I also used a cheaper brand of sugar. Why do the cookies flatten completely, I mean they hug the cookie sheet! They taste good, but terrible looking!! Hi, Candy. Otherwise, think through the things I listed above to see if any of those might be a problem.
Hi Jennifer. Thank you so much for helping us troubleshoot our cookies. Wondering if you would have an idea on the following recipe. This is a recipe I have made for my husband several years, passed on to me from his mother. For years it was always a great cookie to make, shape into a log and slice and bake, either from the refrigerator or the freezer. For the past 6 years? The cookie now spreads for anyone who has the recipe. I and my mil used to use Imperial, but that no longer works I am a butter user, except for this recipe.
Not sure if it would be worth trying butter—change the cookie? Add vanilla. Combine flour, salt and soda. Add to creamed mixture. Refrigerate dough; making into logs, if desired. Hi, Patti! Have you changed brands of any of your ingredients? That can definitely make a difference. For example, store brand sugars are usually smaller grains so that throws off measurements. Margarine has a higher water content and tends to make cookies that spread more than they should.
Margarine has also changed over the years to address the presence of trans-fats in those products. That could be contributing to the issue as well. Jennifer, thank you for your suggestions! My only other thought before writing you was to try using margarine and butter or margarine and shortening. It calls for 1. I wonder why this recipe always works? Hi, Susan. The notes about those things above are in reference to doing something differently from the recipe.
Thank you for these tips. View all posts by PJ Hamel. Comments Some sites state the reason for spread is your oven isn't hot enough.
My problem is the opposite. I WANT my cookies to spread more than they do. It's just my preference, but that's the way I like them. I haven't been able to find a site that tells me how to do this. Hi Ruth! You can always flatten them yourself before baking, but a common reason cookies don't spread well is if there's a little too much flour accidentally packed into the measuring cup while mixing the dough.
This is very easy to do because flour likes to pack itself down so we recommend measuring by weight to prevent the problem entirely or, if measuring by volume is the only option, using the fluff, sprinkle, scrape method shown here. Annabelle KAF Reply. She started having trouble with cookies spreading to thin when baking and started troubleshooting as nothing had changed.
Same oven, same ingredients, etc. What she found was that Parkay Margarine had modified their product so that it had a higher water content. She switched to Land O'Lakes margarine with a lower water content and that solved her problem.
I made what was suppose to be gooey choc chip cookies. I followed the directions to a tee. Yet, they stayed in a heap, meaning they didn't flatten at all. They baked in the same position they went in.
They're good, but not flat. This can especially be a problem if you haven't left much room between the cookies, and they end up bumping into each other. There are a number of reasons cookies can spread like that, but they're all under your control.
You just need to diagnose the reason. Also, if you happen to want your cookies to spread, you can use the info below in reverse. It's also important to measure properly. The most helpful recipes will list ingredients by weight since volume measurements like cups are notoriously inaccurate. A digital scale you can set to grams is a must-have tool for the home baker.
Having said all that, the main reason cookies spread is that the oven isn't hot enough. It's the heat that sets the cookies, and putting cookies into a too-cool oven means the butter will melt before the cookies have a chance to set.
Just because you set your oven to F doesn't mean it's actually F. Oven thermostats can go out of whack, so yours might be hotter or cooler than it says. To check, get yourself an oven thermometer a good one can be had for less than five bucks , and adjust if necessary.
Also, some ovens need longer to preheat than others. You might need to preheat for up to 20 minutes to ensure you hit F by the time the cookies actually go in. By the way, butter isn't the only thing that melts when you bake it. An oven thermometer is the only way to be accurate that when your oven says its degrees its actually at degrees. This way if your oven runs hot or cold you can adjust the temperature accordingly.
For more Oven , read this post! I got problems. I know. Moving on. And when you go to bake cookies and go digging out your baking powder and baking soda from the back of the cupboard and dust off the tops of your baking powder and soda, then they may be too old to use. Baking powder and baking soda are what we call leavening agents. They help make your baked goods rise. If they are too old, they may have become inactive.
It should bubble up violently immediately. If not, throw it out. It should bubble immediately. Maybe this should be reason 1. I truly believe the best cookie it has to have the dough chilled first. By chilling the dough, it solidifies the fat in the cookie dough. And the longer the fat stays a solid in your hot oven, the less spreading your cookies will do.
I like to chill my dough for 24 hours. When you mix up your cookie dough, simply scoop your cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and then chill for 24 hours.
I need to stress the importance of investing in some quality cookie sheets. Are you sensing a theme here for the perfect chocolate chip cookies? Preparation is key. Same goes for your pans. First, use light colored, aluminum quality cookie sheets. Oh wait we talked about that already so you got those now right? Second, use either parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Do not grease your baking pans. Using parchment paper or a silicon baking mat, allows for easy transfer of your cookies from the baking sheet to a cooling rack.
Heat is your 1 enemy here. This one is simple. Bake your cookies on the middle rack of your oven. You want even heat on top and bottom for them to spread evenly. Middle rack. You left them on the cookie sheet too long. I allow my cookies to cool for 3 to 5 minutes. Any less and you risk them falling apart on you when you try to move them. Any longer and the residual heat from the cookie sheet could continue to bake your cookies resulting in extra spreading and over baked bottoms.
Place them on a cookie cooling rack, do no stack them up, and allow them to cool properly. Yup taller cookies will spread less. So Instead of round balls, try making taller scoops. This should help cut down on the spreading. Another fun trick, is to when the cookies come out of the oven use a spoon and gently push the cookie edges back in a little bit. Like so…. Here are a few ideas to turn ugly ducklings into swans:. Now that we have covered why your batch of cookies may have failed you and spread out flat in the oven.
Let me show you step by step how to make perfect chocolate chip cookies:. If you can use a weighing scale for best accuracy. Otherwise make sure to read my tips on measuring flour. You want to whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Then you want to cream your butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Proper creaming with properly softened butter is what helps to aerate the mixture.
The sugar basically punches holes into the butter creating air pockets, which then will fill with the gasses created with the leavening agents which can help create some lift in the cookies. Once the mixture has properly creamed together, then add in your room temperature eggs, and vanilla extract. Make sure they are thoroughly mixed in.
Pro tip: You can place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using them to bring them to room temperature quickly. Now add your dry ingredients. You want to make sure to not overmix. Overmixing will result in dense, tough cookies because it will create too much gluten protein in flour that make it chewy and tough. Again, I love a combo. And chunks. The difference in sizes results in chocolate in every bite.
You can make them regular sized using a 1-inch cookie scoop. Or make them large! You can then stir in the chocolate chips at this point. Again just stir enough to mix them in and then stop mixing. Next you need to scoop the cookies. You can make them small or big. I vote big. And then comes the tough part. Chilling the dough for 24 hours.
You have to wait a whole day for the best cookies ever but it will be worth it. Sometimes cookies spreading may not be your only problem. I get it! So here are some more cookie problems and how to solve them.
Make sure to line your pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Your oven has hot spots. So try rotating your pans halfway through baking.
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