Having trouble with your no-bake cookies? Are they wet and gooey? Or dry and crumbly? Here’s how to fix them so you get perfect no-bakes every time!
Chocolate No Bake Cookies were a staple in my childhood home. My mom would pack me a lunch every day for school and always had a treat to include. These chocolatey, oaty, super chewy and moist cookies were one of our favorites.
Plus, No Bake cookies are such a fast and easy dessert, especially when you have a bunch of kids to feed! They were always a huge hit and I would share them with all of my friends.
Since you don’t even need to turn on your oven, No Bakes are supposed to be super easy for anyone to bake. Even us kids could help mom make them.
So when I tried to make them recently and they didn’t turn out as awesome as mom’s, I had to figure out why!
Whether they turn out dry and crumbly, or a totally gooey, too wet mess, there’s got to be a reason. Stick around and I’ll share what I’ve found so we can all have deliciously perfect No Bake cookies!
Boiling too long will cause the cookies to be dry and crumbly. However, if you don’t boil long enough the cookies will not set and will be runny. Some folks say bring the mixture to a rolling boil and then count to 60, while others swear by counting to 90.
Why Don’t My No Bake Cookies Harden?
There are a few key things that can cause no bake cookies to be too gooey or too dry. For the most part the success of your cookies will be based on temperature, ingredient consistency, and humidity in the air.
But most problems are caused by either boiling too long (or not long enough).
Most No Bake cookie recipes call for butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa to be melted and then brought to a boil. If your cookies consistently turn out too dry, it is probably because you are boiling it for too long. The sugar mixture needs to thicken enough to hold the cookies together.
But if you don’t boil long enough, the cookies won’t form properly and they’ll be a floppy mess. If you overcook the sugar, the dough just crumbles and doesn’t stick together then either.
Another weird reason that your cookies might not set properly is the weather! If it’s rainy or very humid, there might be too much moisture for the cookies. Even if you have perfected your boiling time, the moisture might still make a mess of your cookies.
But don’t worry! I have the solution so you can make perfectly formed cookies every time.
How to Fix No-Bake Cookies
If your cookies are too wet and don’t set, try boiling the mixture a little longer. Don’t start timing until it is at a full boil, and then it should be about 1-2 minutes of boiling. If your No Bakes are crumbly and dry, stick closer to 1 minute.
Another way to be sure your sugar mixture is at the right stage to set is the temperature. If you have a candy thermometer use this to check your mixture’s heat. It should be around 235-240 degrees Fahrenheit before you remove it from the heat.
If you don’t have a thermometer, there’s still a helpful trick to check your sugar. While you cook, keep a bowl of ice water nearby. After the 1-2 minute boil, drop a little bit of the sugar mix into the ice. When you pick it up, it should form into a soft ball in your hand, indicating it’s at the right temperature.
If humidity is your issue, try boiling a little bit longer than normal and aim for the higher end of the temperature range. But you can’t control the weather completely, so you may just want to try on another day!
The Biggest Mistakes Everyone Makes With No-Bake Cookies
FAQ
Can you fix no bake cookies that won’t harden?
Why are my no bake cookies dry?
Why are cookies not hardening?
How do you harden cookies that are too soft?
Do no-bake cookies Harden?
Recipes for no-bake cookies ask you to bring sugar, butter, milk and some form of chocolate — squares, powder or chips — to a nice rolling boil for 2 to 4 minutes. It sounds deceptively simple, but if your cookies didn’t harden, it means you didn’t get to what is known in fudge-making as “the soft ball stage.”
What if no bake cookies won’t set?
If you make a batch of no bake cookies that won’t set but know you measured everything right, you might want to boil the sugar mixture for the next batch a little bit longer or use a candy thermometer to make sure you’re getting the right temperature. A quick solution to no bake cookies not setting is to place them in the refrigerator for a while.
How do you make no bake cookies thicker?
If you boil everything correctly and your cookies still don’t seem thick enough, try adding more oats to thicken the mixture. Bring your sugar mixture to a boil over Medium-High heat to avoid overcooking or burning. Usually No Bake recipes call for full fat peanut butter or a lot of butter or margarine.
Why do no bake cookies turn out dry?
But most problems are caused by either boiling too long (or not long enough). Most No Bake cookie recipes call for butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa to be melted and then brought to a boil. If your cookies consistently turn out too dry, it is probably because you are boiling it for too long.