This is the best sugar cookie recipe I’ve ever had – sweet and buttery with crispy edges to nibble and soft centers to munch. The dough rolls easily, cuts with perfect edges, holds its shape in the oven, and doesn’t get tough no matter how much you re-roll it.
Great for getting the kids involved in some holiday baking…and here are even more Christmas Cookie Recipes!!
First published – December 2007…Last Updated: November 5,2019
Ingredients
It’s amazing that these cookies are so delicious with so few ingredients. It’s a simple recipe but it’s super important to use real butter or the flavor just won’t be there.
- Butter can be salted or unsalted – just make sure that it’s a flavorful brand. Don’t skimp here.
- Sugar can be whirred in the blender to break up the crystals if you want – it makes the cookies have a slightly better texture.
- Eggs used are pastured raised, organic, large eggs.
- Baking powder gives the cookie a crispier texture while baking soda makes it softer – use which ever you prefer.
- Salt helps with the flavor. Use less if you’ve used salted butter.
- All – purpose flour is the flour of choice for these cookies.
Perfect Cut Out Cookies
You’ll love this easy recipe! They are literally the best sugar cookies ever — especially if you are baking with kids.
You can re-roll the dough as much as you need to without it getting tough or crumbly, and they are full of a buttery-sugary-deliciousness that makes them perfect for cutting out and decorating.
The edges cut cleanly and the cookies don’t spread in the oven. Perfect cookies every single time!
Kid Approved
I’ve been making this recipe for probably 30 years. I got the original from someone at a church we used to attend, who had gotten it from her mother-in-law.
Don’t you think those are the best kinds of recipes?
We used to use it for the various bake sales that we held because the kids could smash this dough, roll it, re-roll it, and cut it out over and over but it always came out perfectly tender and buttery good.
It was definitely a selling point to say that the kids had done all of the work!
Recipe Tips
I don’t think it would be a holiday for my kids without a few of these along with some coconut white chocolate chip – especially my older kids who have fond memories of the bake sales.
So easy that you won’t even need a mixer! The butter is melted and everything else is just stirred right in by hand.
Personally, I like to cut the dough out in shapes then freeze the it unbaked. That way I only have to put them on the cookie sheet and bake – no mess and hardly any time at all!
- The dough is very soft – let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or, if you are in a hurry, pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Use enough flour to keep them from sticking.
- Bake just until the bottoms and edges are light golden brown.
- Use baking soda for soft cookies or baking powder for crunchy cookies.
- The dough keeps for several days in the refrigerator or you can freeze it for longer storage.
- Keep your cookie cutters as close together as possible when cutting.
- Always bake similar sized cookies together so that they bake evenly.
- Rolling the dough about 1/8-inch thick will give you a crispy sugar cookie while rolling the dough 1/4-inch will keep them softer.
- I like to beat 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of milk and brush it on the cut out cookies. It helps the sugar stick AND it gives them a pretty color when they’re baked.
- Let cool completely before decorating with icing.
How to Make Rolled Sugar Cookies Step By Step
These are so easy to make and they come out perfectly every time. Just follow the directions and the step by step images.
- Mix the dry ingredients and set aside.
- Melt the butter.
- Whisk in the sugar until smooth and it looses its graininess.
- Stir in the eggs.
- Blend in the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture.
- Stir until blended and the dough holds together in a ball.
- Chill for 30 minutes in the freezer or the refrigerator overnight.
- Roll the dough out, cut, and bake.
Recipe Variations
Classic sugar cookies are flavored with vanilla but these cookies are so versatile that you can easily change the flavors. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Split a vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds into the melted butter before you add the flour
- When melting the butter let it get a golden brown color for a nutty, rich taste
- Use part vanilla and part almond extract instead of just vanilla
- Use lemon extract
- Use a few drops of anise flavoring
- Color the dough with gel or paste food color
- Replace 1 cup of the sugar with brown sugar
- Add a little freshly grated nutmeg
- Add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- Add a pinch of cardamom
- Add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest
Homemade Sugar Cookies FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
How do you get sugar cookies to keep their shape?
This dough almost always keeps its shape perfectly but if you want to make absolutely sure the cut cookies will keep their shape then put the cookie sheet with the cut cookies on it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.
How thick are these cookies supposed to be?
Good question! That kinda depends on you. 1/8th to 1/4- inch thick is about right. Thicker cookies, especially when made with baking soda, stay softer. Thinner cookies, especially when made with baking powder, stay crispy.
How long do you let the cookies cool before icing?
Let them cool completely so that they are not warm to the touch or the icing will melt off. The actual time can vary, depending on how cold your kitchen is. Shoot for 30 minutes to an hour to be safe.
Do you decorate cookies before or after they’re baked?
If you are using colored sugar and/or sprinkles then they go on the cookie before baking. If you are using icing then you need to wait until the cookies are baked and cooled. If you’re having trouble getting the sugar/sprinkles to stick on the unbaked cookie simply brush the surface lightly with a little egg beaten with milk.
Why did my sugar cookies spread out?
Your oven was too hot and the butter melted too fast. Be sure your oven is at the correct temperature. Freezing the cookies before baking will help, too.
You May Need
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Good cookie sheets make all the difference in the texture of your cookies and whether or not the bottoms burn. I like these heavy duty cookie sheets from Calphalon for this easy recipe. They’re high quality and will last for years.
More Favorite Homemade Cookie Recipes
We love cookies of all kinds around here! Here are some of my favorite recipes –
Best Sugar Cookies Recipe
This recipe makes easy rolled cookies for your Christmas cookie tray — but they are beautiful for any occasion from Valentine’s Day to Halloween. Cut them in rounds and put two together with some chocolate ganache in between for sandwich cookies – so good!
They travel well so they’re great for back to school, too. I can’t imagine Christmas without these cookies and my family fruitcake recipe!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars!
The BEST Sugar Cookies Recipe Ever
Watch This!
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 beaten eggs
- 1 tbs vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, or 1 tsp baking soda for a softer cookie
- pinch salt
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Whisk the sugar into the melted butter and let it stand until the mixture is lukewarm.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
- Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or the refrigerator overnight.
- Roll 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut as desired.
- Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8 – 10 minutes.
- Cookies should be golden on edges but don’t let them brown.
- Let cool and decorate as desired.
- Amount varies with size of cookie cutters.
Notes
- Split a vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds into the melted butter before you add the flour
- When melting the butter let it get a golden brown color for a nutty, rich taste
- Use part vanilla and part almond extract instead of just vanilla
- Use lemon extract
- Use a few drops of anise flavoring
- Color the dough with gel or paste food color
- Replace 1 cup of the sugar with brown sugar
- Add a little freshly grated nutmeg
- Add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- Add a pinch of cardamom
- Add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest
- The dough is very soft – let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or, if you are in a hurry, pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Use enough flour to keep them from sticking.
- Bake these easy sugar cookies just until the bottoms and edges are light golden brown.
- Use baking soda for soft cookies or baking powder for crunchy cookies.
- The dough keeps for several days in the refrigerator or you can freeze it for longer storage.
- Keep your cookie cutters as close together as possible when cutting.
- Always bake similar sized cookies together so that they bake evenly.
- Rolling the dough about 1/8-inch thick will give you a crispy sugar cookie while rolling the dough 1/4-inch will keep them softer.
- I like to beat 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of milk and brush it on the cut out cookies. It helps the sugar stick AND it gives them a pretty color when they’re baked.
- Let cool completely before decorating with icing.
Nutrition
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Marsha
I love sugar cookies and these sound so wonderful. But I like a softer cookie, but a crunchy edge. Can i use 1 tsp soda and 1/2 tsp
of baking powder to get both? Thank you for sharing this awesome cookie.
Marye
That might work? I think you’ll need to experiment. 🙂
Sabrina Garcia
Hi there! Looks like a great recipe! I was reading the article and didn’t see anything specifically pertaining to freezing the recipe and using it later down the road. I’m going to be making Christmas cookie plates for friends and family this year so I just wanted to make this ahead of time. Thanks for your time!
Marye Audet
they freeze very well. 🙂
Terry Finley
April’s making your cookies again….she said to tell you that you are too young to be a grandma and she loves that you love RED. (She does, too) My baker2be is off making cookies tonight for her birthday tomorrow. 🙂 Have a great one, my friend!
Marye Audet
LOL! Tell her thanks!