Sugar cookies are my guilty pleasure. I love having one with my morning coffee before starting my day. I can proudly say that I’ve mastered these delightful treats, but that wasn’t an easy process.
One of the most frustrating problems I’ve faced was that the cookies came out as flat as a pancake. That didn’t stop me from eating them, though!
However, they aren’t as enjoyable as fluffy, gooey cookies. They were a little too fragile and hard to decorate.
Today, I’ll cover all the top reasons for flat cookies and how to avoid them. I’ll also let you in on some secrets to making the perfect sugar cookies.
So, put on your apron, gather your ingredients, and let’s get into it!
Why Do My Sugar Cookies Go Flat?
Well, many reasons may lead to flat, disappointing cookies. Let’s take a look at each reason and how to fix it.
1 – The Butter Is Softer Than You Think
Many sugar cookie recipes call for “softened butter.”
Softening your butter is easy. All you need to do is leave it at room temperature for around 30 minutes, and you’re good to go.
Sounds easy, right? Well, it’s more complicated than you think.
If you’re having a baking extravaganza, your kitchen temperature will be slightly higher. So, it won’t be the normal “room temperature.”
That also happens when you leave your butter in the microwave for too long.
The problem is that when your butter is too soft, it’ll spread on the baking sheet more than it should. And the rest of the ingredients will simply follow, making your cookies flat and thin.
How to Fix This Issue
Room-temperature butter is perfect for baking dense cookies. At this temperature, the butter becomes soft enough to incorporate air when you mix it with the sugar.
So, if it’s too soft, it’ll affect the consistency of your dough.
To overcome this issue, all you need to do is test the butter. Simply indent your finger into the butter, and if it leaves a mark, you’re good to go.
You want to feel a little bit of resistance. If it’s too easy and the butter is melting, you need to put the butter back in the refrigerator.
On the other hand, if you can’t make an indent, the butter needs more time to soften.
Pro tip: If your first batch is flat, you don’t need to get rid of the dough. You can put it in the refrigerator until it feels firm to the touch. It might take an hour or two, but your cookies will turn out fluffier.
2 – The Oven Temperature Is Too High
The reason behind your flat cookies might be as simple as having the wrong temperature. Even if your baked goods don’t look burned, your oven might be too hot.
The thing is, when the temperature is too high, the butter tends to melt quickly and start spreading. This happens before the rest of the ingredients have firmed up into the structure of a fluffy cookie.
As a result, the liquidy ingredients spread with the butter, and you end up with a flat, sad cookie!
How to Fix This Issue
This is an easy one! All you need to do is lower the temperature by a few degrees. This will lead to a longer baking period, but it also means you’ll get softer, denser cookies.
Unfortunately, many oven thermometers lose their accuracy after a while. So, you might need to calibrate it.
All in all, I always recommend investing in an oven thermometer, especially if you’re an avid baker. It’ll show you the exact temperature inside the oven in real time.
3 – The Baking Sheets Are Hot
If your first batch turns out perfectly, but the second one comes out flat, it’s simply because you’re using hot baking sheets or trays. Let me tell you how.
When you transfer your dough to a hot sheet, it’ll cause the butter to melt quickly. And the result will be flat, brittle cookies!
How to Fix This Issue
The easiest solution is to swap the baking sheets for new ones. You might also let the sheets cool off between batches.
After that, give them a quick rinse with room-temperature water.
This shouldn’t take long. After all, you don’t want your sheets to be “cold.” Warm sheets will do just fine.
The general rule of thumb is that if the sheet is no longer hot to the touch, it’ll be perfect for baking.
4 – Wrong Ingredient Ratios
When I’m in a hurry, I might eyeball some ingredient measurements. But things don’t always turn out great when you’re not precise with your ratios.
If you have a sweet tooth like me, you might think about adding some extra sugar to your recipe. But you won’t believe what an extra spoon or two of sugar can do.
Sugar tends to suck up the liquid ingredients in your recipe. And when you start baking your batch, the sugar will release all the liquids, making your cookies greasy and flat.
How to Fix This Issue
Well, the fix depends on the recipe. For example, if you didn’t add enough flour, you can simply mix an extra tablespoon or two into the dough.
However, it might be hard to fix the recipe after adding too much sugar. But this doesn’t mean your dough will go to waste.
You can repurpose the dough into anything, so be creative!
I personally prefer stirring the dough into a cake batter. Problem solved!
5 – You’re Using an Expired Raising Agent
I can’t remember how many times I used an ingredient, and it turned out to be expired.
One of these times, it was the raising agent! And my cookies were as flat as a pancake.
After all, you can’t expect your cookies to become fluffy without a raising agent!
How to Fix This Issue
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so I recommend checking the expiration dates of all the ingredients before preparing your recipe.
How Thick Should Sugar Cookies Be?
Ideally, your sugar cookies should be around ¼ inch thick. If they’re too thin, it’ll be hard to handle and decorate them.
Still, you don’t want your sugar cookies to be too thick. These baked goods should be slightly crunchy and firm.
How to Make the Perfect Sugar Cookies
Need a good recipe to follow? I’ve got you covered!
Ingredients
Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need:
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup of softened butter
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
After gathering all your ingredients and softening the butter, you can follow these steps to make delectable sugar cookies:
- Start by sifting the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Then, in a mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar on medium speed or until they look fluffy. It should take around two minutes.
- After that, add the eggs and the vanilla.
- Next, start adding your flour mixture gradually while mixing.
- Keep mixing until everything is well incorporated.
- When the dough is ready, cut it in half and wrap it.
- Put the two halves in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
- When you’re ready to bake, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to around ¼ inch thickness.
- Cut your cookies and place them on a non-stick sheet.
- Bake the cookies for around 10 to 13 minutes, or until the bottom edges turn golden brown.
- Finally, let the cookies cool. Then, decorate and serve!
Final Thoughts
So, why are my sugar cookies flat?
Well, it might be because your butter was too soft!
You also need to check the oven temperature. You don’t want your dough to spread quickly, and any extra heat will do just that.
In addition, you need to be precise when it comes to measuring the ingredients.
Happy Baking!
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.