How to Soften Hard Cookies

Co-authored by Kyle Hall

Last Updated: March 4, 2021 Tested

Are you tired of eating rock-hard cookies? Do you want to have melt-in-your-mouth cookies? There are a couple of tricks you can try to get hard cookies soft and chewy again.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using a Piece of Bread

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Then make sure you like cookies! ^{[1]
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2
Put a piece of fresh white bread on the bottom of the container. Then, put the cookies on top of the bread. ^{[2]
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- If you don’t have a piece of white bread, you can use a damp paper towel instead. Just wrap the paper towel in aluminum foil, poke some holes in the foil, and place the foil in the container with the cookies.
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This will give the cookies enough time to absorb moisture from the bread so they soften. ^{[3]
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When you open the container the next day the cookies will be soft and chewy.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Reheating the Cookies

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Make sure the paper towel is damp but not soaking wet so your cookies don’t end up too soggy. ^{[4]
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Wrap the cookies you want to soften in the paper towel. If you’re reheating a lot of cookies, you may need to use more than one paper towel. ^{[5]
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- You can also place the cookies on a plate and then cover them with the damp paper towel. Either way will work!
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The cookies will absorb some of the moisture from the damp paper towel and become softer as they heat up. ^{[6]
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If they’re still not soft enough, try re-wrapping them with another damp paper towel and microwaving them again. ^{[7]
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Community Q&A

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Question

What makes cookies hard and tough?

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Community Answer

Over-baking, not enough moist ingredients, and over-mixing.

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How do I soften hard cookies?

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Dampen a paper towel and place it under the cookies. Place them in the microwave.

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What can I use when the batter is really dry?

Community Answer

Use water or milk to help soften the dough.

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If they are not soft enough, just put in 2 pieces of bread the next time.

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Dunk the cookies in milk to soften them up before eating.

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How to Soften Hard Cookies

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Using a Piece of Bread

Reheating the Cookies

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