Sidebar:  Hey there!  We're still in the middle of our renovation nightmare, so I am still without a kitchen and unable to cook, eat decent food, or create and blog new recipes.  However, since blogging is my most passionate hobby and I've been dying inside without being able to post, please enjoy these tips!

We've all been there.  You forgot to set a timer, got distracted, or your oven quirks just didn't line up with the bake time the recipe called for.  The result is the same - a batch of sad, burned cookies.  The good news is that, most of the time, the cookies can be saved or re-purposed so that you don't have to waste ingredients (and money!) by trashing the whole lot.

Scrape the Bottom

As long as only the bottoms of your cookies are burned, you may be able to save them by carefully scraping off the burned bits.  For me, I find simply using the edge of a butter knife gets the job done and allows you to have more control without breaking the cookie.  Hold the cookie by the edges with one hand, and with the other hand gently but quickly scrape at the burned bottom until it returns to a more appropriate cookie color.  🙂

I recommend starting with this step before using any of the following tips!

Use Bread Slices

After scraping off the burned bottoms, you may find that your cookie is too overbaked to have a tasty texture when eaten alone.  You can try infusing some moisture back into the too-crisp cookies by storing them in an airtight container with several slices of bread overnight.  When the cookies have softened up, discard the bread slices - or pop them into the toaster if you don't want to waste them - and eat up!

Make A Sandwich

An ice cream sandwich, that is!  Fill two cookies with ice cream, wrap them in saran wrap, and store them in the freezer until ready to nosh.  The liquids in the ice cream will help to soften the cookie and you'll never know the sandwiches were made using a failed batch of cookies.

Make A Crust

We're already used to using crushed graham crackers or crushed Oreos for making crusts for pies and bars, so why not a crispy batch of overbaked cookies?  Start by scraping off the burned bottoms.  Combine about 1.5 cups of crushed cookie crumbs with 5 tablespoons of melted butter for a 9" pie plate.  Par bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes then add your favorite pie fillings.

Use As A Topping

Again, start by scraping off those icky burned bottoms.  Crumble up the too-dry or overbaked cookies and use as a tasty crunchy topping for ice cream, pudding, and yogurt.  Alternatively, you can use the crumbled cookies as a tasty decoration on layer cakes or trifles.

Cover With Chocolate

Coating something with melted chocolate can hide a number of sins.  Again, start by removing the burned bottoms from the cookie, and then dunk in the melted chocolate of your choice.  Let them dry on some wax paper and then dig in - no one will be able to tell they were baked too long!

Do you have any other tips for what to do with a batch of cookies you accidentally burned?  Let me know in the comments!

Do you like this post and want to share it with others?  Pin this post using the image below, and share on social media using the buttons at the top and bottom of this post!