If you want to make cookies, but you’re having problems, here are the most common cookie issues and how to fix them.
Related: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Burnt bottoms
- The heat may be too high, try 10-25 degrees lower
- Is the oven temperature off, get a oven thermometer to see what temperature your oven is actually
- Did you forget to use parchment paper, try adding parchment paper
- Did you use a silicone baking mat, try with parchment paper instead
- Did you use too much sugar, try with 1/4 cup less for the next batch
- Is the pan too dark, try baking on a stainless steel baking sheet
- Did you bake them on the bottom oven rack- put one cookie sheet in the middle of the oven
- Were there too many cookie sheets in the oven at the same time (not enough air flow)- try putting one cookie sheet in the middle of the oven
Flat cookies
- Was there not enough flour, add 1/4 a cup for the next batch
- Too much butter, reduce the butter by 1/4 a cup for the next batch
- Did you chill the dough, try putting the dough in the fridge for 2 hours before baking, or in the freezer for one hour before baking
- Was the baking sheet warm, bake your cookies on room temperature to cool baking sheets
- Did you use a low fat butter, use a full fat butter for your next batch
Dry cookies
- Did you use too much flour, try reducing the flour by 1/4 cup for the next batch
- Did you over mix, after the liquids are mixed well, only stir to combine the other ingredients
- Did you over bake, start baking cookies at 8 minutes and check on them every minute. Remember they will continue to cook out of the oven
- Did you add too much salt, reduce the salt by 1/4 teaspoon for the next batch
- Did you not add enough butter/fat, try adding 1/4 cup more for the next batch
Puffy cookies
- Did you use too much shortening, try half shortening half butter or all butter
- Did you use the right rising agent (baking powder vs. baking soda), make sure you have used the right ratio of each
Not chewy cookies
- Did you only use white sugar, try replacing half the white sugar with brown sugar or even just 1/4 of a cup
Not crispy enough
- Did you use brown sugar, try using more white sugar and less white sugar
Too sticky
- Gradually add more flour until the dough is less sticky, and chill for 1 hour
Only have salted/unsalted butter
- If you only have salted butter and the recipe calls for unsalted, omit any other salt in the recipe. If you only have unsalted and it calls for salted add salt to the dough to taste
Recipe asks for cake flour/bread flour
- To replace cake flour replace 2 tbsp of flour with cornstarch for each cup of flour. To replace bread flour add 1 tbsp of water for each cup of water
If in doubt do one test cookie and adjust the batch as needed.
