Classic homemade sugar cookies are a delicious classic that every parent and grandparent needs in the recipe box.
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'Tis the season for... Christmas Cookies. So here is an excellent quick and easy sugar cookie recipe that even the cookie rookie can handle.
These soft and chewy sugar cookies are perfect rolled cookies to cut into shapes and decorate with the kids. The recipe is adjusted for a smaller household but can be scaled as needed.
Check out some other delicious sweet recipes, like Cheesecake Bars, Lemon Bars, Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, Flourless Chocolate Cake, and Easy Cheesecake Cupcakes
All sugar cookie recipes are similar, not identical, but very similar. The inspiration recipe is The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies from All Recipes. I cut the recipe in half, expanded the discussion/options, and added an optional frosting to get you started.
👨🍳How to make homemade sugar cookies
- Start with softened butter in a large bowl. Add sugar and beat with a stand mixer or hand electric mixer until creamy,
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add all the dry ingredients, mix well, form into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to cool for at least one hour.
- Roll to about ¼ inch thickness on a surface dusted with powdered sugar. Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Bake cookies in a preheated 400° oven for 7 to 8 minutes until the edge is browning.
- After removal from the oven, let the cookies stay on the tray for 2 minutes, then move them to a wire rack.
- Decorate as desired with frosting and sprinkles.
🧂Ingredients
- Butter - Use soft real butter. Salted is fine, but unsalted butter will do; add a pinch more salt.
- Eggs - Use two, which will help hold things together. Many recipes will use only one.
- Vanilla - Use only real vanilla extract, please.
- Baking Powder - Use aluminum-free to avoid an aftertaste.
- Other ingredients - Salt, sugar, and all-purpose flour.
❓FAQs
The final dough should have a texture close to Play-Doh. Not sticky and wet but also not hard. If the dough is sticky and wet, add a little flour. If dry, then a touch of milk.
Yes. The cookie dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days before use. It should be sealed tightly since it can easily pick up flavors from other foods.
Raw dough can also be frozen for 2-3 months. Thaw completely before proceeding.
After cooking, the baked cookies are excellent for about three days. Sealed in an airtight container, they are very good for a week. After that, they will start to dry some. Two weeks is about the maximum time.
Sugar cookies will freeze well for 3-4 months.
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Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start with ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) of butter. Soften a little by resting at room temperature or in a microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Add 1 cup of sugar to the butter in a large bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer.
Add 2 eggs and ½ teaspoon vanilla—mix well.
Add 2 ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 400°. Prep baking sheets by covering them with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Dust a prep area with some powdered sugar. Form the dough into a ball and place it on the mat. Flatten and then roll out with a rolling pin. Use lots of powdered sugar on the mat and on top of the dough to prevent sticking. Roll to a thickness of about ¼ inch or a bit thicker.
Cut with a cookie cutter.
Layout the cookies on a cookie sheet, keeping them about one inch apart. They will spread out during cooking. Work quickly, reuse the scraps, and keep dusting the surface and dough with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Continue to cut cookies until done. Recool dough scraps if it gets too soft to work.
Bake until the edge of the cookies is starting brown a little. It takes about 7-8 minutes. Do not overbake.
Remove from oven and allow to sit on the pan for a few minutes, then move to a wire cooling rack.
After cooling, it is time for decoration. Make a simple sugar cookie icing by mixing 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of butter, 2 drops of vanilla, and 3-4 teaspoon of milk. Add a few drops of food coloring of your choice—mix well.
📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade Sugar Cookies
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter - softened - 1 ½ stick
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 drops vanilla
- 3-4 teaspoon milk
- food coloring as desired
Instructions
- Start with ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) of butter. Soften a little by resting at room temperature or in a microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Add 1 cup of sugar to the butter in a large bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer.
- Add 2 eggs and ½ teaspoon vanilla—mix well.
- Add 2 ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 400°. Prep baking sheets by covering them with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Dust a prep area with some powdered sugar. Form the dough into a ball and place it on the mat. Flatten and then roll out with a rolling pin. Use lots of powdered sugar on the mat and on top of the dough to prevent sticking. Roll to a thickness of about ¼ inch or a bit thicker.
- Cut with a cookie cutter.
- Layout the cookies on a cookie sheet, keeping them about one inch apart. They will spread out during cooking. Work quickly, reuse the scraps, and keep dusting the surface and dough with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Continue to cut cookies until done. Recool dough scraps if it gets too soft to work.
- Bake until the edge of the cookies is starting brown a little. It takes about 7-8 minutes. Do not overbake.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit on the pan for a few minutes, then move to a wire cooling rack.
Optional Frosting
- After cooling, it is time for decoration. Make a simple sugar cookie icing by mixing 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of butter, 2 drops of vanilla, and 3-4 teaspoon of milk. Add a few drops of food coloring of your choice—mix well.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This an easy recipe to cut half or double.
- Room temperature or slightly softer butter is important to get the right texture.
- Real butter is not required, but you will be happy if you do—salted is fine.
- Cool the dough to cut and if you don't work fast, cool again before proceeding.
- Use real vanilla if possible.
- Never use aluminum-containing baking powder for anything. There is an aftertaste.
- The dough should have a texture close to Play-Doh. If sticky and wet, add a bit of flour. If dry, then a touch of milk.
- I suggest a thickness of about ¼ inch. Thinner will cook faster, and thicker will take longer.
- I recommend powdered sugar, not flour, on the surface when making out the dough and on the top as your roll out the dough.
- Your oven and the pans will also affect cooking time, so watch the lower edge of the cookie for a hint of brown. Usually about 8 minutes. DO NOT OVER COOK.
- Allow cooling on the tray for a few minutes before moving it to the cooling rack.
- After cooking, the baked cookies are excellent for about three days. Sealed in an airtight container, they are very good for a week. After that, they will start to dry some. Two weeks is about the maximum time.
- Raw dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days but can easily pick up odors from the refrigerator. The dough can also be frozen for about 3 months.
- Nutrition includes optional frosting. Of course, nutrition will also vary by the size of the cookies. You will get about 24 average-size cookies from this recipe.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally Published December 3, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Bronzi says
Will try.
kate says
"Sugar cookies are not and can not be made into health food. Don’t even try." 🤣 I love your writing style! Thanks for the yummy recipe, too! :-)
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Kate,
Welcome to the blog.
I can be a bit blunt at times... it is the old doctor in me.
You know on food blogs, somebody will want to try to change things. I want to stop a few of those questions.
It is nice to see somebody reads my sarcasm.
Thanks for the note and rating. Have a great holiday.
Dan