Cookie Dough Too Dry: Here’s How To Fix It!

Cookie dough too dry Cover

Baking cookies is something that a lot of people indulge in; while some do it to support a business, others do it because they just enjoy cooking and baking, and it is just one of those things that helps them have a good time.

However, baking is an art and often more complicated than just cooking, and if you run into an instance where you realize that the cookie dough is too try, then that can be an issue for a lot of people.

After all, you have spent so much time getting better at something only to be experiencing problems that you should not have.

In this article, we are going to take a look at all the aspects that you should know about why this happens, in the first place.

Cookie Dough is too dry: The Common Mistakes.

Now, it is safe to say that the dry cookie dough can happen due to a numerous reasons, and there is nothing wrong with that.

fixing dry cookie dough

There are some common mistakes that people often end up making that result in that, and in this post, we are going to take a look at this whole situation.

Not Enough Fat

Now, I know you might be wondering why you would want to put fat in the cookies, but it is something that has to be in the cookies to make sure that your batch is not falling apart or it is not in a condition where it is completely inedible.

If you feel like your cookies are a bit too try, then it could be because there is not enough fat in the cookies, and you always have to keep that in mind before going forward.

Over Mixed

A lot of people don’t talk about this, but more often than not, over-mixing can result in the cookies actually losing their form and becoming too try when they are still in the doughy form.

mixing sugar cookie dough

I do understand that most people don’t want to deal with it, but it is one of the issues that most people do run into, and the more you look towards avoiding this issue, the better. Mix the cookies with just the right amount, and you are good to go.

Not Enough Liquid

Now, this is an obvious reason as to why it happens, and this is because you are not using enough liquid ingredients when you are making cookie dough, and while this can be a bummer for a lot of people, but the point here is that you should add just the right amount of liquid in your cookies so nothing goes wrong.

Dried in Fridge

You do have to put the cookie dough to dry out, that is true. However, you should never put it in the fridge because what it does is that it dries out all the liquid ingredients rather quickly, and once the dough is taken out, you are left with something that is crumbly and a bit too dry.

However, the moment the ingredients start coming back to the temperature, they just end up causing the cookies to spread.

Wet Ingredients Not At Room Temperature

When you are preparing cookies, the one thing that I would always suggest is that you should be certain to keep the cookies at room temperature, because it is only going to make the situation a lot better for you.

a lady preparing cookies for baking

You will not be decreasing the temperature a lot, and that will not ruin your cookies at all. So, the next time you think about it, just be sure that the wet ingredients are at room temperature so you can have an easier time.

Chilling

Last but not least, chilling is one thing that has to be done the right way because if you end up chilling the dough a bit too much, it will eventually dry out, and that is not what we would suggest to anyone.

So, be sure that you are taking good care of it if you want your dough to be perfectly moist and at a temperature where things simply cannot go wrong. A bit difficult, but it is not impossible.

How to Fix Dry Crumbly Cookie Dough?

When the cookie dough ends up being too try, it results in the cookies being crumbly, which means that they fall apart rather easily.

image of cookie dough with some other ingredients

Thankfully, you can prevent that from happening, and you can look at how to prevent that from happening, and that should help you have a better understanding.

#1- Add More Fat

So, the first thing that you can do is start adding more fat, as that is always something that helps you with the situation of crumbling cookies.

Having more fat is always better as it gets the job done, and there are no issues. However, you have to be sure of the extra fat you are trying to add because you really don’t want to add too much of it.

#2- Add More Liquid

Moving further, I would also suggest that you are careful of the liquid that you are adding. You do not want to be in a situation where you end up adding too much liquid or too little of it, for that matter.

preparing cookie dough from start

The amount has to be perfect so you can get the right amount of moisture in your cookies, and there is no issue whatsoever in the process.

#3- Maintain The Temperature

While you are at it, be sure that you are maintaining the temperature of the dough. It shouldn’t be too cold or too warm because that can actually just make the experience a lot more difficult.

You are going to need the right temperature to have things sorted, and while I do understand that it can be difficult, it will work just fine if you manage to get the right temperature.

#4- Add an extra egg yolk

One more thing that I can suggest to you when dealing with crumbing cookie dough is that you go ahead and add an extra egg yolk as that can help you be sure that the dough is not absolutely crumbling, as that can be an issue for a lot of people and we want to avoid that situation in all cases.

#5- Add Olive Oil

I know this might sound strange to some, but another way you can deal with the issues you are facing is by adding a dash of olive oil to the mixture.

It can help you have a decent experience where you do not have to worry about the cookies not turning out the way you want them to. It is a simple hack that makes sure that your cookies are prepared in the best way possible.

#6- Add Melted Butter

If you are dealing with crumbling dough, then the one thing that I can always suggest is that you go ahead and add some melted butter because that is going to help you a lot in making sure that you have some moisture in the cookies and no, it is not going to be an issue. Just be certain that you are adding just the right amount and not overdoing it.

#7- Mix Dough by Hand

Another thing that I would suggest is that you are going ahead and mixing the dough by hand, as that is always going to help you with the process.

mixing cookie dough with hands

You will have complete control over how you want the dough to be mixed, meaning that there are going to be zero issues.

Can you add moisture to cookies?

If you want to add moisture to cookies, you can use a tablespoon of molasses or honey into the cookies but be sure that you are not adding more than that because that can ruin your cookies, and that is not what we would suggest.

Does milk make the dough softer?

Yes, considering how milk increases the water absorption, adding milk in the dough results in a softer dough as compared to the use of water, which is what most people do.

Does baking soda make dough soft?

Yes, you actually end up getting cookies that are on the tender side. However, the use of the baking soda has to be done in the right way because you are not here to make the cookies too soft that they start falling apart.

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Final Verdict:

Dealing with cookies that are too dry and crumble at any moment is not a good thing to experience, and with this article, we have been trying to make sure that you are not running into any issues that might otherwise come in the way.

If you are having issues with your cookies, you can follow this guide here, and I can assure you that you won’t have any issues.

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Crystal Park
Crystal Park

My passion for baking is always special and my expertise in creating delectable desserts is never less. I share helpful tips for creative recipes and aspiring people to create delicious treats for their parties. My expertise is in Baking, Cake, Cookie, Bakery, and Desserts.