Ever mixed up a batch of cookie dough that feels more like slime than sweetness?
Don’t panic. Sticky dough happens to the best of us—especially when we get a little heavy-handed with the butter. Or, like me, we forget that Texas kitchens in October still feel like summer.
Having the opposite problem? Check out
our guide to fix crumbly cookie dough
.
Let’s get your dough back to scoopable status (and keep you from swearing off baking forever).
🧈 Why Your Cookie Dough Gets Sticky or Oily
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Too-soft butter or warm room temp.
Melted butter = extra grease. Even a few degrees too warm can make your dough slick.
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Overmixing.
When flour and fat spend too long together, gluten builds and friction warms everything up—cue sticky mess.
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Too little flour (or too much liquid).
Every brand measures a little differently. “Spoon and level” matters! If your dough’s more soup than scoop,
here’s how to fix runny cookie dough
.
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Humidity & climate.
Moisture in the air sneaks into the dough, making it tacky even when the ratios are right.
🥣 Quick Fixes for Sticky Cookie Dough
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Chill it. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cooler temps firm up fats and give gluten a break.
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Add 1 Tbsp flour at a time. Stir gently and test texture. Stop when the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
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Dust your hands or scoop with flour. Old-school but effective. Keeps the stick on the dough, not on you.
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Avoid the microwave “hack.” It melts butter unevenly and can make the issue worse. Patience pays off.
🔬 Preventing Sticky Dough Next Time
- Measure flour with the spoon-and-level method, not straight from the bag.
- Use room-temperature butter (soft enough to press a finger dent, not melty).
- Mix just until combined—no more.
- If your kitchen runs warm, chill ingredients for 10 minutes before mixing.
🍪 Or Skip the Fix and Grab the Doughp Shortcut
Sometimes you just want cookie dough that’s already perfect. Doughp is made to be eaten raw or baked—no eggs, heat-treated flour, zero guesswork.
Bonus: Our fan-favorite Santa’s Doughp (chocolate-chip with festive sprinkles) drops November 11 – 23.
Get a free cup on orders $60+ while supplies last.
So if your dough’s still too sticky… maybe that’s a sign to treat yourself instead. 😉
Shop & Get Your Free Cup (Nov 11–23) →
Prefer to grab it in person? Find Doughp in a store near you.
💛 A Quick Note on Mental Health (Because That’s What We Do)
Baking is therapy for a lot of us—until it isn’t. If you’re beating yourself up over a kitchen flop, take a breath. Mistakes happen. You deserve sweetness even still. 💛
Every bite of Doughp helps fund mental-health care through our #Doughp4Hope initiative.
