No matter what is going on in your life, cookies bring people together. If you’re the type of cookie-lover who says “the softer, the better,” then read on for some tips and tricks on baking your own soft cookies at home.
Jessica Formicola
Jessica Formicola, Owner of Savory Experiments.
Underbaking, Don’t Over-mix the Dough
1. Overbaking is probably the #1 cause of dry cookies and the #1 way to make them softer. Bake them until the centers look slightly underdone or still glossy and remove them. This is often about 1 minute less than the cooking instructions.
2. Let them cool on a wire rack. Allow them to sit on the hot cookie sheet for a few minutes or two so they have time to cool enough that they won’t split when you move them, but don’t let them sit there too long, or else the hot sheet will continue to cook them.
3. Chill the dough! Starting with cooler dough means it will take more time for the dough to come to a temperature, which also means a slightly undercooked dough.
4. Cornstarch is the secret ingredient used by most professional bakers for super chewy cookies and is rumored to be what makes Crumble cookies so amazing. As is cream of tartar, which is what gives snickerdoodles their signature texture.
5. Don’t over-mix the dough. This can do two things. One, dry out the dough, and two, overwork gluten in the flour.
6. Make slightly larger or thicker cookies than the recipe calls for. Not by too much or you will also have to adjust the cooking time, but enough that they are a little doughy in the center.
Use Melted Butter Instead of Softened Butter
My top tip to be able to make soft cookies is to use melted butter instead of softened butter.
When making your dough, use melted butter instead of softened butter to ensure that your cookies are soft and chewy rather than hard and crispy. Melting the butter causes it to lose the majority of its water content, resulting in soft but dense cookies.
Natalia Thompson
Natalia Thompson, CEO and Recipe Creator at Flavorful Home.
Kimberlee Ho
Kimberlee Ho is a home baker from NJ, who loves to share approachable baking recipes and tips with busy families like her own on her blog, kickassbaker.com.
Use Brown Sugar, Add a Bit of Cornstarch
● Use a higher ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar. Granulated sugar tends to produce crispy cookies while brown sugar contains more moisture and will keep your cookies soft
● Bake your cookies just until they begin to turn light golden brown at the edges. They may look underbaked or wet still in the center. This is okay, as the cookies will continue to bake a bit from the residual heat of the baking sheets once you remove them from the oven. Baking for longer will yield crispier cookies while removing them from the oven as described will yield softer cookies
● Turn the oven temperature up slightly, just 25 degrees, to yield softer cookies. This may sound counterintuitive, but turning the temperature up a bit will allow the cookies to cook on the outside faster while leaving the middles softer. Be sure to remove the cookies as soon as they are turning light golden brown on the edges so they do not overbake
● Add a bit of cornstarch to your cookie batter, about 1/2 -1 teaspoon. Cornstarch will help tenderize your cookie dough, keeping it soft when it bakes
Add an Extra Egg and Chill the Dough Before Baking
Soft cookies are the best cookies. That’s just a fact. But sometimes, they can be difficult to perfect. Here are some of my tips for baking the best soft cookies.
Add an extra egg. This will help to add moisture and make the cookies more tender.
Use brown sugar instead of white sugar. Brown sugar contains molasses, which gives the cookies a richer flavor and a softer texture.
Replace some of the flour with cocoa powder. This will make the cookies more chocolatey and also help them to spread less in the oven.
Chill the dough before baking. This will prevent the cookies from spreading too much and ensure that they retain their shape.
Follow these tips, and you’ll be well on your way to baking the best soft cookies!
Kris Silvey
Kris Silvey, Owner, and Writer at ElevatedCoffeeBrew.
Natalie Tsui
Natalie Tsui, Owner of Cookie Nookie.
Bake the Cookies at a High Temperature and Add Extra Baking Powder
My best tip to bake softer cookies is a faster baking time at a higher temperature.
For example: try 375 degrees as opposed to 350. Baking at a higher temperature will bake the cookies faster and the oven won’t dry them out.
Another tip is to slightly underbake the cookies as opposed to baking them the full time the recipe says.
Lastly, extra baking powder will provide a fluffier cookie.
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