Will Resting Your Cookie Dough Yield Better Cookies? (2024)

We all have strongly held opinions about cookies — but this is a rule everyone should follow.

Published on March 17, 2022

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Will Resting Your Cookie Dough Yield Better Cookies? (1)

Searching for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe is like trying to find the best slice of pizza in New York City — everyone has an opinion, and with so many different preferences and options, one person's favorite may not even make another expert's list.

And, just as with pizza, there is a lot of debate on what makes a great batch of chocolate chip cookies. Countless publications, recipe developers, and home bakers claim to have cracked the code, offering up their recipe for chocolate chip cookies as the definitive best, but the formula for the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie is completely subjective. Your ideal cookies may be thin and crispy, while others prefer a soft-baked mound of dough. There are good cases to be made for using chocolate chips, wide couverture chocolate discs, or hand-chopped slabs of chocolate. And you can argue the merits of using cake flour versus all-purpose, butter or shortening, or white or brown sugar all day.

The short answer is: Yes. Resting your dough in the refrigerator will almost always yield better results.

But there's one rule that works for just about every chocolate chip cookie dough recipe, and it's the answer to a common cookie baking question: Does resting your cookie dough make better cookies? The short answer is: Yes. Resting your dough in the refrigerator will almost always yield better results.

But why? Chilling your cookie dough in the refrigerator after mixing it allows the flour to hydrate and gives the other ingredients time to blend, resulting in a richer, more well-rounded flavor profile. There's another benefit to this trick: Resting your cookie dough before baking also helps the cookies hold their shape in the oven, leading to more browning and caramelization of the dough itself and keeping the cookies from spreading out too thin. Former Food & Wine editor Kelsey Youngman explains that the science behind this technique is the same as when you refrigerate or freeze a pie crust before baking it. "When it goes into the oven, the butter doesn't completely melt right away," she says. Youngman says chilling the dough for at least one hour before baking is crucial. An overnight sleepover in the fridge is even better. But if you can't wait, shape your dough into balls and freeze them for 15 minutes before popping them into the oven.

Will Resting Your Cookie Dough Yield Better Cookies? (2)

So yes, resting your cookie dough makes better cookies. Understanding specific foundational baking techniques like these will give you more consistent results, so you can create the best sheet tray of cookies every time. And while we won't declare a single cookie recipe the best ever, we can definitely make a case for our Brown-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies or these Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies.

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As an avid baking enthusiast with a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in achieving the perfect chocolate chip cookie, I can attest to the significance of various factors that contribute to the overall quality of this beloved treat. My expertise extends beyond mere opinions, delving into the science and techniques that elevate cookie baking to an art form.

The article rightly acknowledges the diverse opinions surrounding the ideal chocolate chip cookie, comparing the quest for the best recipe to the search for the perfect slice of pizza in New York City. This analogy emphasizes the subjective nature of cookie preferences, with factors such as thickness, texture, and the type of chocolate used playing crucial roles.

One key aspect highlighted in the article is the importance of resting cookie dough in the refrigerator. Drawing upon my extensive knowledge, I can confirm that this technique is a game-changer. Resting the dough allows the flour to hydrate and permits the ingredients to meld, resulting in a more nuanced and flavorful profile. The article correctly points out that this process mimics the science behind refrigerating or freezing a pie crust before baking, preventing the butter from melting too quickly in the oven.

Former Food & Wine editor Kelsey Youngman's insight into the chilling process further reinforces the significance of this technique. The explanation that the butter doesn't completely melt right away during baking contributes to the cookies holding their shape, achieving desirable browning and caramelization. The recommendation to chill the dough for at least one hour, or preferably overnight, aligns with my own experiences in achieving consistently outstanding results.

The article's conclusion about the importance of understanding foundational baking techniques for consistent cookie success resonates with me. In my own baking endeavors, I have found that mastering techniques like proper resting of the dough significantly improves the outcome, ensuring a delectable batch of cookies every time.

To encapsulate, the advice on resting cookie dough is not just a subjective preference but is grounded in the science of baking. Incorporating this technique into your cookie-making process will undoubtedly lead to a more delightful and superior final product, showcasing the importance of understanding and applying foundational baking principles.