Obviously, we'd all like every batch of cookies we ever bake to turn out perfectly, but there's an extra measure of pressure applied to holiday cookies. These aren't just your Sunday afternoon chocolate chippers, no — these are destined for cookie platters!
Of course, if you've ever burnt the bottoms of your cookies, you understand the inherent anxiety that arises with such a high-stake baking project. You don't think it will, but what if it happens again?
The good news is that you can easily take some of the anxiety and guesswork out of this equation. Here are five simple tips for preventing blackened undersides on your next batch.
5 Ways to Prevent Burnt-Bottom Cookies
Be A Mindful Measurer
Especially with sugar. Beyond providing sweet flavor, sugar is a key player in developing a crispy texture in your cookies. However, going overboard on the sweet stuff can promote fast and excessive caramelization, ultimately resulting in cookies with overly-darkened bottoms and edges.
Reevaluate Your Baking Sheet Set-Up
There are a few ways your baking sheet can stealthily set you up for failure when it comes to surprise burnt bottoms. Thankfully, the solutions are easy.
First, if you have a baking sheet that's lighter in color, reach for it. While dark, nonstick baking pans are great for moments when you're looking to really promote crispness (say, when you're baking up some frozen French fries), they're not ideal for your cookies.
Now, regardless of what baking sheet you use, do not — let me repeat, do not — grease it. Not even with a spritz of non-stick baking spray. Oftentimes, cookie recipes will specify that you use an "ungreased baking sheet," and the reason is that in your 350-degree oven, the bottoms of your cookies can start to sizzle in that extra grease. Instead of greasing your cookie sheet, line it with a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Either will prevent sticking and help protect the bottoms of your cookies. And no, neither wax paper nor aluminum foil will not work as a substitute.
One other thing to consider: Are you using a rimmed baking sheet or a perfectly flat cookie sheet? While baking your cookies on a rimmed sheet pan is just fine, using a flat, rimless cookie sheet does allow warm air to circulate around the cookies a bit better and promotes more even baking. Additionally, using a flat cookie sheet will allow you a slightly better view of the (more evenly browning) edges of your cookies, which can minimize your risk of baking them for too long.
Try Baking One Sheet at a Time
While we're on the topic of even heating and airflow, if you don't trust yourself to be consistent about rotating two sheets of cookies halfway through baking, just play it safe and bake one sheet at a time. Remember, for most conventional ovens, the heating element you're relying on for your cookies is located at the bottom of the oven — so, if you're not inclined to rotate your pans, that bottom pan is apt to get a little too much toastiness while your top pan may still need time to bake.
And Be Mindful of Where Your Oven Rack Is
Supposing you do decide to go with just one sheet at a time, make sure the rack is positioned in the center of the oven to ensure the most efficient baking experience possible.
When in Doubt, Show Up Early
It's important to keep in mind that the cookie recipe in your hand wasn't developed using your oven, so your bake times may vary slightly from what's written. That's why you should keep an eye on your precious sweets throughout their baking journey and check to see how brown and set they are looking a few minutes before they're scheduled to be finished.
While nothing in life is certain, these tips will certainly minimize your chances of ending up with a batch of gingerbread men bearing burnt bottoms.
FAQs
How can you prevent cookies from burning on the bottom? To begin with, make sure your dough is cold enough. Also, use parchment paper and never put the dough on a warm baking sheet. Lastly, if you oven tends to burn from the bottom, make sure to place the baking sheet into the top third of your oven.
How to stop food burning on the bottom? ›
Start with a low heat and then gradually turn to medium or high. Or, if you like your food a little charred, you can start with high heat, and then switch it to medium and low to finish cooking. Stirring is also a great way to prevent your food from burning as it doesn't let the food stick to the bottom of the pan.
How to prevent cake from burning at the bottom? ›
A sheet of aluminum foil under the pan can help prevent burning on the bottom. If your oven heats unevenly you can also bake you cake with can pan on a sheet pan that is doubled up as well.
Why do my cookies burn on the bottom raw in the middle? ›
your oven: it might not be preheating to the set temperature and might be going way above that or you are setting your oven to a very high temperature, too high for your cookies. oven rack position: if you are baking your cookies on the bottom rack of the oven, they might have too much heat directed to the bottom.
How do you heat up cookies without burning them? ›
Soak a paper towel with water and then squeeze it to remove as much liquid as possible. Wrap 1 to 2 cookies with the damp paper towel, or place the paper towel over a plate of cookies. Microwave your cookies for 10 to 15 seconds. Remove the paper towel and enjoy your fresh, steaming cookies.
How to make cookies not burn on the bottom? ›
How can you prevent cookies from burning on the bottom? To begin with, make sure your dough is cold enough. Also, use parchment paper and never put the dough on a warm baking sheet. Lastly, if you oven tends to burn from the bottom, make sure to place the baking sheet into the top third of your oven.
How to prevent biscuits from burning on the bottom? ›
Position your oven rack in the middle or upper third of the oven. Placing the biscuits too close to the bottom heating element can result in the bottoms browning too quickly. By positioning the rack higher in the oven, you can help prevent burning on the underside of the biscuits.
How do you bake without burning the bottom? ›
Instead of greasing your cookie sheet, line it with a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Either will prevent sticking and help protect the bottoms of your cookies. And no, neither wax paper nor aluminum foil will not work as a substitute.
Why does my baking always burn on the bottom? ›
Darker color pans absorb heat and can cause the cookie bottoms to burn. Instead, choose lighter gray or heavy dull-aluminum baking sheets.
How do I stop my bottom crust from burning? ›
How to Prevent Pie Crust From Burning
- Use a pie crust protector. Prior to the baking process, cover the edges of the pie crust with a piece of aluminum foil or a silicone pie crust shield. ...
- Rotate the pie. To promote even browning, rotate the pie halfway through the baking process.
- Keep an eye on the pie.
We've found that the optimal temperature for cookie baking is 350F. It gives the butter in the dough time to melt and lightly spread before the remaining ingredients cook through. When your oven is too hot, it rushes this process, resulting in a puffy, dry and potentially burnt batch.
Can I save cookies that are burnt on the bottom? ›
If your cookies look great, but the bottoms are a little too burnt for your liking, don't panic, we can save them! Take a microplane or box grater on the smallest side and grate that burnt part right off. No grater? A roughly balled up piece of aluminum foil rubbed on the bottom of the cookie will do the trick too.
Why do cookies burn in my oven? ›
The bottom of your cookies can burn for a variety of reasons. Your oven is too hot. The cookies baked for too long. Even the color of your baking sheet affects the bottoms of your cookies.
Is the bottom heat or top heat better for cookies? ›
Use the bottom heating element. Direct heat will in effect toast or crisp things in the oven. You don't want to toast a cookie. My oven when in bake mode doesn't use the top heating element at all, the only way to get the top element to turn on is to switch it to broil.
Does foil make cookies burn? ›
So, the end result will be super crispy bottoms and not-quite-done middles. In a worst-case scenario, the bottoms of your cookies may even burn while the rest of them don't thoroughly bake through — definitely not ideal.
What does it mean when food burns going down? ›
Severe inflammation in your esophagus may cause a burning sensation. Causes include GERD itself, viruses, fungal infections and certain medications. An allergic condition of the esophagus (eosinophilic esophagitis) can also lead to heartburn. Functional heartburn/reflux hypersensitivity.
What does it mean when you keep burning food? ›
Why Does My Pan Burn Food? It may be a lack of liquid in the pan, water or oil, or simply not enough. Another thing is to ensure you aren't cooking with too high a heat. If the liquid disappears before you're done cooking then you're probably using a heat setting that is too high.
How to keep chicken and dumplings from burning on the bottom? ›
Make sure the soup is simmering very gently while the biscuits are cooking. Place your ear next to the pot to gauge it. You want it to simmer just enough to steam the dumplings, while ensuring the bottom of the soup doesn't burn. Don't lift the lid while the dumplings cook, or they won't properly steam.
Why does everything burn on the bottom? ›
The type, color, and material of your bakeware can influence cooking temperature. Darker pans tend to absorb more heat, which can cause food to burn on the bottom. Solution: Opt for light-colored, heavy-gauge metal pans that distribute heat more evenly.
