This Sugar Cookie Recipe has been a crowd favorite for YEARS because it produces a consistent cookie with the perfect buttery flavor. These cookies hold their shape beautifully when cut with cookie cutters and one of the best things is that you can choose to bake these sugar cookies soft and thick, or thin and crisp and both ways are phenomenal! You can cut them out with cookie cutter shapes, or simply roll balls in sugar and flatten with the bottom of a glass. We love them topped with our Classic Fluffy Buttercream or for something more fun and fancy, our Glace Icing.
Ingredient and Equipment Notes
- Butter – unless you have a dairy allergy or preference that prohibits butter, I recommend real butter for these cookies. I have not tested with plant-based alternatives so I cannot speak to that. Your butter should be a room temperature. If it’s not at room temp already, I like to cut my butter into small pieces and leave on the counter for 20-30 minutes. This generally works better than softening in the microwave, which often leads to uneven melting.
- Sugar – These cookies use white granulated sugar for sweetness and texture.
- Egg– It’s important to use a large or extra large egg in this recipe. If you use a small egg, there might not be enough liquid to bring the dough together.
- Extract – You may use vanilla or almond extract in these cookies, or a combination of both! My personal favorite is almond extract.
- All Purpose Flour– Use all purpose here, and make sure to measure carefully. Too much flour and the dough will be dry and crumbly. I recommend using a scale to measure by weight, but if that is not available, fluff your flour first with a spoon before measuring, then measuring by lightly spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling off with a knife.
- Stand Mixer – You can absolutely make these cookies with a hand mixer, but if you have a stand mixer, I recommend you use it. After your dry ingredients are added, the dough will sometimes look a little dry and crumbly but it will come together quickly into a soft, cohesive dough. It takes a little more time with a hand mixer, but a stand mixer will whip it up in a hurry!
Instructions
- Start by beating your real butter and sugar and continue creaming for a full 2 minutes or so. Your mixture will turn light and creamy in texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
- Add egg and extract and mix to incorporate.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined. Your dough will first look crumbly, but keep mixing with a stand mixer and it will quickly turn into a soft cohesive dough.
- You’ll need to chill your dough for about 1 hour. You can do so with dough gathered into one large mass, or use my preferred method which not only cuts down on chill time, but saves effort by rolling dough while it’s soft!
How to Easily Roll Sugar Cookie Dough with no Additional Flour
One of the problems with dusting your surface with flour before rolling cookies, is that you add a bunch of extra flour to your dough. Try to handle it as little as possible. Here is the best method to do that.
- Start by taking half (or all) of your dough and forming it into a rough ball and then flattening a little onto a silicone baking mat. If you don’t have a silicone baking mat, you can use parchment or plastic wrap but they tend to slide around the counter so it just takes a little more effort.
- Then place a piece of parchment paper (or plastic wrap) over your dough and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough between the baking mat and the parchment. This makes it so you can easily roll the dough with no flour needed, and nothing sticks to anything.
- What I do next is pick up my silicone baking mat and flip the whole “package” over, so the parchment is on the counter, the dough in the middle, and the baking mat on top. Peel off the baking mat and place your parchment and dough on a baking sheet that can now go in the fridge or freezer to chill. I put it on a baking sheet or directly onto a flat surface in the fridge or freezer.
How to Cut the Best Sugar Cookies
This dough retains its shape incredibly well, just make sure it’s chilled. I like to place mine in the freezer for 15 minutes or so, but you can also place it in the fridge. If you’ve used my method of rolling the dough out first, it needs far less time to chill. Then cut out shapes and repeat the rolling process with the remaining dough. If you want super crisp edges on your finished baked cookies, you can even pull out your cutter again and re-cut when they are hot right out of the oven.
How long do I bake Sugar Cookies?
The great thing about this recipe is that you can roll these cookies thick and under-bake them and they will be crazy soft and delicious. OR you can roll them thinner (1/4 inch or less) and bake until you see the edges start turning golden brown and they are perfectly buttery-crisp on the edges. Many recipes will simply be dry when baked till golden brown, but these are incredibly good- similar to a shortbread cookie that melts in your mouth. I love them both ways! Here’s a photo example of what you’d be looking for:
Frosting the Best Sugar Cookies: 3 Ideas!
For straight up flavor, we love our Classic Buttercream Frosting on sugar cookies. It’s the most traditional combination!
If you’d like something a little more fun and artistic, try our popular Glace Icing and glaze.
And if you’d like to top them with royal icing, you can try my hand painted decorating technique!
How do I store Sugar Cookies?
If I’m making a large amount of sugar cookies I will almost always make them ahead of time because sugar cookies freeze beautifully! Simply cool completely after baking and then layer between parchment in the freezer. When you are ready to frost, just pull them out of the freezer- you can even frost them while still frozen and let them come to room temperature on the counter. Alternately, you can simply place baked cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature.
Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup real butter at room temperature1 cup 200g granulated sugar1 large or extra large egg1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract3 cups flour (390g) lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled (don't scoop!)1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
- Note: I recommend a stand mixer for this recipe, if you have one. If not, a hand mixer will work just fine.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add in egg and extract and mix to incorporate.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Tip: Don't use your measuring cup to scoop up the flour. Either weight it, or use a regular sized spoon and lightly spoon the flour into the cup and then level it off with a knife.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined. Your dough may at first look crumbly, but keep mixing and it will quickly turn into a soft cohesive dough.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour, OR use my method of pre-rolling as explained below.
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll chilled dough and cut into shapes.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your cookies. Baking time is a personal preference. Watch for the edges and tops to be set. If you like your cookies crisp on the edges, roll them thinner and bake until just golden brown on the edges. If you want thick, soft cookies, remove from oven when cookies are puffed and set, but no browning is visible.
Suggested Pre-Rolling Method:
- Gather half (or all) of your dough and form into a large ball. Place on a silicone baking mat (or a large piece of plastic wrap) and press down gently. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of your dough and then roll on top of the parchment into an even layer about 1/4 inch thick, or thicker if you desire thick cookies. Pick up your silicone mat and flip the entire thing over. Peel off silicone baking mat so you are left with your sheet of parchment with your rolled dough on top. Place this parchment-lined dough on a baking sheet and place in the fridge or freezer. Repeat with remaining dough. (See recipe tutorial for photos of this process.) Refrigerate for about 20 minutes or pop in the freezer for about 10. Continue with recipe as written.
Questions & Reviews
I used a Martha Stewart recipe…and my dough was soo dry and crumbly. You never forget to put in details that I often mess up. Next time I make cookies I’ll be following your recipe instead! Wish I didn’t scoop my flour!
I use powder sugar instead of flour to roll out my cookies. The last cookies are the best because they are the sweetest.
I made these yummy cookies today to take to a YW activity! LOVE this recipe! Thanks! I added butter flavoring instead of vanilla or almond and they are amazing!
Hi I have tried many sugar cookie recipes (and am yet to be impressed with any) and have recently come across yours. Which I am dying to try, but unfortunately one of my children is allergic to eggs. Is there anything that I can subsitute the eggs for in this recipe and have it be a success?
Thank you
I really can’t think of anything- sorry!
I made these cookies last night, and I can say is awesome. Will glaze them today as my glaze is still chilling 😉 Perfect…followed your recipe to a T. But do have a question, can you substitute wheat flour for the regular flour?
PS, your website is so very wonderful. I believe you have a book with these recipes that I would definitely purchase
I certainly wouldn’t- but you could experiment!
Does the “t” stand for tablespoon or teaspoon?
t=teaspoon T=Tablespoon
I’ve made these before and I love them! I too am a sugar cookie snob. However, tonight when I was making them I was distracted when I measured out the flour and I think I added one cup too many! I doubled the recipe so I don’t want to throw it out. I googled a solution, but the only one I could find said to add vegetable oil but that didn’t sound right to me. Do you have any suggestions to save it?
AMAZING!!!! your recipe may have saved Christmas, and I’m not exaggerating either! so buttery, so soft and so easy to roll and cut!!!!
Sara,
What type of flour, all-purpose or self rising? Do you need to sift the flour before measuring?
I can’t seem to find the recipe for the frosting used on the pink cookies. It looks amazing and I’m having a hard time finding a cookie sugar cookie frosting recipe, thanks!
It’s just butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and a little milk!
I am doing the baking for both my parents’ and my inlaws’ Christmases…so lots to do. Can this dough be made ahead of time and frozen for a couple days? Obviously I don’t want to make the actual cookies days ahead of time, but if the dough can be made early, I can just roll them out and bake them a day before we travel. Also, would it be ok to let the cookies sit after baking for a day before decorating? I’d leave them in a sealed container. I’m trying to do all of the steps on similar days. Like decorate all in one day, and bake in one, or two days, etc… Thanks!
nevermind! found an idea on another page. the glace tutorial says you can freeze the cookies for months! i can bake them today and finish them later
Have you (or anyone!) ever tried making these with gluten free flour??? Just wondering… first Christmas baking with my mom who was diagnosed celiac last year and trying to plan my attack… Thanks!
Since you’re a sugar cookie snob, I’m not sure if you’re a traditionalist about them, but I found a spiced sugar cookie recipe on foodnetwork and it’s to die for! I’ve made it millions of times 🙂 My favorite sugar cookie yet.
Sara-I’m just wondering what consistency you like your dough? And do you take the scraps, after cut-outs are removed, and roll them out again for more cookies? If so, how many times will you do this? I am a sugar cookie snob too and I’m glad to know that there are others out there!! My favorite is the sour cream recipe. But I’m gonna try yours since I value your knowledge of sugar cookies. And I don’t think you can ever get frosting too sweet. Sometimes I make-up a batch of frosting just to eat by the spoonful. Thanks for all the great baking tips and if you could answer my questions, I’d be grateful. Thanks!
I’ve used this recipe countless times and I’ve never been disappointed! Thanks Sara 🙂
These are AMAZING! I just made them as Christmas cookies, and I believe they are the best sugar cookies I have ever had. Yum!!!!
Je suis heureuse d’avoir découvert ton site il est extra !!
Je te souhaite une belle journée
Valérie
I stumbled across your blog on Pinterest and I must say it was my lucky day 🙂 I made a quick trip to the store for “real” butter and whipped these up tonight. As a matter of fact, the last batch is in the oven. These cookies were SO easy to make and simply wonderful!! I’m not sure why some people are having the issues they were having. I did not experience any difficulties. Believe me, I was sure that if anyone would have a problem it would have been me. I read through all of the comments and used everyone’s advice and followed your recipe exactly. No problemo!! I plan on using your Glace Icing to ice these babies 🙂 Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck……not sure how much of an artist I am. 😉
This was a great recipe! My dough was fine and dandy and followed instructions exactly, no issues to report here! I let it chill for an hour in the shape of a disc, and needed no extra flour. However, the cookies fell super flat after they were done baking (rather than staying super thick and chewy like I love my sugar cookies to be), which tells me perhaps there is too much fat in the recipe? Has anyone had the same issue? If not, meh! I will just cut down the fat a little bit next time.
Never happened here! That’s super weird.
I just threw my old sugar cookie recipe in the trash. Oh my stars in heaven above, THIS recipe is a winner. Normally I dread making any sort of cut out cookies. The dough is difficult to roll, it sticks to the rolling surface or I cant pull it off the rolling surface with out the aid of every spatula in the kitchen and a truck full of flour. Not this one though. I dont have the room in my fridge to stick rolled dough, so I wrapped the ball of dough in wax paper and plopped it in the fridge for a hour. When I pulled it out, it was a bit too stiff and cracking, but after just a few moments of kneeding it was ready to rock. I had dough rolled and all the cookies cut in under an hour. That happens like…never. It usually takes me hours because the dough gets too warm. The best part is, I was able to use almost all the dough! This recipe lends itself to being gently rolled out more than just once or twice because it requires so very, very little additional flour to do so. Which means no stiff, yucky dough to trash! And the taste…yum. Pefectly soft and buttery. Thank you for such a fabulous recipe and for saving me from tough, brick-like sugar cookie hell!
I made these cookies over the weekend, and everybody loved them! I was very nervous about the dough (it was very soft) but after a few hours on the fridge, it was perfect to roll.
I love your website!
Best Regards from warm Costa Rica!
🙂
Probably about 2-3 doz
I have been searching “forever” for a soft and tasty sugar cookie recipe. I can’t wait to make these!
Follow-up question: How many cookies does this recipe make?
I have to say, after reading this almost two years ago now, it has become my GO-TO cookie. I use it all the time – birthdays (instead of cake), holidays, everyday! I’m currently living overseas and I’m looking for something to bake for our preschooler’s teachers (who are not American). I’m thinking I’m going to have to bust out this recipe and make up some of your amazing cookies!!!!
THANKS!
Okay, so I’m going to beg for the recipe for the bubble gum pink “creamy frosting” you show on the sugar cookies. Beg, beg, beg! It looks good & seems faster than the glace, especially for those of us with little ones and little time to devote to decorating.
By the way, I love your site and have found many fast recipes I can easily throw together for my family. Congrats to you both on the cookbook!
It’s nothing unusual! Real butter, powdered sugar, pinch of salt, vanilla and almond extract, and a little milk 🙂
I have had this recipe bookmarked forever and FINALLY got around to making them tonight. I have finally found the perfect cookie dough recipe I have never found one that hold the shape after baking.
It was really warm in my house today so I had to chill the dough, cut out the shapes and then chill it again to get the shapes out but that is ok because the cookies were perfect.
Thank You !
Hi, I was wanting to make the “Sweet Cream and Jam” cookies you have pictured above but there aren’t any directions and I was wondering if there was anything different you do or if it’s just the basic sugar cookie recipe and decorated as shown? I’m hoping to try out this recipe this weekend they look so yummy! Thanks!
Here you go Brandi!
https://ourbestbites.com/2010/04/cream-cheese-and-jam-cookies/
Do you have a special frosting you use? If so is the recipe on your website? I really want to know. Those look absolutely delicious!
I LOVE this post:) I too am a sugar cookie snob. There is nothing worse than a beautifully decorated sugar cookie that is dry, hard and blah! My recipe is very similar to yours. I use a mixture of vanilla, almond and butter extracts. Those three flavors together in the right amounts produce an amazing taste!
I have enjoyed reading your blog!
Delicious!!! I accidentally scooped my flour instead of using a spoon…but the still seemed fine. After getting it out of the fridge, it was extremely hard and crumbly. I just had to knead it a little to get the dough to warm up slightly and then it was fine! My cookies held their shape PERFECTLY…I’ve never had cookies do that so well! Thank you for the wonderful recipe…I just need to glaze them now!