Meet your new go-to Sugar Cookie Recipe for every season. These cookies bake up with soft centers, lightly crisp edges, and a buttery vanilla flavor that welcomes sprinkles, icing, or a simple dusting of sugar. They are easy enough for weeknights, special enough for holidays.
Why You’ll Love This Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Soft and chewy centers with neatly defined edges for cut-outs
- No-fuss dough that rolls easily and keeps its shape
- Balanced sweetness that pairs beautifully with icing or sprinkles
- Make-ahead friendly for busy bakers and holiday prep
- Versatile base with lots of flavor variations
Sugar Cookie Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to cool room temp (226 g) – use plant-based butter for dairy-free
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 additional egg yolk, room temp – optional for extra richness
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract – try vanilla bean paste for specks and deeper flavor
- 1/2 tsp almond extract – optional but lovely in holiday cookies
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300 g) – up to 2 3/4 cups if your dough feels sticky; use a 1:1 gluten-free blend if needed
- 1 tsp baking powder (5 g)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (8 g) – optional for extra tender cookies
- For decorating: sanding sugar, sprinkles, or icing
Simple Vanilla Icing (optional): 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (180 g), 2 to 3 tbsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt. Whisk to a drizzleable consistency. For sharper designs, use royal icing.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Sugar Cookie Recipe
1. Cream Butter and Sugar
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Creaming adds air that helps the cookies lift without puffing too much.
2. Add Egg and Extracts
Beat in the egg and optional yolk until smooth, then mix in vanilla and almond extract. Scrape the bowl so everything is fully incorporated.
3. Whisk Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. This prevents pockets of leavening and keeps the crumb even.
4. Bring Dough Together
Add dry ingredients to the wet on low speed until the dough just comes together and pulls from the sides. If very sticky, add 1 to 3 tbsp flour, a little at a time, until soft but not tacky.
5. Chill for Easy Rolling
Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap, and chill 30 to 60 minutes. For drop cookies, a brief 15-minute chill is enough for easier scooping.
6. Roll and Cut
Preheat oven to 350°F or 175°C. Line baking sheets with parchment. Roll dough between parchment to 1/4 inch for classic cut-outs or 3/8 inch for extra soft. Dip cutters in flour for clean edges. For drop cookies, scoop 1 1/2 tbsp mounds and roll in sugar if you like.
7. Bake to Soft Set
Arrange cookies 2 inches apart and bake until edges look set and centers look slightly matte, not browned.
| Thickness | Bake Time |
| 1/4 inch cut-outs | 8 to 10 minutes |
| 3/8 inch cut-outs | 10 to 12 minutes |
| Drop cookies | 9 to 11 minutes |
Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
8. Cool and Decorate
Let cookies cool completely before icing. Add sprinkles while icing is wet. Allow icing to set before stacking.
Tips for Success
- Weigh your flour for accuracy. If using cups, lightly fluff, spoon, and level.
- Use cool room temp butter. Too warm butter leads to spreading.
- Chill the cut shapes 10 minutes before baking for crisp, sharp edges.
- Bake on parchment. Silicone mats can encourage spread in delicate cut-outs.
- Do not overbake. Pull cookies when edges are set but not golden for soft centers.
- Re-roll scraps only once to keep cookies tender.
- Use an oven thermometer to ensure a true 350°F.
Variations of Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Lemon Sugar Cookies: Add 1 to 2 tsp lemon zest to dough and finish with a simple lemon glaze.
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies: Replace 1/4 cup flour with unsweetened cocoa powder and add 1 extra tbsp sugar.
- Brown Sugar Spice: Swap 1/2 cup white sugar for light brown sugar and add 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
- Funfetti: Fold 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles into the dough.
- Gluten-Free: Use a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour and chill 15 minutes longer.
- Dairy-Free: Use a quality plant-based butter and check that sprinkles are dairy-free.
Serving Suggestions: What to Pair with Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Hot cocoa, chai, or a latte for a cozy treat
- Vanilla ice cream for quick cookie sandwiches
- Fresh berries to balance the buttery sweetness
- Holiday dessert boards with peppermint bark and truffles
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Room Temp: Store in an airtight tin up to 5 to 7 days. Layer with parchment.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: Freeze flat, then bag up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw at room temp.
- Freeze Dough: Wrap discs well and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then roll.
- Refresh: Soften a cookie in the microwave 5 to 8 seconds or place a slice of bread in the tin overnight to keep cookies tender.
Memories Made Around the Table
Every December, my grandma’s old cookie tin comes out of the cupboard, and it is always filled with these sugar cookies. We would decorate around the table with bowls of sprinkles and laugh when the stars got a little too sparkly. It is the simplest kind of magic.
FAQs
Do I have to chill the dough? For sharp cut-out edges, yes, 30 to 60 minutes helps. For drop cookies, a short 15-minute chill is optional but helpful.
Why did my cookies spread? Butter may have been too warm, flour under-measured, or pans too warm. Chill cut shapes and bake on parchment with fully cooled sheets.
How thick should I roll the dough? For classic results, 1/4 inch. For extra soft and chewy, 3/8 inch with a slightly longer bake.
Can I make the dough ahead? Yes. Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Let chilled dough sit a few minutes before rolling so it is pliable.
Can I use salted butter? Yes. Reduce added salt to a tiny pinch or omit.
Final Thoughts
This Sugar Cookie Recipe gives you bakery-level cookies with minimal fuss. Keep a batch of dough in the fridge, pull out your favorite cutters, and make a sweet moment any day of the week.
Sugar Cookie Recipe: Soft, Chewy, and Perfectly Sweet
Equipment
- 2 Baking Sheet
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Rolling Pin (optional for drop cookies)
- 1 Electric Mixer hand or stand mixer
- 2 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 Cookie cutters (optional)
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to cool room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temp
- 1 egg yolk optional, room temp
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 0.5 tsp almond extract optional
- 2.5 cup all-purpose flour up to 2 3/4 cups if dough feels sticky; use a 1:1 gluten-free blend if needed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch optional
For Decorating
- sanding sugar
- sprinkles
- icing
Simple Vanilla Icing (optional)
- 1.5 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk to 3 tbsp, as needed
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Creaming adds air that helps the cookies lift without puffing too much.
- Beat in the egg and optional yolk until smooth, then mix in vanilla and almond extract. Scrape the bowl so everything is fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch to combine evenly.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet on low speed until the dough just comes together and pulls from the sides. If very sticky, add 1 to 3 tbsp flour, a little at a time, until soft but not tacky.
- Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap, and chill 30 to 60 minutes. For drop cookies, a brief 15-minute chill is enough for easier scooping.
Roll, Cut, and Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment. Roll dough between parchment to 1/4 inch for classic cut-outs or 3/8 inch for extra soft. Dip cutters in flour for clean edges. For drop cookies, scoop 1 1/2 tbsp mounds and roll in sugar if you like.
- Arrange cookies 2 inches apart and bake until edges look set and centers look slightly matte, not browned.
Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.Thickness Bake Time 1/4 inch cut-outs 8 to 10 minutes 3/8 inch cut-outs 10 to 12 minutes Drop cookies 9 to 11 minutes
Decorate
- Let cookies cool completely before icing. Add sprinkles while icing is wet. Allow icing to set before stacking.