Classic Cornstarch Cookies: 5-Ingredient Argo Melting Moments Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does adding corn starch do to cookies? ›

1. Cookies. Cornstarch does kind of incredible things to cookies. I mean not only does it give them soft centers, prevents them from spreading, and makes them somewhat thick (in a good way), but it also contributes to the chewiness factor, which, in my opinion, is the most important cookie attribute.

If you enjoy your cookies soft and chewy, chances are likely the recipe contains a common ingredient that serves a very specific purpose. No, it's not granulated sugar, nor the butter. It's not the egg, all-purpose flour, or even the vanilla extract. The simple, yet oh-so-necessary component is cornstarch.

Here's how it works: when cornstarch is added to a recipe, the starch molecules work to absorb water and thicken the mixture. When heated, those molecules swell and consume even more of the liquid in the recipe.

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

Cornstarch is considered a refined carb, meaning that it has undergone extensive processing and been stripped of its nutrients. Studies show that regularly consuming foods rich in refined carbs, such as cornstarch, may negatively affect heart health.

Using Cornstarch and Baking Powder Interchangeably

Let's cut to the chase. Cornstarch is not baking powder, and you shouldn't use cornstarch instead of baking powder or vice versa because they react differently and serve distinct roles.

You can use all-purpose flour in place of cornstarch in a baking recipe, but be warned: The texture won't be as soft and tender. Rice flour works especially well as a sub for cornstarch in cookie recipes and potato starch is a good replacement in cake recipes.

Corn Syrup (Light)

Light corn syrup is sometimes used in specialist cakes and confectioneries to help keep baked products soft and doughy for longer.

Use Melted Butter

If the goal is a chewy cookie, then you absolutely need to be using melted butter. The technique of creaming softened butter and sugar together is often used for making cakes. And for good reason! The process of creaming incorporates air into the butter which results in a more airy and cakey cookie.

Consuming an excessive amount of these products leads to a myriad of health problems including obesity, high blood pressure and cancer. In addition, the consumption of large quantities of raw cornstarch by pregnant people is a compulsive disorder that can cause pregnancy and delivery complications.

Can you use cornstarch instead of baking powder? ›

Cornstarch is a component of baking powder, but the difference between the two is significant. Cornstarch itself is simply a thickening agent that absorbs moisture, not a leavening agent.

If you can't use eggs but still want make baked goods, you can try 1 tablespoon of cornstarch well-mixed with 3 tablespoons of warm water as a substitute for one egg. This can be used in a recipe for cake, cookies or even a meatloaf.

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

You can use all-purpose flour in place of cornstarch in a baking recipe, but be warned: The texture won't be as soft and tender. Rice flour works especially well as a sub for cornstarch in cookie recipes and potato starch is a good replacement in cake recipes.

Why This Works: Cornstarch binds with the liquids in your dough, so this makes your cookies spread less. It will also help them be soft and tender! How: Scoop your dough first, then chill in the refrigerator (covered in plastic wrap) for up to 24 hours.

If the dough is proofing correctly, which it should be if the cornstarch is the only thing missing and everything else is correct, then you should be fine without it. Depending on how much cornstarch was asked for the texture will be different, probably a tad less tender.