My chocolate chip cookies came out flat as pancakes last night

I was making a double batch for my neighbor's party and decided to soften the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds, which I never do. They spread into one giant, thin sheet on the pan. I learned that melted butter makes cookies spread way too much (who knew, right?). Has anyone else had this happen and found a good way to fix it without starting over?

3 comments

3 Comments

derek_brown283mo ago

Oh man, that's the worst. Read somewhere that melted butter basically fries the flour instead of creaming with the sugar, which is what gives cookies structure. Maybe try chilling the dough for like an hour next time if you accidentally melt the butter? Supposed to help them hold their shape a bit in the oven. Cold butter is definitely the way to go for that classic cookie look.

alex_hall913mo ago

Disagree on the cold butter thing, honestly. I use melted butter all the time and get thick, chewy cookies. The real trick is letting the dough rest in the fridge overnight. That gives the flour time to soak up the moisture so they don't spread as much. Chilling for just an hour never does enough for me.

anna5671mo ago

Totally agree on the overnight rest, I read somewhere that the flour hydration actually changes how the gluten develops, so it's way more important than people think. I tried the melted butter thing a few times and it worked for me too, but only when I let it sit for at least 12 hours. Been doing that ever since and my cookies come out thick every single time lol.