# Why do my cookies take 2x the minutes to cook as the recipe?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 2, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940 "2009-03-02T00:20:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/1 "2009-03-02T00:20:49Z")
Why does it take twice as long for me to cook cookies as the recipes call for? My oven temp, by the way, IS accurate (that was the first thing I checked). It’s happened with both chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. It _doesn’t_ happen with my yeast bread, quickbreads, brownies, or gingerbread, just the cookies.
Why?
Or is just that I look my cookies more done than most people?
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### Author:  [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/2 "2009-03-02T00:26:16Z")
You’ve probably thought of this, but sometimes cookies continue to set after they come out of the oven. Are they OK if you take them out at the regular time, cool them on the pan, then on a rack?
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### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/3 "2009-03-02T00:43:11Z")
Are your pans the AirBake kind–with air pockets so that they won’t burn on the bottom? (Although, I think that should add only a minute or two, not double the time)
How often do you open the door of the oven? And how long does it take for the temp to rise again after you do so?
Are the racks in your oven spaced appropriately? Maybe they aren’t high enough up for browning to take place.
Or maybe you do like your cookies more brown than “most” people.
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### Author:  [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/4 "2009-03-02T00:55:49Z")
> [@Eureka](#):
>
> Are your pans the AirBake kind–with air pockets so that they won’t burn on the bottom? (Although, I think that should add only a minute or two, not double the time)
That was my first idea, because when I use my Airbake sheets, it really does take almost twice as long.
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### Author:  [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/5 "2009-03-02T01:21:54Z")
My AirBake pans take a couple minutes longer at the start, but after they’re a little warm, they don’t.
How much room are you leaving around the cookie sheets in the oven? You might not be getting enough air circulation.
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### Author:  [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/6 "2009-03-02T01:57:11Z")
Have you checked the accuracy of your oven? If your oven thermostat is off, you may not be getting the heat you think you are.
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### Author:  [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/7 "2009-03-02T01:58:12Z")
you know…it would have helped to read the ENTIRE op…Sorry…I’ll slink back into my hole now.
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### Author:  [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/8 "2009-03-02T02:21:41Z")
Are you nuking your butter before adding it? Because that will make the batter much runnier and you’ll need to cook them longer. Butter should be left out for a few hours in order to soften. It shouldn’t be liquified.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/9 "2009-03-02T02:23:15Z")
Incidentally, I read awhile ago not to use Airbake pans, because they prevent cookies from getting deliciously browned. I went back to using regular pans, and sure enough, my cookies are much, much better now.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/10 "2009-03-02T02:50:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> You’ve probably thought of this, but sometimes cookies continue to set after they come out of the oven. Are they OK if you take them out at the regular time, cool them on the pan, then on a rack?
No. They are half raw and floppy a half an hour later. An hour after that, still icky. (I fixed one batch by popping them back in to cook a second time)
> [@](#):
>
> Are your pans the AirBake kind–with air pockets so that they won’t burn on the bottom? (Although, I think that should add only a minute or two, not double the time)
Are they _what?_ I have never heard of this “AirBake” thing - my cookies sheets are bare sheet metal. No coatings or air pockets or whatever. Just old-fashioned pans. Actually, they’re even a little flimsier than I remember mom’s being when I was a kid, they heat up and cool down pretty fast.
> [@](#):
>
> How often do you open the door of the oven?
Ideally? I don’t, except to put cookies in, let them cook, and take them out when they’re done.
> [@](#):
>
> And how long does it take for the temp to rise again after you do so?
Not sure, but it’s pretty quick.
> [@](#):
>
> Are the racks in your oven spaced appropriately? Maybe they aren’t high enough up for browning to take place.
I’ve tried moving them around. No difference.
> [@](#):
>
> Or maybe you do like your cookies more brown than “most” people.
Not really - if anything I probably like them slightly _less_ done than average.
> [@](#):
>
> Are you nuking your butter before adding it? Because that will make the batter much runnier and you’ll need to cook them longer. Butter should be left out for a few hours in order to soften. It shouldn’t be liquified.
Butter for this batch was left out overnight to thaw (I keep most of my butter in the freezer until I need it) and was definitely room temp prior to mixing.
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### Author:  [@MinniePurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MinniePurl)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/11 "2009-03-02T02:58:40Z")
Maybe you are making them bigger than the recipe calls for. Do you get a lot less than the recipe says? I find recipes often call for an absurd number of cookies per batch, meaning that they are very small. I usually just use the cookie scoop I have, and play around until I find the amount of time in the oven that works.
Where I live, altitude comes into play. Some foods take longer in general, and some foods seem very susceptible to taking longer when atmospheric pressure is low, particularly dried beans and brown rice. I don’t even bother with dried beans, it is so not worth it. I suppose it wouldn’t be a problem in NW Indiana, though.
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### Author:  [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/12 "2009-03-02T03:13:06Z")
Is your oven on a relativistic train?
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### Author:  [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/13 "2009-03-02T08:52:36Z")
Are you overloading the oven? If you put in too many cookies at once you will cause the temperature to drop significantly, and the extra thermal mass will keep the oven from coming back up to temperature quickly.
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### Author:  [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/14 "2009-03-02T08:59:40Z")
Is there a C or an F after the temperature in the recipe? 😉
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### Author:  [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/15 "2009-03-02T14:19:10Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#):
>
> Are you overloading the oven? If you put in too many cookies at once you will cause the temperature to drop significantly, and the extra thermal mass will keep the oven from coming back up to temperature quickly.
```
A strong contender, the other being, when you form the cookies, do you get the recipe yield or less? Mine are usually bigger and take more time.
```
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/16 "2009-03-02T14:20:46Z")
I think it’s the size of my cookies. I went back, checked the numbers in the recipe, then what I actually got. Mine, apparently, are twice as big as what the recipe calls for. Which is weird, 'cause they look normal cookie size to me. \>shrug\< Whatever. That’s probably it.
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### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-cookies-take-2x-the-minutes-to-cook-as-the-recipe/487940/17 "2009-03-02T14:38:35Z")
How old is your recipe?
If it is an old standby, “normal cookie size” was a lot smaller 30 years ago or 70 years ago than it is today.
I saw a feature on the Early show on it a couple weeks ago. Same brownie recipe from an old Joy of Cooking and the new one, but the old one made 48 brownies and the new one made 24. ( it was also mentioned in the local paper).[Story](http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-joy17-2009feb17,0,320694.story)
And while I’m tuned in to Google–[Airbake](http://prod.wearever.com/wearever/bakeware/wearever/airbake.htm)