According to Land O'Lakes, flour is responsible for one of the main chemical reactions that occur when a cookie comes together, forming a network of gluten strands. When you alter the amount of flour in a recipe, you can change how soft or tough the cookies turn out.

As Baking Kneads explains, flour not only prevents cookies from spreading too much, but it also gives them height. That's because, in addition to forming a gluten web that allows the baking soda to do its job, flour itself is also a leavening agent, and using more flour can give your cookies a chewy, dense consistency.

However, having too much flour can create a tough texture or make your cookies burn on the bottom, so when the dough is tacky but not sticky, you’ll know you don’t need any more flour. For the best results, Baking Kneads recommends adding 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, or ¼ cup for every two cups of flour to avoid going overboard.