Chocolate chip-less cookies cooling down on a wire rack

Isn’t it the biggest bummer when you pop a tray full of cookie dough into the oven, only to pull out flat, greasy cookies? It happens to me too. It could be caused by a variety of reasons:

  • The temperature of the butter. I believe this is the #1 culprit when cookies spread! If the recipe calls for room temperature butter, make sure it isn’t too soft when you start making your dough. When you press a finger into the butter, it should just barely leave a dent.
  • Over-creaming the butter and sugar. Overbeating causes the butter to break down and release air bubbles, which can lead to flat and dense cookies.
  • A greased cookie sheet. Use parchment instead to prevent sticking without adding extra grease.

So what if you’re in the middle of baking a batch of cookies, they’re spreading in the oven, and you want to fix it? Try chilling the dough on the cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes before baking. This will hopefully slow down the process of spreading.