Baking cookies is something you look forward to since it can be a lot of fun. It’s fun to gather your family or friends and make some wonderful snacks for everyone to enjoy.
If you’re making cookies and discover that they’re coming out far too fluffy, you may be dissatisfied. This is most certainly not how you expected things to turn out, and you may be scratching your brain, trying to find out where you went wrong.
There are a few factors that may be occurring that are causing your cookies to be puffier than usual. If you can find out what’s going on, you may be able to take measures to restore normalcy.
Continue reading to find out why cookies may occasionally be puffy. Having this knowledge will be beneficial, and you will most likely be able to avoid making similar errors in the future.
Contents
- 1 – Whipping Too Much Air Into the Dough While Creaming Butter
- 2 – Using Cold Ingredients
- 3 – Flatten Cookies on Your Cookie Sheet
- 4 – Consider Changing Some Ingredients
- 5 – Don’t Use Shortening
- 6 – Using Too Many Eggs
- 7 – Using Too Much Flour
- Enjoy Better Cookies
- FAQs
- What causes cookies to be puffy?
- What are ten reasons your cookies spread too much?
- How do you keep sugar cookies from puffing up?
- Does baking powder make cookies puffy?
- Does baking soda make cookies puffy?
- What happens when you overmix cookie dough?
- What makes cookies fluffy and not flat?
- What makes cookies rise baking soda or baking powder?
- Does cornstarch keep cookies from spreading?
- Why wont my cookies flatten?
1 – Whipping Too Much Air Into the Dough While Creaming Butter
The most typical explanation for puffier-than-expected cookies is that you made a mistake when creaming your butter. When creaming butter, it is vital to combine the butter with the sugar so that it may be well combined.
In general, you’ll be utilizing a high-speed mixer to do this, and here is where things might go wrong if you go too far. When you whisk too much air into the batter, it can cause issues with the dough.
You could end up mixing so much air into this butter mixture that your cookies come out fluffy after they’re done baking. The presence of air is what causes the puffiness, and you’ll need to be careful how you cream your butter to prevent problems.
To prevent difficulties, don’t combine your butter and sugar together any more than necessary. Some individuals do not pay careful attention while creaming butter, and as a result, they end up combining things for much too long.
When it comes to combining all of the elements together, this should be the general guideline. Only beat things until they are properly mixed, and then stop when you know you’ve accomplished the task.
It may even be preferable to beat things on medium speed rather than high speed unless the recipe expressly asks for it. It reduces the likelihood of making a mistake, and you should have an easier time doing things right.
2 – Using Cold Ingredients
Did you know that using cold ingredients might create certain issues while baking cookies? Many individuals utilize items straight from the refrigerator, which is where you’re going wrong.
Instead of utilizing cold components, you should utilize room temperature ingredients. Taking the effort to ensure that components like milk, eggs, and butter are at room temperature may seem tedious, but it will be worth it in the end.
Allow the ingredients you want to use to rest on the counter for about 30 minutes before using them. Even if they have been in the refrigerator for a long, this should allow them enough time to come up to room temperature.
If you believe the ingredients will take longer to reach room temperature, just be patient. Set out your ingredients before you want to start baking so you don’t feel like you’re simply standing about waiting.
Using cold ingredients may cause your cookies to be more puffier than usual, which you want to avoid. Simply being a little more patient will most likely result in better-looking cookies.
3 – Flatten Cookies on Your Cookie Sheet
You probably simply leave the cookie dough dollops as they are when you go to arrange them on cookie sheets. Most individuals don’t bother doing anything unusual or attempting to mold the cookie plop into a shape.
If your cookies are coming out way too fluffy, just smoothing down the cookie batter before baking it could work great. Place a spoonful on a baking sheet and flatten it slightly using a spoon or fork.
You may be amazed at how effectively this can help you make cookies that aren’t so puffy. Of course, if you flatten the cookie this way, it will be a little longer, but you may attempt to tweak things to your taste.
4 – Consider Changing Some Ingredients
Changing some of the elements in your recipe may also help you get better outcomes. You might be using a recipe that asks for a leavener, such as baking soda, which could cause your cookies to be more puffier than you want.
Reduce the quantity of baking soda or baking powder you use to reduce the likelihood of this happening. You may be able to trim the quantity of baking soda or baking powder in half, but if you have the time, you can experiment with other combinations to determine what works best for you.
It’s possible that your recipe used a little too much baking soda or baking powder. There’s also a possibility you used too much because you made a mistake.
Many individuals make minor blunders when they attempt to combine things too quickly. For example, you may have used a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon.
5 – Don’t Use Shortening
Shortening is included in many cookie recipes, but it may be causing your cookies to be puffier than usual. Many individuals have learned that using shortening is not optimal, but there is something that may be used in its stead.
When making cookies, you might use unsalted butter instead of shortening. This should come out better if you use unsalted butter, which is a simple alteration to make.
Some individuals claim that utilizing margarine would produce similar difficulties. You might try using margarine instead of butter to make things a little less calorie, but it typically isn’t worth it.
Consider using unsalted butter if you want to have a wonderful baking experience. If you use butter, your cookies will be much closer to ideal, and it’s wonderful to have cookies that are visually appealing.
6 – Using Too Many Eggs
Is it conceivable that you used more eggs than you were required to in your recipe? When making cookie dough, using too many eggs typically results in much puffier cookies than usual.
Examine your recipe to discover how many eggs it need. Is it feasible that you utilized one too many owing to a clerical error?
Small errors like these happen all the time, but many people don’t notice it until the first batch of cookies comes out of the oven. Your cookies may not be terrible in any way, but they may be puffier than they should be.
If you want to get things perfect, try making a fresh batch of dough using the exact quantity of eggs specified in the recipe. You should have cookies that are considerably closer to what you anticipate.
7 – Using Too Much Flour
It’s also worth noting that adding too much flour might result in fluffy cookies. You may have used a little more flour than necessary, which may have added to the overall puffiness.
Small mistakes, such as not measuring out a cup correctly, may make a big impact. Many individuals estimate the size of a cup rather than using a measuring cup and being precise.
When baking, being precise with your measurements can provide more consistent results. Instead of guessing how much you’re using or failing to level off your measuring cups, it would be preferable to use measuring cups next time.
Enjoy Better Cookies
Hopefully, all of the information above will help you solve your puffy cookie problem. You now understand why cookies might get puffy, making it easier to determine what went wrong.
You might have used the wrong ingredients or measured something incorrectly. Even pounding items for too long while combining ingredients might produce problems.
Simply keep this knowledge in mind the next time you create cookie dough. Your cookies are likely to come out considerably better now that you know what traps to avoid.
FAQs
Q: How come my cookies are so fluffy and cakey? Too much air is whipped into the dough. The fluffy texture you desire in a cake is achieved by pounding a lot of air into room temperature butter and sugar, and the same is true for cookies. Don’t overwork the butter and sugar while creaming them together.
Recipes & Ideas from Hy-Vee
Temperature in the Room Butter. If it’s too soft, it will melt more quickly in the oven and eventually spread out.
Sugar and fat in excess. Measuring is essential in baking.
Butter and sugar are being combined.
The dough is too hot.
Cookie sheets should be greased.
Preheat the cookie sheets.
Temperature of the oven.
The Cookie of Test.
Why do my sugar cookies spread as they bake?
Bake at the Appropriate Temperature. Regulation No.
Don’t overwork or underwork your butter. Don’t Soften Your Butter Too Much. Regulation No.
Avoid crowding the baking sheet.
Check to see if any of your ingredients have expired.
Never use a brand new baking sheet to bake cookies on.
Baking powder is a two-in-one chemical leavening made up of a powdered alkali (sodium bicarbonate) and a powdered acid (originally tartaric acid). When a dough or batter is wet, a chemical process occurs that creates carbon dioxide gas, inflating cookies, cakes, and pancakes.
Baking soda is the fifth ingredient. When baking soda is added to dough, it produces carbon dioxide gas, which helps leaven the dough, resulting in a soft, fluffy cookie.
7. The dough is overworked. If you over-mix (or lay out) cookie dough, it will absorb too much air, causing it to rise and then fall flat in the oven. Excess gluten development may also arise from overmixing the dough, resulting in thick cookies.
In two ways, butter keeps cookies airy. First, creaming cold butter with sugar generates small, homogeneous air pockets in the dough that will remain after baking. Second, it takes longer for cold butter to melt in the oven.
Baking soda combines with an acid in the oven to cause batters and doughs to rise and spread. Baking powder combines with moisture and heat to produce baked foods with a light, fluffy texture. Although they seem similar, baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable.
Why This Works: Because cornstarch bonds with the liquids in the dough, your cookies will spread less. It will also assist them in remaining soft and delicate!
One of the most typical causes for cookies failing to spread in the oven is that you used too much flour. Cookies depend on the ideal butter-to-flour ratio to spread exactly the correct amount when cooked. When using cup measures, it is quite simple to overmeasure flour.