4 Common Sugar Cookie Mistakes (2024)

Unlike many things in the baking world, sugar cookies are meant to be foolproof. They don't have much butter or leavening, so they'll keep their shape when you roll out the dough and cut them. They're sturdy enough to be handled and decorated, but soft and delicious enough to be a Christmastime dessert staple. But there are still ways to totally mess them up. Assistant food editor Alison Roman gave us the skinny on the most common sugar cookie mistakes.

  1. Roll Out the Dough Too Thin or Too Thick
    If you roll this dough out even a little too thin, they'll become fragile. Not good if you're having a cookie-decorating party. But if you roll the dough out too thick, then they won't cook through and become dense and, honestly, pretty gross. The ideal thickness to roll out your sugar cookie dough is about 1/4"--that way, they'll be tough enough to be handled and decorated, but thin enough to stay a little crunchy.
  2. Use Intricate Cookie Cutters
    Cookie cutters with really small details and tiny pieces might seem like they'll yield a cool cookie, but the tiny pieces of dough won't cook evenly with the rest of the cookie (read: they'll burn). Stick with simple designs and add flair with the decorations (more on that below).
  3. Over-Bake Them
    Lots of people bake their sugar cookies until they're a nice golden-brown. DON'T DO THAT! They'll be hard as rocks--and will get harder the longer you keep them around. Because they'll harden naturally as they age, you want to bake them until they're just set. Look for a sandy-blonde color with just a hint of gold.
  4. Use Only Frosting to Decorate

(Credit: Zach DeSart)

Zach DeSart

Dazzling decorative sugars offer so much crunch and flair, we wouldn't dream of throwing a holiday cookie party without them. Available in a huge range of colors and sizes, they're secret weapons in the baker's arsenal that give any cookie a glam makeover--and you some serious baking cred. Sprinkle a few dragées on thin icebox cookies like the Speculoos Buttons for added height, or roll your favorite ginger-snap in sanding sugar before baking for extra texture. We love vintage-inspired hues like silver and gold, but feel free to color your holidays any way you like.

4 Common Sugar Cookie Mistakes (2024)

FAQs

4 Common Sugar Cookie Mistakes? ›

Soft – Dough that's “soft” or “runny” can be thickened by adding one or two tablespoons of flour to your mix. This will help keep your batch from “Spreading” and coming out of the oven looking like flat, not-so-cookie-like puddles.

What are 4 tips to keep in mind while making cookies? ›

  1. Freeze cookie dough balls before baking. ...
  2. Bang cookie sheets on the counter a few times before putting them in the oven. ...
  3. Place a wooden spoon or chopstick between the oven and door to prop it open slightly. ...
  4. Use brown butter instead of regular melted butter. ...
  5. Refrigerate finished cookies overnight before serving.
Aug 10, 2023

What if sugar cookie dough is too soft to roll? ›

Soft – Dough that's “soft” or “runny” can be thickened by adding one or two tablespoons of flour to your mix. This will help keep your batch from “Spreading” and coming out of the oven looking like flat, not-so-cookie-like puddles.

What is the secret to a perfect cookie? ›

The key is to always use top-quality ingredients as they'll result in a better cookie; it really is that simple.
  • Always use butter.
  • Choose the right sugar.
  • Choose the right flour.
  • Check your flour is in date.
  • Choose the right kind of chocolate.
  • Cream the butter and sugar.
  • Beat in the eggs.
  • Fold in the flour.

What makes a cookie chewy? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

What is the main problem with cookies? ›

Cookies themselves are harmless since the data they contain never changes. They are unable to install malware or viruses on computers. Some cyber attacks, unfortunately, have the ability to access user browsing sessions and hijack cookies. They can trace people's browsing history, which is dangerous.

What makes cookies fluffy and not flat? ›

Flour adds fluff and texture to the cookies. Adding too little flour can cause cookies to be flat, greasy, and crispy. Most recipes assume you'll use all-purpose, but if you want a lighter, crumblier cookie texture, choose one with a lower protein content such as cake-and-pastry flour.

Can you over mix sugar cookie dough? ›

My take is the idea of overbeating has to do with working the dough so much that you over-develop the gluten, and too much gluten in a cookie can make for a tougher texture. To form gluten, flour needs to play with water. There's not a lot of water in this. You'll get some from the egg and from the milk.

What are the five common baking mistakes? ›

Common Baking Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
  • Baking at the wrong temperature. ...
  • Not measuring ingredients. ...
  • Checking on your items too frequently. ...
  • Your ingredients are at the wrong temperature. ...
  • Your dough isn't rising. ...
  • Nothing is baking evenly. ...
  • Your dough or batter is too tough.

What affects cookies the most? ›

6 Ingredients That Affect Your Cookies
  1. Granulated sugar. Using granulated white sugar will result in a flatter, crispier and lighter-colored cookie. ...
  2. Brown sugar. Using brown sugar will result in a denser, moister cookie. ...
  3. Melted butter. ...
  4. Baking powder. ...
  5. Baking soda. ...
  6. Chilling dough for 24 Hours.

How did I mess up my cookies? ›

15 Common Cookie Baking Mistakes You Might Be Making
  1. Your cookies aren't baking evenly. ...
  2. You use eggs straight from the fridge. ...
  3. You use the wrong kind of flour. ...
  4. You measure flour the wrong way. ...
  5. You soften butter too much — or not enough. ...
  6. You use stale baking powder or baking soda. ...
  7. You overwork the dough.
Nov 4, 2020

Should I chill my sugar cookie dough? ›

Chilling the dough is a key step in making sugar cookies, especially when you're making cut-outs. Even if you're tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge, or even the freezer, even if it's only for a little while. Skip this step, and the dough will be sticky, and much harder to work with.

What happens if you chill sugar cookie dough too long? ›

After 72 hours, the dough will begin to dry out and you risk it going bad, especially if chilling pre-portioned balls of dough instead of the entire mass of dough. If you want to store longer than 72 hours, see the freezing tips below.

Why are my sugar cookies spongy? ›

Q: Why are my cookies so puffy and cakey? Whipping too much air into the dough. That fluffy texture you want in a cake results from beating a lot of air into the room temperature butter and sugar, and it does the same for cookies. So don't overdo it when you're creaming together the butter and sugar.

What are the 6 methods for making cookies? ›

There are many varieties of classifications for cookies. This refers to the way in which the cookie is prepared after the dough has been made. For example, there are drop, icebox, bar, sheet, cut out, pressed, rolled, molded or wafer. Let's take a minute to look at these methods.

What are the 3 basic mixing methods for cookies? ›

There are three major mixing methods used in baking which consist of:
  • The Muffin Method.
  • The Biscuit Method.
  • The Creaming Method.

What are some tips for making cut out cookies? ›

The dough can hang out in the freezer for weeks; when you're ready to bake your cookies, remove as many sheets of dough from the freezer as you'd like, let the dough stand at room temperature for five minutes, then use your favorite cutters to stamp out cookies; they'll be easy to cut, will hold their shape, and won't ...

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