the fact that melted butter spreads cookies more quickly than butter that is solid at room temperature. The ratio of liquid to solid ingredients in your cookie dough is immediately increased when you melt the butter and make it into a liquid rather than a solid ingredient.
How do you make cookies thicker and not flat? ›
Chill the cookie dough.
Chilling cookie dough helps prevent spreading. The colder the dough, the less the cookies will over-spread into greasy puddles. You'll have thicker, sturdier, and more solid cookies. Whenever I make cookies, I plan ahead and chill the cookie dough overnight.
What if I put too much butter in my cookies? ›
Too much butter makes cookies turn out just as you'd expect: very buttery. This batch of cookies was cakey in the middle, but also airy throughout, with crispy edges. They were yellow and slightly puffy in the middle, and brown and super thin around the perimeter.
If your cookies come out of the oven looking flat, you may not have adequately chilled the dough before baking. Chilling times may vary depending on the cookie you're making, but you should typically chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours before you pop it in the oven.
How do you keep cookies from sticking to each other? ›
Store cookies in layers
The last thing you want is for your cookies to stick together! To prevent sticking when you store your cookies, arrange them in a single layer and add a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper between layers. (Here's why you should bake cookies on parchment paper, too!)
How do you keep cookies from spreading at high altitudes? ›
Reduce the leavening in the cookie recipe by about 25% if you live between 3,000-7,000 ft above sea level, and by about 30% if you're higher up in altitude. This helps the cookies spread less as they bake- leavening agents can work a bit differently at high-altitude!
Does cornstarch keep cookies from spreading? ›
1. Cookies. Cornstarch does kind of incredible things to cookies. I mean not only does it give them soft centers, prevents them from spreading, and makes them somewhat thick (in a good way), but it also contributes to the chewiness factor, which, in my opinion, is the most important cookie attribute.