Things bakers know: The simple trick for picture-perfect cookies

Maybe you’re already using our 10 tips for your best cookies. But it’s possible that even if you’re doing everything right, your cookies still don’t emerge from the oven perfectly round. 

You may not mind a slightly misshapen cookie; after all, even an amoeba-shaped chocolate chip cookie is better than no cookie at all. But if you’re on a quest for perfection, here’s a simple way to make perfectly round cookies every time. 

Photography and food styling by Liz Neily

Perhaps surprisingly, this is a trick to use after your cookies are baked, not before. Pull your cookies from the oven and, while they’re still warm, place a round cookie or biscuit cutter or English muffin ring over the cookie; it should be about 1/4" larger than the cookie itself. Then, move the cutter in a circular motion around the cookie, so that the cookie makes contact with the edge of the cutter, which will smooth the sides and nudge it into a perfect circle. Ta-da! Your cookie will look as good as it tastes. 

Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Don’t have the right size cutter? An inverted jar or drinking glass works fine, too (and for truly oversize cookies, like these massive Oatmeal-Date Smash Cookies, candy-packed Monster Cookies, or Supersized, Super-Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, you can even use an overturned bowl). 

While this trick is primarily for aesthetics, it’s also handy if you are packing the cookies in a bag or cylindrical jar for gifting and want a nice, tidy stack.  

That’s just one trick for making your prettiest, most professional-looking cookies yet. For more expert cookie advice, check out our guide on How to Bake Cookies. 

Cover photo (Apple Cider Snickerdoodles) and food styling by Liz Neily.