How to Keep Cookies Soft (2024)

FAQs

Why do my cookies get hard after they cool? ›

They go from soft to hard because they start to dry out, and it begins as soon as you pull them from the oven. (Yikes.) Whatever moisture is left in the cookies is always in a state of evaporation. At the same time, the sugars and starches are solidifying.

Make sure cookies cool completely before storing. Store them at room temperature in an air-tight container, like Tupperware. Store different flavors separately. Over time, strongly flavored cookies like molasses or mint will seep into other cookies, so if possible store each flavor in its own container.

If you are storing the cookies in layers, place a piece of damp paper towel in between every two layers. Cover the opening fully with plastic wrap and finally, the cover. Dampen the paper towel again each day to maintain the moistness and that should keep the cookies nice and moist.

Wrap Them Up

Individually wrap your cookies in plastic wrap after baking, which will enclose them in moist steam.

To extend the shelf life of products, many bakers use specially formulated enzymes for preservation. These naturally occurring protein compounds can keep baked goods soft while preventing crumbling and staling.

Add Baking Powder

Adding a bit more baking powder to your recipe (or adding baking powder at all, about 1/2 a teaspoon) can help give you softer and fluffier cookies.

Adding about ½ teaspoon of cornstarch for every 1 cup of flour will prevent the gluten in the flour from developing fully. Cornstarch will also help prevent the cookies from spreading too much, making them nice and thick, keeping the center soft and chewy.

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

Bakery or homemade cookies can be stored at room temperature two to three weeks or two months in the refrigerator. Cookies retain their quality when stored in the freezer for eight to 12 months. Moist bars, such as cheesecake and lemon bars, can be refrigerated for seven days.

Will aluminum foil keep cookies fresh? ›

* Store crisp cookies in a container with a loose-fitting lid. * Cookies can be frozen for as long as six months with good results. Put cookies in a container lined with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and separate each layer of cookies with more plastic wrap or foil. Tightly seal container.

If you are planning to eat the cookies within a few days, place them in an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag. You can also place a slice of sandwich bread inside the container, which will absorb excess moisture and help keep the cookies soft.

Store them in an airtight container.

While we love a good cookie jar, it's important to make sure that you're storing your cookies in an airtight container. The longer the cookies are exposed to air, the more likely they are to harden. You've got to keep that moisture locked in, people!

Baking soda

When added to dough, baking soda releases a carbon dioxide gas which helps leaven the dough, creating a soft, fluffy cookie.

The temperature can be a big factor when storing cookies. Unless otherwise noted, don't store cookies in the refrigerator: The cool air can rob cookies of their moisture and make them taste bland. In general, store cookies at room temperature or freeze them, as specified above.

Double Your Yolks Most cookie recipes call for at least one egg. You can try omitting the white of each egg, which tends to dry out when baked, and replacing it with an additional yolk. Plus, egg yolks have more fat than egg whites, which helps to keep your cookies moist and chewy.

Step 3: Reheat The Cookies In The Microwave For 15 – 20 Seconds. As the microwave starts to heat up, the cookies will be able to absorb all the moisture evaporating from the damp paper towels. After around 15 – 20 seconds on medium settings, they should already soften up.

Should cookies be soft when they come out? Some cookies are fluffier than others, so they may be “soft” when they come out. However, they shouldn't be so soft that they're undercooked. If you prefer a crispier cookie, you can bake them a little longer.

Why are my cookies tough? The most common reason that cookies are tough is that the cookie dough was mixed too much. When flour is mixed into the dough, gluten begins to form. Gluten helps hold baked goods together, but too much gluten can lead to tough cookies.

Keep cookies cool

Your stored cookies will stay freshest in a cool, dry place, such as the back shelf of your pantry. Depending on the variety, they'll last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. You can also freeze cookies for up to six months.

How long do cookies last in a Ziploc bag? ›

Keeping cookies fresh for five days should be no problem at all. Store soft cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag.

Problem #2: Dry and stiff cookies

You probably have too much flour in the recipe. The excess flour caused too much gluten to form, preventing the cookie from softening and spreading.

Over time, the moisture in the cookies evaporates, leaving them stiff and crumbly. It's the same thing that happens to breads, muffins, and other baked goods. The longer they sit, the more stale they become. Thus, the best, most foolproof way to prevent cookies from going stale is to eat them the day they were baked.

Since it is not being creamed and aerated nor kept in cold pieces that create steam in the oven, melted butter does not serve the same roll in leavening pastries as softened and cold butter do. However, it does still play a roll in the texture. For instance, using melted butter in a cookie recipe will make them chewy.

Why This Happened: Melting the butter first means it will mix more easily with the flour making the gluten form more than softened butter. More gluten = more chew. So a melted butter cookie will have a bit more chew. But they will spread more since the butter was already a liquid.

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure. Therefore, as the butter spreads so does the whole liquidy cookie.

Sugars. Sugars, like fats, liquefy in the oven. White sugar will make your cookies crispier while brown sugar contains more moisture and will result in a softer and more chewy cookie. Most chocolate chip cookie recipes call for both sugars.

Most homemade cookies will maintain their taste and texture for up to 3 days. If you leave them out for too long, the cookies begin to harden or dry out. To prevent cookies from becoming stale, cover them with plastic wrap or keep in an airtight container.

Let it sit for long enough—the famous Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie, published in the New York Times, mandates a rest of at least 24 hours and up to 72—and the starches and proteins in the flour begin to break down, leading to more browning and caramelization.

How long do homemade cookies last in an airtight container? ›

What is this? Regular homemade cookies will last for 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature and up to 9 months if stored in the freezer.

Cookies can last in the fridge for two weeks, but eating them sooner is better. Store cookies in the fridge in a fully sealable plastic bag or plastic container.

So, now that you know the reason behind the different appearances of the two sides, you're probably wondering if you should use aluminum foil with the shiny side up or down. Quite simply, it doesn't matter. Since the exact same material makes up both sides, they will perform precisely the same way.

Lining a baking sheet when making cookies: Not only will the parchment help cookies bake more evenly, the non-stick quality also helps prevent them from cracking or breaking when lifting them off the sheet. Decorating home-baked goods: Parchment paper makes the perfect wrapper for baked goods.

Baked cookies will stay fresh for three days in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. If you decide to freeze baked cookies, plan to defrost and serve them within three months.

🎄Holiday cookie baking

Depending on how you are going to store them, Christmas cookies can be baked as early as 3 months before you plan to eat them. If you plan to keep them at room temperature, it's best to make the cookies about 2 weeks or less in advance.

The Best Cookies for Chilling

People always recommend chilling chocolate chip cookies but shortbread, sugar cookies and even these terrific ginger cookies all benefit from a little time in the fridge. Feel free to test it out using your favorite recipes and compare the results.

This keeps them from sticking together or losing crispness. Metal tins keep cookies firmer than plastic bins. Let cookies cool before storing.

Baking soda is most commonly used in cookie and muffin recipes. Baking powder, however, already contains an acid and a base and has a more neutral taste, which works great when baking cakes and bread.

The apple cider vinegar is used to activate the baking soda, helping the dough to rise a bit.

What happens if you put to much baking soda in cookies? ›

Using too much baking soda or baking powder can really mess up a recipe, causing it to rise uncontrollably and taste terrible.

It is important to note that, most of the time, a cookie isn't completely done cooking until up to 20 minutes after it comes out of the oven: as it cools it firms up, sets, and finishes baking.

Overworking the dough.

The more you mix and work the dough after adding the flour, the more gluten is formed, which can result in cookies that are tough and hard. → Follow this tip: After adding the flour, mix just until you see no more visible flour.

Why Do Cookies Get Hard? Like all baked treats, cookies are subject to getting stale. Over time, the moisture in the cookies evaporates, leaving them stiff and crumbly. It's the same thing that happens to breads, muffins, and other baked goods.

Open up the oven, pull out the rack a bit, and push the sides of the cookie very lightly with a spatula or your finger. If the edge stays firm and doesn't fall inwards, then your cookies are done.

In order to keep them their softest, tuck a slice of white sandwich bread inside the airtight container. Just like this trick helps keep brown sugar soft, it will keep your cookies soft since the moisture in the bread will leach out into the cookies.

Unless otherwise noted, don't store cookies in the refrigerator: The cool air can rob cookies of their moisture and make them taste bland.

The most common reason that cookies are tough is that the cookie dough was mixed too much. When flour is mixed into the dough, gluten begins to form. Gluten helps hold baked goods together, but too much gluten can lead to tough cookies.

Microwaving them. If you cover your cookies with a wet paper towel and nuke them for a few seconds, they should soften up enough to eat.