Hope you had an awesome weekend!
Besides eating lots of chocolate, I had some time to sit down and respond to a question I’m frequently asked, “Why do my cookies spread so much when I bake them?”
So to answer, and to celebrate the upcoming royal wedding, I made a few of these little cookies:
I knew I wanted them to stay small so that the crowns almost fit on the base, so it was important to me that they didn’t spread too much. (I had made the royal icing transfer crowns first. Cookies are 4.5 cm / approx. 2 inches across).
One thing to mention; the little jewels are inedible; they’re actually Swarovski Elements craft jewels. I just had to add some truly sparkly bling in honor of the royal wedding. 
To prevent the whole cookie from being inedible though, I made the crown a royal icing transfer and just barely iced it to the cookie base, so that it could easily be removed. Another point to mention; the cookie design came from here.
Several of these tips are already in my Sugar Cookie Recipe, and a few are new. By communicating with some of you, I’ve realized a few key things which helped me which I hadn’t thought to mention before.
A quick note first, a little bit of spreading is normal (see photo above with cookie cutter and cookie); but there are things you can do to help cookies keep their shape!
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Tips on Helping Your Cookies Keep their Shape
1. Baking Powder
Whichever recipe you’re using, don’t use baking powder in the dough. I used to take it out only for more detailed cookies, now I omit it all the time.
2. Oven Temperature
Check to make sure your oven really is at the right temperature by using an oven safe thermometer. If your oven isn’t hot enough, the cookies don’t ‘set’ quick enough, and the cookies have more time to spread. Also remember that opening your oven up to peek on the progress of the cookies, will make the oven lose heat and affect ‘cookie spreadage’.
3. Incorporating Too Much Air
Be careful not to mix the butter and sugar too long (Usually the first step of making the dough; called creaming). Overmixing the butter and sugar will cause too much air to be incorporated. I usually mix mine just until the ingredients come together.
4. Correct Measurements
Baking is like a science… If your measurements are off it can change the whole recipe. For example, too much sugar will affect your dough. Sugar becomes liquid when melted and more liquid causes spreading. You can’t avoid having some sugar though, after all, we’re talking about cookies.
5. Butter
Speaking of liquid, the amount of water in the butter you buy will affect the spreading factor.
As for how to know which butters have more/less water content, so far I’ve just had to experiment with different brands to see what works best. I haven’t found any indication on packaging mentioning percent of water etc. If anyone has more information on this, I’d love to hear your input!
Generally, I’ve found that the cheaper the butter, the higher the water content seems to be. :-(
I can’t talk about shortening or other types of fat (sorry!), as I don’t bake cookies with any other fat than butter.
6. Baking Sheets
It may be that I simply like my shiny, new baking sheets, but it seems to me that cookies baked on a thick baking sheet seem to spread less than on a thin one. Here’s a link to the ones I prefer (click here)
7. Cookie Thickness
How thick are your cookies? The thicker they are, the longer it takes for the heat in your oven to help the cookies ‘set’, and the more time they have to spread. Mine vary depending on how thick I feel like making them, but in general, they’re about 3/4 cm – 1cm thick.
If you would like a thicker cookie, try raising the temperature of your oven a few degrees to bake them. Each oven and recipe are different, so you’ll have to play around with this a bit and see what works best.
7. Parchment Paper
Cover your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat
8. Chill the Dough
Once you’ve made the dough and it has rested for at least an hour, cut your cookie shapes out and put them back in the fridge for at least an hour or more before baking.
Regarding re-rolling dough scraps – I’ve noticed that the very first batch of dough which has only been rolled once, spreads the least, even if I’ve chilled them for minimum one hour. I’m wondering if it has something to do with the gluten in the flour being overworked.
Hope these tips help! If you have any more ideas, comments or questions, please feel free to share them here, in the comment section, or on my facebook page here.
Happy baking!
xo,
Marian
I made cookies last night but got distracted during the creaming process so the butter/sugar was EXTREMELY light and fluffy. I noticed that it took more flour to make the dough how it usually is. It wasn’t a disaster, but they weren’t as good as they usually are.
Your cookies are so beautiful…mine usually look like a kindergarten art project!
: )
Hi! I Love Love Love your site! I’m so glad you addressed spreading cookies, because that used to make me absolutely crazy! I did some research & found additional tips on other websites too than have worked wonderfully for me. I’d like to share, but if I repeat something that anyone has said, please just excute that.
#1.) Roll out cookies between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. No additional flour needed
#2.) After cutting out shapes, remove ONLY the scraps, do not try to pick up the cookies.
#3.) Pick up the whole sheet of parchment with the cookies, put on a cookie sheet & put in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Then move cookies to another parchment lined baking sheet & bake as directed.
I have to say I’ve only had this cookie decorating obsession for a very short time, but these tips as well as yours have made a huge difference! Thanks for all of your awesome tips, etc.
What an adorable and lovely Web site/blog you have here! =) Thank you for sharing a great post. I often times have a problem with my shortbread spreading. The baking powder tip is going to be very helpful to me, as I didn’t know that.
Adorable!
I can’t believe you actually put Swarovski elements in there! That’s incredible and very dedicated – they should totally serve these at the wedding after party on Friday
Congrats on being in the top 9 today!
Wow that was immensely helpful! Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful tips! I remember when I was little and my mom complained that her cookies always burnt because ovens in America just weren’t as good as in South Africa where she grew up…turns out it was the old baking sheets she was using!
These are great tips Marian. I’m definitely going to consider these tips the next time I bake. Thanks!
Thanks for the tips. I will definitely be omiting the baking powder.
Hi! Just found, and love your Blog and have instructed my mates/followers to take a look! Thanks for the fab post. x
Thanks for the tips! I tried lessening the amount of baking powder in my cookies but never omitting it completely. I’ll try that on tomorrow’s batch!
I was just recently introduced to your blog and have to say, you are so talented! Your cookies are gorgeous. This week I used one of your butterfly cookies for inspiration. Here’s my blog about it (with a link back to your blog): http://minnebaker.blogspot.com/2011/04/banana-bread.html
Thanks again!
That was supposed to be: http://minnebaker.blogspot.com/2011/04/butterfly-cookies.html as the link in my previous comment (#60)
@ Sawsan@chef in disguise, @ Kelly, @ Marianne @ MealMixer: Sweet thanks!
@ Tina: Super tips! Thanks for sharing!
@ Cristina, @ alyce, @ Pudding Pie Lane: Thanks and let me know how it goes!
@ sprinkling of sugar:
@ Emily: Thanks for the kudos and link!
@ Erin Wilhelm, @ Sandra Reyes: Thank you!
@ Leah: You did such a fabulous job with your cookies! Can’t wait to see more!
Great tips! I’ve noticed that about the baking powder before and I’d always wondered why most cut-out sugar cookie recipes call for it when it makes the cookies spread. Good to know you can leave it out without any issues.
Your cookies and site are fabulous! This is such a great post as I sometimes have cookies that spread a little;) So happy I found you on Twitter Marian:)Happy Weekend:)
I’m a little confused about tip #1. Are you suggesting to eliminate the baking powder from any recipe that calls for it? Should it be replaced with baking soda? If so, it what proportion.
Thanks,
Jan
Jan, yes, take out the baking powder; for sugar cookies it’ll help lessen the spread. (any sugar cookie recipe).
Don’t add baking soda, that’s also a leavening agent which will make them spread and baking soda and bp can’t be interchanged (baking soda usually requires some sort of an acidic element to help activate it… like lemon juice or buttermilk for example).
The cookies will be fine without the leavening agent; a cake, on the other hand, wouldn’t!
Hi! I will start by saying Thank you for all the guidance you have given me! I saw above that you said not to replace the baking powder with the baking soda. My recipe that I use and everyone loves calls for baking soda, and not baking powder, my question is, can I remove the baking soda? and will it change the flavour of the cookies? Thank you!
Hi Cara, it should work the same way as it’s also the leavening agent in the cookie, but I haven’t tried for sure with a baking soda recipe. Let me know how it goes.
I omitted all the baking powder, used a few tablespoons less sugar, and used same-day eggs straight from the hen house. For the first time ever, my cookies didn’t spread, not one little bit!!
The texture was difficult to roll out flat and tranfer to the cookie sheet (kept crumbling/cracking) but they look great baked and my husband says they taste good.
Awesome Megan! =)
Fantastic tips and tricks, as always!
I ADORE those crown cookies!!
Marian…
you are so briliant !!
thanks for these tips…I hope it’s worked for my dough
i will take out the bp and will using the sheet for my pan
Thanks Marian =)
I have been baking about 40 dozen sugar cookies a week for almost two years now and if I tell you the struggles I have endured with spreading. I want to share that I believe there are no real definitive answers to this problem. You just have to be in tuned to what you are doing.I have tried every single option discussed…and then some.
What you suggest is right on
and will help many bakers. But I wanted to remind everyone that where you are baking and the weather that day, as well as the oven you are using also affects the outcome. I believe that what works for one person in the west will not work for a person in the south, etc. We all have to find what works in your particular kitchen.
So be patient and keep trying Marian’s suggestions until you see what works for you! Best of luck!
Lisa, thank you so much for your feedback! It’s so true, altitude, humidity, the oven – there are so many factors when it comes to baking; it’s difficult to pinpoint them all! All we can do is try the tips and experiment to find out what works for each of us. Thanks again for your advice!!
xo,
Marian
I love making cookies. Your tips will help me a lot. Thank you so much for all these useful information.
Always await your new posts. Thank you for taking the time to keep us all up on the latest techniques and helpful hints.
I know others have also stated that they roll out their dough between two pieces of parchment paper, this is something that has saved me so much time. I do all my dough right after making it, then chill it and repeat the process. This way you never have to incorporate more flour into your recipe, so no more reroll. All your “rerolls” are just as tasty as the first. Just remember to chill thoroughly. When you need to make 350 cutouts this will be a life saver! LOL
@ Eftychia, @ Marilynn Woodward: Thanks for your comments and feedback!
Marian, thank you so much for all the great tips, you’re awesome! Have a quick question for you. I usually freeze my cookies before I bake them to avoid spreading. However, lately I noticed that when I put them in the oven my baking sheet makes a popping sound and it BENDS from the corners…then my cookies get out of shape
–I just got a new oven by the way. Do you know why is that happening to my baking sheets?? has anyone experienced that before?? I’m puzzled and disappointed 
Wow these are so cute and quite impressive! I’m so glad I found your blog, I love it!!
Second that
@ Rosie: Sorry it has taken me so long to reply! I’m not sure how I missed your comment.
The popping and bending of your baking sheet happens because when the baking sheet heats up it actually expands (tiny amounts), and wherever the baking sheet is the least ‘strong/thick, that’s where the material will ‘give’, or expand. It happens with pots and pans too.
Tends to happen less with aluminum.
It may be happening now because your new oven may be hotter than your old one. Try baking on different baking sheets and/or lower the oven temp. a bit.
Hope that helps!
Marian, no problem I appreciate you answer. I think I will switch my baking sheet to thicker ones and see if what happens. And yes you’re right I think my new over is hotter then the previous one.
Thanks a million Marian!
Soooo glad I found this post. I’ve practically given up cookies b/c my cookies expand so much they are almost unrecognizable shapes. I’ve learned several tips that might be affecting my cookies. I can’t wait to try these tips!!!