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4.9 from 15 votes

Sugar Cookies

Jump to RecipePrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •12/7/22 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

pin for sugar cookies.

These easy no-spread authentic Sugar Cookies are a favorite during the Holidays. The yearly ritual of making and decorating these easy-to-make cut out cookies with the family is a long time tradition.

iced sugar cookies on a black cooling rack.
Table of Contents Open
  • The Ultimate Sugar Cookie Recipe
  • Sugar Cookie Highlights
  • What Ingredients You’ll Need
  • How To Make Sugar Cookies
    • Make Cookie Dough
    • Roll, Cut And Bake
  • What Is The Trick To Sugar Cookies?
  • How Thick Do I Roll Sugar Cookies?
  • Expert Tips And Tricks
  • Storing Sugar Cookies
  • More Great Recipes To Try
  • Sugar Cookies
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Equipment
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

The Ultimate Sugar Cookie Recipe

What’s the Holidays without sugar cookies? This is totally my favorite time of the year because I get to listen to Christmas music, watch tons of Christmas movies and bake all the cookies that I love. Sugar cookies really are the ultimate Christmas cookie, everyone loves them and they’re so much fun to decorate with your children!

These cookies have a perfect soft center with a slightly crisp edge, they’re buttery, sweet and totally delicious. You’ll love making these, they don’t spread or puff out during baking and require minimal chill time.

Sugar Cookie Highlights

HOLIDAY FAVORITE. We all have that one favorite Christmas cookie recipe that we make year after year and sugar cookies are always at the top of that list.

EASY TO MAKE. Not only are they easy to make, but they are so delicious.

FUN TO DECORATE. These are so much fun to decorate not only for children but for us adults too.

What Ingredients You’ll Need

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make sugar cookies.
  • Sugar – They are sugar cookies, so I guess you could say this is the star ingredient in the recipe. I use plain white granulated sugar.
  • Butter – Use unsalted butter to control the amount of sodium in the cookies, and soften it to room temperature. If you only have salted butter, that’s fine as well but just omit the salt.
  • Vanilla – Vanilla extract is used here and will enhance all the flavors. This is a vanilla sugar cookie.
  • Egg – Any brown or white egg works.
  • Flour – You’ll need some white all-purpose flour for the cookie dough.
  • Baking Powder – Baking powder is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods. We only need a little bit because we don’t want these cookies spreading too much.
  • Salt – Believe me, salt makes all the difference, so don’t skip this!

How To Make Sugar Cookies

process shots showing how to make dough for sugar cookies.

Make Cookie Dough

Cream butter and sugar together: Add the sugar and the butter to the bowl of your mixer. Mix on medium until creamy, light and fluffy. Then, add the egg and vanilla and continue mixing until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Combine the dry ingredients: In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Make the cookie dough: Turn down the mixer to low and add about half the flour mixture to the mixer bowl and beat until just combined. Add the rest of the flour and continue mixing until combined. If the dough is a bit too soft add another tablespoon of flour, as this should help with rolling.

Chill: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.

process shots showing how to cut out sugar cookies.

Roll, Cut And Bake

Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Roll and cut the dough: Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to ¼” inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using your favorite cookie cutter. Re-roll leftover dough and cut into shapes.

Bake cookies: Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 9 to 11 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before icing.

freshly baked sugar cookies on a cooling rack.

What Is The Trick To Sugar Cookies?

Too much sugar and butter can make sugar cookies spread and lose their shape when baked. This one requires a little patience because once you roll out your dough, you are ready to bake. Be patient and bake your cookies when the dough is really cold.

How Thick Do I Roll Sugar Cookies?

The ideal thickness to roll out your sugar cookie dough is about ¼-inch. That way, they’ll be thick enough to be handled and decorated, soft in the center, but thin enough to stay a little crunchy.

iced sugar cookies on parchment paper.

Expert Tips And Tricks

  1. Throw in an extra egg yolk which is full of fat and can contribute to a more chewy cookie.
  2. It’s very important for your butter to be at room temperature so that your dough doesn’t end up too soft.
  3. Even if you’re tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge as it will spread less while cooking.
  4. When cutting your cookies, dip the cookie cutters in flour first, this way the cut out dough will release easily from the cutter.
  5. Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating with icing.
  6. It’s not necessary to line your baking sheet with parchment paper or even spray the baking sheet with cooking spray. There’s enough butter in the cookies so they will easily lift from the baking sheet.
  7. To make your own icing to decorate the cookies you can use my recipe here.

Storing Sugar Cookies

Store these cookies plain or decorated in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or up to 10 days in the refrigerator.

These sugar cookies, plain or decorated, will last in the freezer for up to 3 months stored in an airtight container. You can thaw them in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

You can also freeze the dough properly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months.

iced sugar cookies on a black cooling rack.

More Great Recipes To Try

  • Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Chocolate Sugar Cookies
  • Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
  • Sugar Cookie Icing
  • Peanut Butter and Bacon Cookies
  • Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookie
  • Spritz Cookies
  • Pineapple Coconut Crescents

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

iced sugar cookies on a black cooling rack.
4.87 from 15 votes

Sugar Cookies

Prep 30 minutes minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour hour
Cook 11 minutes minutes
Total 1 hour hour 41 minutes minutes
30
Rate Recipe Print Recipe
These easy no-spread authentic Sugar Cookies are a favorite during the Holidays. The yearly ritual of making and decorating these easy-to-make cut out cookies with the family is a long time tradition.
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup butter (unsalted, softened to room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Cream butter and sugar: Add the sugar and the butter to the bowl of your mixer. Mix on medium until creamy, light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue mixing until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • Combine the dry ingredients: In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  • Finish the cookie dough: Turn down the mixer to low and add half the flour mixture to the mixer bowl and beat until just combined. Add the rest of the flour and continue mixing until combined. If the dough is a bit too soft add another tbsp of flour, this should help with rolling.
  • Chill the cookie dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 to 2 hours to overnight.
  • Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Roll and cut the dough: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼" inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Re-roll leftover dough and cut into shapes.
  • Bake the cookies: Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 9 to 11 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Equipment

  • Classic Wooden Rolling Pin
  • KitchenAid Classic 4.5 Quart Stand Mixer
  • 15×21-inch Baking Sheet
  • Black Cooling Rack

Notes

  1. Throw in an extra egg yolk which is full of fat and can contribute to a more chewy cookie.
  2. It’s very important for your butter to be at room temperature so that your dough doesn’t end up too soft.
  3. Even if you’re tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge as it will spread less while cooking.
  4. When cutting your cookies, dip the cookie cutters in flour first, this way the cut out dough will release easily from the cutter.
  5. Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating with icing.
  6. It’s not necessary to line your baking sheet with parchment paper or even spray the baking sheet with cooking spray. There’s enough butter in the cookies so they will easily lift from the baking sheet.
  7. To make your own icing, you can use my recipe here.
  8. Store these cookies plain or decorated in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
  9. These sugar cookies, plain or decorated, will last in the freezer for up to 3 months stored in an airtight container. You can thaw them in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
  10. You can also freeze the dough properly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 129kcal (6%)Carbohydrates: 16g (5%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 6g (9%)Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 22mg (7%)Sodium: 23mg (1%)Potassium: 45mg (1%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 7g (8%)Vitamin A: 198IU (4%)Calcium: 16mg (2%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

iced sugar cookies on a black cooling rack.

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Through Jo Cooks, I invite you to join me in my kitchen as we explore delicious recipes from around the globe, celebrate the joy of cooking, and make every meal a memorable one. Happy cooking!

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4 Comments
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Sumi
Sumi
Posted: 8 months ago

5 stars
This is absolutely yummy! I’m baking some right now and it’s my first time making sugar cookies. Hubby is taking it to work as he works on Christmas

0
Reply
Dani McPherson
Dani McPherson
Posted: 1 year ago

Can I substitute gluten free all purpose flour

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Dani McPherson
Posted: 1 year ago

Technically you could, but I’m not an expert on gluten free, so I don’t know if it’s cup for cup.

0
Reply
D. Ross
D. Ross
Posted: 1 year ago

5 stars
This is a great recipe! Loved the flavour of the cookies♥️ Also, when I make them during the year, I cut them in rounds, dab whole or canned milk on top and sprinkle with sugar, it makes a lovely little crust on the top. ♥️

0
Reply

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I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is the place where I share my passion for easy and delicious recipes. From comforting classics to global flavors, I believe that cooking should be fun, approachable, and most importantly, rewarding. Join me on this culinary journey and let’s get cooking!

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