Baking is an art, and this is something that we have discussed time and again. Honestly, this makes sense because if you are looking to make the most of the situation of baking, and you want to be sure that you are creating something that is truly great, then you need to improve your baking.
If you are wondering why your cookies are not spreading, then this post is for you, as we are going to help you get into more details.
We are going to explore the causes behind why your cookies are not spreading, as well as some ways you can ensure that you are getting the right results. So, let’s not waste time and start looking.
Cookies not spreading can be an issue for a lot of people, and more often than not, finding the right solution can be difficult.
That is why I have listed down some reasons as to why you might be experiencing your cookies not spreading enough. So, let’s have a look and see what the issue might be in the first place.
#1- The dough is chilled.
So, one of the most common reasons why your cookies are not spreading is that the dough is chilled to the point that it becomes difficult for it to spread properly.
The right thing to do is to get the dough at a room temperature, that should give you a good idea as to how to prevent that from happening in the first place, and you will not run into any problems while doing so, either.
#2- The oven temperature needs to be set.
I have seen a lot of people trying to bake cookies in an oven that is not as heated as one should put it.
Ideally, I’d suggest that the temperature is at 375F, simply because quickly baking the cookies results in cookies that are properly spreading and cookies that come out tasting amazing at the same time.
Again, it is not for everyone, so it is better that you are keeping this in mind.
#3- The temperature of the butter was low.
If you are looking to ensure that your cookies are spreading properly, you have to be sure that the butter is at the right temperature.
Because if the temperature of the butter was on the lower side, the cookies would not spread the right way. This is an issue that a lot of people do run into, so be sure that you are dealing with butter that is at the right temperature.
#4- The dough is warm.
I do understand that baking is complicated in a way that you require a lot of things to be at the right temperature, and if your dough is on the warmer side, then you might run into some issues with the cookies not spreading the right way.
Again, it is not always the easiest thing to measure everything the right way, so it is important to keep this in mind before going forward.
#5- Use Fresh Baking Powder
Another thing that I would highly, highly suggest is that you are always using fresh baking powder, and the same goes for the rest of the ingredients because if you are looking to be sure that you are getting the right cookies or whatever you are baking, then I would suggest using all fresh ingredients.
The next time you have been looking to bake something, it is better that you keep this in mind.
#6- Use the right baking sheet
While it might not make sense to a lot of people, baking can go wrong based on one thing at times.
This means that you have to be sure that everything that you are doing to perfect your baking method is being done the right way and that you are not messing things up, either.
I do understand that it might be difficult, but it certainly is something that you should keep in mind, and you cannot overlook that either.
#7- Avoid excessive mixing.
I remember someone telling me that there is no such thing as excessive mixing, and I never really agree with that statement because excessive mixing does exist in baking.
You have to be sure that you are not mixing too much, or else you would end up messing the recipe in more ways than one can imagine. So, the next time you have thought about it, be careful with the situation.
#8- More liquid is needed.
If you are worried as to why the cookies are not spreading, you could be looking at a situation where you are in need of more liquid in the cookies.
I do understand that it can be confusing for some, but you have to look into the possibility as well. So, always look into this going forward. Rest assured, getting it right can be difficult, so you have to look into this.
Now that you know why your cookies are not spreading, we can start looking at some tips that can help you getting cookies that actually do spread.
Again, it is important to keep all of this in the mind before you start baking. The more you ko here, the better. The purpose here is to help you have an understanding of baking even better.
Line The Baking Sheet
You can start by lining the baking sheet, and this is a trick that just works and works really well, too. However, when it comes to the process of lining the baking sheet, you do have to be careful because you do not want to mess up the lining.
It has to be done the right way in order for you to get the results that you are looking for, and I do understand that it is not easy, but it certainly is something to practice.
Cool The Baking Sheet
Yes, you heard it right. When you are baking cookies, and you are wondering why they are not properly spreading, it often has something to do with the fact that the baking sheet needs to be cooled down.
A small thing that not many people notice, but it does have a lot of significance, so I would always suggest that you are keeping this in mind when going forward.
Create tall dough balls.
This actually works for me all the time. If you want to make sure that cookies are spreading the right way, try creating taller dough balls.
Yes, it does sound ironic but doing so will result in the cookies actually coming out in a lot better way than you can think, and it is something that always works.
So, never overlook this, and you will be good to go; this much is something that I can assure you, and it always works.
Use melted butter.
If you are looking for the best solution and something that just works, I would always suggest that you are using melted butter because the functionality that it serves is always better, and you are going to be able to get the right experience with ease.
Melted butter always helps in ensuring that your experience is not faltered in any way. Just keep this in mind, and you will be good to go.
With white sugar.
I know it might sound strange, but I would suggest that you use white sugar as it actually helps in ensuring that the cookies actually spread.
You can look into how much sugar you are going to need, and this is going to give you a better understanding. White sugar is the way to go when you are making cookies or anything else, for that matter.
Increase fat.
If you want to be sure that your cookies are spreading, you can increase fat as well. However, be sure that you are not increasing the fat to the point that the rest of the ingredients end up being less than they have to do be.
It is complicated, and it is always important that you are taking the time to properly plan this so you do not ruin your cookies.
Add more liquid.
You know, you can actually go ahead and add more liquid to the cookies, and that will help you have something that spreads a bit more.
Again, it is not the easiest thing to deal with, but the option is always available, and trying it is not really going to make you regret this.
If you cannot seem to figure out why the issue is taking place, just go ahead and add more liquid, and that should help you have a better understanding.
Follow the correct recipe.
Yes, this is something that I cannot stress enough. The thing is that you cannot really go ahead and eyeball most of the things when it comes to baking, so you have to follow the right recipe at all times because it is very, very important that you are keeping this in mind. It is important that you don’t mess up when baking.
Butter temperature matters.
I know this might sound rudimentary and even unnecessary to some people, but the temperature of the butter is going to matter a lot more than some might think.
I know it can be complicated, but the point here is that you have to keep in mind that baking is technical, and you cannot just hope for a miracle because that will not happen,
Allow dough to reach room temperature.
Moving further, you will also have to be sure that you are actually letting the dough come to the room temperature, and it is one of the most important aspects that you can get into when it comes to baking cookies.
So, be sure that you are always keeping this in mind when it comes to baking cookies or anything, for that matter.
Weigh flour before adding.
Another thing that I am always going to suggest to you is that you are actually weighing flour and measuring other ingredients before adding it.
Because let’s be honest; it is really, really important that you are not messing this up because you can actually end up with cookies that are simply not worth your time. So, it is best if you avoid this situation altogether.
Yes, this is something that many of the baking folks don’t know, but baking soda does help in making the cookies spread.
This process works through raising the mixture’s pH level, and in return, slowing the protein coagulation. However, you have to be careful with how much baking soda you are going to use.
Do cookies spread when they cool? Yes, that actually happens, so it is always better that you are keeping this in mind going forward.
I do understand that it can be complicated, but hey, it is something that you should always know about when baking cookies.
Final Verdict:
Baking cookies, or anything else, for that matter, does not have to be complicated. However, there are several things that can come in your way, and with the help of this post, you can be in a situation where you do not have to worry about your cookies messing up.
Just be careful when it comes to the cookies not spreading or spreading too much, and you will be all good to go in no time.
