How to Bake Soft Cookies

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: June 15, 2021

If you prefer light, fluffy cookies to flat, crisp ones, adapt your recipes to make the perfect soft cookies. Just a few simple changes to your cookie recipes will improve their texture. For example, use brown sugar, shortening, cake flour, and add an extra egg yolk. Increasing the moisture in the cookies will help them hold their shape and remain soft. You can also store the cookies with extra moisture to keep them soft. For a bit more guidance, try a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe that makes pillowy soft cookies.

Ingredients

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

8 tablespoons (110 g) salted butter
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups (187 g) flour
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
3/4 cup (130 g) chocolate chips or chunks

Makes 1 dozen

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Adapting Recipes

1
Use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. Cake flour has a lower protein content than standard flour, so the cookies will stay puffed and fluffy. If you use bread or all-purpose flour, you'll end up with crispier, flatter cookies. You can replace all of the all-purpose flour with cake flour.
2
Try shortening or margarine instead of butter. One of the easiest ways to get a soft, fluffy cookie is to replace the butter with shortening or margarine. These are stable fats that will hold their shape as the cookies bake which will give you soft, puffy cookies.^{[1]
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3
Include vanilla pudding in the dough. Open 1 package of instant vanilla pudding mix and add the dry mix to your cookie dough. Add the mix when you're pouring in the dry ingredients and combine the dough as directed in your recipe. The vanilla pudding mix will add moisture to the cookies, so they stay soft and last longer.
- If you're making chocolate cookies, consider using chocolate pudding mix.
4
Substitute some brown sugar for white sugar. Since brown sugar contains molasses, it will keep your cookies moist and fluffy. You can either replace all of the white sugar in your recipe with brown or try a combination of white and brown sugars.^{[2]
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- For example, if your recipe calls for 2 cups (400 g) of white sugar, use 1 1/2 cups (300 g) of brown sugar and 1/2 cup (100 g) of white sugar.
5
Add an extra egg yolk. Eggs are included in most cookie recipes because they bind the ingredients together and add moisture. Add an extra egg yolk to your cookie recipe to add more moisture that will create steam. This steam will help your cookies puff up and stay soft.
- Adding extra egg whites can actually dry out your cookies unless you add more sugar to compensate.
6
Beat the dough until it's just combined. Add the dry ingredients to your dough and beat them in until they're just mixed in. Avoid beating the dough for too long or the cookie dough will become stiff. Stiff dough will make dense, chewy cookies.^{[3]
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7
Bake the cookies at a higher heat. Avoid baking the cookies at temperatures below 325 °F (163 °C). Longer cooking times at lower temperatures can make the fat in the cookies spread out. This will make the cookies thin and crisp. For soft, puffy cookies, bake them at a temperature of at least 350 °F (177 °C). The high temperature will help the cookies keep their shape.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Storing Soft Cookies

1
Store the cookies in an airtight container. Cool the soft cookies completely and transfer them to an airtight container. Ensure that the lid is closed tight to prevent them from becoming stale and hard.
- You can keep the cookies at room temperature for up to 1 week.
2
Add a moist paper towel to the container. Run a little water through a paper towel and wring out the excess moisture. Unroll the damp paper towel and lay it on a sheet of waxed paper. Set the waxed paper with the towel on top of the cookies in the container and close the lid.
- If the paper towel dries out, you can remove it. Replace it with another damp paper towel.
3
Include a piece of bread in the storage container. If you don't want to use the damp paper towel, you can use a piece of bread to add moisture. Just set a piece of plain bread on waxed paper and lay this on the cookies. Close the container and leave the bread with the cookies.
- If you're shipping the cookies or giving them as gifts, you can use a tortilla instead of a piece of bread. The tortilla will also keep the cookies moist, but will take up less space than the piece of bread.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

1
Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and get out a baking sheet. Set 1 or 2 baking sheets aside while you mix together the cookie dough.^{[4]
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2
Microwave the butter. Place 8 tablespoons (110 g) of salted butter into a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave the butter until it just melts, but doesn't get hot. This should take 40 seconds.^{[5]
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3
Add the sugars to the melted butter. Measure and add 1/2 cup (100 g) of sugar and 1/4 cup (50 g) of packed light brown sugar to the bowl of melted butter.^{[6]
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- You can use dark brown sugar, but the cookies will have a stronger molasses flavor.
4
Beat the butter and sugars for 1 minute. Use a stand or hand mixer to beat the melted butter with the sugars on medium speed. Keep beating the mixture until it's creamy. This should take 1 minute.^{[7]
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5
Beat in the vanilla and egg. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vanilla. Beat the mixture until the egg is incorporated. This should take 10 to 15 seconds.^{[8]
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6
Mix the dry ingredients into a dough. Turn off the mixer and add 1 1/2 cups (187 g) of flour, 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) of baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) of salt. Turn the mixer on to low and beat the dough until the dry ingredients are just combined. Remove the beaters and use your hands to bring the little bits of dough together.^{[9]
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- Avoid over mixing your dough or the cookies may become tough instead of soft.
7
Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour 3/4 cup (130 g) of chocolate chips or chunks into the dough and use your hands or a rubber spatula to mix them. The chips should be evenly spread throughout the dough.^{[10]
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8
Roll the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and set them on a baking sheet. Arrange the balls so they're at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) apart.^{[11]
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9
Bake the soft cookies for 9 to 11 minutes. Put the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake the cookies until they puff up and turn slightly golden. The cookies will look dry around the edges and just set in the centers. Avoid baking the cookies until they darken since they'll finish cooking as they cool.^{[12]
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10
Cool the cookies on the sheets for 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and set them on a wire rack. Let the cookies cool completely on the sheets before you move them. The cookies should deflate a little.^{[13]
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- Store the soft cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Eat the cookies within 5 to 7 days.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I use white sugar and baking soda?

Opal

Community Answer

You can use white sugar and baking soda. The descriptions on the bottom of the images are just tips for making softer fluffier cookies.