411 English oatmeal cookie recipes. For every word used in at least 10 of their titles, the recipes that use it against the rest, on every ingredient, in grams per 100 g of flour. 5 words go with a clear difference; 13 others change nothing measurable.
This is what recipe writers do when they pick a word, not proof that an ingredient makes the texture: the numbers show what recipes with the word have in common, and a recipe can earn its word through the method, the pan or the oven instead.
Recipes called “chewy” (38), “best” (16) or “soft” (14) use about the same amounts as the rest on every ingredient measured here, within what chance would explain.
Words that name something in the recipe or the kind it is. Some differences here are what the word says outright; they show the numbers can be trusted where the answer is known.
Recipes with “oat” in the title: less egg (9.6% vs 40%).
“oat” (14)the rest (397)middle half of all
Eggrecipes with oat in the title 9.6% vs the rest 40%
For example: Vegan Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies (thebakingexplorer.com) · Apple and Honey Oat Cookies (jamiegeller.com)
Recipes with “pumpkin” in the title: less egg (14% vs 40%).
“pumpkin” (29)the rest (382)middle half of all
Eggrecipes with pumpkin in the title 14% vs the rest 40%
For example: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Recipe (feelgoodfoodie.net) · Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies Recipe (crazyforcrust.com)
Recipes with “banana” in the title: less egg (27% vs 40%).
“banana” (13)the rest (398)middle half of all
Eggrecipes with banana in the title 27% vs the rest 40%
For example: Banana Oatmeal Cookies (lifeloveandsugar.com) · Banana Oatmeal Cookies (12tomatoes.com)
Recipes with “peanut butter” in the title: more sugar (168% vs 141%).
“peanut butter” (25)the rest (386)middle half of all
Sugarrecipes with peanut butter in the title 168% vs the rest 141%
For example: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (beyondfrosting.com) · Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (handletheheat.com)
Recipes with “brown butter” in the title: fewer oats (64% vs 95%).
“brown butter” (15)the rest (396)middle half of all
Oatsrecipes with brown butter in the title 64% vs the rest 95%
For example: Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies (butternutbakeryblog.com) · Brown Butter Iced Oatmeal Cookies (bromabakery.com)
Recipes with these words in the title use about the same amounts as the rest on every ingredient, within what chance would explain. The number is how many titles use the word.
Titles are split into words, with two-word names kept whole ("small batch", "cream cheese", "brown butter") and spellings folded together ("crisp" and "crispy"). The dish's own name, words like "the" and "recipe", and any word in half the titles or more are left out. A word needs at least 10 recipes, and there must be 10 without it. English titles only, so a word cannot stand in for a language.
A difference is shown when the medians sit at least a third of the middle half of all these recipes apart (about half a standard deviation, a medium effect) and a rank test puts it at 3 standard errors or more. For an ingredient many recipes skip, the share using none counts too: 25 points apart at the same 3 standard errors. With dozens of words and every ingredient tested, about one chance difference in 370 comparisons would pass, so a lab may show one that is luck; a finding that repeats across labs is unlikely to be.
Shares are rounded down. Each card links two recipes that use the word, nearest its own medians.