Why Are My Cookies Cakey? I Asked 3 Bakers, and They All Said the Same Thing

A classic chocolate chip cookie is one of life’s great pleasures. Over the years, we’ve tried countless recipes for the beloved treat, from a vintage BHG recipe from 1947 to our new favorite recipe for thin and crispy cookies to the super-thick cookies made famous at Levain Bakery in New York City.

But every now and then, our cookies don’t turn out exactly how we expected. Ever had a batch of chocolate chip cookies unintentionally turn out puffy or cakey? You’re not alone—and there could be a few different factors at play.

To get to the bottom of this cookie conundrum, we tapped three pro bakers and cookbook authors: Zoë François of Zoë Bakes and Zoë Bakes Cookies, Sally McKenney of Sally’s Baking Blog and the recently released Sally's Baking 101, and Lia Holter of the Made. by Lia bakery in Florissant, Missouri, and the Made. by Lia cookbook. Here, they share the top culprits behind cakey cookies—plus, how to avoid them in the future.

3 Reasons Why Cookies Turn Out Cakey

Avoid these three common baking mistakes.

Overmixed Dough

If you’re a frequent baker, you’ve likely noticed that many recipes will tell you to mix the ingredients, especially flour, “just until incorporated.” That’s because over-mixing cookie dough can incorporate too much air into the dough and lead to excess gluten development. “Overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to tough or overly cakey cookies,” McKenney says.

Overmixing can happen at two different stages of the recipe: First, when you cream together the butter, sugar, and eggs, and again when you add the flour. “Overmixing is definitely the number one reason we’ve found cookies turn out a little puffier in the bakery,” Holter says. “With a chocolate chip cookie, you want to cream the butter and sugar together until it’s lighter in color, but not too light and fluffy. If you over-cream it in that beginning stage, you’ll have a cakey cookie. And then at the very end, when you have all your ingredients in there, if you overmix it and let it go for too long, you’re incorporating too much air into the dough, which is going to create that lighter, fluffier, kind of cake-like texture.”

Too Much Flour or Eggs

Another common culprit of dense, cakey cookies? Too much flour or egg, which both impact the structure of the cookie. Excess flour prevents cookies from spreading, while excess egg (specifically egg whites) traps air bubbles in the dough. “Too much egg or flour can make a cookie cakey because they have proteins that activate during mixing and/or baking that prevent the cookies from spreading and crisping up,” François says. “On the other hand, sugar and butter melt when put in the oven, so they spread and crisp.”

Too Much Leavening

Leavening agents such as baking soda and baking powder are key to making baked goods rise, but you don’t want to overdo it. Holter and McKenney say too much baking powder can lead to a puffy, cake-like texture.

How to Avoid Cakey Cookies

Want crisp, chewy cookies instead of cakey ones? The pro bakers we consulted recommend following these tips next time you pull out your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Avoid Overmixing

Overmixing is one of the most common reasons cookies turn out cakey, so try not to overdo it. McKenney says gentle mixing is key, both when creaming butter and sugar together, and when adding flour to the dough. “If the cookie recipe you are using calls for creamed butter and sugar, mix them together just until light and fluffy,” she says. “Fold or mix in the dry ingredients just until they disappear; don't let the mixer keep running.”

Mix on low speed when creaming butter and sugar together, and switch to a spatula or wooden spoon when mixing in the dry ingredients to give you more control. Mix the flour just until no streaks remain, then gently fold in ingredients like chocolate chips or nuts. “Once the flour is added, be sure to just mix until the flour is incorporated and you no longer see dry patches, then stop,” François says.

Measure Your Ingredients Carefully

When measuring out flour for cookie dough, do you dip your measuring cup straight into the bag of flour? If so, stop! Doing so packs down the flour, and you’ll end up with significantly more than you need. Instead, use the “spoon and level” method: Lightly spoon flour into the measuring cup and then level off the excess with the back of a knife. For the ultimate precision, you can also use a kitchen scale.

Be Mindful of Ingredient Ratios

Some recipes for chocolate chip cookies will yield a chewy and crispy texture, while others will lead to soft, fluffy, or cake-like cookies. Since recipes can vary widely, all three bakers say it’s important to be mindful of the recipe’s ratio of wet-to-dry ingredients. “It all comes down to balance,” McKenney says. “More flour and eggs give cookies more structure, making them thicker and cakier. More butter and sugar create thinner, chewier, or crispier cookies. Even small tweaks can make a big difference—for example, using egg yolks instead of a whole egg can produce chewier, less cakey cookies, and swapping some white sugar for brown sugar helps cookies spread more, giving them a crispier texture.”

Holter recommends comparing different recipes, paying close attention to the amount of flour and egg in each. “If you notice the recipe has, say, four cups of flour and only one stick of butter, I would up the butter a little bit if you like more of that thinner, crispy cookie,” she says. “Or if you notice one recipe has more eggs and one has less, the one with less eggs will probably be a little less cakey.”