1. Use Brown Sugar
Add two tablespoons of light or dark brown sugar to your cookie recipe. Brown sugar can hold extra moisture because of its molecular structure (science!). The glucose and fructose found in it are hygroscopic, which means they suck up and hang onto moisture and moisture = soft, chewy cookies.
2. Store the Cookies with Bread
You can thank your grandma for this time-tested trick. You probably saw her store her brown sugar with a piece of bread to keep it soft and workable. The same thing goes for freshly baked treats. When you pack cookies away in a container or storage bag, toss in half a slice of any kind of bread before sealing them up. Basically, the cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, which keeps them nice and soft. Just make sure you don’t go overboard—too much bread will turn your baked goods to mush. (And choose a neutral bread so it doesn’t transfer its flavors to the cookies.)
3. Under-Bake Your Cookies
Ever accidentally bake a batch of cookies for too long, only to find that they were crunchy and hard instead of soft and chewy? The opposite goes for under-baking. Pull your cookies out of the oven a minute or two early (while the centers are still gooey). Once they’re just cool enough to transfer, put them in a storage bag or container. They’ll stay moist and chewy for longer that way.
4. Scoop the Cookie Dough in Mounds
The next time you’re baking a batch of cookies, try scooping the dough into tall mounds instead of flattening them on the baking sheet. They’ll bake up with softer centers where the dough is thicker, which will help them stay chewy for longer.
5. Use Corn Syrup
Before you freak out! Corn syrup (and not the high fructose kind) is kind of a baking miracle. It’s what’s called an invert sugar, meaning it’s liquid at room temperature. Why does that matter? Because if you add just a tablespoon to your recipe, it will give you a cookie with a crisp edge and chewy center that will stay that way for longer.
6. Store Them in an Airtight Container
This is critical. Whether you’re keeping your little masterpieces in a zippy bag or a reusable container, it’s got to be completely air-tight. Remember, air is the enemy and will draw out any moisture it can find.
Ready to Cook? Here Are 5 Cookie Recipes to Try:
FAQs
Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.
What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›
Cornstarch Is The Secret To Soft And Chewy Cookies.
How do bakeries keep their cookies soft? ›
Light corn syrup is sometimes used in specialist cakes and confectioneries to help keep baked products soft and doughy for longer.
What homemade cookies stay fresh the longest? ›
Dry cookies, like shortbread cookies, gingersnaps, and Danish butter cookies, will stay fresher for longer because they have very little moisture.
How do you keep cookies fresh for 10 days? ›
To keep your cookies fresh, you need to keep air out. For that reason, we suggest storing cookies in an airtight container—here are our picks for the best cookie storage containers. Make sure nothing gets in the way of the container and its lid, and double-check that the seal is tight.
How do you make cookies soft and not hard? ›
Cream your butter and sugar well
The ratio of different sugars (for example, brown and white sugar) will impact the final texture of the cookies. Using a higher ratio of brown to white sugar will help to keep the cookies soft—while the white sugar encourages spreading, brown sugar helps the cookies retain moisture.
What keeps cookies soft for days? ›
Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.
How do you keep fresh baked cookies from getting hard? ›
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.
Why are my homemade cookies hard the next day? ›
Cookies become hard when the moisture in them evaporates. This can be caused by leaving them out in the air for too long, baking them for too long, or storing them improperly. The lack of moisture makes the cookies hard and dry, which makes them difficult to enjoy.
What makes cookies stay fresh longer? ›
Since moisture helps cookies stay soft and fresh, adding a slice of white bread into the container with cookies can help. The moisture from the bread slice transfers to the cookies, preventing them from getting dry. White bread is best for this hack so that no flavor is added to the cookies.
If you seal the container when the cookies are still warm, steam will get trapped inside the container, which might soften the cookies too much. I prefer using a ziplock bag instead of a food storage container because I can press as much air out of the bag as possible, which also helps prevent stale cookies.
How do I make sure my cookies stay fresh? ›
If you are planning to eat the cookies within a few days, place them in an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag. You can also place a slice of sandwich bread inside the container, which will absorb excess moisture and help keep the cookies soft.
Why do cookies become soft after baking? ›
Richness of the dough (butter, oil, egg) as well as the moist, brown sugar used in Anerican chocolate chip cookies, also help make a soft cookie after baking. Leavening plays a role too. This video, geared towards American baking and ingredients, is a good start to figure out what type of recipe you made.
What makes a cookie more soft? ›
For soft cookies, use: Brown sugar, as it has a high moisture content and retains moisture better than white sugar. Also, when combined with eggs, brown sugar can prevent spreading (taller cookies tend to be softer and fluffier). Shortening instead of butter or in addition to butter.
What makes cookies chewy and not hard? ›
Use Melted Butter
If the goal is a chewy cookie, then you absolutely need to be using melted butter. The technique of creaming softened butter and sugar together is often used for making cakes. And for good reason! The process of creaming incorporates air into the butter which results in a more airy and cakey cookie.
What is the trick to soften hard cookies? ›
Another way to soften cookies is by placing the cookies in an airtight container with a damp paper towel. The paper towel will release moisture and help to soften the cookies without making them too soft or mushy. Another way is to place the cookies in a plastic bag with a slice of apple or a damp tea towel.
