Troubleshoot this Oatmeal Cookie....why so dry? (ingredients, sugar, baking)

[Dayton Sux]

I made some banana oatmeal cookies last night, but they seem too dry, not chewy enough.

Followed the recipe, but did a few things different.

Instead of margarine I used butter.

Recipe said to use 2 or 3 bananas...I used two. Maybe it should have been 3.

Recipe said to use "rolled oats" but I used Quaker 5 minute oats. Mabe a different 'cut' of oats?

...those were the only deviations. I did put the oven rack near the bottom near the heating coils. Would putting the rack in the middle of the oven have worked better?

So, how to fix a dry cookie recipe? Any intel from the bakers (this was maybe my third attempt at baking).

[Nanny Goat]

Too much flour? When I lived in a dry climate, I had to actually decrease the flour in every recipe. Yes, putting the rack on the bottom could have overcooked, hence dried them out. I haven't noticed a difference between rolled vs.quick personally. I've used either or.

[momtothree]

How did the batter look? It should resemble chunky peanut butter consistency. And I actually bake my cookies nearer the top of the oven where it isn't as hot plus I underbake just slightly as I like chewy rather crispy.

[weezycom]

The 2 / 3 banana difference is your most likely culprit. You're losing at least a half cup (and probably more) of pulp and moisture by doing only 2 unless they were very overripe and huge. At any rate, when baking, always use very ripe/browning bananas. A yellow one that most folks would say is perfect for cereal or eating plain isn't ripe enough for baking.

The margarine/butter wouldn't make much of a difference in this situation. As far as the oats, do try to use what's called for, but since they were quick oats yet not instant oats, it would have made some difference in the final quality but not a huge difference.

[Jaxson]

Need to move your oven shelves up to the middle I use it and the top rack when baking. I'd also put the other banana in and be sure it is mushy.

[tpk-nyc]

Originally Posted by Dayton Sux

So, how to fix a dry cookie recipe? Any intel from the bakers (this was maybe my third attempt at baking).

Baking is equal parts science and art. Unlike other types of cooking which are about manipulating flavors, baking is about creating chemical reactions within a controlled environment. Procedure and ingredients are everything.

Did you follow the procedure properly, i.e., creaming the fat and sugar, adding the oats and flour in the correct sequence, etc.? Those things make a difference.

Because they’re so thin, cookies continue cooking after they come out of the oven. If you want chewy cookies, they should be slightly underdone when you take them out. You definitely shouldn’t bake them on the bottom rack.

In addition to the other excellent suggestions (yes, uncooked bananas have a lot of moisture), you might want to let the dough rest for an hour (even overnight in the fridge) to fully hydrate the flour and the oats.

In the end, however, the recipe may have been written to make crispy cookies. Recipes have all sorts of subtle tricks to create cookies that are either crispy or chewy. The author may have manipulated the recipe specifically for crispy cookies, in which case there’s not much you can do.

[Dayton Sux]

Wow..thanks a bunch for your alls help...!!! Now I'm movitvated to try again....

[momtothree]

Last, you can try searching for exactly what you are wanting. Chewy Moist Oatmeal cookie recipe etc. That will get you results for recipes/blogs searching for the same thing. You can read it and get an idea of how they make it. That's what I do also if I want a very specific type of something.

[OpenD]

I agree that the bananas need to be very ripe and soft, and that you need all 3. Lacking that third banana you would need more moisture. Applesace could substitute.

In general, when trying to change a baking recipe, it's best to only change one ingredient at a time, if possible, because otherwise when the chemistry goes haywire it's too hard to figure out what caused the problem.

Also, with baking you should favor the center of the oven because it has the best airflow, and you get the most even cooking there.