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
For soft cookies, use:
- Brown sugar, as it has a high moisture content and retains moisture better than white sugar. ...
- Shortening instead of butter or in addition to butter. ...
- Baking powder instead of baking soda. ...
- Eggs, particularly egg yolks. ...
- Cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Another way to soften cookies is by placing the cookies in an airtight container with a damp paper towel. The paper towel will release moisture and help to soften the cookies without making them too soft or mushy. Another way is to place the cookies in a plastic bag with a slice of apple or a damp tea towel.
What is the secret to chewy cookies? ›
Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.
What makes a cookie soft instead of hard? ›
Soft-baked cookies are often made using a solid fat with a higher melting point, which prevents the cookie from spreading while baking. The result is a thicker, softer, chewier cookie. Another simple trick for softer cookies is to use chilled dough.
What ingredient helps cookies stay soft? ›
Light corn syrup is another ingredient that you can add to cookie dough that will help it stay softer longer. The corn syrup you buy at the grocery store is not the high-fructose corn syrup that soft drinks are made with; it's a sugar that is liquid at room temperature and helps other sugars say liquid at high heat.
How do you keep homemade cookies soft and chewy? ›
“To keep cookies soft, store them in an airtight container and not in a cookie jar,” Amanda recommends.
What to add to cookie mix to make them soft? ›
Brown Sugar
Adding moisture to your cookie dough can help make it softer and chewier, and stay soft for longer. That's why I use much more brown sugar than granulated sugar in this recipe. Learn how to DIY your own brown sugar and how to keep it soft in your pantry here.
How do I make my cookies chewy instead of crunchy? ›
How To Make Cookies Chewy Without Cornstarch
- Go heavy on brown sugar. It has more moisture than its granulated counterpart, which means the cookie comes out less crispy. ...
- Choose margarine or shortening instead of butter. ...
- Use baking powder instead of baking soda. ...
- Rest your dough. ...
- Shorten baking time.
Just wrap a cookie or two in a damp paper towel and then put them in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds. The moisture from the paper towel should soften the cookies right up. So if you wonder how to soften hard cookies quickly? Microwave is the way!
What causes cookies to soften? ›
The cookies became soften when you left overtime in open atmosphere because some of the ingredients are hygroscopic(absorb atmospheric moisture fastly) in nature such as sugar,smp etc. so when you bake the cookies then give 1.5 times the baking time for cooling then pack cookies in air tight container for future use.
Sugar dissolved in baking forms a syrup as the dough heats up. Different types of sugars affect the texture because they absorb different amounts of water. Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies.
How do you make cookies soft and chewy vs hard and crisp? ›
Different types of sugars affect the texture because they absorb different amounts of water. Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies.
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.
Does butter or margarine make softer cookies? ›
Though most bakers and cooks prefer butter for its unparalleled taste, margarine does have its place. Because of its high water content, baked goods made with margarine will often have a softer texture.
What makes cookies flat and crispy? ›
Melted butter – To achieve thin and crisp cookies, I've discovered that melted butter is really crucial. Melted butter helps the cookies to spread out and become flatter with crisp edges.
