Mistakes happen in baking, especially when attempting to follow a cookie recipe handed down from generation to generation or when measuring utensils don’t add up.
Luckily, there are many ways to fix cookies when you add too much of something.
You can fix cookies with too many dry ingredients by adding more liquid, and vice versa. You can also fix cookies that are too salty by adding something sweet or something too sweet by adding something spicy.
The correction for each ingredient varies due to different flavor profiles. Nonetheless, there is a solution for just about everything, so never waste good cookie dough batter; simply improvise.
How to Fix Cookies with Too Much Flour
Flour is one of the main ingredients in many cookie recipes; it is a stabilizer, binder, and thickening agent. That said, flour can also be the single ingredient that ruins an otherwise perfectly made batch of cookies if too much is added.
If you accidentally added too much flour to your mixing bowl, here are a few ways to correct the mistake and save the rest of the cookie batter.
- Add more liquid: Adding extra liquid like water or milk to your cookie mix will help offset the dry ingredients and get the batter back to the right consistency.
- Mix in more fat: Sometimes, adding an extra tablespoon of oil or butter is all your dry cookie dough needs to soften up.
- Knead the dough: If all else fails, roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. A lot of times, dry cookie dough doesn’t have too much flour; the flour simply isn’t mixed in with the rest of the ingredients well.
How to Tell Your Cookies Have Too Much Flour
Before taking action, you should ensure that too much flour is actually the problem. So, how do you know if your cookie batter has too much flour?
- Crumbly dough: Too much flour will soak up most of the liquid, resulting in a dry and crumbly dough.
- Thick cookies with doughy centers: Because flour is the ingredient that helps your cookies keep their shape, adding too much will lead to less spreading in the oven, with the centers remaining doughy even when fully cooked.
- The cookies taste like flour: Flour has a bland, chalky, almost bitter taste. Adding too much to cookie batter will leave the cookies tasting awful.
Cookies That Have Too Much Egg
Sometimes you end up with too much egg in your cookie batter because eggs come in different sizes. If your recipe calls for two small eggs and you add two large ones, you will probably find your batter is too wet.
If you baked those cookies, the result would be a thicker, chewier cookie, or even a spongy and airy cookie. These results come from the additional binding of starches and flour proteins.
How to Rescue Cookies that Have Too Much Egg
If your cookie batter contains too much egg, don’t worry, there is a solution. Actually, there are a few ways to fix this specific baking situation.
- Add more flour: Add extra flour, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
- Adjust your baking temperatures: Lowering the oven temperature by about 10 degrees and baking the batter a little longer can correct the problem created by too much egg.
- Let it go: If you did add a little too much egg, chances are good that you won’t be able to tell in the end. If the texture and consistency of the dough are as they should be, let it go.
Fixing Cookies That Are Too Sweet or Too Salty
Working with dry ingredients can be tricky, and you can easily and unknowingly add too much of one, like salt or sugar, making the batter taste terrible.
Many experts will tell you that correcting cookies with these specific issues can be nearly impossible, and you should start over; however, there are a few tactics you should try first.
How to Fix Cookies That Are Too Salty
It is easy to incorporate too much salt into your cookie batter, especially if you are one of those bakers who measure with their eyes and not with utensils.
The good thing here is that you can quickly fix cookies that are too salty simply by adding something sweet to the mix.
Some ingredients to try include:
- Sugar
- Honey
- Fruit (if it fits with the recipe)
- Chocolate or caramel chips
Adding a bit of vinegar to a batter with too much salt can help offset the acidity and balance the taste.
How to Fix Cookies That Are Too Sweet
Although it might be hard for someone to imagine cookies can be too sweet, it is a problem that often causes bakers to start their batter over.
Instead of tossing all the ingredients and starting over, try one of the options below to correct over-sweetened cookies.
- Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
- Sprinkle a tiny bit of cayenne pepper into the batter.
- Add some yogurt.
- Use a bit of olive oil.
How to Fix Greasy Cookies
If your cookies are overly greasy, you probably added too much oil, butter, or fat. This type of situation will often cause your cookies to come out not only greasy but also flat. To fix cookies with too much butter or oil, try one of these options:
- Add in extra flour.
- Put the batter in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking.
- Mix the leftover batter better (eliminate any clumping or hunks of butter).
What to Do When You Have Too Much
We already went over how to correct adding too much of many of the main ingredients found in most cookie dough recipes. Let’s examine the other essential elements needed to create this delicious treat.
What to Do When You Have Too Much Baking Soda in Cookies
Unfortunately, baking soda is one of the ingredients that will completely ruin your cookies if you add too much to the batter.
The best solution in this situation is to double the amount of the rest of your ingredients and make a double batch. If you just added the baking soda into the bowl and haven’t mixed it in yet, you can always use a spoon to scoop the extra out.
What to Do When You Have Too Much Oil in Cookies
Bakers often use oil when baking cookies to give them a soft texture and to stop the batter from sticking to the baking sheet. The best way to correct adding too much oil to your cookie batter is by increasing the amount of flour you use.
What to Do When You Have Too Much Brown Sugar in Cookies
Brown sugar will give your cookies a beautiful tan color and a sweet and delicious taste. However, too much will cause your cookies to become dark brown and very moist and chewy.
If you added a little too much brown sugar to your cookies, your best bet is to leave it be and bake them anyway. If you went over by a massive amount, double the other ingredients in the recipe.
What to Do When You Have Too Much Vanilla Extract in Cookies
Vanilla is a popular and common flavor used in many sweet treats, especially cookies. But adding too much of this ingredient can create a strong, bitter taste.
Try one of these solutions if you added too much vanilla to your cookie batter.
- Add extra ingredients (to dilute the vanilla).
- Toss in some extra spices (cinnamon and clove work best).
- Try something savory or tart (lemon zest, molasses, or salt).
What to Do When You Have Too Much Sugar in Cookies
Almost every cookie recipe calls for a lot of sugar. If you add too little (or a lot), there are solutions to counteract the issue you might encounter.
- Add a bit of acidity, like lemon or lime juice.
- Increase the amount of salt by just a pinch.
- Try adding spices with some heat, like cayenne, cloves, or cinnamon.
What to Do When You Have Too Much Cream of Tartar in Cookies
Too much cream of tartar in cookie batter will negatively affect the taste and texture in a big way. Suppose you aren’t interested in tossing it and starting over. In that case, the only options are adding more of the other ingredients to make a double batch or trying to balance the acidity with a bit of extra sugar.
Final Thoughts
Even professional bakers can easily make mistakes when it comes to measurements. Thanks to tons of professional advice and a lot of trial and error, we have found many great ways to fix your delicious cookie batter so you don’t have to throw it all out and start from scratch.
