Too Much Flour Can Destroy Your Chocolate Chip Cookies - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

What happens when you put too much flour in chocolate chip cookies? ›

Too much flour can result in cookies that look like scoops of ice cream. Packing the flour — tapping the measuring cup on the counter or pushing the powder down with a spoon — will result in using too much.

It's a common mistake, especially for newer bakers. When there's too much flour and not enough liquid, the whole rising process is thrown off. The dryness of the dough will prevent the yeast or another rising agent from activating properly, leading to a stunted rise (or it may not rise at all).

The most common product to use is flour for this. If you're going to use flour, you have to be careful with how much you're sprinkling because you can VERY easily add too much flour to any recipe. I repeat: this method can VERY easily result in cookies that taste like flour.

Why do my baked goods always taste strongly of flour? I suspect the reason you notice a decidedly flour-y taste is because you aren't adding salt, or not using enough salt. Yes, even sweet baked goods need salt! Another thing you can use to counteract the raw, flour taste is to add flavorings to the batter or dough.

A little too much flour can be the difference between a dry, cakey cookie and a fudgy, chewy one. And if you're weighing your flour by volume (i.e., with measuring cups), then it's very likely you're adding too much flour.

All-Purpose Flour: The Versatile Choice

This balanced protein level makes it versatile enough to produce both soft and chewy cookies as well as slightly crisp ones. If you're looking for a safe bet or are new to cookie baking, all-purpose flour is your go-to option.

You can typically solve this problem by adding water and kneading some more, but if you have to do this too much, you'll need to add more leavener too, and possibly fat or egg any other such ingredient (if your dough had any to begin with), just to balance it out.

Butter keeps cookies fluffy in two ways. First, creaming cold butter with sugar creates tiny, uniform air pockets that will remain in the dough it bakes up. Second, cold butter naturally takes a longer time to melt in the oven.

When cookies are too cakey, there are two main culprits: too much leavening (baking powder or baking soda) or too much egg. If there is too much baking powder or baking soda in the dough, the cookies will rise too much when baking, creating a cakier structure. Eggs also promote a cakey structure in cookies.

Why do my chocolate chip cookies taste weird? ›

The ingredients you used could be the culprit – using different sugars, melted butter, baking powder or baking soda can alter a cookie's texture and taste.

You didn't use the right amount of flour.

If you use too much flour you will get cakey cookies. Too little flour and it may not have enough structure to hold up in the oven, aka flat cookies.

Expired flour won't have the same quality in flavor and texture, so your recipe won't turn out the same. When it comes to self-rising flour, which contains baking powder, expired flour will create baked goods that don't rise. If you feel bad throwing away expired flour, toss it into the compost bin.

You may notice visible pockets of flour, streaks of butter, or uneven coloration. When overmixed, though, cookie dough will feel dense, greasy, heavy, and warm.

Flour provides the structure in baked goods. Wheat flour contains proteins that interact with each other when mixed with water, forming gluten. It is this elastic gluten framework which stretches to contain the expanding leavening gases during rising. The protein content of a flour affects the strength of a dough.

When cookies are too cakey, there are two main culprits: too much leavening (baking powder or baking soda) or too much egg. If there is too much baking powder or baking soda in the dough, the cookies will rise too much when baking, creating a cakier structure. Eggs also promote a cakey structure in cookies.