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. 

Perfectly round cookies! Photography and food styling by Liz Neily
Use this simple trick for perfectly round cookies (like these Apple Cider Snickerdoodles).

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. 

Close up of chocolate chip cookie Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
A cookie double threat: These Supersized, Super-Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies are as good to look at as they are to eat.

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.

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Apple Cider Snickerdoodles
Apple Cider Snickerdoodles
4.7 out of 5 stars 6 Reviews
Total
4 hrs 35 mins
Yield
13 medium (3 1/4") cookies
A headshot of Jessica Battilana
The Author

About Jessica Battilana

Jessica Battilana is the Staff Editor at King Arthur Baking Company and an award-winning writer, recipe developer, and ardent supporter of eating dessert every day. She is the author of Repertoire: All The Recipes You Need and coauthor of eight other cookbooks, including Tartine Book 3 with Chad Rob...
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