Baking with convection yields a rounded, taller cookie with a crisp exterior. Even heat created by the air circulating in convection yields the irresistible combination of crunchy and gooey – and some say it’s the secret to the perfect cookie. But, if you prefer a softer, chewy cookie, use Bake mode without convection.
Baking Cookies in Convection Ovens
Cookies are one of the baked goods that are best suited for convection ovens. The circulating hot air can be a problem for anything at all delicate, like light and fluffy cakes or yeast breads, but most cookies aren’t as disturbed by the air movement in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (300 degrees F convection.) Line baking sheets with parchment paper and place equal two 2 1/2-tablespoon portions on the baking sheets 3 inches apart. Use either a cookie scoop or cut the frozen dough into rounds.
Oven Temperature
Generally, cookies are baked in a moderate oven — 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) — for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie. For chewy cookies, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Best Oven for Baking Cookies and Cakes: Top 10 Picks
| Name | Editor’s Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Oster French Convection Home Baking Oven | 5 out of 5 | Check Price |
| COSORI Toaster Oven Combo | 5 out of 5 | Check Price |
| Panasonic NB-G110P-K FlashXpress Toaster Oven | 4.5 out of 5 | Check Price |
| Black+Decker Countertop Convection Oven | 4 out of 5 | Check Price |
What is the difference between baking and convection baking?
A regular bake setting is fairly straightforward. The heated air inside the oven surrounds the food and cooks it from the outside, in. By contrast, a convection bake vs regular bake setting uses a fan at the rear of the oven to circulate the heated air inside. It also utilizes an exhaust system to help expel moisture.
When should you use convection baking?
Convection Bake is best for browning, roasting, and quick baking. The convection bake circulates air, which results in a steady, dry temperature. This means that foods will cook faster and the surface of foods will be dry. While these settings make for a delicious roasted chicken, your cake may not fare so well.
Can you use convection oven to bake brownies?
Baking brownies in a convection oven is very similar to baking brownies in a standard oven. Heat the brownies to 300 degrees instead of 325 because the convection process is more energy efficient than the standard method.
9 Tips to Remember
- Use Real Butter and Keep It Cool. The low melting point of butter may be what makes your cookies flat.
- Use Shortening.
- Chill Dough Twice.
- Use Parchment Paper or a Silicone Liner.
- Measure Precisely.
- Use Fresh Baking Soda.
- Use Optional Add-Ins.
- Buy an Oven Thermometer.
Is it better to bake cakes in a convection oven?
Is it better to bake a cake in a convection oven? No, it’s much better to bake a cake in a traditional conventional oven than a convection oven. Conventional ovens are better suited for denser batters that need to rise and create a fluffy texture without crisping and browning.
The simple answer to this question is, meet in the middle. Cookies should (almost) always be baked on the middle rack of the oven. The middle rack offers the most even heat and air circulation which helps cookies bake consistently.
What type of oven do professional bakers use?
Convection ovens are one of the most common pieces of commercial bakery equipment. They do a great job of quickly and evenly baking a variety of products, from bread loaves to cookies to cakes, pies, and brownies. Their use of internal fans to circulate the air creates even browning and repeatable results.
Which foods should you not bake using the convection setting?
Don’t use convection for cooking cakes, quick breads, custards, or soufflés.
What foods are best cooked in a convection oven?
Convection is good for:
- Roasting ham, turkey, roast-ready beef cuts, and similar meats.
- Roasting vegetables and potatoes for an extra crisp.
- Cookies and muffins—especially when you have a big batch to bake at once.
- Pies and pastry.
- Casseroles—when covered they won’t lose much moisture.
- Toasting breads or buns.
Should I use convection bake for biscuits?
In American baked goods, convection should never be used unless a recipe specifically calls for it. In a home oven, the hot, dry air accelerates crust formation in cakes, cookies, and biscuits which is generally counterproductive to desired rise.
What are the disadvantages of a convection oven?
Cons of Convection Ovens:
- Some fans can be louder than a traditional oven.
- They’re more expensive than traditional ovens.
- The fan can sometimes blow around foil or parchment paper, interfering with your food.
- Food is more susceptible to burn if the cooking time is not properly adjusted.
Is convection good for baking muffins?
It’s better to use the oven without the convection option on when baking quick breads, wet muffin batters, cakes, cupcakes, sandwich breads, and sweet yeast baking. “The convection fan has a tendency to dry the tops of some things,” says Reid.
Should I use convection for cupcakes?
Bake. Convection bake (lower fan speed, so you don’t end up blowing cookies across the pan, or putting tilted “hats” on your cupcakes)
Microwave each cookie for about 40 seconds. Cooking time will vary depending on your microwave’s wattage. The cookie will look underdone, so let it cool for 10-15 minutes, during which time it will firm up. If using a toaster oven: Preheat oven to 325F, place 2 cookies on a greased oven tray, and bake 7 minutes.
Metal and foil can be used safely and effectively with the convection cooking feature in a microwave convection oven.
Can you bake biscuits in a convection microwave?
We also bake muffins, biscuits, cakes, meatloaf, chicken, fish, etc. Yes, sometimes you have to get a little creative, but the convection microwave is a winner-winner – chicken dinner!
How do you adjust baking time for a convection oven?
There are two simple ways to adapt any recipe written for a regular oven to work for a convection oven: either reduce the temperature by about 25 degrees, or cut the cooking time by 25 percent, says our assistant food editor Riley Wofford.
How long should I bake a cake in a convection oven?
The temperature for baking a cheese cake in convection oven is very important. If the recipe calls for 350 degrees Fahrenheit for baking your cheesecake, then you should take it down to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead of an hour in cook time, just cook for 30-40 minutes.
Which oven setting is best for brownies?
If you like gooey brownies, consider baking at a higher temperature, maybe 375 to 425 degrees. This cooks the edges faster while preserving the fudgy middle. For a doneness that’s even all the way through the pan, use a baking temperature of 325 degrees.
Water vapor escaping from the dough in combination with the carbon dioxide released by our baking soda is ultimately what makes our cookies light and airy.
For softer, chewier cookies, you will want to add much less granulated sugar, slightly more brown sugar, and a fair bit less butter. For cakey cookies, you will often be including even less butter and sugar.
Baking soda encourages spreading while baking powder puffs the cookies up. If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, you would use 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking powder.
Baking with convection yields a rounded, taller cookie with a crisp exterior. Even heat created by the air circulating in convection yields the irresistible combination of crunchy and gooey – and some say it’s the secret to the perfect cookie. But, if you prefer a softer, chewy cookie, use Bake mode without convection.
Does convection baking dry out food?
Baking in a convection oven will not dry out your food. However, you will need to make some adjustments for most foods, mainly time and temperature adjustments. Cake batters might be a challenge, but overall it is a good option.
Can you bake cheesecake in a convection oven?
– Convection ovens are not recommended by some for baking cheesecakes. However, at the bakery that is all we had and that is how we baked them, with no problems, for over 20 years. – Don’t overbake, that will definitely cause problem.
What is convection used for in oven?
A convection oven has a fan and exhaust system that circulate hot air around the inside of the oven, making it ideal for multi-rack cooking. Like conventional ovens, convection ovens can be gas or electric and come in different models with various features.
For more even baking, position oven rack at the center of the oven and bake one sheet of cookies at a time. If you prefer to bake two sheets, space racks so oven is divided into thirds and switch cookie sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.
Chilling cookie dough controls spread.
Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread.
Can you bake everything in a convection oven?
The answer is simple: You can cook just about anything in a convection oven, and while learning to use one certainly isn’t a big deal, the results you get—evenly cooked cookies, crisp pastry, and juicy, well-browned meats (including that Thanksgiving turkey)—are.
Do you need to preheat a convection oven?
Yes, all convection ovens need to be preheated. In some modes, more than one element is used during preheat, which can cause the food to burn. The oven will indicate when it has finished a preheat cycle. You should always start with a hot oven or a hot pan.
Should I use convection for baking bread?
People have asked whether our recipes can be made in convection ovens. They can, and the only reason we didn’t mention convection ovens in our first book is that most people don’t have them. But convection ovens do a great job with bread– the bread browns easier and rises higher when the convection fan is blowing.
A majority of cookie recipes are not easily converted to microwave cooking because they contain a high ratio of sugar and fat to flour. If baked in a microwave oven, these cookies will not be tender, crisp or chewy. Rather, they`ll burn, bubble and spread out into a flat mass.
Place a trivet on the pan (any wire rack/idli mould). Place a steel plate on top of it and cover the pan to preheat on a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Take a spoonful of the chilled cookie dough, roll it into a ball, flatten them and place it on top of the plate in the pan. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
What’s the difference between electric and convection oven?
Conventional ovens feature heating elements on the top and bottom of the oven cavity. Convection ovens have these elements in addition to a fan that helps circulate hot air throughout the oven cavity. This can help dishes placed on different racks bake at a similar rate.
Can I use parchment paper in a convection oven?
Parchment paper is a high density paper that can be used as wax paper. Is this true? According to Reynolds, it can be used in a conventional oven, a convection oven or a toaster oven at temperatures up to 400 F.
Can you use a cast iron skillet in a microwave convection oven?
Thanks for your input. My chief of staff says yes to cast iron in a convection oven but not on microwave. Convection only, it’s fine. Microwave or micro with convect is totally NOT fine, and may damage the oven.
Can you bake biscuits in a conventional oven?
You can freeze biscuits to bake later. Place frozen biscuit on sheet pan and bake at 425 for 15 minutes or 400 convection bake for 15 minutes. Bake until tops are brown.