Hard and stale cookies are the absolute worst kind of cookies; it’s time to get rid of the staleness and say hello to the fresh ones. Whether your cookies are a week old or just a few days old doesn’t matter.
With the guide you are about to read, you are going to become a pro at softening cookies that have become hard with time or because you baked them for too long.
Cookies are one of the best gifts that you either receive from someone or give to someone because they show how much sweetness you or someone brings to life.
So, let’s proceed with our blog so that you don’t have to throw away the delicious cookies because they become stale. From smartly storing them to planning how to pack them, you will find every possible and super helpful solution here.
How to Soften Hard Cookies
If you don’t like brittle cookies that can be used to hit someone, you should know how to soften your cookies.
Perfect cookies are those that are crunchy from the outside and super moist and chewy from the inside; this balance of texture can only be achieved with proper planning of how you should store cookies and how you can keep them soft.
If your cookies have become hard, then it’s time to soften them. There are many techniques that you can use, but by far, my favorite ones are:
#1- White bread slice
If you fear that your cookies will go stale even after you did everything you thought would save them? Well, there is one thing that you probably didn’t think about; a slice of white bread.
Don’t worry that the bread will make things worse; instead, just try putting the slice in your cookie jar or container and see the magic.
Here is how you can use the bread slice:
- For one dozen cookies, put ¼ piece of white bread (choose white bread as it doesn’t have a strong scent or flavor) and put it at the bottom of your cookie jar. You can also put the bread in the middle of the cookies to absorb all the moisture.
- Leave the cookies for 24 hours with the bread; when you see the bread becoming stale, replace it.
- Bread will release moisture, and the sugar in cookies will absorb the moisture; hence your cookies will stay soft.
If by any chance you don’t have white bread, you can use bran bread or an apple slice but make sure that bran bread doesn’t have any strong scents or flavor, or your cookies will smell like it.
#2- It is recommended to wrap the item right after baking
Suppose you bake cookies and leave them in the oven longer than you should have, making the cookies hard (which happens to the best of us).
Then the easiest and quickest way to soften those hard cookies is by wrapping your cookies as soon as you take them out of the oven.
You can wrap them in foil or a kitchen towel. This way, all the heat that escapes the cookies will soften and moisten them up.
Once they cool down while being wrapped, open them, and if you see vapors, there is a 95% chance you’re your cookies will be softer (even if they aren’t super soft, they won’t be as hard as they were).
#3- Reheating Hard Cookies
This tip is super similar to the previous one, as heat will help to soften the cookies. If your cookies are hard after you bake them, or if they have become hard after a few days of baking, then a good idea is to wrap your hard cookies in a damp kitchen towel and then microwave them for 15 seconds.
The cookies will absorb all the moisture from the damp towel and become soft. You can also heat them in an oven or on a stove.
After heating, don’t unwrap the cookies as soon as you take them out; instead, let them stay in the towel for a while to absorb as much moisture as possible.
#4- It is essential to store them correctly
All the techniques are in one place, but storing the cookies properly is the ultimate thing you can do to protect your cookies from becoming hard.
When storing your cookies, ensure that you put them in an airtight container or a zip-lock bag that will keep all their moisture inside.
This way, your cookies will stay as fresh as freshly baked ones. Store them as correctly as you can for the best results.
As we discussed previously, heating cookies can make them fresh and soft. This is because every cookie has butter in it, and once the butter solidifies, it hardens the cookies; however, if you heat them, the butter melts and fills up all the cracks that help the cookies to become chewy and soft.
Similarly, if you have chocolate cookies, then once you heat them, the chocolate melts, filling up all the cracks and softening up the cookies.
If you decide to heat them in the microwave, don’t forget to wrap them in foil or in a damp cloth/ kitchen towel. Doing so will also add an element of water vapors, making them even softer.
Sugar cubes help to retain moisture in cookies. If you store your cookies in a jar with a few sugar cubes, then there is a good chance that your cookies will become soft after a few hours.
Sugar cubes will sweat, and the cookies will absorb all the moisture, making your cookies soft and delicious.
#7- Dunk them in tea or hot chocolate
With this technique, you don’t actually have to do anything to soften your hard cookies. Instead, an effortless way is to make a hot cup of coffee, hot chocolate, or tea and dunk your cookies in them to enjoy soft cookies.
The hot liquid will instantly soften your hard cookies, and you can enjoy them. Another thing you can do is to take a bite of your hard cookie and then take a sip of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate and then enjoy the crunch with a warm sip of your favorite beverage.
However, remember not to dunk it for too long in a hot beverage, as it can make your cookie fall into your cup.
Final Verdict:
From all these methods, you must have found your favorite technique that will help you keep your cookies soft and chewy for years to come. I am sure one of these techniques will become your go-to technique for your cookies.
So, go on now and save those stale and hard cookies; you can enjoy them for longer.
Suggested readings:
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
It is very easy to soften your hard cookies without a microwave; all you have to do is cover them with a damp kitchen towel or place a slice of bread in your cookie container or simply store them in an airtight container. And in a few hours, your cookies will become soft.
Since cookies contain a lot of butter, there is a chance that high heat melts your butter before the eggs and other ingredients are set.
So when they are fully baked, the butter melts, and once it cools, the butter hardens, making your cookies hard.
Another reason could be that you over-baked your cookies, and all the moisture evaporated, making them hard when they cool.
As you have read in the blog above, there are many ways to revive your stale cookies.
You can put a slice of bread, heat them, put sugar cubes with cookies, and can also put them in an airtight box to make them fresh again.
Cookies become hard when there are the following situations: When the butter melts quicker than the other ingredients set, this also makes the cookies spread.
1: When the butter melts quicker than the other ingredients set, this also makes the cookies spread.
2: You bake them for way too long, and all moisture evaporates.
3: The temperature in the oven is too high.
4: The baking tray is very hot.
Avoid these things to make your cookies soft.
The way to bake and store your cookies is what makes them hard or soft. Try to follow this guide to ensure your soft cookies don’t turn into hard ones.
Your cookies become hard when you don’t store them properly. Another reason your cookies become hard is when you bake them for too long and at higher temperatures.
