Nothing screams cookie flop like a batch of freshly made, completely flat cookies. What happened? A few factors might have led to your flattened patties. Most of the time, it’s due to using melted butter, not enough flour, or baking at a low enough temperature.

Hello, cookie lovers! My name is Shea, and I’ve been a self-taught baker for almost 10 years. I adore baking cookies, but I’ll be honest: I’ve had the dreaded flat cookies before. I discovered how to correct this (common) error and am sharing it with you now.

Nobody likes to have flat cookies. They’re unappealing to look at, and they lack the fluffy, delightful feel that everyone knows and loves. Fortunately, flat cookies are a quick cure. This post will show you how to create fluffy cookies rather than flat ones.

Who’s up for some fluffy cookies?

How to Make Cookies Fluffy Instead of Flat

Do you want some fluffy cookies? I’ve got your back. Let’s take a look at some of the best fluffy success ideas and tactics.

1. Use Multiple Fats

No matter what your cookie recipe says. You should not depend only on butter. Since butter has a low melting point, it might cause your cookies to spread more easily when baking, resulting in unsightly flat cookies. No, thank you!

Use a mixture of butter and oil or butter and shortening as a solution. For a rich and delicious taste, butter is nearly always required. Meanwhile, the oil and shortening will keep the cookies lovely and plump.

Since we’re talking about fats, I’ll mention this: avoid using margarine in cookies. Cookies with margarine will spread and may have a biscuit-like texture. Unless you’re like it, skip the margarine and go for some genuine fats.

2. Don’t Melt Butter

I understand if you’re a die-hard butter aficionado. Nothing beats the taste of exquisite butter, particularly in baked goods. Be particularly cautious with your butter if you’re not using a butter and oil or shortening combination.

As previously stated, butter has a relatively low melting point (90-95F). Whether you start with melted or too soft butter, it will only melt completely while your cookies bake.

Although butter should not be rock hard, don’t use the microwave to soften it. After about 15 minutes on the counter, your butter should be soft enough to blend without becoming too soft.

3. Chill Your Dough

I understand. It’s a pain to chill cookie dough. That implies you’ll have to wait hours before you can eat your freshly cooked cookies. Nevertheless, to be honest, chilling the dough may make all the difference.

The fat in the cookie dough solidifies when it is chilled. This indicates that it will take longer for the fat (butter, shortening, etc.) to melt, resulting in fluffier cookies.

How long should cookie dough be chilled? If you can wait that long, I would suggest 24 hours. If you need to satiate your cookie desires quickly, refrigerate the dough for at least one hour. (Maybe do some kitchen cleaning in the meantime?)

4. Bake at a Higher Temperature

Yep, you read it right. To get the fluffy texture you want, your cookies may need to bake at a higher temperature. This does not imply preheating the oven to 450°F. But, using 375F instead of 350F might make a huge impact.

Additionally, ensure that the temperature in your oven is right. Ovens, particularly older types, lie. With a cheap oven thermometer, confirm that the temperature indicated is correct.

5. Never Use Hot Cookie Pans

Using a heated cookie pan is one of the most common blunders while baking cookies. Once again, it all boils back to fat. When you lay cookie dough balls on a warm or hot baking sheet, the fat begins to melt faster. It is a definite no-no.

When using your cookie pans, make sure they are at least room temperature. This contains many in-between batches. Don’t hurry. Let the cookie pan to cool completely before proceeding to the next batch.

For fluffier results, use Silpat mats instead of greasing your cookie tins.

6. Add an Extra Egg

You’ve definitely heard of this cake technique, but did you realize it also works on cookies? An additional egg in your cookie recipe will result in an almost cake-like and very soft texture. It’s a simple addition, so why not give it a shot?

7. Replace Baking Soda With Baking Powder

I’ll say it again: your cookie recipe isn’t always correct. Although both baking soda and baking powder are useful leaveners, baking soda may result in more spreading than intended.

Stick to baking powder if you want fluffy cookies. Baking powder is better recognized for producing amazing puff. Just make sure it isn’t out of date. Otherwise, it will be useless to you.

8. Shape Taller Cookie Balls

My last piece of advice is to abandon the notion that cookie dough balls must be precisely spherical. Placing taller and leaner cookie balls (or should we say footballs?) on your cookie sheet will result in plumper and fluffier cookies. Yum!

FAQs

There are several techniques for making cookies fluffy rather than flat, and you now know them all. If you still have questions about how to accomplish it, see the commonly asked questions section below.

Why don’t my cookies flatten out?

There’s also the problem of cookies not spreading out and remaining unappealingly dense and clumpy. What occurred? Most of the time, this is due to an excess of flour. It might also be due to using cold butter or an oven that is excessively hot or cold.

Does baking soda make cookies Fluffy?

Baking soda acts as a leavening agent, causing cookies to puff up. Baking soda, on the other hand, induces spreading, while baking powder is just used for fluffing. As a result, baking powder should only be used in cookie recipes.

Does old baking soda make cookies flat?

Outdated baking soda (and baking powder) may definitely create flat cookies. Baking soda and powder that have expired do not contain active leavening, which is required for a full cookie.

Are 4 teaspoons of baking powder too much?

If it’s more than your cookie recipe asks for, the answer is most likely yes. If you use too much baking powder, the cookies will fall on themselves like a dying star. Use the quantity of baking powder specified in the recipe. Replace the baking soda as well.

Final Words

If you want fluffy cookies, watch your fat intake closely. Instead of melted butter, try a butter plus oil or shortening combination. Always refrigerate your dough before using it, and never use hot cookie pans. Consider using an additional egg, just baking powder, and making taller cookie balls.

How do you create fluffy cookies? Have you used any of these hacks before? Share your thoughts in the comments section!