Common Problems With Chocolate Chip Cookies And How To Avoid Them

Is there anything more popular than a chocolate chip cookie? There really can’t be much.  Making them is a simple process, does not require any fancy equipment or many ingredients and they are delicious!  Their simplicity makes them a very accessible treat to bake, meaning that anyone can give them a go.  I bet a lot of people’s first baking memories are making some form of cookie with their parents or grandparents, so they will often conjure up feelings of nostalgia.

All this make it even more frustrating when they don’t turn out how you would like them to!  Even though they are simple, there is still a technical process going on that underpins why they bake like they do and to make sure they taste right. 

I keep saying that baking is a technical process, whatever it is you are making.  A baking recipe might be simple, but there is still a technical process going on that dictates the results.  So, I think it is important to gain some understanding of what might influence the results of your baking, even for something as simple as a chocolate chip cookie. 

With this in mind, here are some of the more common issues that people experience when making chocolate chip cookies.  All recipes vary, but I have given some explanation as to what the cause of these issues may be and how they can be avoided.

Excessive Spread

This is possibly the most common of all the issues people have.  You want some spread in your chocolate chip cookies but not too much!  There are several possible causes:  

• Too Much Air: It could be caused by incorporating too much air into your butter / fat and sugar when you beat them together.  More air in the mix encourages spread so less mixing will reduce the spread.
• Sugar Content: Too much sugar or the wrong type of sugar can also be a cause.  Coarse granulated sugar will increase the spread, but brown sugar has more moisture and can help the cookies retain their shape.  Whilst recipes have white sugar in them, you should not make cookies with only white sugar.
• Baking Temperature: The temperature that the cookies are baked at will also affect the amount of spread.  If they are baked at a higher temperature, then the cookie will set before it can spread.  So, they will spread more if they are baked at a lower temperature.
• Baking Sheets: A simple cause may be that you have too much grease on your baking sheet.  If the pan has a lot of grease on it, the cookie will be more prone to spread. Likewise, placing cookie dough on a baking sheet that’s still warm from a previous batch can cause the dough to start melting before it even goes into the oven, leading to excessive spreading
• Ratio Of Ingredients: Flour provides structure. If there's not enough flour in the dough, it won't hold its shape well, causing the cookies to spread.  Similarly, too much butter or sugar will cause excessive spread.
• Not Chilling The Dough: Warm dough spreads more quickly than cold dough. If the dough isn’t chilled before baking, the cookies may spread too much in the oven.

If you can’t figure out what the cause might be, then a way to make sure you get the shape you want is to bake the cookie dough in baking rings.  Just choose the size of baking ring you need and then grease them before adding your cookie dough.  You will end up with uniform and perfectly round cookies!

Another method to tidy up a cookie that may have spread too much, is to use a drinking glass.  Place it over the warm cookie and gently rotate it around the cookie to tidy up the sides.

Not Enough Spread

Sometimes, they just don’t spread enough!  If you reverse the factors outlined above then you will get a decent understanding of why this might by the case:

• Too much flour (or the flour may be too strong, i.e. a high protein flour like bread flour);
• Not enough grease on your baking sheet;
• Not enough butter or sugar;
• The wrong type of sugar (i.e. white and / or granulated sugar with no brown sugar);
• Not enough air in the mix.

Cookie Is Too Hard / Dry

This can be down to the quantity and ratio of your ingredients.  Using too much flour or using flour that is too strong will give you a harder texture.  The same results from using insufficient butter/  fat or the dough not being liquid enough.

Overmixing the dough can also cause toughness, particularly once the flour has been added as the gluten will be activated.  A chewy texture is fine but not so much that it makes it unpleasant to eat.

If you bake the cookies for too long or bake them at too low a temperature, then you will also end up with cookies that are too dry or hard.

Cookie Has A Dense Or Cakey Texture

This when the cookies turn out more ‘cake-like’ than desired. Overmixing the dough, using too much flour, or using baking powder instead of baking soda can cause this.

Cookies Sticking To The Baking Sheet

To ensure they don’t stick, chocolate chip cookies should be baked on greased or parchment lined baking sheets.  I also use baking air mats which work really well.

Chocolate Issues

Using the wrong chocolate can result in the chips losing their shape and melting into the dough.  You want to make sure that once the cookies are baked you still have solid pieces of chocolate to enjoy.  Use chocolate chips that are purposely designed for baking.  These chocolate chips have a lower cocoa butter content so that they don’t melt during the baking process.  I always recommend using the best chocolate you can afford, but please don’t waste your best chocolate if it is not designed to be baked with!

If you understand these factors, it can help you adjust your recipe or technique to achieve the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  As ever if you have any questions about this topic, or anything else baking related then please let me know.