The Secret to BARBARIAN-Sized Stuffed Cookies: How to Bake Giant Stuffed Cookies without them Spreading

We have them, you love them, and many of you want to know how we make them without them burning, or going flat! In this post: the secret to our giant stuffed cookies keeping their shape without going flat as a pancake.

The Struggle with Flat Cookies

Nothing is more disappointing than spending hours making dough, stuffing it with marshmallows or chocolate truffles, and watching it melt into a giant, thin pancake in the oven. It might taste amazing, but it's not what you're going for. You just want to know how to bake giant stuffed cookies without them spreading out! The culprit? Dough that is too warm, and an oven at the wrong temp (too hot OR too Cold . . . details below)

Freezing Your Dough and Mastering Oven Temp (AKA How to Bake Giant Stuffed Cookies without them spreading)

The secret to GIANT stuffed cookies is freezing your dough and baking at the right temperature. You need the outside of the cookie to set quickly before the inside has a chance to melt and spread. This of course, is going to vary based on what you stuff your cookies with!

The Attack Plan

1. Freeze your Fillings First: Portion and freeze the fillings for your cookies first. Not only does this ensure even filling distribution, it helps to keep the mess down when stuffing your cookies!

2. Stuff and Shape: Form your giant cookies and stuff them with your desired mix-ins. My personal favorite method is to tear my pre-portioned dough piece in half, and put my filling in the center. Then, re-seal the cookie dough halves together. This ensures a centered filling, and minimizes leaks.

3. Freeze: Place the shaped and filled cookie dough balls in the freezer for at least 1-2 hours. They should feel like rocks.

4. High Heat: Bake them in a the correct temperature oven. Softer fillings (like buttercream and ganache) should be baked at 400 degrees F while fillings that have some structure to them (like cookie butter and edible cookie dough), should be baked at 450 degrees F. The high heat cooks the outside fast, creating a protective shell, while the frozen center stays perfectly gooey. Bake your cookies for 8-12 minutes, until the outside is no longer shiny and the cookies appear just set.

5. LET THEM COOL: This is the step that most people forget. You MUST let the cookies cool ON the baking sheet for 1-2 hours before moving them. The cookies continue to bake and set once removed from the oven.

The Barbarian Cheat Code: Do not guess your oven temperature! Most home ovens are wildly inaccurate. Buy a cheap internal oven thermometer so you know exactly when your forge is hot enough for baking. BONUS Cheat Code: To prevent burned bottoms, add a silpat (silicone baking mat) underneath your parchment paper when you bake. This helps slow the transfer of heat between your oven and the bottom of your cookies.