Tips To Make Your Cookies Look Like They Came Straight Out Of A Bakery

When asked about their top tips for baking the best cookies, just about every professional baker we interviewed started with this one: Chill your dough. "When it comes to preparing the dough, a crucial step is to chill it before baking," says Nikola Galang, owner and baker of Cake Indulge Manila. "By refrigerating the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes, you ensure that the cookies maintain their shape and acquire a delightful, chewy texture, rather than spreading excessively during baking."

Too much spreading can result in a flat cookie with a texture you don't want. By chilling the dough, you'll get a thicker, richer, and more solid product. If you find your dough is still spreading too much, you can pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes to slow down the spread.

But refrigerating the dough isn't just about texture — it's critical to getting the best flavor. Taylor Tate, pastry chef of peasants Feast in California, says, "The longer you refrigerate, the better the flavor will be — at least overnight, preferably 24 to 48 hours for maximum flavor. It lets the flavor develop, and you'll have a cookie that spreads less and has a better all-around flavor." As the cookie dough chills, the ingredients tend to concentrate more while the dough becomes more hydrated by soaking up the moisture from the wet ingredients. Who knew letting your dough sit around and do nothing was such an important step for top-tier cookies?

When the craving for cookies hits, it can be tempting to snag all of the ingredients you need from the fridge and immediately get to work. However, rushing in without making sure your ingredients are at the right temperature will result in less-than-ideal cookies. "Temperature (of everything) is king," says Laura Kasavan, professional baker and founder of popular baking and desserts blog Tutti Dolci. "Butter should be at room temperature (slightly cool to the touch, and your finger will make a shallow impression) so that it creams together easily."

While some cookie recipes call for melted butter, Kasavan doesn't recommend that, either. "If butter is too warm, it won't retain any air during the creaming process, and this can cause your cookies to collapse." The more air the butter holds onto during the creaming process, the thicker and puffier your cookies will be — so it's best to aim for room-temperature butter that isn't totally melted yet.

While you're waiting for butter to come to temperature, take your eggs out of the fridge as well. If you use room-temperature eggs for your cookies, they'll mix together more easily with your softened butter, which will ultimately yield a smoother batter.

When most people think of chocolate chip cookies, they typically imagine those teardrop-shaped bits of sweetness dotting the surface of the cookie. However, those aren't actually the best choice for your cookies.

"For gooey chocolate in every bite, chopped chocolate is the way to go," chef Laura Kasavan says. "Use high-quality chocolate baking bars, and chop them up (a serrated knife works especially well). Chocolate chips contain stabilizers, so cookies baked with chocolate chips will not spread as much as cookies with chopped chocolate."

That's right — if you want that melty chocolate pull when you break apart a cookie, chocolate chips won't do the trick. They're designed to keep their shape at even the highest temperatures, so chopping up chocolate or even using chocolate discs is a better choice for bakery-style cookies. Don't just use any chocolate, though. "Invest in good-quality chocolate to elevate your cookies," pastry chef Taylor Tate says. "Bakeries use the best they can buy, and that's why the flavor seems better than those store-bought chocolate chips."

The vessel that holds your delicious cookies while baking is important as well. No matter what the recipe that you're following says, resist the temptation to grease your cookie sheet. This will likely lead to your cookie dough (which already has plenty of fat) spreading way more than you want it to.

"To prevent any sticking issues and achieve even browning," baker Nikola Galang says, "I would recommend using parchment paper or silicone baking mats to line your baking trays. These protective measures contribute to a consistent and appealing appearance of the cookies."

Baker Laura Kasavan agrees with that assessment for the best results. "Lining with parchment makes for easy cleanup and helps prevent cookies from over-spreading in the oven," she says. Not only could greasing your baking sheet make the cookies spread too much, but it could actually make them pool butter, which is one of the last things you want for your precious cookies.

Let's be honest — there's never a bad time to have freshly baked cookies on hand. But putting together the perfect cookie dough every single time the mood strikes is a lot of work. That's why pastry chef and influencer Emily Laurae Carter always keeps pre-made dough ready to go in the freezer.

"I would highly recommend creating a freezer stash of homemade cookie dough to bake and enjoy at your leisure! To make your own frozen cookie stash, place your chilled homemade cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet after mixing, and freeze until firm. Transfer the balls to a freezer-safe bag, then the next time you crave freshly baked cookies, grab what you need from the freezer bag and bake! The frozen cookie dough will need a few extra minutes in the oven, so keep an eye on them."

Renowned pastry chef and content creator Amber Spiegel agrees that the freezer is her "favorite assistant" when it comes to cookies. "As a pastry chef and cookie-decorating instructor, I regularly freeze raw cookie dough to get a head start on big projects. You can freeze it for up to three months to have it ready to go when it's time to bake and decorate cookies." Maximum sweet-tooth satisfaction, minimal effort. 

When you decide to put together a batch of cookies, chances are you'll find a recipe online and simply follow the directions down to the last degree. But the truth is, if you want bakery-level cookies, you'll need to keep a careful eye on your oven. "Baking times are guidelines, but you should always keep an eye on your baked goods, especially with cookies as they can easily get over-baked," pastry chef Amber Spiegel says. "I always give a range of baking times in my cookie recipes, but light golden edges are the way to know when the cookies are ready to come out of the oven."

It's always important to keep in mind that your oven might run a bit hotter or cooler than the temperature that is actually displayed. There might also be hot and cold spots throughout the oven. As much as some people might not like to hear it — creating the perfect cookies often comes down to a learned gut feeling after baking them a few times.

Of course, everyone has their preferences when it comes to temperatures and times. Chef Katie Chaney says the way to go is "low and slow! Usually, cookies bake for a short amount of time, but we like to use a colder oven temperature to bake. High heat equals drying out and tougher cookie crumbs throughout!"

You've probably heard the nearly cliché saying: "You eat with your eyes." When you bite into a delicious, perfectly textured cookie, the only thing that makes it better is seeing the eye-popping toppings scattered across the cookie. However, if you simply roll all of the extras into the dough, you likely won't be able to get a good view of them from the top. "Add bits of chocolate (or any other of your mix-ins like toffee bits or chopped nuts) to the top of the unbaked dough for pretty cookies," baker Laura Kasavan says. "A gooey chocolate topping makes for a bakery-worthy cookie." 

Speaking of topping your cookies, another garnish that professional bakers use that might seem contradictory to some is salt. "Adding salt to your cookies right when they come out of the oven, before they cool, is a great way to enhance their flavor and level out their sweetness," chef Taylor Tate says. "Get creative and use different kinds of salt like Maldon salt, gray sea salt, or even volcanic black salt, to achieve interesting layers of flavor."

Pastry chef Emily Laurae Carter agrees. "Flaky sea salt livens the caramelized dark chocolate flavors of the baked cookie dough and helps to balance every rich and delicious bite," she says. "Take a bite of a cookie topped with flaky salt, then try one without — your taste buds will tell you all you need to know!"