10 Most Common Cookie Baking Mistakes

[@kk-fl4pb]

Can I add a tip....super dark baking pans need to be factored in! These will make your cookies cook faster so keep an eye on them or lower the temperature by 25 degrees!

[@tirramasu7948]

In C or F?

[@Pamela-B]

Yes! I never hear people mention this. It’s important though.

[@Lauriee]

is that a real thing? bc my cookies turned way darker probably bc of my oven being hotter than what the thing actually says, but maybe it's because I also have a black oven tray

[@mariaa_223]

@@LaurieeI think it’s kinda like if you wear dark clothes when it’s hot outside. It retains more heat if I’m not mistaken.

[@ChocolateSprinkles04]

i wish i knew this before i burnt a whole batch :( my baking tray is literally black

[@jennysjourney02]

My scale is my most valuable baking tool. I used cups up until about 5 years ago and it definitely improved my baking. Sifting made a big difference too. I used just a whisk for a while, that works too, untill I started watching John's videos then I switched to a sieve and that improved my baking even more. Johns recipes and videos have definitely improved my baking skills overall and gave me more confidence.

[@jacquelyn6799]

I definitely need to invest in both of those things!

[@darriendastar3941]

That was excellent, common sense advice. It reminded me of the bad habits that have crept into my baking over the years. Any baker should watch this at least once a year.

[@samakisamaki156]

Agreed 😂

[@AFHenley]

That idea about putting the bread in the oven to check for hot spots is so simple but brilliant. I would never have thought of that. Love this.

[@RhubarbandRoots]

I'm doing this! I just bought a new oven, and it never occurred to me to find the "hot spots".

[@Laibah.khan.]

I learnt it had a hot spot the hard way I was baking and the front was perfect but the back was burnt to a crisp

[@cherrychii]

You literally changed my baking life. I never realized the flour weight thing. I’ve been PACKING my measuring cups. It’s what I was taught. Never again. I’m investing in a scale soon thank you!!

[@mary-annv2140]

THE COOKIE CUTTER TRICK IS SO GENIUS

[@BlackRose91]

I love how you posted this video a day after I burnt my batch of cookies at the bottom of the oven, because I decided to save time and put all batches at once in there XD Glad to know I ain't the only one doing this, and definitely just going to bake each batch one at a time in the center of it.

[@charityguisoben4388]

thank u for sharing all these tips and your baking recipes.

[@MilkyWhite1]

Buying a scale really changed my life. Now I can easily divide recipes down for two people, bake a fourth of a box of brownies or a box cake. It's a delight. I can't believe I lived so long without it.

[@ckl5590]

A lot of bakers here on KZbin dip their cups in the flour to measure. You can’t see how they’re not PACKING the measuring cup…you can’t see that they’re really fluffing it and measuring it with the cup. It really does a disservice to learners.

[@denagustafson6070]

I’m always astonished by comments that indicate that the recipe wasn’t good, but go on to state that they decided to use replacements for multiple ingredients! Ex: 2 eggs vs. 4 eggs, swapped out AP flour for self-rising (& Vice versa), used oil in place of butter, and my favorite of all - decided it wasn’t important to allow the dough to rise! They shouldn’t complain if they didn’t follow the recipe! Thank you for the suggestions! Use of a scale was my #1 change that brought my baking to the next level.

[@hadray6933]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ronamJaKq896bNE

[@cynthiahermstad7332]

I totally agree! Drives me crazy. My other pet peeve: Rating a recipe when they did not make it! “This recipe won’t work because (blah blah blah).” Then just scroll on by!! We don’t need their opinion. 😃

[@deez3913]

I've been scooping and leveling the top for years. I never thought about using a scale as most recipes aren't in metric. Great tip

[@HeavymetalHylian]

Getting a scale completely changed my baking game. Way less cleanup, consistent results, and sifting became much easier because I just sift the flour/sugar into the bowl until it's the right weight. It's also great for dividing dough and other mixtures. It even measures floz and ml👍

[@ramonaearnest4709]

YES!! Thank you we needed this! I will be watching this again and sharing it with everyone! Sometimes even a seasoned Baker needs a reminder! I get so aggravated when my cookies don't turn out correctly ❣️🍪🥛

[@karlaestos276]

I'm actually making his flan recipe right now for my cousins birthday tomorrow my aunt requested it because they absolutely love it ♥️😊 Thank you so much I have learned a lot from this channel 😊

[@melliimelz]

So interesting how basic tips and tricks my mom Taught me as a child you’re teaching people now. I don’t mean to upset anyone who didn’t know as a child I’m just appreciating my mom at this very moment 💗💗💗

[@J0Mamaa]

Using bread for detecting hotspots in the oven is brilliant! I’m definitely trying that

[@Hummingbirds2023]

Good info for people that usually make cookies from a bagged mix. Most of us scratch cookie bakers know this stuff, but great advice!!

[@karenb1430]

Love you but BEST BEFORE is NOT the same as Expired! Food waste is a huge problem! Please do not perpetuate the myth that best before date means anything to do with expired. All you have to do is drop a 1/2tsp of the baking soda or baking powder into 1/4cup hot water (and vinegar if testing baking soda) and look for a bubbling reaction - if there’s fizzing, it’s still good to use!

[@ghostbill1010]

Hey John, not really relevant to this video BUT: I just wanted to thank you for all your content. I've been watching you and following your recipes for a while and today my now husband and I celebrated our wedding in our backyard

[@Ember3221]

My oven heats below temperature by 10 degrees. My oven thermometer has saved me every time. I love your channel!

[@chefbadia]

A recipe that appeals to young and old ❤️🌺 The best chef of all time, I love your recipes and even your workspace, Thank you for this wonderful recipe and these tips.

[@PreppyKitchen]

Thank you so much 🙂

[@chefbadia]

@Preppy Kitchen You're welcome chef 😍😍

[@rezych3290]

You're welcome

[@adriennemcmillan9637]

I thought you were going to mention the differences between salt like kosher, sea salt, and table salt. Great tips!

[@scripturereminders9913]

I want to say that You are the PERFECT Instructor. If ALL the Teachers in the World Instructed the way that you do we would be the Luckiest People in the Universe. THANK YOU for your Wonderful Recipes, for sharing your Family and Stories with us and for putting the effort into doing these Videos. God Bless YOU, and all your Loved Ones.

[@appnzllr]

You can form the dough into a log before freezing. I cut off discs rather than form balls. It still works.

[@bonita1228]

I had a happy ingredient switch. My grocery store had zero regular white sugar. They ran out for the holiday. I bought cane sugar. Oh my. What a great result. My Toll House Chocolate Chips turned out fantastic. There was no white sugar grainy crunch. I am a convert to cane sugar.

[@RhubarbandRoots]

Many valid points, and thank you! I do not have a scale yet, but I feel like I'm doing enough in the kitchen that I now need one. Also, thank you for reminding us that expired baking soda and powder can be used for cleaning! I knew this, but have forgotten. This is why I watch your videos!

[@aliloucreations1817]

I did NOT even think about dates on my baking powder ! Why didn’t I think of that ? John your a sensation My bicarbonate of soda is always ok because I buy in bulk pharmaceutical grade as I make my own cleaning solutions so it’s bought new every month great tips ❤️❤️❤️

[@thedreamer215]

Thank you so much, John 🥰. I feel like I've made most of these mistakes with baking in general. The biggest one is expired baking powder and baking soda... I don't buy these ingredients often 🙈. But, I'll definitely update my inventory and use the old ones for cleaning 😁. I'm so excited to try baking more often now 🙌🏽. Thank you again John, your videos and recipes are a God send ❤️. And yes, a scale makes a HUGE difference. I definitely learned that the hard way 🙈🤣

[@vanstirona982]

Thank you so much for always sharing your recipes ang tips, John! Because of you, I become more interested in baking. I believe you always have the most delicious recipes, that's why I just stick to them and don't mind on attempting others' recipes 'cause yours is more than enough!

[@Violet316]

Hi, I have always fluffed up my flour and leveled it, what I did notice is that you didn't mention when weighing your flour that you should know how much your bowl or cup weighs first. There are some people who are first-time cooks who might not figure that out. I have also have seen young cooks using a liquid measuring cup for their dry ingredients (could be the other way around too). A pet peeve of mine is when someone leaves a good portion of say cake batter in the mixing bowl and then didn't understand why their cake didn't turn out. Now on to the cookies, I have been baking a very long time since I was 13 and took Home Economics Classes all the way through until I graduated in 1977. Fast forward to when I was married and baking cookies for my children plus extra children that always seem to be there the days I baked, I have always baked a dozen cookies at a time to save time, but I have always used a slightly larger cookie sheet too. Then fast forward to 4 grandchildren later, still needed to bake a dozen at a time.

[@Labyriiint]

I think all scales have a tare function these days, and if not, just put the bowl in the scale before turning the scale on. That way you only weigh the flour and not the bowl. But as i said all scales should have a tare button so just press that everytime so the scale will reset before weighing out a new ingredient

[@nicolcacola]

Shaping the cookies after baking?? Genius!

[@yeverino1970]

Finally a video we all needed. I’ve definitely had stuff go wrong and wondered what I did wrong. Great tips to always remember, plus it helps to know your measurements. So I have a list I keep on hand when someone doesn’t give the recipe in grams. Thank you so much for the tips 👍🏼👍🏼❤️

[@YTBurner]

Hello! May I ask for a link where you got your list?

[@yeverino1970]

@@YTBurner i googled them, or when I watch his videos I make sure to write them down. Some recipes are off by 1 gram. But that could be the brand of ingredient they are using. Hope that helps

[@YTBurner]

@@yeverino1970 I see. Thanks!

[@bwowzah]

Fantastic and very informative video! For your point about locating oven hotspots, you said to use cheap bread spread in the oven to find the hotspots. I was told that spreading a layer of flower across a cookie sheet and then baking that is the best way to find hotspots. Did you know about this method or do you feel the bread method works best for you?

[@Sun.powder]

Wow I,m guilty of all these cookie mistakes . Thanks so much for your brilliant pointers.

[@misakistalker]

thank you jhon you're so sweet, I always was burning my cookies

[@truegamer_007]

Getting a scale is the first thing any aspiring baker should do!

[@sassysandie2865]

How do you account for the weight of the measuring cup? I’ve never used one.

[@staytiny10]

I just found this channel and this is my first video from it that I'm watching, and I know I'm going to binge so many more after this because he explains things so well, and my peaked-in-elementary-school brain wants to say thank you

[@gennagresham3986]

The baking soda hint helped me. I never check the date on that stuff.

[@akshayarohatgi6230]

More videos like this would be awesome! As always, this was an amazing video! 🤩 By the way Recipe video request- French Onion soup/Broccoli cheese soup! 😙 Any of these would be great in the winters now!

[@mypinklife3415]

Thanks. I needed this. I recently bought an LG convection oven and I feel like I have to re learn temperatures all over again. I know it bakes 25 degrees lower, but I am so used to my old oven with elements. I do like how this ovens browns a golden even color if I make something covered in cheese, but I have to get used to it to bake.

[@vp21vp56cva59]

I liked the idea of testing for hot spots in the oven with the use of white bread slices. Thank you.

[@kristymh823]

Great info! Should I use my convection feature when baking cookies? If so, how do I adjust the temperature? I learned the hard way that cupcakes don’t like convection, but not sure about cookies. Thanks!

[@maureensamson4863]

I think it's a good idea to reduce the stated temperature by 20 degrees Celsius ? ( Would that be 40 degrees F ? ) when using convection mode

[@Ravenna17]

Now I have some more confidence with baking. And I can get to know my oven; that bread trick is GENIUS! Thank you 💙

[@jonathanflores5840]

wow its 1:59am in the Philippines i have been waiting for your vlogs thanks for all the infos and for the best recipe you have sharing and this is one of the best cookies ever

[@JamesTalvy]

You can simply test the baking soda and baking powder since they do last past the expiration date... Test baking soda by sprinkling a little bit in an acid like vinegar and if it fizzes it is good.... same thing with baking powder, drop half a teaspoon into hot water (since there is an acid like cream of tartar in it) if it fizzes it is good! I have tested months past the expire date and all was fine.

[@lidiaflores6071]

Wow 😃!!! Muy bien galletas 🍪🍪🍪👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 excelente variedades muchas gracias 👏👏👏Chef John

[@elenafamularcano8725]

Thank you for all of these amazing and helpful videos, you always inspire me to bake and improve 😁

[@asmaa_vlog_85]

When I get a notification that you have uploeded a video, my happy time begins 📸❣️🍊♥️🥳😘 🥰🤩❤️

[@francescas.3366]

SO helpful!!! Cookie baking is truly an art 🥰

[@terpen7375]

Thank you! I need all the help. I just recently got a scale and I'm so glad I did. It comes especially helpful when I make bread. Thank you again for sharing.

[@tinakoslosky1145]

John - I gotta say- I likely make more than half of those mistakes. I love the tip of using a cookie cutter to make the cookies rounder! Do you have any tips on how to make the perfect imprint on thumbprint cookies?

[@channamoras1873]

My cookies always come out amazing thanks to you I've learned everything you mentioned down to a t!

[@lisamoore6804]

If you did some merchandise say t-shirts with "Whisk, Whisk, Whisk" on it, I'd totally buy it.

[@Justdessertsforme]

Excellent video...I am sharing this with our grandson, he loves to bake ❤❤

[@elsafischer3247]

You are a good instructor your students were very lucky to have you

[@adriennemcmillan9637]

My oven thermometer and scale are the most important baking tools! Lots of great advice. I'll have to give the white bread hot spot test a try.

[@herminialopez1396]

Hi. I am a new baker and I know baking is all about getting the measurements right. So, when using a scale, does the weight of the vessel your using to hold your ingredients also appear on the scale? And if so, must I deduct the weight of the vessel? I'm confused about that. Thank you for helping me on my bakers journey. Love your channel.

[@delilahboa]

Hi John, brilliant video, I’ve baked for years and have still learnt more! I love the tip with the white bread to test the oven for hot spots, great idea. ….thank you xxxxxx

[@streamguyentertainment]

We are all human.we make mistakes once in a while. Thanks for sharing these

[@roospike]

Over soften melted butter is a very common mistake and many times the butter separates I'm helping a huge impact on the outcome.

[@roseluzadas2496]

Good day John. Thank you so much. These reminders truly great help for me and to us.

[@janeklemz8421]

Thanks so much for your great videos! Now my question: the last mistake you stated was related to flour. My husband has awesome memories of his grandmother’s sugar cookie. But it has no clear amount regarding flour. My mother always put a cookie in the oven and if it held its shape it had enough flour. However, I’m working with a stand-up mixer so it is a lot easier to mix and Therefore easier to add too much. Plus these cookies are roll out cookies. How do I know when to stop adding flour??

[@_helloimmarta_]

I would really love if you did a cookie recipe for people (like me) who can't eat butter because of high cholesterol 😕 I'm having a hard time finding something sweet but that has no fat in it, speacially butter, and I love cookies so that's something that I would be happy to find 😊🍪

[@cyrena65]

You can replace the butter in lots of recipes with applesauce, sometimes banana and also avocado (obviously, these would need to be dark chocolate to hide the green color). Just Google butter substitute in cookies and I think that would give you a good place to start. Good luck!

[@_helloimmarta_]

@@cyrena65 Thank you very much, I'll make sure I try those!

[@bobbychristian2450]

Perfect time for this👍🏽. Question, will high end💰 ingredients really change the outcome? Which ingredients should we splurge on?

[@ghostbill1010]

Only ingredients I really make sure are high end are real vanilla extract (and only for vanilla recipes, adding 1tsp of fake/artificial vanilla to a chocolate cake vs the real deal is indistinguishable), chocolate disks or melts for choc chunk cookies since they're better than chips, real fresh fruit to make my own jams/compotes/flavors, good cocoa be it regular or black Dutch, and of course all of the kitchen equipment which makes a world of difference ;) Edit: Also adding unsalted butter and salt is consistently better and more precise than salted butter, not really a splurge more of a substitution which often goes overlooked

[@evahantzi]

Great baking tips Preppy and thank you for all your wonderful recipes,, have been following you a year now from Athens, Greece thank you so much♥️🇬🇷

[@ramonaearnest4709]

Been there ❣️ Greetings... beautiful country ... amazing food!

[@evahantzi]

@@ramonaearnest4709 warm greetings to you my dear from sunny Athens today❤️

[@ramonaearnest4709]

@@evahantzi Hope to return to Greece someday! My daughter in law has relatives there in the Peloponnese mountains!

[@kayorr149]

We are always taught to sift the flour first, then measure so you don't need to weigh it. Also, we are a high elevation so even if it's heavy, it works out cause otherwise we have to add extra flour.

[@diesel1464]

The butter temperature is very tricky. I live in a tropical country where the weather is always warm (even if it was raining) so whenever the recipe calls for room temperature butter, I always keep it cooler or else the dough will be oily.

[@nohate9044]

Hi John can you make a BRAZO DE MERCEDES.. i want to try making it for my mother, it's her favorite but i think i need you expertise in some parts... *can i use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar in meringue? *How to make the perfect custard for filling? *How ro roll the meringue without cracking? BTW I love your channel...love to watch you make something, anything... No dull moments..

[@jill552]

One you left out was substituting butter in recipes that margarine companies have created, or the reverse. The recipes were created for best results with their products.

[@MochiTea012]

That is a beautiful kitchen! Elegant and efficient.

[@justinhayslett2711]

Don’t forget about over mixing!

[@mmakomanyatja5213]

Thank you John for demonstrating it help a lot

[@markbarry9945]

For number 10, I think you should have explained to everybody how you test expired baking soda with vinegar. Other common mistakes include convection vs conventional ovens because don't use the same temperature settings, and high altitude variables when baking.

[@maureensamson4863]

How about hard / soft / chlorinated water and iodised salt ?

[@PotterSpurn1]

I'd never heard of rubbing zest into sugar to make citrus sugar that brings out the oils. I will try that for orange muffins.

[@JorgeMorales-uw6cp]

This is helping me a lot and even more today that I'm making gingerbread cookies. Tysm!

[@selenabass6128]

I’m making cookie boxes for all my friends and family, and it’s gonna amount to about three hundred cookies, so thank you so much for the valuable info!!

[@OmANnIe]

So awesome John! Sincerely appreciate all the helpful tips! The more I know about baking/cooking, the more confident I feel in the kitchen.

[@MattaisC]

YES YES YES we need more series like these!!

[@planetbakery5525]

This kind of videos are VITAL! Thank you so much John I can't wait for the next one! ❤️

[@Kyarrix]

Most of these are good advice and common sense. I am not a fan of the advice to stick to the recipe. There are some recipes and creators of recipes where you should absolutely stick to the recipe and there are others where you should feel more free to change the recipe as you see fit. This will also be contingent on your own level of knowledge. If you are a reasonably good cook and/or baker and you want to change something, go ahead. The problem with the advice to not change the recipe is that it prevents people from experimenting and learning. We want to encourage that, we don't want people to treat cooking and baking as following a checklist. We want them to be creative, we want everyone to enjoy it and learn from it.

[@MiaAnstine]

Fabulous baking tips. I’m sure I’ve made all of these faux pas at some point. Not anymore! Thank you. 💖

[@kevinandtaushajohnson6932]

I Love watching all of your videos, I have learned Sooo Much from YOU!! Thank You!❤❤

[@joe123fly]

This was very insightful. Thank you

[@jennifernunez1443]

What about sugar cookies that spread out into a puddle losing their shape? They’ve been chilled for different amounts of times, the whole batch at one time in the fridge, cut into shapes and chilled, left in the fridge overnight, etc… Even pre made dough does the same. The house I moved into is old. Even though it’s been updated there is still humidity. I really never think to remember if it’s humid when baking. I’m almost to the point of not wanting to bother baking anymore. Any suggestions?!

[@HeavymetalHylian]

What sort of fat are you using? Typical American butter has more water content than European or Irish and butter flavored Crisco tends to hold up nicely. Have you checked your oven temp? Less heat = more spreading. You want them to bake fast so they can set

[@graceoda431]

Wow....Thank you Mr. preppy 👌

[@robertknight4672]

On the kitchen scale I would recommend reviewing them first. I made the mistake of buying a cheap kitchen scale that had the logo for The Biggest Loser on it. If you were waiting in grams it was fine but I was using an Alton Brown donut recipe that called for 23 oz of flour and after a certain weight the thing switched to pounds and ounces. It had no setting for just ounces.

[@maytem.s.6010]

Thank you chef for your teachings!!! Greetings from Spain in Europe😍🌺🌹🌷👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

[@we_fishy_fishy_like0816]

That flour advance is very interesting actually!! I would think “oh, just add more flour” lol but uh, that’s a huge mistake. I love these videos ❤️

[@irmaadams7780]

Fluff and sprinkle is my takeaway!

[@skylark1250]

These are the best looking cookies I have ever seen. Presented by a great looking host! Thanks for the tips. I learned something to help my baking. Cheers.

[@cookingdiariesbyshahaana]

It's really helpful 😍 Thanks for sharing 🙏😍

[@Suupsoup]

Saved a ton of your cookie recipes on my playlist to make over the holidays. Thank you for your videos! Love them!!

[@Suupsoup]

I also tried your banana nut bread recipe last week for the first time and my family loved it!! Thank you again! :)

[@gladystammaro5533]

Thank you so much for doing this! I was wondering about the expired leavening agents. Is this what causes air bubbles to form on top of my Chocolate chip cookies?

[@thepushupguyy]

Wow, this looks so delicious!! I really loved it!! Your recipes are always amazing!! You are amazing, John!! Love you!❤️❤️❤️

[@Cloudy2clarity]

John! I learned the hard way! How do i clean my oven from the burned butter puddle that now reminds me of its existence every time i turn on my oven !?

[@karenrio7314]

What kind of sprinkles that don't bleed do you recommend !? Thank,you!

[@michaelkurtz1967]

Cut butter in small slices to soften quickly. Cuts down on the wait time. Happy New Year!

[@elizabethdrummond9581]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GREAT TIPS!!!

[@rosemariekury9186]

Do you have any tips on adjusting a cookie recipe for a high altitude? BE I appreciate the tip about using a biscuit round to form the oven baked cookies and also switching the pans in the oven. I knew about that but have forgotten about doing it, also the freezing hint!

[@cooking-basket]

Thank you so much for sharing. Happy cooking💕