How to Stop Sugar Cookies Spreading (Perfect for Fondant Cookies)

You cut out perfect shapes, put them in the oven, and they come out as blobs. It happens to everyone, and it’s usually down to a few small things in how the dough is mixed, chilled and baked.

Here’s what makes the biggest difference, especially if your cookies are going to be covered in fondant, where a clean shape really matters.

How I Do It

I roll my dough to around 6mm thick. Everyone has their own preference though, so go with the thickness that works for you.

To tell when they’re done, I watch the tops. Once the shine has disappeared, the cookies are cooked. They keep cooking on the hot tray after they come out of the oven, so I take them out at that point. That way the edges don’t brown and you get a nice pale cookie base.

The two mistakes I made most? Overbaking, so the edges went brown, and not chilling the dough. Both are easy to fix, and they’re covered in the tips below.

1. Chill Your Dough

Chilling your dough is one of the most effective ways to prevent sugar cookies from spreading. Cold dough helps solidify butter and other fats, keeping cookies from melting too quickly in the oven.

How to Chill Dough Properly

• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour (overnight is even better).
• For rolled-out dough, place it between two sheets of parchment paper and let it chill flat in the fridge.
• If you’re in a hurry, pop the dough in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before cutting shapes.

Rest the Dough After Rolling

• Why it helps: Rolling can create tension in the dough, which causes cookies to shrink or warp during baking.
• How to do it: After rolling and cutting shapes, let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes before baking.
• For fondant cookies: Less shrinkage means your fondant pieces fit the cookie properly.

2. Use the Right Amount of Butter

Butter is essential for flavour and texture, but using too much can cause excessive spreading.

Butter Tips

• Use the correct amount of butter as listed in the recipe.
• Make sure the butter is room temperature (not too soft or melted).
• Try substituting half butter and half shortening for a more stable dough.
• For fondant cookies: Shortening helps cookies keep their cut shape, so fondant cut with the same cutter fits neatly on top.

3. Don't Overmix the Dough

How you mix your dough has a big effect on how much your cookies spread.

How to Mix Properly

• Don't over-cream the butter and sugar. Beating them for too long whips air into the dough, which makes cookies puff up and spread in the oven. Mix until smooth and combined, not light and fluffy.
• Mix gently once the flour goes in. Overmixing at this stage develops gluten, which makes cookies tough and can cause them to shrink.

Try the Reverse Creaming Method

• Why it helps: Instead of creaming butter and sugar first, mix the butter into the dry ingredients before adding wet ingredients. This coats the flour in fat and adds less air, so cookies spread less and stay level.
• It also gives you a more tender cookie.
• For fondant cookies: Less air in the dough gives you a flatter top for fondant.

4. Line Your Tray with Parchment Paper or a Silicone Mat

The surface you bake on can affect how much your cookies spread.

• Parchment paper gives the crispest edges and the least spread.
• Silicone baking mats also work well, though cookies may spread very slightly more than on parchment.
• Avoid greasing your baking tray, as extra fat makes cookies spread more.

5. Bake at the Right Temperature

An oven that’s too hot or too cold can affect how cookies bake.

• Bake sugar cookies at 175°C conventional or 160°C fan-forced unless your recipe states otherwise.
• Use an oven thermometer, as many ovens run hotter or cooler than the dial says.
• Preheat the oven fully before baking.
• Don't bake cooler than your recipe suggests. A cooler oven gives the butter time to melt before the cookie sets, which can make cookies spread more.
• Take them out once the shine disappears from the tops. They’ll keep cooking on the hot tray, so pulling them at this point stops the edges browning and keeps the cookie pale for fondant.

6. Choose the Right Type of Sugar

The type and amount of sugar in your dough affects how much it spreads.

• Caster sugar is the best choice for sugar cookies. Its fine crystals blend evenly into the dough for a smooth cookie that holds its shape.
• If your cookies are spreading too much, reduce the sugar slightly.

Use Cornflour for Crisp Edges

• Why it helps: Cornflour makes the dough more tender and helps cookies hold their shape, keeping edges sharp.
• How to do it: Substitute 1-2 tablespoons of flour with cornflour.
• For fondant cookies: Sharp edges give you a clean fondant finish.

7. Freeze Cut-Out Shapes Before Baking

• After cutting out shapes, place them on a baking tray and freeze for 10-15 minutes before baking.
• This helps them keep their form during baking.
• For fondant cookies: The cookie keeps the exact shape of your cutter, so fondant cut with the same cutter lines up neatly.

8. Use the Double Tray Trick for Even Baking

• Why it helps: Placing your baking tray on top of another tray insulates the bottom, so cookies don’t over-brown underneath.
• This is especially helpful if your oven runs hot or heats unevenly.

9. Let Cookies Cool on the Tray

• Why it helps: Cookies are soft straight out of the oven and can bend, crack or lose their shape if moved too soon.
• Let cookies sit for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack. They’ll finish cooking from the heat of the tray during this time, which is why it pays to take them out of the oven as soon as the shine is gone.
• For fondant cookies: Make sure cookies are completely cool before applying fondant. Warm cookies will soften and melt the fondant.

10. Check Your Flour

• Measure flour accurately. Too little flour results in softer, spread-prone dough.
• If you use baking powder: It can cause slight puffing, so reducing the amount may help cookies stay level for fondant.

The Short Version

• Chill the dough, then freeze the cut shapes before baking.
• Don’t over-cream the butter and sugar.
• Use caster sugar and measure your flour carefully.
• Bake on parchment, on an ungreased tray.
• Bake at 175°C conventional or 160°C fan-forced, and take them out once the shine has gone from the tops.
• Let cookies cool completely before adding fondant.

Once your cookies are baked flat and sharp, they’re ready for fondant. Browse our cookie stamps & cutters.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know when sugar cookies are done?

Watch the tops. Once the shine has disappeared, they’re cooked. Take them out at that point, as they’ll keep cooking on the hot tray. If you wait until the edges look golden, they’ll end up brown.

Why do my sugar cookies still spread after chilling?

Chilling helps, but it can’t fix everything. The most common causes are butter that was too soft when mixing, over-creaming the butter and sugar, too much sugar or not enough flour, or an oven that isn’t as hot as the dial says. An oven thermometer is a cheap way to rule that last one out.

Should I chill the dough or the cut-out shapes?

Both, if you can. Chilling the dough makes it easier to roll and cut cleanly, and freezing the cut shapes for 10-15 minutes just before baking helps them hold their exact shape in the oven.

Can I make no-spread cookies with butter only?

Yes. Shortening helps, but it isn’t essential. With all-butter dough, be careful not to over-cream, measure your flour accurately, and always freeze the cut shapes before baking.

How thick should I roll sugar cookie dough for fondant?

I roll mine to around 6mm, but it’s a personal preference. Whatever thickness you choose, keep it even across the whole sheet so your cookies bake evenly.

How long should cookies cool before I add fondant?

Until they’re completely cool all the way through, not just on the surface. Fondant on a warm cookie will soften, go sticky and can start to melt.

Related reads: Essential Tips for Working with Fondant · How to Get Sharp Edges on Fondant Cookies