My easy sugar cookie recipe is a must-try! The dough is easy to mix together with 7 simple ingredientsplus it’s firm enough to cut into whatever shapes you like: classic roundsheartsChristmas treesbunnies…the limit is your imagination!
I’ve tested this recipe several times over the years to develop sugar cookies that hold their shape when cut and baked. And I’ve nailed the ratios! The dough has a balanced sugar-to-fat ratioso it is firm enough to hold a clean edgebut tender enough to be enjoyable to eat (which is always my #1 priority when developing a recipe). The result is a soft cookie that doesn’t spreadso your special shapes look exactly how you pictured when you pull them out of the oven.
A readerMarysays: “I made these cookies for Christmas and they were wonderful! They kept their shapes perfectly and tasted great! I’ve never had success with cut-out sugar cookies before. Thank you.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients & Flavorings
These are the main ingredients you need to make roll out sugar cookies. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Butter — unsalted butter is your best betso you have total control over the amount of salt in the recipe. If you only have salted butterreduce the added salt by ½ teaspoon (so use ¼ teaspoon only).
Sugar — use white granulated sugar for firm sugar cookiesperfect for decorating. White sugar adds sweetnessblends smoothly with the butterand helps the sugar cookies turn lightly golden brown. If you want chewy sugar cookiesswap half of the granulated sugar for brown sugar. The additional moisture in the brown sugar creates a chewier cookie. If you make this swapthe cookies may puff or spread slightlyso keep that in mind.
Eggs — large eggs help to bind the dough and give it structure.
Baking powder — baking powder helps the cookies rise just a littlewhile creating lightnot cakeysoft sugar cookies.
Flavorings — the classic cut-out sugar cookies are flavored simply with vanillabut you can easily adjust this! Flavor the dough with spices like cinnamongingeror pumpkin pie spice by adding a teaspoon or so to the flour mixture. You can replace half of the vanilla extract with different extracts like orangelemonalmondor peppermint. Or beat in 2 to 3 teaspoons of citrus zest with the butter and sugar (orangelemonand lime would all be delicious!).
Scale The Recipe Based On Cookie Size
Keep the size of your cookie cutter in mind when figuring out the cookie yield. Larger cookie cutters will yield a smaller total number of sugar cookieswhile you’ll be able to get more cookies using a smaller cookie cutter.
I used 2½” and 3″ cutters for this recipe and was able to get about 36 cookies. For smaller 2″ to 2¼” cuttersyou should get 36 to 48 cookies. For larger 3¼” to 4″ cuttersyou should get 18 to 26 cookies. If you have larger cookie cuttersit might be worth making a double batch of dough based on the number of cookies you need.
Tips For Cutting Out Shapes
Sugar cookie dough can be cut into any shape or size with fun cookie cutters. If you decide to use a variety of cutterslike I did in the image below for my batch of Christmas sugar cookiesbe sure to bake similar-sized cookies together so that they bake at the same rate and smaller cookies don’t burn. Here are some quick tips for the best results when using a cookie cutter to cut out shapes:
- Dip the cookie cutter in flour before cutting the dough. This prevents the cutter from sticking to the doughmaking the shape easier to remove after cutting it.
- Cut out the shapes as close together as you can to help maximize the number of cookies you can get from one batch of dough. It will also save you time as you don’t need to reroll scraps too many times.
- Make sure the dough stays cold. The butter fat in the dough firms up when it’s coldmaking the dough easier to cut. As it warms upthe fat softens or meltsand the dough becomes soft and sticky. The shapes will also stay intact better if the dough is cold. If the sugar cookie dough seems to be warming up faster than you’re able to cut itsimply pop it into the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.
Options For Decorating Sugar Cookies
There are various options for decorating sugar cookies depending on your skill level and how much time you have. Remember that decorations will adhere best to cooled cookieswhile they are likely to slide off or melt into warm sugar cookies. Here are a few decorating ideas:
- Most Intricate: Use royal icing to pipe all kinds of intricate designs on the cookiesperfect if you want to create professional-lookingbakery- sugar cookies for holidays or themed events. You will want two different icing textures (thick for piping and thinner for flooding). This type of sugar cookie decoration will take the longest to dry into a hardcrisp coating — up to 24 hours. So keep that in mind in your planning process.
- Easier Icing: My sugar cookie icing is a super-easy option that just whisks together in 5 minutes. It sets up softer than royal icing and is dry enough to handle in about 2 hoursmaking it a great option if you want to add decoration but don’t have enough time to wait for royal icing to set. While you can’t do as much detailed decorating with this icingit’s a quick and easy optionand you’ll still get beautiful results. You can also whip up a quick classic buttercream to pipe or spread on top of the cookies.
- Easiest and Fastest: For a pretty decoration that is simple and effectivesprinkle the cookies with sparkling sugar or sprinkles before baking to create a sweetcrunchy topping. This is a great option if you don’t want to add any icing decorations but still want to jazz up the plain cookies. You can also dip or drizzle the plain baked cookies with melted chocolate after they’ve cooled completely.
Can I Freeze Sugar Cookies And Dough?
Yes! This is a great way to prepare ahead for a cookie decorating party! You can either pre-roll the dough or pre-cut it into shapes before freezing it. Here’s how:
Pre-roll the dough: Divide the dough in half and place each piece on a sheet of parchment paperpressing it into a square. Add another sheet on top and roll the dough to ¼-inch thick. Stack each sheet on a cookie traywrap with plastic wrapand refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month. When you’re readyyou can just remove the top sheet of parchment and cut the cookies out! (If frozenthaw the dough in the fridge for about 4 hours before cutting.)
Pre-cut the dough: Cut out the dough into whatever shapes you like and freeze them on a lined baking sheettightly wrapped in plastic wrap. When you’re ready to bake themsimply remove the plastic wrap and bake from frozenadding 2 minutes to the bake time to account for the frozen cookies.
Pro Tips For Making The Best Sugar Cookies
Measure the flour correctly. Flour is one of those ingredients that can make or break a recipe if you accidentally use too much or too little. Too much flour makes drycrumbly sugar cookies. Too little flour makes a sticky dough that’s very difficult to cut and can cause the cookies to spread. To prevent thisweigh the flour using a scale. If you don’t have onefluff the flour in its container to aerate it and spoon it into your measuring cup before leveling off the top. This process helps to prevent overpacking the measuring cup.
Use room temperature ingredients. Set the eggs and butter out an hour or so before you start baking. Room temperature ingredients are easiest to blend into a cohesive dough. If you forgetdon’t worry! Set the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutesand follow my easy tricks for how to soften butter quickly.
For thinnercrispier sugar cookies: Roll the dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Bake until the edges turn a light golden browna little bit darker than what is pictured in this post (I rolled them to ¼-inch for thickersofter cookies). This will take 8 to 10 minutes.
Adjust baking time if needed. For softer sugar cookiesyou want them to bake until they are slightly brown on the bottom edges without much color on top. Watch cookies carefully on your first batch. I recommend checking them at the 8-minute mark in case your oven runs hotterand remove them once you see the tasty golden brown edges form.
Can I color the dough? Absolutely! Add the food coloring to the creamed butter and sugar to incorporate it without overmixing the dough too much. Use 2 to 4 drops of gel food coloring for lighter shades and 5 to 10 for richerdark shades.
How To Make Sugar Cookies
BelowI’ve highlighted portions of the best sugar cookie recipe in step-by-step process imagesalong with instructions for making these cut out sugar cookies. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set them aside while you work on the wet ingredients.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also do this in a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer)beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Keep mixing while you drop in the eggs one at a timescrape down the sides of the bowland add the vanilla extract.
3. With the mixer still runningadd the flour mixture into the butter mixture a little at a time until the wet and dry ingredients are properly combined and form a dough.
4. Divide the dough in halfshape it into two disksand wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours to give the butter a chance to firm up once moreso the dough is easier to cut into shapes later on.
5. Place one disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to prevent sticking and use a rolling pin to roll it to ¼-inch-thickness.
6. Cut out shapes using 2½-inch cookie cutters or whatever size you require. See my Tips For Cutting Out Shapes section for more information. Reroll and cut any scraps of dough to make more cookies.
Place the cookies on parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheets with 1 inch of space between them. Bake one sheet at a time at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutesand let cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring the sugar cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Once coolserve plain or decorate any way you like (see Options For Decorating Sugar Cookies above for ideas and tips).
Sugar Cookie Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (480g)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (227g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowlsift together the floursaltand baking powder.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachmentbeat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffyabout 2 minutes.
- Add the eggsone at a timewhile mixing. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla.
- With the mixer runninggradually add in the flour mixture and mix until everything is well incorporated. Divide the dough in halfshape into two disksand tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days. (if chilling longer than 2 hourslet the dough sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes or until slightly softened.)
- Once the dough is chilled and you’re ready to bakepreheat the oven to 375F.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch-thickness. Cut out shapes using 2½-inch cookie cutters. Re-roll as needed for more cookies.
- Place the cut-outs on non-stick or parchment-lined baking sheets 1 inch apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottom edges start to turn brown. Let cool for a few minutes on the pan then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Serve plain or decorate with royal icing.
Notes
- Cool cookies before decorating. Whether you are drizzling with chocolatefrosting with sweet buttercreamdusting with powdered sugaror using royal icing for intricate designsallow the cookies to cool to room temperature before decorating. Any icing decorations will melt and run off the cookies if added before they are cooled.
Nutrition
FAQs and Troubleshooting
Yes! Simply swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free baking flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I recommend adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if the dough feels crumbly when mixed together.
The main culprit is using too little flourcausing the dough to be too moist. Using butter that’s too warm can also lead to a sticky dough. The butter should still feel slightly cold and a little firm; it should be soft enough that you are able to press a finger into it and leave an indentation without going through the sticknor should the butter be very oily and slippery.
If your dough is too sticky when you roll itdust the dough generously with flour when rolling it out. Brush off any excess flour on the cut-out cookies before baking. The cookies may spread a bit more in the ovenbut they’ll still hold their basic shape.
This usually happens because the dough is too cold and the butter is too firm for the dough to easily roll out. Usuallyif you chill the dough for just 2 hoursit doesn’t get cold enough for this to happen. But if you chill it for longer periodsit might. Simply cover the dough and let it rest on the counter for 5 minutes before trying again. The sugar cookie dough just needs to warm up a little.
It can also mean the dough is too dry because too much flour was used. If you let the dough warm up a bitit should roll out a bit better.
This happens because the dough was not cold enough when the cookies went into the oven. If the dough is too warmthe fat in the butter is not solidifiedwhich will cause the dough to spread and puff up too much. If you notice the dough becoming warm before you’re ready to bakejust pop them in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutesthen bake.
How To Store
Leftover baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can also freeze plain baked sugar cookies (undecorated) in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Allow the frozen cookies to reach room temperature before decorating.
How many days ahead can I bake for an event or party?
These cookies keep very well for several days plain or decorated with royal icing. For the best taste and textureI recommend making them within 2 to 3 days of your eventbut they will stay pretty and delicious for up to a week.
More Cookie Recipes To Try
Try these classic cookie recipes next! They’re great for special occasions or just as an everyday treat.
Slightly tangyvery cinnamony snickerdoodle cookies are ready in about 20 minutes since you don’t need to chill the dough! Cream of tartar is a must in this cookie recipe to give them their signature flavor.
Peanut butter lovers need to try my perfect peanut butter cookies! They’re a snap to whip up and have the most incredible soft texture. That’s why it’s so important to rest once you take them out of the oven; they need some time to firm up,
Melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies come together with just 5 pantry staple ingredients and very little time and effort. Think of shortbread as a denserless sweetmore buttery cousin to sugar cookies.
I love baking crispchewy gingersnap cookies during the holidays! They’re perfectly sweethave just the right amount of warming gingercinnamonand clovesand have a deepcomplex flavor thanks to molasses.
Did you know you can make cookies out of cake mix? You only need 3 basic ingredients to make my fluffy cake mix cookieswhich you can dress up with chocolate chipssprinklesor M&Ms!
If you’ve tried this easy sugar cookie recipethen don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Hollie says
Easy recipe and tasty cookies!
Crazybot_22 says
Amazing cookies they are easy to make and taste delicious
Ali says
Hello! You have an older video that includes cornstarch…and the recipe link referenced in that video goes here…which does not include cornstarch! Did you get rid of that old recipe and would recommend using this one…? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvFNVAOvOXk&t=116s
Sarah Ward (Executive EditorPreppy Kitchen) says
Hi AliJohn redid this recipe just a bit to stream line it and tweak the flavor. The older recipe works great if you’d like to follow it from the old video! The current recipe also works very well and the new video is linked in the recipe card.