Perfect Sugar Cookie Recipe is really just that- PERFECT. These sugar cookies come together quickly with only 6 ingredients; butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour and baking powder. The cookies keep shape while baking, are soft and chewy, plus there is NO chilling! This Sugar Cookie recipe is PERFECTION!
Sugar Cookie Recipe
Everyone needs a good staple sugar cookie recipe. Trust me, this is THEE sugar cookie recipe for you!
Sugar Cookies are my husband’s favorite, I have been making them for years! I’ve tweaked this recipe little by little until it became absolute perfection.. I haven’t messed with this recipe the past 3 years now because it is THAT good.
Even better news? This is 100% beginner friendly. It is nearly impossible to mess this recipe up! It is so forgiving!
Ingredients in Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup butter (I usually just use salted butter, because that is what I always keep on hand!)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
Yes, that is it!! Only 6 ingredients that I bet you have on hand right now!
How Sugar Cookies are Made
Making your sugar cookie dough is so simple. First, I’d recommend using a stand mixer if you have one. If not, an electric hand mixer will work, too.
The first step is to cream the butter and sugar together for a full 2 minutes. You want this extremely light and fluffy! Next, scrape sides and add in your egg and vanilla. Finally, add in your flour and baking powder.
The dough will look dry, just keep mixing. Mix, mix, mix and it will come together! If it does’t come together, you can add water to the dough 1 tsp at a time. The dough should be the same consistency as play-doh. If it is too dry, add some water. If it is too wet, add some flour. This dough is SO forgiving.
How Thick to Roll and Cut Sugar Cookies
For this recipe, what you cut is what you get. (Hallelujah, right?) They will not spread, they will not rise. If the cookies are smaller, I will roll a little thinner, about 1/4 of an inch. If I am making large, 4-inch round cookies (like pictured here) I roll them out closer to 1/2 inch thick.
How to make Soft Sugar Cookies
The key to making soft sugar cookies is this- do not over bake them! This recipe will yield a very soft and chewy cookie as long as they are not over baked. Keep a close eye on the cookies, you’ll want to pull them out of the oven when the tops are no longer glossy and they have puffed up. If you wait until the edges start turning golden brown, they are overcooked!
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
What Frosting should I use on my Sugar Cookies?
I always, always, always frost my sugar cookies with a crusting vanilla buttercream. This cookie will hold up to Royal Icing if that is what you prefer to use. I like buttercream because, to me, it tastes better and it is so much faster and easier!
How to Decorate Sugar Cookies
Decorating sugar cookies is the best part! This is really where they take on personality. Sometimes I just frost them, sometimes I add sprinkles. Pretty piped flowers happen a lot, too. Sometimes I go really overboard, though. Like on holidays. Holidays are meant for overboard cookies, right?
Check out some fun holiday inspired sugar cookie decorations below!
How to store Sugar Cookies
Store un-frosted sugar cookies in an air tight container until ready to frost. They can be stacked and just placed in a zip top bag. If you want to store frosted sugar cookies just overnight until you are ready to serve them, I usually just leave them on my counter and put plastic wrap over the cookies and try to seal it onto the counter.
For ‘long-term’ storing, store in an air tight container, preferably without stacking, for 3-4 days.
Can I freeze Sugar Cookies?
Yes. My sister freezes her sugar cookies all the time! They never last that long at my house. 😉 She freezes them with the frosting on in separate zip top bags and then let’s them sit on the counter for 15 or so minutes before eating.
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
Here is a little recap of why this recipe is the recipe you need. Why it is, indeed, perfect and the best!
- The dough is super simple. Now that I have the recipe memorized, I can throw the dough together in 5 minutes flat.
- NO CHILLING THE DOUGH. I can’t be the only one who never has patience for dough chilling.. right?
- You want a horse sugar cookie? After these bake, you’ll still have a horse cookie. Not some lumpy unicorn looking thing. 😉 These cookies keep their shape!
- Soft, soft, soft, soft, SOFT. Oh, and chewy.
- They are still sturdy, even though they are soft & chewy.
- The cookies are an amazing base for some serious frosting work. Here is my absolute favorite Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe!
More Cookie Recipes to enjoy!
- Cookies made with Brownie Mix
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Chocolate Cookies with Cheesecake Frosting
- Raspberry Lemonade Sugar Cookies
- Swig Sugar Cookies
- Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
- Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Halloween Sugar Cookies
- Twix Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- All Cookie Recipes
- All Dessert Recipes
Perfect Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 batch Sugar Cookie Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer for a full 3 minutes.
- Scrape sides and add in vanilla and egg. Mix until combined.
- Add flour and baking powder to the bowl. Mix slowly at first gradually getting faster until the dough comes together. The texture should be like Playdoh. Add a little flour or water if needed to get it to a soft, pliable consistency.
- Turn out onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin and roll until about 1/4 inch thick. (The cookies will not rise while baking, they will not get thinner while baking. Roll out to your desired FINISHED thickness.)
- Use cookie cutters and cut out desired shapes. Transfer the cookies to a silicone lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until the centers are puffy and no longer glossy. Pull the cookies out of the oven BEFORE they start turning brown. If they turn brown, the cookie will be dry and 'crackery' instead of soft and chewy.
- Frost with Sugar Cookie Frosting and Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
- Funfetti Fudge - November 24, 2020
- Chocolate Pie Crust - November 20, 2020
- Candied Almonds - November 17, 2020
Sue says
Hi can left over dough be frozen and for how long??
Karli Bitner says
Yes! The dough can be frozen for a month or so before baking. I would roll and cut the cookies prior too freezing for ease of baking when you are ready!
Steph says
So perfect every time. And so simple and quick!! No more making the kids wait all day for dough to chill.
Karli Bitner says
Yesss! I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe and found it!! Save it and keep coming back to make more sugar cookies with your kiddos. 🙂
Ginette Newington says
Hi
I’m going to attempt this recipe. But it says 350 for the temp on the oven. We have an old gas oven and only goes upto 260 deg???
Any suggestion of what would be ideal
Karli Bitner says
This is 350°F.. does your oven happen to be in Celsius?
Rebecca says
Perfect cookie recipe and holds its shape perfectly!! I’ve made a choc version of this recipe by sub some of the flour for cocoa powder and it worked great! My go to cookie recipe now! 😊 thanks for the recipe
Karli Bitner says
I love hearing that it’s your go-to recipe! Thanks so much for coming back and baking from it time and time again. 🙂
Abigail says
Will it turn out the same if I use unsalted butter or should I use salted? I’m worried that with salted what I find at the store might have a different salt content than what you use causing it to taste different.
Karli Bitner says
Either salted or unsalted butter will result in great cookies. If you use unsalted, I would add a pinch of salt to the recipe to balance out the sweetness. You’ll be good to go either way!
Tonya says
I started cookie decorating as my quarantine hobby. I bake a lot so I normally try many recipes until I find the best one. Yours is the best! Everyone loves the soft cookie and flavor. The only issue I have is I normally double the batch and have too add another cup or more of flour so the dough isn’t too sticky. Any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong? Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Karli Bitner says
I am so happy to hear you loved my recipe so much!! With baking, the environment, climate and humidity play a big part of how much flour you’ll need to use. I would just keep doing what you are doing, it sounds like you’ve got it figured out! 🙂
Jenn says
This recipe is fantastic! I made these with gluten free flour and they were soooo good! I have celiac disease, as well as several family members and friends, and we were all super impressed. The cookies were soft and chewy where most gluten free things are dry and crumbly. The cookies even froze well for eating later. Thanks for sharing such an easy and tasty recipe! Definitely keeping this one for years to come!
Karli Bitner says
I am so happy to hear that these cookies worked so well with gluten free flour! What brand did you use? That is a question I get a lot, so this info would be helpful for many other readers! Thanks, Jenn!
Jenn says
I am in Canada and have used both President’s Choice All Purpose Gluten Free Flour and Kinnikinnick All Purpose Flour Gluten Free Flour with great success. Definitely keep an eye on the colour of the cookies. Gluten free flour tends to be heavy and dry already and the cookies quickly go from lovely to crumbly. Kinnikinnick products can be ordered online and shipped! Their products are great for people with gluten, wheat and other allergies and intolerances. Happy baking everyone! 🙂
Karli Bitner says
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! That info is wonderful. 🙂 I hope you have a great day!
Karen says
Do you use the mixer when adding the egg and flour?
Karli Bitner says
Yes, I use the mixer to bring the dough completely together.
anonymous icing lover says
i love this its fast, and simple, great for making on a whim, works with royal icing!
Karli Bitner says
I am so glad that you loved this recipe so much!
Kelly says
Hi! Can you tell me if this recipe is good to make ahead of time??
Karli Bitner says
They make ahead wonderfully!! You can store them at room temperature for a few days or freeze them if you need them to last longer than that!
Melanie Kay-Denten says
Once I found this fabulous recipe, I have not looked back ! They are everything you describe and more, I am now asked to bake these cookies for birthdays, street parties, catch ups. I top them with fondant icing, and stamp in people’s names, occasions! I am making them for our clients as a Christmas gift in our Hair Salon in Sydney this year; so I will be freezing them as I need to make about 600.
Karli Bitner says
Wow! You sound like a pro! I am so glad you found my recipe and have enjoyed it so much. 🙂
Melody says
Hi those cookies were excellent
Melody says
I had never seen them before then my friends made them and they were delightful. So i am going to try making them for Christmas 🎄
Karli Bitner says
I hope you love them when you make them!! 🙂
Tasha says
Hello. Is it possible to not roll them and just spoon them out?
Karli Bitner says
Sure- You could scoop the dough out into equal sized balls and then flatten them with either your hand or the back of a drinking cup before baking. The cookies will not spread and flatten at all while baking so you’ll want to flatten them to your desired thickness prior to baking.
Megan says
Can I make the dough ahead of time? For example, make the dough in the morning and then roll and cut the cookies in the afternoon?
Karli Bitner says
You could, the dough does tend to get a little stiff if it has been in the fridge for a while, so you may need to add a little bit of water to get it workable again. If you could, I would make the dough, roll and cut the cookies and then bake in the afternoon if that works with your activities!