Pastry vs. Cookie — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on November 6, 2023
Pastry is a dough of flour, water, and shortening that may be savory or sweetened, while cookies are sweet baked treats, typically small, flat, and round.
Difference Between Pastry and Cookie
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Pastry encompasses a broad range of baked goods made from ingredients such as flour, fat, and water. Cookies, specific types of sweet treats, are usually made from dough that includes sugar, eggs, and flour.
Pastries are often characterized by their flaky or crumbly texture, achieved through the layering of dough and fat. Cookies are known for their varied textures, which can range from chewy to crispy, but they do not usually have layers.
Pastry is versatile and can be used to make items such as pies, tarts, and croissants. Cookies are more uniform in their concept, often presented as individual servings and come in many flavors and with various mix-ins like chocolate chips or nuts.
Pastry dough is typically not sweetened; the sweetness comes from fillings or toppings. In contrast, cookies have sugar mixed into the dough and may have sweet additions like icing or chocolate.
Pastries can be served as part of a meal, like a breakfast croissant, or as a dessert, such as a fruit tart. Cookies are generally considered a sweet snack or dessert and are rarely seen as part of the main course.
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Comparison Chart
Basic Definition
A dough made for creating various baked goods.
A sweet baked treat, small and flat.
Ingredients
Flour, water, butter or shortening.
Flour, sugar, eggs, butter or oil.
Texture
Flaky, tender, can be light or dense.
Range from chewy to crispy, typically not flaky.
Sweetness
Not inherently sweet, depends on preparation.
Inherently sweet due to sugar in the dough.
Serving Size
Can vary from bite-size to large portions.
Typically small, intended for individual consumption.
Compare with Definitions
Pastry
The art of baking goods from dough with fat.
(His skills in pastry have won him several awards.)
Cookie
Dough baked into individual portions.
(Each cookie on the tray was perfectly golden-brown.)
Pastry
A term encompassing various baked products like croissants and danishes.
(For breakfast, I often choose a pastry with my coffee.)
Cookie
A treat often containing chocolate, nuts, or raisins.
(The oatmeal raisin cookie was exceptionally chewy.)
Pastry
A dough used to make various baked goods.
(She expertly rolled the pastry to make a pie.)
Cookie
A dessert with variations like sugar, gingerbread, or shortbread.
(Her favorite type of cookie is sugar with sprinkles.)
Pastry
Flaky or puff textures in baked goods.
(The pastry was so flaky, it melted in my mouth.)
Cookie
A small, sweet baked snack.
(She baked chocolate chip cookies for the party.)
Pastry
Pastry is a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as bakers' confectionery.
Cookie
A cookie is a baked or cooked food that is typically small, flat and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter.
Pastry
Dough or paste consisting primarily of shortening or another fatty substance mixed with flour and water, often baked and used as a crust for sweet foods such as pies and tarts.
Cookie
A sweet biscuit.
Pastry
Baked sweet foods made with pastry
Viennese pastry.
Cookie
A person of a specified kind
She's a tough cookie
Pastry
One of these baked foods.
Cookie
A plain bun.
Pastry
(Informal) A sweet baked good.
Cookie
A packet of data sent by an Internet server to a browser, which is returned by the browser each time it subsequently accesses the same server, used to identify the user or track their access to the server.
Pastry
(countable) A baked food item made from flour and fat pastes such as pie crust; also tarts, bear claws, napoleons, puff pastries, etc.
That pastry shop sells not just pastries, but all kinds of baked goods.
Cookie
A small, usually flat and crisp cake made from sweetened dough.
Pastry
(uncountable) The food group formed by the various kinds of pastries.
That pastry shop sells not just pastry, but all kinds of baked goods.
Cookie
(Slang) A person, usually of a specified kind
A lawyer who was a tough cookie.
Pastry
(uncountable) The type of light flour-based dough used in pastries.
Cookie
(Computers) A collection of information, usually including a username and the current date and time, stored on the local computer of a person using the World Wide Web, used chiefly by websites to identify users who have previously registered or visited the site.
Pastry
A place where pastry is made.
Cookie
(North America) A small, flat, baked good which is either crisp or soft but firm.
Pastry
(uncountable) The act or art of making pastry.
He learned pastry from the great Gaston Lenôtre.
Cookie
A sweet baked good (as in the previous sense) usually having chocolate chips, fruit, nuts, etc. baked into it.
Pastry
Desserts of all kinds, whether or not these incorporate the baked item made from flour and fat, or that section of a kitchen that prepares these.
I used to work in the fish section, but now I've been moved to pastry.
Cookie
(Scotland) A bun.
Pastry
The place where pastry is made.
Cookie
An HTTP cookie.
Pastry
Articles of food made of paste, or having a crust made of paste, as pies, tarts, etc.
Cookie
(computing) A magic cookie.
Pastry
A dough of flour and water and shortening
Cookie
An attractive young woman.
Pastry
Any of various baked foods made of dough or batter
Cookie
The female genitalia.
Pastry
Sweet or savory items made from a particular type of dough.
(The bakery's pastry selection includes quiches and tarts.)
Cookie
A piece of crack cocaine, larger than a rock, and often in the shape of a cookie.
Cookie
One's eaten food (e.g. lunch, etc.), especially one's stomach contents.
I lost my cookies after that roller coaster ride.
I feel sick, like I'm about to toss my cookies.
Cookie
(informal) fortune cookie
Cookie
Affectionate name for a cook.
Cookie
(slang) A cucoloris.
Cookie
To send a cookie to (a user, computer, etc.).
Cookie
Any of various small flat sweet cakes (`biscuit' is the British term)
Cookie
The cook on a ranch or at a camp
Cookie
A short line of text that a web site puts on your computer's hard drive when you access the web site
Cookie
A flat, sweet biscuit in American English.
(He dunked the cookie in milk before eating it.)
Common Curiosities
Are cookies considered pastries?
Cookies are a type of pastry, specifically a sweet one.
Can cookies have a flaky texture?
Cookies typically do not have a flaky texture; they are more often chewy or crisp.
Is sugar a necessary ingredient in pastries?
Sugar is not necessary in pastries, especially if they are savory.
What type of pastry would you use for a pie?
Typically, shortcrust pastry is used for pies.
Can pastries be savory?
Yes, pastries can be both sweet and savory.
What's the main ingredient in pastry dough?
Flour, water, and fat are the main ingredients in pastry dough.
What's the best way to store cookies to keep them fresh?
Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Do all pastries require baking?
While most pastries are baked, some like fried doughnuts are not.
What makes a pastry different from a cookie?
A pastry is a broad category of baked goods with various textures, while a cookie is a specific sweet, baked snack.
Can pastries be filled?
Yes, many pastries are designed to be filled with sweet or savory ingredients.
Are pastries and cookies served at the same occasions?
Pastries and cookies can both be served at various occasions, from breakfast to dessert or as snacks.
Do cookies always contain eggs?
Most cookie recipes include eggs, but there are egg-free variations.
What's the difference between a cookie and a biscuit?
In American English, there is no difference; "cookie" is the term used, while "biscuit" refers to something else entirely.
Can pastries be deep-fried?
Some pastries, like doughnuts, are deep-fried.
Are cookies healthier than pastries?
The healthiness depends on the ingredients and portion sizes, but both can be high in sugars and fats.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
