Plus, can you make hard cookies soft again?
By Corey Williams Updated October 05, 2020
Sure, there’s a time and a place for a crispy cookie (gingersnaps, duh!). But, most of the time, we’re all about those that err on the side of warm, soft, chewy, and gooey. Here’s what you need to know about making perfectly soft cookies every time:
What Makes Cookies Soft?
Choc chip cookie Getty 10/5/20
Credit: Esther Chou/Getty Images
Esther Chou/Getty Images
A cookie’s texture depends on a number of factors (ingredients, ratios, bake time, etc.) and how those factors work together. For instance, white sugar generally produces crispier results than brown sugar—but many cookies that are made with white sugar are soft and fluffy. Still, there are some basic guidelines that can help you on your quest to bake the softest cookies around.
Cooling cookies Getty 10/5/20
Credit: Wanwisa Hernandez / EyeEm/Getty Images
Wanwisa Hernandez / EyeEm/Getty Images
For soft cookies, use:
- Brown sugar, as it has a high moisture content and retains moisture better than white sugar. Also, when combined with eggs, brown sugar can prevent spreading (taller cookies tend to be softer and fluffier).
- Shortening instead of butter or in addition to butter. Butter has a low melting temperature, which promotes quick and even spreading. Shortening, meanwhile, takes longer to melt during the baking process.
- Baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking soda, which reacts with an acid, causes cookies to spread. Baking powder, meanwhile, uses the dough’s moisture to react with itself. It also reacts at room temperature and again in the oven. All this reacting gives it extra lifting power, making your cookies light, airy, and cake-like.
- Eggs, particularly egg yolks. Eggs work to make your cookies soft in two ways: They add a ton of moisture, and the proteins add structure that prevents spreading.
- Cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. Low in protein and high in moisture, cake flour is used to leaven all sorts of baked goods.
Bake time can also affect the texture of your cookies. As anyone who’s accidentally over-baked cookies knows, they get dryer and crunchier the longer they’re in the oven. Closely monitor your cookies while they’re baking to make sure they don’t dry out.
Related:
Can You Make Hard Cookies Soft?
Sugardoodle Cookies
Yes! You can absolutely soften hard or stale cookies. Simply place the cookies in an airtight container, throw a slice of white bread in there with them, and then close the lid overnight. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and you’ll wake up to a deliciously soft dessert.
Need to soften your cookies faster? Wrap the cookies individually in damp paper towels (damp, not wet). Zap them in the microwave—paper towels and all—for about 10-15 seconds.
FAQs
Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.
What ingredients keep cookies soft? ›
To keep it simple, cookie recipes that contain a lot of butter, brown sugar or egg yolks are going to yield soft and chewy cookies, because those ingredients add moisture and retain it for a longer amount of time.
How do you make cookies soft and chewy vs hard and crisp? ›
Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies. Why use melted butter? Melted butter creates cookies with a different texture compared to cookies made with softened or creamed butter.
How do bakeries keep their cookies soft? ›
Light corn syrup is sometimes used in specialist cakes and confectioneries to help keep baked products soft and doughy for longer.
How can I make my cookies fluffier instead of flat? ›
Try using baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking soda encourages spreading while baking powder puffs the cookies up. If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, you would use 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking powder. Caution: This could result in an unwanted flavor shift.
How do you make cookies soft and chewy again? ›
How to Soften Cookies in the Microwave: Place the stale cookies on a microwave-safe plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave them in short bursts of 10-15 seconds until they become soft. Be careful not to overdo it, as the cookies can become too soft or lose their texture.
What makes cookies chewy and not hard? ›
The science is simple: According to the flour authorities over at Bob's Red Mill, cornstarch can help “soften the rigid proteins of the flour, resulting in a light and chewy dessert.” “The cornstarch complements the flour in absorbing the liquids, but won't develop gluten structure like the flour will,” stresses ...
Does extra butter make cookies softer? ›
Also, underbaking them by a minute or 2 will help them retain a dense, chewy bite, explains Jenny McCoy, pastry baking arts chef-instructor at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York. Adding more moisture to your dough in the form of extra butter, egg yolks, or brown sugar will make your cookies even softer.
Why do my homemade cookies get hard? ›
According to The Kitchn, this occurs when you over-mix the dough. Mixing the dough naturally causes gluten to develop in the flour, and while you do need a good amount of gluten to give your cookies structure, too much of it will result in hard cookies.
Why do you put vinegar in cookies? ›
King Arthur Flour says the purpose of the vinegar is to temper the sweetness of the sugar and it also reacts with the baking soda to allow the cookies to rise a bit more in the oven. Who knew, eh? So try it–you'll be surprised how it perfectly balances the taste.
What ingredients make for a chewy rather than a crunchy cookie? Debra (Debbie) G. Eggs, brown sugar and a fat mix of 50/50 butter and shortening are some of the ingredients that will help make a cookie chewier. Also, fluff the flour with a whisk before measuring it — too much flour will make a cookie dry.
Which ingredient is mentioned as contributing to a softer consistency in baked goods? ›
Overall, shortening in baking provides goods with an element of formation and texture that oil can't. The high fat content in shortening contributes to the moistness of goods providing them with a softer, fluffier texture.
How do you make cookies not harden? ›
The bread/apple trick
Here's a baker's trick you'll find in our new Monster Cookies recipe: Adding a piece of fresh white bread to the storage container will keep cookies from becoming hard or stale.
What makes cookies softer butter or shortening? ›
Shortening is 100 percent fat, meaning there is no water in it and no steam is created during baking. The lack of water also means that shortening does not increase gluten production, so cookies made with shortening tend to be softer and more tender.
How to add more moisture to cookies? ›
If you overmix the dough, the cookies will be dry and crumbly. The best way to fix this is to add more liquid to the dough. This can be done by adding milk, water, or even melted butter. You may also need to add more flour to the dough if it is too wet.
How to make cookies fluffy instead of flat? ›
Adjust leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda are responsible for the rise and structure of cookies. If your cookies are too flat, try slightly increasing these leavening agents. Conversely, if your cookies are overly puffy and then collapse into flatness, it could be due to using too much leavening agent.
