How to Fix Runny Cookie Dough (2024)

FAQs

How to Fix Runny Cookie Dough? ›

Soft – Dough that's “soft” or “runny” can be thickened by adding one or two tablespoons of flour to your mix. This will help keep your batch from “Spreading” and coming out of the oven looking like flat, not-so-cookie-like puddles.

The simplest and most advisable way to thicken cookie dough is to add a couple tablespoons of cake flour to a runny cookie dough. Mix it gently to prevent overmixing, which will result in a tough cookie dough. For roll-out cookie dough, knead the extra flour in by hand.

There are several ways you can thicken cookie dough without adding flour: Add more butter: Adding more butter to the dough can help thicken it and give it a softer, more tender texture. Just be sure to incorporate the butter evenly throughout the dough.

You can fix this by adding a teaspoon of flour or cornstarch at a time until your dough is just how you want. The added flour or cornstarch will absorb the excess liquid and reduce the dough's overall stickiness.

One option is to add milk, water, or another liquid until the dough is the right consistency. You can also try adding melted butter or shortening. If your dough is still too dry, you may need to add more flour. If your cookie dough is too dry and crumbly, you can try adding more fat to it.

Another method: add flour. You don't want too much—start mixing with one tablespoon and slowly increase from there. This will help your ingredients adhere to one another. While it may not be as firm as you'd like, it'll work well enough to bake.

Adjust the flour: Add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, to the dough until it reaches a consistency that is easier to handle. Avoid adding too much, making the cookies dry and crumbly. Chill the dough: Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes to an hour or until it becomes firmer and easier to handle.

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

If your dough is too sticky and it's impossible to work with you can add some extra flour, just a little at a time. Make sure you weigh the extra flour you add and then you'll be able to adjust the recipe correctly the next time you bake.

How to add moisture to cookies? ›

Add Molasses or Honey Another way to add more moisture to your cookies is incorporate a tablespoon of molasses into a standard-sized cookie recipe. Don't use any more than a tablespoon, because it will make your cookies very sweet and runny. One tablespoon is just enough.

Add more liquid ingredients in small amounts. Milk, egg yolks or egg whites, vanilla extract or even a teaspoon of water can help moisten the dough to give you less crumbly cookies. A little bit of a liquid like milk can also help your cookies spread in the oven to give you a more crispy cookie.

You have to let the cookie dough rest for about an hour on the counter-top to firm it up. In hotter climates, you can even put the dough in the fridge. Even overnight in the fridge will do. Resting the dough allows the flour in the dough to hydrate, thus preventing excessive spread of the cookies while baking.

Cover the baking tray with clingfilm and freeze the cookie dough balls for at least 90 minutes or up to 48 hours for best results. The longer you leave them, the thicker your cookies will be.

To fix this, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water to the dough. This will make the dough more moist and prevent the cookies from being too dry³. - You overbeat the butter and sugar together. This will incorporate too much air and result in a cakey texture.