What causes chocolate chip cookies to spread?!
Answers: I put the cookies on an ungreased pan, they just get flat.
Recipes that have a higher fat to flour ratio spread more. So, try a different recipe if you don't like your cookies so flat. (Alternately, add a bit more flour).
This is a question someone like Alton Brown would do a whole show around (food tv). When in doubt about why food does what it does, I always try to find out from my favorite food scientist, Alton. Here are two of his ccc recipes. The chewy and the puffy.
The Chewy Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Three Chips for Sister Marsha
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Hardware:
Ice cream scooper (#20 disher, to be exact)
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Mixer
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
The Puffy Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Three Chips for Sister Marsha
1 cup butter-flavored shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Hardware:
Ice cream scooper (#20 disher, to be exact)
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Mixer
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the shortening, sugar, and brown sugar in the mixer's work bowl, and cream until light and fluffy. In the meantime, sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
Add the eggs 1 at a time to the creamed mixture. Then add vanilla. Increase the speed until thoroughly incorporated.
With the mixer set to low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the shortening and combine well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough. Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 per sheet. Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown and puffy, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool and store in an airtight-container.
Good luck!
Maybe your baking soda or baking powder are bad.
check the expire dates on your ingredients.
Use shortening instead of butter. It has a higher melting point. also, try leaving the dough in the fridge for an hour before using.
Chocolate chip cookie dough is relatively soft, when put in the oven the dough melts and spreads as it cooks. Firmer/dryer doughs do not do this.
if you want puffy cookies, add the flour all at once, and don;t over beat. are you melting your butter? that may cause them to go flat. hope this helped.
Maybe the batter is too liquidy and wet. Try put them in the fridge for 30 min before bake. It would prevent them from flat out. Hope this helped!
Your baking soda/powder is old or you forgot to put it in. The butter is what makes it spread...but the soda/power is what makes it rise.
Several things can cause a cookie to spread.
First of all for a great texture, beat the sugars and butter together until very light and fluffy. This adds air which in turn adds lift to the cookie and a wonderful crisp outside with a chewy center.
I have always had the very best results when using real butter in my cookie recipes. It may cost a little more, but for a truly awesome cookie isn't a few cents per cookie worth the price?
The second major cause for cookie spread is putting the dough onto a warm sheet pan. When that happens the butter begins to melt before the cookie can begin to bake and you end up with a runny cookie. Always scoop onto a cool sheet. Refrigerating your dough will help with this problem in warm weather too.
Lastly, follow the recipe exactly. Baking is a science and guessing on measurements will throw off your results.