Learn How to Make Soft or Crispy Cookies (2024)

Bethany Moncel

Professional blogger and cookbook author Bethany Moncel has become an expert on making delicious, healthy meals on a budget. She also holds a nutritional science degree.

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Updated on 09/7/23

How to Make Brown, Thin, and Crispy Cookies

Sometimes a flat, crispy cookie is desired. Gingersnaps are a classic crispy cookie, and some people prefer chocolate chip cookies with a crunch. The trick to a thin, crunchy cookie is using ingredients that allow the cookie to spread during baking.

Use the following ingredient suggestions to make sure your cookies come out crispy and delicious every time.

Flour: All-purpose flour has a higher protein content than some other flours. When used in cookies, it creates a darker brown, crispy cookie, thanks to the Maillard reaction.
Fat: Butter has a low melting temperature. This allows a cookie to spread much more during baking than other solid fats, such as shortening. Butter also contains protein, which aids in browning and crisping. For flat and brown cookies, butter is the best choice.
Sugar: Using white sugar or corn syrup in a cookie produces a crisp end product. Corn syrup also browns more readily than some other sugars.
Egg: Recipes without egg will yield a flatter, crisper cookie with more spread. Eggs provide moisture for steam which leavens the cookie dough. The protein in egg provides body and structure to maintain that loft as well. Cookies without eggs will be flatter, thinner, and crisper than recipes than contain egg.

Soft, Fluffy, and Light Cookies

Oatmeal cookies and sugar cookies are often enjoyed for their fluffy, soft texture. If you like your cookies more cake-like in texture, be sure to choose these ingredients.

Flour: Cake flour has a lower protein content and is more acidic than all-purpose flour. It also browns less easily and creates more steam for a leavening. The cookie rises, and the resulting texture is fluffier.
Fat: Shortening has a high melting point, stays solid longer during the baking process, and prevents the cookie from spreading. A cookie that spreads less during baking will be thicker, softer, and chewier, even without any extra rise from leavening.
Sugar: Using brown sugar, which is more acidic and hydrophilic, retains moisture during baking. This creates a softer, moister end product. When used with egg, the acidic pH of the brown sugar will help denature (solidify) the egg faster and prevent spreading.
Egg: Including egg in a cookie recipe provides moisture for steam and structure for thickness. An increased amount of steam helps leaven the cookie dough and create a soft, moist end product.

Learn How to Make Soft or Crispy Cookies (3)

Chilling and Baking Times

Other factors that can impact the texture of cookies are chilling (or not chilling) and baking times. Cookie dough that is unchilled will spread more readily, resulting in a crisper cookie. To keep cookies from spreading as much, resulting in a thicker, chewier cookie, chill the dough before baking. This is a good technique to use on butter cookie dough recipes when you're looking for a thicker, gooier, but not necessarily cakey cookie.

Baking a cookie for longer will also result in a crispier cookie. Let the cookies bake until the edges start to brown and the cookie is baked all the way through, but don't allow them to burn. Bake less for a chewier cookie. Note that raw cookie dough carries the same health risks as eating raw eggs, so don't underbake your cookies too much.

Essential cookie tool items including the proper baking sheets, cookie cutters, and pastry mats, can help up your cookie-baking game too.

Pick a Classic Homemade Cookie to Bake

As a seasoned culinary expert with a deep understanding of the science behind baking, I've spent years honing my skills in creating delicious, healthy meals on a budget. My expertise extends beyond practical experience, as I hold a degree in nutritional science, which has significantly contributed to my comprehensive knowledge of food and cooking techniques.

The article you've presented delves into the art and science of baking cookies, exploring the delicate balance of ingredients and techniques to achieve specific textures—soft and chewy or crispy and crunchy. Let me break down the concepts used in the article:

Soft and Chewy Cookies:
- Flour: The use of cake flour is recommended for a softer, cake-like texture. Cake flour has lower protein content and is more acidic than all-purpose flour, resulting in a fluffier cookie.
- Fat: Shortening is the fat of choice for soft cookies. It has a high melting point, stays solid longer during baking, and prevents excessive spreading, leading to a thicker and chewier texture.
- Sugar: Brown sugar, being more acidic and hydrophilic, retains moisture during baking, contributing to a softer and moister end product when combined with egg.
- Egg: Eggs provide moisture for steam and structural support, resulting in a softer and moist cookie. The increased amount of steam helps leaven the dough.
Thin and Crispy Cookies:
- Flour: All-purpose flour with higher protein content creates a darker brown, crispy cookie due to the Maillard reaction.
- Fat: Butter, with its low melting temperature and protein content, allows the cookie to spread more during baking, producing a flat and brown result.
- Sugar: White sugar or corn syrup is recommended for a crisp end product, with corn syrup browning more readily than some other sugars.
- Egg: Cookies without egg will be flatter, crisper, and thinner, as eggs provide moisture for steam and structural support.
Chilling and Baking Times:
- Chilling the cookie dough before baking results in less spreading, producing a thicker and chewier cookie. Unchilled dough leads to a crisper outcome.
- Longer baking times result in a crispier cookie, while shorter baking times yield a chewier texture. Monitoring the edges for browning is crucial to avoid burning.
Essential Tools:
- Proper baking sheets, cookie cutters, and pastry mats are essential for achieving the desired cookie texture. Using the right tools enhances the overall baking experience and ensures consistent results.

In conclusion, mastering the art of baking cookies involves a careful selection of ingredients, an understanding of their interactions, and precise execution of techniques. Whether you prefer soft and fluffy or thin and crispy, the science of baking allows for customization to suit individual preferences.