How can I keep cookies soft?
Use these tips to make soft cookies — and keep them that way.
The bakers of King Arthur are here to solve the kitchen conundrums you share with us, whether it’s on the phone, computer, or by the good old postal service. In Ask the Baker’s Hotline, Annabelle will pick the brains of the talented King Arthur Baker’s Hotline team to tackle some of your most-asked questions. Today’s query: How to keep cookies soft.
* * *
Picture this: You reach into the cookie jar for a soft, chewy peanut butter cookie that you’ve been looking forward to all day. You take a bite, and what’s this? It’s hard as a rock!
If you find your once-soft cookies quickly becoming dry and hard, Amanda Schlarbaum from the Baker’s Hotline has some tips for how to keep them softer, longer. (And if you still find yourself with dry cookies, we also have guidance on how to soften hard cookies, too.)
Set yourself up for success
First things first, avoid overbaking your cookies. “Overbaking will remove moisture before you even take cookies out of the oven,” Amanda warns. “Look for your cookies to be just set in the middle with golden brown edges.”
If you’re unsure what “set” looks like, keep an eye on their shine. If the dough is shiny as it bakes (thanks to the butter or other fat in it), that shine will significantly reduce or go away once the cookies are set. As soon as they reach that stage, remove them from the oven. Even if they don’t feel firm yet, they’ll continue to set and harden as they cool.
Storage tips to keep cookies soft
Keeping cookies soft and fresh all comes down to the way they’re stored — here are Amanda’s tips for success:
Airtight container
“To keep cookies soft, store them in an airtight container and not in a cookie jar,” Amanda recommends. “While cookie jars are cute, they usually don’t have airtight lids. Loose lids allow too much air into the container, causing the cookies to dry out faster.” Save your cookie jars for pre-packaged snacks or biscotti and keep your cookies in something with a good seal.
The bread/apple trick
Here’s a baker’s trick you’ll find in our new Monster Cookies recipe: Adding a piece of fresh white bread to the storage container will keep cookies from becoming hard or stale. But why does bread keep cookies soft? “Fresh white bread has a lot of moisture. When stored with cookies, it creates a humid environment, and the cookies absorb that excess moisture,” explains Amanda. She adds that “white bread is best for this, as whole wheat or flavored breads may not have enough moisture and could transfer their flavor to the cookies.” If you don’t have any bread lying around, “Apple slices have been known to work as well, but also have the potential to impart flavor.”
Keep cookies separated
Store different types of cookies separately. “Storing a soft peanut butter cookie with a snappy gingersnap will have the same result as adding a piece of bread: The gingersnap will become soft because of the moisture from the peanut butter cookie, and the peanut butter cookies will lose a lot of their softness. Plus, the flavors can be affected as well; those gingersnaps could take on the flavor of peanut butter, and vice versa.”
Stick with room temp
Storage to avoid: the refrigerator. “If you store cookies in the fridge, they will dry out,” Amanda says. The dry, cold air sucks the moisture right out of them. Instead, keep your cookies at room temperature, or freeze them for later.
How to soften hard cookies
If you still find yourself with hard cookies, all hope is not lost! Here's how to make hard cookies soft again with a few simple tricks.
A sustainable swap
“A brown sugar saver is another option that can both keep cookies soft and soften hard cookies,” says Amanda. “The clay — which you give a quick soak in water before putting in the container — acts like bread, creating a humid environment that will be absorbed by the cookies.” Soak the terra cotta disk in water for 15 minutes and you will have softer cookies in a couple of hours.
A quick fix to make hard cookies soft
Can’t wait that long? (Relatable.) “You can microwave the cookies wrapped in a damp paper towel or with a warm glass of water next to them for 20 to 30 seconds,” suggests Amanda. “The steam created will be absorbed into the cookie, softening it.” And bonus: “Not only will this soften hard cookies — it’ll also warm them up. And who doesn’t love a warm cookie?” Amanda to the rescue!
Craving cookies? Look through our full archive of recipes to find your next bake.
Cover photo by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
12 Reviews
Recipe in this post
Tagged:
Filed Under:
Tips and Techniques
Comments
Post A Comment
Blog
January 15, 2024 at 5:24pm
I tried baking a smaller version of a large cookie. Went from #16 to #50 scoop, and I changed baked time from 13 minutes to 10 minutes for my #50 scoop size. On the first day, these smaller cookies were a little crunchy on the outside and soft inside. By day two, they were more firm. They tasted good but no longer soft, and I did store them in an airtight container. So did they get firm because they were smaller? Thank you in advance.
January 26, 2024 at 2:43pm
In reply to I tried baking a smaller… by Susan Watanabe (not verified)
Hi Susan, it's possible you baked the smaller cookies a little longer than required, which made them dry out a bit faster than their larger counterparts. I suspect that smaller cookies may also just dry out a little faster because they have less internal structure to hold the moisture.
June 28, 2023 at 8:33am
Interestingly, when I freeze cookies, they pretty much always thaw out (gradually, left out at room temp) softer than when they were fresh. This has saved cookies that I sincerely thought I'd overbaked or ruined, or that simply came out denser or crunchier than I liked, on top of keeping well-baked cookies perfectly fresh. I once made these bars that had a layer of chocolate chip cookie on the bottom and brownie on top, and the brownie took way longer to set than the recipe said, leaving the cookie rock hard when the pan came out of the oven- I had to use some real muscle to cut the bars. I froze them and thought it was a lost cause, but when I thawed one out, the cookie was the perfect chewy texture; I couldn't believe it. It even works for decorated cookies- I've never had problems with properly mixed and fully set royal icing or cream cheese buttercream changing for the worse after freezing and thawing.
An hour or two after the cookies have come out of the oven and any decorations have fully dried, I simply pack them up, either in an airtight zip-top bag, container, or metal cookie tin, and then put it all in the freezer.
July 2, 2023 at 10:36am
In reply to Interestingly, when I freeze… by Ashtin (not verified)
This was a great tip! Thank you!
July 9, 2023 at 2:22pm
In reply to This was a great tip! Thank… by Katharine Mason (not verified)
I always put a slice of bread in the air tight container. Keeps the cookies nice and soft. When the bread gets hard, if you still have cookies left, replace the bread.