Cookies are fun and easy to bake, and with so many different variations available, they’re popular with people of all ages.
If you’re getting ready to bake your first cookies at home then you’re in for a rewarding experience, but, you probably have some questions before you get started.
One of the most common points of confusion for new bakers is the question should cookie dough be room temp before baking?
In many recipes, especially cakes, all ingredients should be brought up to room temperature before mixing and baking.
However, cookies are different. Let’s find out why…
Should Cookie Dough Be Room Temperature?
Cookie dough should be semi-solid in consistency so that it can hold its shape while baking.
Because of this, it doesn’t actually need to be at room temperature before going in the oven.
Some recipes can even benefit from being slightly colder, especially if the ingredients are naturally runny.
The easiest way to tell if your cookies are at the right temperature is if you can easily scoop them with a spoon.
If they’re soft enough to be scooped and aren’t falling apart, then you’re good to go ahead and start the baking process.
The only time that you would need to wait to bring cookies to room temp before baking is if you have placed the dough in the freezer overnight.
When frozen, parts of the dough may thaw before others, which would result in over/undercooked areas of each cookie.
Should You Let Cookies Rest in the Refrigerator
There are even times when you would want your cookies to be below room temperature.
When working with particularly wet or sticky ingredients, refrigerating your cookies for 15 minutes before baking could make it easier to scoop and shape them.
If they’re slightly colder when they start cooking, they will hold their shape better.
This is particularly true with specialties like sour cream cookies and peanut butter cookies.
Check any recipe you’re following to determine if the dough should be refrigerated first.
Even if not stated, you can safely refrigerate your cookies for 15 minutes if you find that the dough is hard to form into balls or chunks.
Best Accessories for Perfect Cookies
Great cookies are made in reliable baking trays with parchment paper.
Special baking paper stops cookies from spreading too much and will also help to protect the bottom of your pan.
Avoid greasing your pan and putting cookies directly on top, as this will only promote spreading.
- This Katbite Nonstick Heavy Duty Flat Parchment Paper is produced in 12×16 inch sheets that are perfect for most standard cookie baking trays.
- If you need a cookie sheet tray to start baking, consider this set of three Teamfar Baking Sheets. Each sheet in the set is made from stainless steel to resist rust and damage. When using parchment paper, you’ll get decades of life out of these sheets.
Should cookie dough be room temp before baking? Now you know the answer to the question.
It’s often not necessary, and some dough works better when refrigerated first.
Follow our advice and tips and you’ll soon be making your best cookies yet.
