Guide to achieving thick, bakery style cookies

You've spent an hour in the kitchen, perfecting dough that looks and smells like it's going to be incredible. You're practically drooling, thinking, "I don't care if I burn my tongue, I'm about to devour one of these big, delicious cookies." The timer goes off, and you open the oven, only to find a sad, flat mess of cookies stuck together. Trust me, I've been there, and I know how frustrating it is. That's why I'm here to share everything I've learned from countless trial and error, so you can finally get those thick, perfect cookies TODAY.

So why did your cookies come out flat?

Cookies can become flat if you've added too much sugar, too little flour, overmixed the dough, used butter that's too soft, skipped chilling the dough before baking, or if your oven is too hot, causing the butter to melt too quickly and the cookies to spread too much. The kind of leavening you're using as well as the type of sugar also plays a role.

Key reasons for flat cookies:

• Overmixing:

  Overmixing the dough activates too much gluten, causing the cookies to spread excessively and become flat.

• Too much butter:

  Excess butter creates extra liquid in the dough, leading to spreading and flat cookies. 

• Not enough flour:

  Too little flour to fat ratio creates cookies that can't hold their structure, resulting in excessive spreading. 

• Soft butter:

  Using butter that is too soft or melted will cause it to liquefy quickly in the oven, leading the cookies to spread excessively.

• Not chilling dough:

  Not refrigerating or freezing the dough before baking causes the butter to melt too quickly, leading to flat cookies. 

• Oven temperature too high:

  An oven that is too hot causes the butter to melt quickly, making the cookies spread out. 

• Expired leavening agents:

  Old baking powder or baking soda won't help the cookies rise properly, resulting in a flat texture. 

  
  

How to fix flat cookies:

• Measure ingredients accurately: Double-check your measurements for flour and sugar. If you have a scale, use it to measure. If not, use a separate tool to spoon your flour into your measuring cup, ensuring that it doesn't become packed together.

• Chill the dough: Always refrigerate or freeze the dough before baking to allow the butter to firm up. It's easier to form your balls before chilling. You can freeze dough for up to 3 months as long as it is secured in an airtight container. If freezing, chill the balls on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes before packing away to keep the dough from sticking together.

• Mix gently: Avoid overmixing the dough. You can do this a couple of ways depending on your tools. If you are mixing by hand, fold your ingredients in on themselves vs stirring in a circular motion. If you are using a mixer, keep it on the lowest setting and stop every 30-60 seconds to scrap down the sides, ensuring that you have everything evenly combined without overmixing. 

• Use cold or room temperature butter: Ensure your butter is at the right consistency, not too soft. If you're looking for a soft, chewy cookie, use room temp butter. If you're doing something like a sugar cookie that you want to be crispier, use cold butter. If you are baking with brown butter, brown your butter 20 minutes prior to beginning the dough so it has time to come to room temp or sit in the fridge to get cold.

• Monitor oven temperature: Preheat your oven and use an oven thermometer to ensure the correct temperature. The best temps for cookies are 350°F or 375°F.

• Line baking sheets: Use parchment paper or Silicone Baking Mats on your baking sheet to prevent sticking and even baking. DO NOT USE WAX PAPER, IT IS NOT OVEN SAFE. (Yep, learned that one the hard way)

• Incorporate the correct leavening: Baking soda helps a cookie rise, but also to spread. Whereas baking powders primary function is to help the cookie rise. Creating a balance of both leavening agents is a good rule of thumb to create cookies that aren't too flat or too fat. Try using a 50/50 ratio. If you are revising a recipe that only calls for baking soda, remember the ratio of baking soda to baking powder is 1:3, meaning you should use three times as much baking powder as baking soda.

• Find a balance between brown sugar and white sugar: Brown sugar is more dense than white sugar, creating a more chewy, soft, cookie. Cookies made with brown sugar will spread more however. White sugar creates a crispy, crunchy cookie that tends to have a drier texture. A good rule of thumb is to use 50% white sugar and 50% light brown sugar for a great texture, better flavor and less spread.