Cookie Troubleshooting Guide

Burned, Pale, and Misshapen Cookies Demystified

BY BETHANY MONCEL
Updated 11/16/16

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TheCrimsonMonkey / Getty Images

If you’re having trouble getting your cookies to come out right, use this handy
troubleshooting guide to help determine the problem. Whether it’s the color,
texture, or shape, this guide has you covered.

Too Dark

Cookies that are too dark are often due to over baking. This can be caused by an
oven that run hot. To combat this problem, check the cookies 5-10 minutes
before the recommended baking time is over.

If the outer edge of your cookies are too dark yet the center is under baked, try
lowering the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. This will bake the
cookies slower and allow the center to heat and cook before the edges become
overcooked.

Too Pale

This problem is due to the opposite factors of having cookies that are too dark.
Try increasing the baking time or increasing the baking temperature by 25
degrees. Every oven runs differently and the recommended baking time and
temperature may not be optimal for your oven.

Too Dry or Crumbly

Cookies that are crumbly and do not hold their shape are most often due to over
baking or adding too much flour, both of which will reduce the amount of
moisture in the cookie. Without a proper moisture ratio, the cookie will not be
able to hold together.

Too Doughy

Doughy cookies may be the result of under baking, which prevents enough
moisture from evaporating off.

If you find the edges of your cookies are fully cooked but the center is still too
doughy, reduce the baking temperature and increase the baking time.

Too Tough

Cookies that are too tough are most often the result of over mixed dough. Over
mixing the dough allows gluten strands to form, which will create a very tough,
chewy dough.

Over baking can also sometimes cause a tough cookie because too much
moisture evaporates off during baking.

Uneven Shape

Uneven cookies are usually the result of uneven temperatures. This could mean
that cold cookie dough was placed in a hot oven and one part of the cookie heats
faster than another. Or, cookie dough is placed on a hot baking sheet (when
baking multiple batches), which will again cause some parts of the cookie to heat
faster than others. Under baking sometimes also causes an uneven shape as the
entire cookie is not fully heated and has not completely spread.

Excess Spread
If your cookies turn out much larger and flatter than anticipated, this could be
due to placing the cookie dough on a hot baking sheet. This causes the cookies to
heat much faster than if they are placed on a cool baking sheet and then placed in
a hot oven. Likewise, over baking can increase spread. Certain ingredients also
lead to an increased spread, such as butter, white sugar, and all-purpose flour.