Things Bakers Know: The #1 Rule of Cookie Storage

Have you ever bit into a gingerbread cookie or what should be a crunchy sugar cookie only to find that it’s soggy?

Now that it’s cookie season, we need to talk about the #1 rule of cookie storage: Never store your Crispy Cookies and Chewy Cookies together.

Why? It’s like a form of osmosis: the crisp cookies absorb the moisture in the chewy cookies, softening their texture and losing their snap. During this time the chewy cookies will dry out, losing their characteristic softness. Avoid this by pairing cookies with similar textures: Crispy gingersnaps And Crunchy short bread In a container, and Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies And Chewy Sugar Cookies In another, etc. Gingerbread cookies Like tasting Peppermint Slice and Bake!)

This means that if you are shipping cookies of different textures and/or flavors and using one container, place them in cellophane bags first to keep them separate and in top shape.

Photography by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Ekaterina Boitsova

About this container: The old-fashioned cookie jar is old-fashioned, but not the best container for keeping cookies as fresh as possible. Instead, opt for an airtight container like this one. ProKeeper + Cookie Storage Containerwhich has a strong silicone seal to seal in freshness. And if you’re using it to store soft cookies, it comes with a terra cotta insert, which adds moisture to help cookies retain their chewy texture for longer. (such as a Brown sugar saver!)

An additional tip for keeping soft cookies soft

Another tip to keep soft cookies from being chewy? Consider adding a slice of white bread to the cookie storage container. Like the terra cotta stone that comes with our cookie storage container, the bread crumbs provide moisture that creates a humid environment in the container. That extra moisture is then absorbed by the cookies to prevent them from drying out and hardening.

Ready to cook? We have 46 Classic Holiday and Christmas Cookies to Bake This Year.

cover photo (Earl Gray Cookiesby Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Ekaterina Boitsova.