Cookies are my favorite, and I bet you like them too. I often make them at home, and if you’re thinking of baking cookies alone, you must learn when the cookies are done.
There are various ways to understand if your cookies are done. Some commonly followed ways are checking if it looks brown, gets a crumbly texture, and has golden eggs. However, a few particular cookie’s doneness is checked through different methods.
In this article, I will share all those methods to get perfect baking all the time. So, could you stick with me till the end?
4 Ways to Know When Cookies Are Done
It’s super easy to understand if your cookies are perfectly done. All you have to do is check them properly. I follow the methods I have mentioned below, and these will be helpful for you, too.
1. Cookie Color and Texture
The most straightforward way to determine your cookies’ doneness is by looking at their color and checking their texture.
If you’ve baked lighter dough cookies like oatmeal or peanut butter, they should have dark golden edges and a soft golden center. The texture of these cookies is solid and gooey.
If you’re baking thin cookies and adding toppings like a streusel or brown sugar, look for light brown edges and a soft golden center. Don’t continue baking when these colors appear, or else there will be a high chance for you to burn them.
The signs of cookie doneness vary depending on the type of cookies you’re baking. For example, if you used flour in small amounts, the texture of the cookies should have cracks on the middle part and corners.
When the cookies are done baking, there will be no glossiness that it had when it was a dough. However, if you’re baking dark cookies, it should look glossy and may start to crack or crumble slightly around the edges.
2. Check the Bottom of the Cookies
Another way to know the best way to check whether the cookies are done is by checking the bottom. Check the cookies’ colors, top, and edges through the oven’s glass. If it looks like it’s done, open the oven door. Take a metal spatula and check the cookie’s bottom.
You must not bake them further if they appear light brown and firm. In some cases, the base becomes golden, which is nothing to be worried about since this indicates that the cookies are perfectly baked.
3. Baking Time
Whenever you bake cookies, make sure to follow the timing mentioned in the recipe since some recipes require changing temperature in the middle of the baking process or at a particular time.
If you’re using the exact ingredients mentioned in identical amounts, you must follow the chef’s timing in his recipe. If you’re using any alternative of the elements, know that there will be slight changes in timing.
Hence, it’s better to follow a single recipe properly from the beginning to the end. However, these famous cookies on the table take less time than what I mentioned.
| Cookie Type | Baking Time | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Chip Cookie | 12 to 15 minutes | 375 degrees F |
| Peanut Butter Cookie | 20 minutes | 375 degrees F |
| Sugar Cookies | 10 minutes | 375 degrees F |
| Gingerbread Cookie | 10 minutes | 375 degrees F |
| Snickerdoodle Cookie | 10 minutes | 350 degrees F |
| Oatmeal Cookie | 12 minutes | 325 degrees F |
| Shortbread Cookie | 10 minutes | 350 degrees F |
| Blossom Cookie | 8 to 10 minutes | 375 degrees F |
| Snowball Cookie | 12 to 15 minutes | 350 degrees F |
| Thumbprint Cookie | 15 minutes | 350 degrees F |
4. Using a Toothpick
Understanding the doneness of a cookie using a toothpick is a famous method. Whether soft or hard, you can know if any cookie is done baking. All you have to do is insert the toothpick into the center of your cookie.
Reach till the bottom of it, and now take the toothpick out. If you see many crumbs on the wooden toothpick’s peak, know that it still needs more baking.
5 Common Mistakes to Avoid
Whether you’re a beginner or experienced in making cookies, you also make some mistakes you can easily avoid by always allowing your cookies to be done. Here are some common mistakes to avoid.
1. Not Keeping a Close Look
The most common mistake most people make is not keeping an eye on cookies while baking. Some even forget cookies are inside their ovens while focusing on other household chores. This is why burning cookies is the most common thing beginners and even sometimes experienced bakers do.
Please keep checking the conditions of the cookies through the oven’s glass door. You can also take a look at your baking after every five minutes. Setting a timer can help you remind yourself of your duty.
2. Taking the Cookies Out Earlier
Another common mistake is baking in a rush. You must keep patience if you’re making cookies from the beginning to the end of the process, especially when making light-colored cookies.
Allow the cookies to get a little puffed. Check the color of the cookies. Take them out only when you see them have dark golden edges and a soft golden color in the middle. You must stop baking them without seeing these signs to ensure your cookies are undone.
3. Overbaking with Toppings
Sometimes, some recipes tell you to add toppings later when the baking is almost done. You need to be wise enough in such a time since most people overbake their cookies and burn them, not understanding when they should end.
In this situation, you must keep watching them while baking and immediately remove them if the edges turn dark brown.
4. Not Using Wooden Toothpick
Some people use metal-made toothpicks, thinking they will work better to test if the cookies are done. However, that’s actually a mistake they make since metal toothpicks fail to collect crumbs.
Instead, always use a wooden toothpick because it collects enough crumbs to give you a proper understanding of the doneness.
5. Not Creating the Right Baking Conditions
Before you start baking cookies in the oven, there are some things to do to make the baking process go smoothly. So, how will you make the right baking conditions? The very first thing you should do is ensure the correct oven temperature. Use an oven thermometer to see if the oven reached the oven temperature your recipe needs.
You may need to raise or reduce the oven’s temperature a little, depending on the cookie sheet you’re using. With shiny sheets, you must bake cookies for an extra minute or two. On the contrary, with darker sheets, you need to take the cookies out 1 or 2 minutes earlier, or you could reduce the temperature a bit.
Also, use rimless sheets and grease them well before baking. Don’t bake more than one sheet of cookies at a time. It would be better if you cleaned the entire oven because this will allow your cookies to achieve their genuine taste. Many don’t try to do these tasks, so avoiding making a good condition for baking can result in burnt, less baked, or less tasty cookies.
FAQs
How to Know When Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Done?
Check if your chocolate chip cookies have golden edges with a smooth bottom and a bit puffy on top. If the cookies fulfill these conditions, they’re done and ready to be removed from the oven.
How Do We Know When Sugar Cookies Are Done?
Sugar cookies are light-colored cookies. Hence, it’s easier to know if they’re done baking. Check if the glossy sheen has faded and the top portion is crumbly. It should look lightly golden and a bit puffed up. If the cookies show all these signs, immediately remove them from the oven.
Final Words
These were the simple ways to find out when cookies are done. Make sure to make sure to correct everything that I mentioned. Check cookies properly and use the baking time wisely. This will help you make perfect cookies even if you’re a newbie. If there are still some questions bugging you. Thank you for sticking to the article till the end.
