You followed the recipe to a T. You baked them at the correct temperature. And yet, your cookies still turned out flat. What went wrong?
It could be multiple things. In this article, we’ll teach you how to make cookies fluffy instead of flat, as well as list some of the most common reasons yours didn’t rise to the occasion.
Your Butter Melted Prematurely
Butter, due to its low melting point, is usually the culprit behind flat cookies. It can be extremely fickle to work with, given that if it’s too cold it won’t mix well with other ingredients and if it’s too warm it can cause cookies to spread too thin. For this reason, it serves as the basis for many of the tips that follow.
“Real butter requires some finessing, but the taste and texture can’t be beat,” writes food blogger Nan Schiller. “Whatever you do, don’t use butter substitutes or margarines. They contain too much moisture and tend to spread even more than butter will.”
You Didn’t Chill Your Dough
We get that you’re anxious, but if you want fluffy cookies, you seriously need to chill… the dough. Why? Because of that whole issue with butter melting prematurely. Refrigerate your batter for at least 10 minutes before scooping it onto a baking sheet.
You Used a Warm Baking Sheet
A warm baking sheet can also cause butter to melt prematurely. To counteract this, place the cookie sheet in the fridge for about 10 minutes before scooping out the cookies.
Your Oven Thermometer is Inaccurate
It may seem unlikely, but inaccurate oven thermometers are more common than you think, especially considering that most people are using ovens that are several years old. Fortunately, there’s a cheap and easy fix: You can buy an oven thermometer for about seven bucks online.
You Greased the Pan
Ah, a classic cookie rookie mistake. We get it: you don’t want your cookies to stick to the pan. But here’s the thing: there’s enough fat in the dough already. Adding more will only cause your cookies to spread. So instead, use parchment paper or nonstick pans. If you choose to use parchment paper, make sure you use a fresh sheet with every batch.
As a final note, keep in mind that flat cookies aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Our signature shortbread cookies, for example, are purposefully made flat in order to achieve the shape, size, and consistency that our customers love so much. It all comes down to what your personal taste and preferences are.