Cookie Tip: How to Prevent Underspreading + Overspreading

THE two most common cookie questions I get are “my cookies spread too much! how do I fix this?” + “my cookies didn’t spread and are puffy! help!”
Sound on to learn all my tips for perfectly spread cookies, and get more tips in my FREE Ultimate Guide to Cookie Baking e-book: ambitiouskitchen.ck.page/607f3a33b4

[@C-Handle]

To get my cookies to spread, I play lofi music so they can relax.

[@ambitiouskitchen]

HAHAHA

[@zipporahpayten]

😂😂😂

[@ford5343]

528 like and 2 comments? Let me change that

[@3to4characters]

Or you seduce them

[@josephineosei1151]

Lmao

[@janna4994]

Is it weird that I want my cookies to over spread? The third one looked the best to me 😅

[@ambitiouskitchen]

haha to each their own!

[@senylalala]

no i definitely agree! 😭

[@Flowline_Edits]

Same here 😅

[@bessythompson1472]

same!!!

[@tinas_craft_creations]

Same!!

[@refused1]

Overspread = perfect.

[@ambitiouskitchen]

flax eggs!

[@lolacookie453]

I naturally prefer the overspread cookies 😂

[@pookiroo]

I like my cookies overspread.

[@Raysilly]

FINALLY SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS, I LIVE OVERSPREAD COOKIES

[@SophiaTheYoungArtist]

​@@Raysilly samee😊

[@rylan727]

Same

[@SeymourLolis]

I like mine underspread.

[@Raysilly]

@@SeymourLolis ngl umderspread chocolate batter cookies are basically brownies

[@musingsofharmony3159]

I prefer them 'overspread' and chewy 😊 Looks good!

[@benishfaisal237]

Can you please tell me the recipe and how can you bake it when you don't have a oven

[@zubokragilopotranufliak]

@@benishfaisal237/videos For a recipe, just look up any random one on the internet. As for the no oven situation, you can make your cookies in a pan. They won't be exactly the same and you will have to flip them halfway, but this method might be the best for your situation

[@charleenwalker1264]

Over spread is where it's at😋🤤

[@90hjorth]

I’d also recommend skipping the measuring cups for flour and even sugar. Get use to weighing out for exact grams and you keep your flour fluff so it doesn’t clump

[@ambitiouskitchen]

yes that's a great tip! and if you don't have a scale, I actually have a great blog post on how to measure flour so that you're not adding in too much: ambitiouskitchen.com/how-to-measure-flour

[@JordanScottMills]

I love the overspread kind tbh when i saw that one i was like "ooo thats the one im getting"

[@ambitiouskitchen]

hahah to each their own!!

[@helenajozwik8160]

Literally me too

[@Violetta-ql8mg]

I like my cookies underspread. Makes them softer inside😍

[@Iamyl4]

Yes

[@md55773]

Me too. First cookie

[@TimmyKlappy2007]

me too

[@coneighscauldron]

“Spreading too much” is literally the perfect cookie

[@Cupids-1lover]

Fun Fact or Pro Tip: If you love a chewy chocolate chip cookie, add 1 tb of cornstarch to your flour. Works like a charm every time ❤

[@evandamelio3592]

oh my god thank you. i tend to reduce sugar for all recipes but still want chewy cookies lol

[@ambitiouskitchen]

love this tip!!

[@gabrielabatista6016]

I'll try that next time!

[@upseguest]

As a cookie enthusiast underspread is definitely the best as each bite has the most flavor!😊

[@kimia1664]

Baking powder being fresh is so important it's crazy. I was wondering why my pancakes weren't fluffy no matter how hard I try, until I bought a new pack of baking powder.

[@ambitiouskitchen]

Exactly!! And it's so easy to forget to replace it!

[@raidenshogun1673]

Me: don't care if it's spread perfectly or over spread i just want to eat

[@Wakefieldneo]

i actually find that putting my dough into the oven cold spreads it more. if i'm making a bunch of cookies it's always the later ones that spread way less while the first batch in spreads a ton. because the cookie dough ends up a lot warmer over time. my solution to that was to have several bowls and cycle through them for each batch. this way they had time to cool down again inbetween being used.

[@SarahC-yp1oi]

My Pastry teacher told Mr to put it in cold

[@Ploopyyyy]

Thank you SO MUCH!! I always had problems with my cookies not spreading enough, i’ll try these tips next time❤️

[@ambitiouskitchen]

glad it's helpful!! ❤️

[@22kelseydillabaugh]

I like the ones that you labeled overspread. Those are my favorite

[@mazayakamilaalmasy_xiiipa3805]

I run a cookie shop for two years yet I still have hard time about the cookies spreading. I found it's not only about the ingredients which make the cookies over spread or even not spread, but the temperature plays too. I found when its in lower temperature, the cookies spreading to much, and if I give it higher temperature, theyre under spreading. but still its based on the cookie ingredients, I dont even once use brown sugar, I always use coconut sugar (or I call it in Indonesia, gula kelapa or gula semut). its from coconut sap, or simplify it, coconut juice? not a really juice,its come from the tree not the fruit. then its browned and crystalized into sugar. maybe the coconut sugar I use influence the cookie dough too. also.. I dont use any electric oven, because its way too expensive. I always use gas oven even before I run the shop. its cheap although we can't control the temperature fine. thats a common challenge for me too but thank you for the trial, it helps me!😄

[@ambitiouskitchen]

absolutely, there are so many factors that go into it!! glad you found this helpful :)

[@unsalted_pepper550]

Ahh now i know why my cookies never get flat. I was baking the dough balls straight out the freezer. Maybe i'll give baking one more try😂

[@ambitiouskitchen]

Ohh yes sometimes they just don't melt down/spread out enough that way! Glad this is helpful :)

[@gigidope]

Overspread is fine with me. Especially that one, it looked perfect 😛

[@SuryaTwo-bk1ky]

u boutta make cookie monster loose his edging streak

[@idkwuzgoinon]

Is there a recipe for these? 👀

[@Scoping_coach]

This was so helpful.

[@ambitiouskitchen]

I'm so glad!! ❤️

[@helenajozwik8160]

Honestly the "overspread" cookie looks the most delicious to me 😋

[@insert_bad_handle_here]

Dude I was thinking that I would be weird for liking overspread but turns out these r my people

[@ambitiouskitchen]

lol i don't understand you guys!!! hahaha

[@YungEBT]

Overspread is the perfect cookie…

[@ambitiouskitchen]

to each their own!! i love how the middle one stays perfectly fudgy in the middle :)

[@AnUnknown_Account]

overspread looked actually done good

[@momfluent5367]

I use white lily all purpose flour and store it in a large mason jar. Before I use it, I stir it around a little with a knife or the measuring cup. The flour is so incredibly light & fluffy it helps you avoid over packing!

[@ambitiouskitchen]

yes, stirring it and not packing it into the cup is key!!

[@John-if4vz]

Overspread looks perfect

[@shannongreenwell1278]

Awesome, thanks for the advice! Those cookies look delicious!

[@ambitiouskitchen]

thanks, Shannon!! here's the recipe: www.ambitiouskitchen.com/brown-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/

[@ultimatebishoujo29]

@@ambitiouskitchenthanks for the recipe

[@Sirhcus]

Me personally I like my cookies with overspread

[@tommyrex7632]

If the butter or oven is too hot they may over spread. Use a measuring scale not a scoop

[@ambitiouskitchen]

Yes exactly, that's why I recommend chilling your dough! And totally, a scale is ideal but if you don't have one, the scoop & level method for measuring flour is the next best thing :)

[@ITm4n]

Overspread rhe best spread fr

[@lolabear8472]

I’ve been trying to make cookies from scratch for ever. My chocolate chips/ chunks from name brand chocolate never melts. Why is that google isnt explaining it 😩

[@tizzyswank1545]

Are you using chocolate chips or chocolate bars? Most chocolate chips are meant to hold their shape for the most part through the baking process. If you want nice melted chocolate throughout the cookie, I recommend buying chocolate baking bars in the baking aisle. I use a brand called “bakers”, make sure to get between 56%-70% cacao or the chocolate will be too bitter (in my opinion). Chop the correct amount of chocolate into your recipe and you should get melted chocolate. Hope this helps :)

[@ambitiouskitchen]

That's exactly what I'd recommend! Chocolate chips have stabilizers in them to prevent them from melting (so that they hold their shape). A chopped chocolate bar will melt much more easily :)

[@beepboop212]

a year later but nonetheless; it's a great tip to chop up chocolate bars, but you're fine using normal bars. baking bars usually go for more money while the normal 70%+ cacao bar work the same.

[@iamsimplyarat4078]

I like mine underspread

[@Kedesh14]

I prefer the overspread cookies 🍪😍

[@juliemaggio1246]

The third one is perfectly spread to me. It's all a matter of preference i suppose

[@ambitiouskitchen]

haha yes definitely, they all taste good!

[@supremetrapxex]

Yum

[@ahmedzeeshansarip2206]

yumyum

[@davidtodora6173]

I heard the perfect soft and chewy cookie is to set your oven no higher than 325 degrees. Cook no more than six or seven minutes. Let them stand or sit on the pan for at least five minutes transfer where you want them stored eat them when you want soft chewy indeed indeed.

[@ambitiouskitchen]

interesting!!

[@noraziranmohamad9917]

The overspread looks kinda better outta all of them😋cause i like big chocolate chip cookies also the best kind of cookies that ever existed

[@OhWaker]

Can you make a video comparing the results of cookies with different levels of mixing? Undermixed, mixed enough, and over mixed, and what each of them would look like color and texture-wise.

[@ambitiouskitchen]

oh that's a great idea, thanks!!

[@OhWaker]

@@ambitiouskitchen no problem. I've been trying to solve why my cookies end up looking darker and flatter than ideal and I keep finding different variables that usually aren't covered in most chocolate chip cookie recipes and "chocolate chip cookie science" videos. Other ideas/experiments I had in mind are timing and temperature variances in making browned butter and how that affects the taste, the amount of salt added (also varying the type of salt used, e.g. normal Morton salt vs Diamond Crystal kosher salt) and how that affects the taste and thickness/flatness, using unsalted butter with different fat percentages (e.g. regular vs Kerrygold Irish butter) and how that affects the taste and shape, and finally the effect of letting chilled cookie dough (scooped) come to room temperature before baking vs baking them straight out of the fridge and how that affects the thickness and browning of the cookies. I'm still working on making my cookies look like Tasty's ("How to Make Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies") and I would appreciate seeing someone test out these variables to help on my quest to create the perfect chocolate chip cookies

[@mindyjohnson4676]

We like the overspend cookies. We call them flat and chewies. Crisp on the outside rim and chewy in the middle.

[@mindyjohnson4676]

*overspread

[@SOF14_art]

tell me why the overspread cookie looks the best

[@danielmichael4907]

Since when was ever under/overspreading of a cookie ever a problem? They're delish anyway !!

[@TTCosmeticz]

I think the overly spread cookie is the best cookie

[@Jo-oh1qj]

I’ve had this baking soda for years that prolly why thanks

[@ambitiouskitchen]

haha yeah it's hard to remember to buy a new one!!

[@kurtiscunningham9352]

Those cookies look good af lol

[@ambitiouskitchen]

THEY ARE OMG!!! here's the recipe: www.ambitiouskitchen.com/brown-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/

[@ItReignItPour]

I appreciate these videos 😊

[@housepavus]

My cookies always look like the third one, and i never realized how ugly they were until i saw the second cookie😢

[@ambitiouskitchen]

hahaha it's not ugly!! I just prefer the fudgy-ness of the second one :)

[@Peachy_mattchu]

Overspread looks delicious ad

[@ilive4anime.]

Lmao...i love the overspread one

[@bethannielynne4047]

the "overspread" cookie is by far the best one!!!

[@oswaldoayala9167]

Yeah I do love this kind of 🍪cookie why does that matter when you can't have any without a glass of 🥛milk anyways

[@mado249]

What is your cookie recipe please they look so perfect 🩷! Also do you use dark or light brown sugar?

[@ambitiouskitchen]

dark!!

[@danimoonie]

I want to make cookies 🥺

[@maloojisloves6586]

I got a food scale for $5.99 and it is the greatest investment I’ve ever made!!!

[@ambitiouskitchen]

🙌🙌🙌

[@luv2cook5]

What is the point of chillin the dough when you bake it at room temperature?

[@ambitiouskitchen]

Hi! Chilling cookie dough allows the cookies to create a smooth caramel flavor, with crispy brown edges, a chewy interior and crackly tops. This happens because the fat in the recipe (butter) is solid and the sugar also absorbs some of it. Trust me, it’s a game-changer!

[@luv2cook5]

@ambitiouskitchen I've done it both ways and there is absolutely no difference.

[@farhanali7455]

Also the more sugar the flatter they’ll spread

[@gitouttamycage9221]

Overspread pls 🤤❤️

[@rampage222555]

You mean my 4 year old tub of baking soda is the reason my mother looks at me with disappointment when she sees my flat cookies?

[@ambitiouskitchen]

looool

[@EncounteringGrace]

I like underspread!!! Yum!!!

[@Wolxeiscool]

I like mine under spread especially when they are chewy 🤤

[@ambitiouskitchen]

I like them chewy and fudgy, too! the middle cookie in this video is still like that :)

[@lemonadecubing]

What is the recipe?

[@starbook5]

Question for you 🤔 how to sell my first time cookies And what should I do

[@ambitiouskitchen]

Do you mean like at a bake sale? I'm not an expert on that! I'd Google it haha

[@starbook5]

@@ambitiouskitchen okay

[@jaweria_fahad]

Recipe?

[@goodgollywally]

Less spreading is a better more moist and chewy cookie.

[@ambitiouskitchen]

feel free to make them that way if you prefer! they'll still be delicious.

[@Antoineragland16]

I wish I had a lot of chocolate chip cookies

[@terenarosa4790]

You're doing the video style of that one guy. I'm not knocking you for it. All videos should be more like his. Benjamin the baker I think his name was.

[@ambitiouskitchen]

oh i'll have to look him up!

[@nancykazzi4182]

Do you put the cookie balls straight from the fridge into the oven? Or do you have to wait for it to cool down to room temperature before putting it into the oven?

[@ambitiouskitchen]

if they've been in the fridge for a while and are really hard, I often let them sit at room temp for about 30 minutes before baking so that they'll spread easier :)

[@diswazzi1683]

I hate not being able to skip through shorts so fucking much, being forced to rewatch the whole damn thing to catch something you missed

[@ambitiouskitchen]

Ahh I know it's annoying. I have tons of cookie baking tips in my free Ultimate Guide to Cookie Baking if you wanna check it out! www.ambitiouskitchen.com/ultimate-guide-to-cookie-baking/

[@julietteyork6293]

What kind of sea salt do you sprinkle on top at the end?

[@ambitiouskitchen]

flaky sea salt! i use maldon :)

[@oldtimes1624]

That hard rock

[@gabiwolf1439]

A cookie must taste like a cookie Thats all u guys need to know v:

[@leviathan9151]

What happens if your cookies go past overspread?😭

[@ambitiouskitchen]

hahaha they'll just be thinner and less fudgy in the middle!

[@RoLee705]

How long do the cookies rest outside the fridge before baking though??

[@ambitiouskitchen]

I'd recommend about 30 minutes!

[@strangewhatisit-dw6bs]

I like mine underspread))

[@tristitia585]

ok so based on this, the reason behind my cookie wont spread is the amount of flour that are (too much) when i lessened its sugar? what's the perfect, i dunno.... ratio? i tried once with the same recipe (that i cut the amount of sugar) using lesser flour and its.... still wont spread. probably over mixed? since i dont use any mixing machine

[@ambitiouskitchen]

hi! yes, if you alter the amount of any ingredient it's probably going to change the texture. the amount of sugar will definitely affect how much it spreads! I can't say a specific ratio; it really depends on the recipe you use.

[@user-bi8gp8gz6z]

Should make huge ginormous cook some time

[@Bee-ol1xr]

Measure properly = use a scale.

[@rrxoox1940]

I don't understand English, I want to know how to cook cookies perfectly like the one in the middle 😭 I used the translator

[@ambitiouskitchen]

hi! here's the recipe blog post -- if you follow these instructions carefully they should turn out amazing! www.ambitiouskitchen.com/brown-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/

[@rrxoox1940]

@@ambitiouskitchen Thank you 🙏🏻💗💗💗

[@adamsfamilygarden5222]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@ambitiouskitchen]

thanks! 😊

[@thetaintpainter5443]

The way you measure flour properly is by mass

[@ambitiouskitchen]

100%. But in the U.S. a lot of people don't have scales so I've found this way to be the next best thing!

[@miamonroe4195]

I like mine kind of chunky not flat

[@ambitiouskitchen]

I agree! the middle cookie is fudgy and chewy without being flat, but also without being too puffy :)

[@fu.gee.tiiiiii]

i like overspread

[@Kimahgri11]

Overspread looks and taste homemade and the way to go imo. “Perfect” and under spread looks store bought.

[@ambitiouskitchen]

everyone has their own preferences!

[@hoodie2bzy]

overspread>>>

[@miamonroe4195]

Wait I'm confused let the dough sit out and then bake because I put them in right after chilling, that's what the the recipe said lol chilled dough is important etc

[@ambitiouskitchen]

yes chilled dough is important! you can bake them right away after chilling but if the dough is super hard after chilling (and your test cookie isn't flattening properly) you can let the chilled dough balls sit at room temp for a bit to "thaw" to help it flatten out better in the oven (rather than staying tall and puffy!)

[@Sn00oppy]

But when i made mine they overspreaded and combine into one and then they werent even chewy they were stale

[@Sn00oppy]

And i baked it right

[@ambitiouskitchen]

uh oh! did you use my recipe? also different baking sheets can really affect how they bake up. what kind did you use?

[@Sn00oppy]

I didn't use yours and i use normal parchment paper but everything i make always overspread do you know why??? I could try your recipe but they are all very similar.

[@ilikelampshades6]

I dont know why it is annoying but all cookies are chocolate chip unless otherwise specified and therefore you can just call them cookies

[@ZLink0692]

Overspread is yummy because they’re crispy

[@amel9712]

Fresh banking soda, do u mean i should conserve it in the fridge!

[@ambitiouskitchen]

just make sure it's not older than 6 months or so!

[@legendarykingwolf4641]

Question, I try to make good cookies, but they turn out too crunchy

[@ambitiouskitchen]

Hi! They may be overbaked, your pan might conduct too much heat, or the recipe isn't well-tested! I'd recommend an aluminum baking sheet and this recipe: www.ambitiouskitchen.com/brown-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/

[@IamG_]

I like over spread cookies

[@Iamyl4]

I like mine not spread much 😂

[@bakingproud]

Use baking soda for light texture and baking soda for bold texture, and great cookie done

[@blushfaerie]

So I do I make them underspread?

[@ambitiouskitchen]

you want just the right amount of spread for the perfect texture!

[@zainabchase6903]

My cookies kinda look domed and smooth on top. I want them to have texture like yours byt for the life of me! They turn out like that no matter the recipe. Can you help please?

[@ambitiouskitchen]

it may depend on the cookie recipe you're using! try these tips, and this is the cookie recipe I used that comes out perfectly every time: www.ambitiouskitchen.com/brown-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/

[@kingjb554]

I would eat every level of spread...

[@MJ-ug9cg]

Hmmm. I’m ok eating them all.

[@ambitiouskitchen]

hahaha yes but if I can control how they come out, I'm choosing the middle one!!