This sugar cookies recipe is the one one I exploit – particularly for holidays like Christmas! The recipe is straightforward and the dough is ideal for cut-out cookie adorning with no chill time wanted! Should you’re searching for a foolproof, buttery sugar cookie recipe that is it.

One of the crucial widespread questions I get from readers is: “Do you have got an ideal sugar cookie recipe?”
And the reply is YES! This cut-out sugar cookie recipe is the one I’ve been utilizing for 14 years. I haven’t deviated from this recipe since I began making it so a few years in the past as a result of its perfection. I’m CRAZY enthusiastic about at this time! I exhibiting you easy methods to make sugar cookies from scratch!
- Simple. You don’t must be an skilled cookie maker to bake up these cookies.
- Tasty. The flavour is buttery and scrumptious! The sides are crisp and candy, and the facilities are tender with a young texture.
- No Chill. The dough doesn’t must be chilled earlier than rolling and slicing out shapes.
- Good for Adorning. These cookies maintain crisp edges when baked. They’re excellent for all shapes of cookie cutters and adorning.

Ingredient Notes
You’ll solely want just a few substances to make these traditional sugar cookies. Right here’s a fast listing with my notes to ensure you have all the things. (See the recipe card on the backside of this publish for particular quantities.)
- Butter. I exploit salted butter, however that’s a private desire. Should you favor unsalted, or that’s all you have got completely use that.
- Vanilla. I all the time advocate utilizing pure vanilla extract.
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Dry Components: Baking Powder, All Function Flour, and Kosher Salt. Should you don’t have kosher you should use desk salt, however I might advocate slicing again on the quantity by half so that you don’t over-salt your cookies. Desk salt is a finer grain than kosher, so you’ll find yourself with extra.
- Powdered Sugar. The bottom of the icing.
- Water
- Gentle Corn Syrup. Sweetens the icing and provides the shiny texture.
Variation Concepts
- Strive a distinct taste profile. You need to use almond extract…or coconut, or rum, or perhaps a citrus like lemon or orange extract. All these would style nice! Begin by utilizing 1/2 teaspoon and enhance the quantity to style. Almond extract is a stronger taste than vanilla and I discover you should use rather less.
- Add some mini chocolate chips. Minis will nonetheless work with cookie cutters and can bake up superbly on this recipe.
- Combine in some nuts. Add chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, and even pistachios. Be certain that they’re finely chopped in order that they don’t intervene together with your cookie cutters.
- Use brown sugar instead of granulated. This may trigger the cookies to unfold barely greater than granulated as a result of moisture content material, however not in an unlimited method. You may solely discover that is you’re utilizing an intricate cutter.

- Don’t substitute margarine or butter flavored shortening. I typically even splurge on a elaborate European butter when making these sugar cookies, as a result of there’s a increased fats content material, and whereas it’s not nice on your thighs, it does assist produce a extra scrumptious, wealthy cookie!
- Use high quality substances. While you’re making sugar cookies, you need them to style good, proper? So ensure you’re top quality butter and vanilla particularly. These are the 2 flavors that basically shine via, so use contemporary butter and good vanilla!
- Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You need to use a hand mixer when you favor, however making these cookies and not using a mixer is tough since you wish to cream your butter and sugar collectively for two minutes. AND there’s a number of flour in these, and the dough can get onerous to combine by hand.
- Work with sections of dough at a time. Divide the dough into sections when rolling it out to deal with the dough much less. The extra you deal with it, the hotter it will get, and the much less the cookies will maintain their form. You possibly can refrigerate the opposite sections of dough whilst you work with one.
- Bake roughly the identical sized cookies. Whereas it’s enjoyable to get out all of your totally different vacation cookie cutters, attempt your finest to make use of uniformly sized shapes that method every batch will bake evenly. Because you’re diving the dough into 3 sections it is a wonderful means to make use of 3 cutters for every batch. That method you have got selection, but in addition will guarantee even baking!
- Don’t fear about spreading. After all you don’t wish to overcrowd the cookie sheet since you want air circulation, however you don’t have to go away a number of house in between the cookies, as they don’t unfold a lot!

Okay, let’s discuss. Chilling cookie dough is annoying. I get it. SO, this lower out sugar cookie recipe requires ZERO chilling. Are you excited? Let’s speak about what meaning…
- Use chilly butter: To make the cookie dough barely chilled proper when it’s made. Simply dice the chilly butter while you combine it together with your sugar and will probably be high-quality! You combine the butter and sugar collectively for two minutes, so all the things will likely be blended. Simply be sure that to scrape the perimeters of the blending bowl as obligatory so all the things is mixed evenly.
- Can I chill the dough if I wish to? In case you are prepping your vacation baking upfront and would like to relax the dough so you have got issues made forward you ABSOLUTELY can. It isn’t going to harm the dough.
- What about complicated cookie shapes? Does chilling assist? What if you’re utilizing a VERY intricate cookie cutter and wish to ensure you have exact edges? If I’m utilizing a really detailed cutter what I’ll do is make the dough, roll it out, lower out my cookie and pop it within the fridge to relax for 30 or so minutes. This isn’t obligatory, however when you’re involved, it’s a step that may’t damage.
It is a quite common concern I get from readers, whether or not or not it’s this sugar cookie recipe recipe or another cookie recipe. Cookie will both get too darkish, or not darkish sufficient. After all bake time issues – overbaking and underbaking can lead to too darkish or not darkish sufficient cookies.
However the commonest perpetrator? Utilizing the flawed cookie sheet! Listed here are some issues to bear in mind when selecting the very best cookie sheet on your lower out sugar cookies:
- My favourite cookie sheet: THIS COOKIE SHEET has been my tried and true for years and years. I personal 2 and they’re my favourite. They’re thought of a “nonstick cookie sheet” however I exploit parchment paper to line the pan. My cookies bake evenly with the proper quantity of golden brown.
- Lighter-colored baking sheets: These are inclined to make your cookies unfold a bit extra and so they don’t give a golden edge as simply, particularly with cut-out cookies.
- Darker-colored baking sheets: Darker, skinny baking sheet will provide you with a golden edge, and your cookies received’t unfold practically as a lot, providing you with exact edges.
- Parchment paper or silicone mats: These assist with even baking and forestall the cookies from browning too quick.

If you wish to make all of the dough and lower out all of the shapes earlier than baking you’ll be able to place the cup out dough onto your prepped baking sheets and pop these within the fridge till you’re able to bake. It is a nice choice when you have got a busy cookie baking day across the holidays. After all having further cookie sheets helps!
Retailer your cookies in an hermetic container on the counter at room temperature. They’ll maintain for as much as 5 days, although I believe you’ll eat all of them nicely earlier than then. Observe that in case you have iced them ensure you give the icing time to completely set and harden earlier than you stack the cookies in a container.
Can I Freeze Sugar Cookies?
YES!! You possibly can completely freeze sugar cookies (or the dough)! Right here’s how…
- Baked sugar cookies. Enable the sugar cookies to chill utterly, then switch to a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag, with parchment paper separating the layers. Observe that you need to freeze your Christmas sugar cookies earlier than adorning.
- Sugar cookie dough. Alternatively, you’ll be able to freeze the dough for later. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap then place in a ziploc bag.
- How lengthy do frozen sugar cookies final? Both the frozen dough or frozen baked cookies will likely be good for 30 days in your freezer.
Description
This Sugar Cookie Recipe is the one lower out cookie recipe I exploit. I’ve been baking these cookies for years and have discovered or not it’s essentially the most scrumptious and foolproof lower out cookie recipe ever!
Cookies:
- 2 cups (4 sticks) chilly butter, cubed
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups all function flour
Sugar Cookie Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons gentle corn syrup
Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put aside.
- Within the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the butter and sugar collectively on medium pace for two minutes till gentle and fluffy.
- Add within the eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt and proceed mixing till mixed and clean, scraping the perimeters of bowl as obligatory.
- Flip the mixer pace to low and add within the flour, mixing till the dough comes collectively.
- Divide the dough into 3 sections and on a floured working floor roll the dough to 1/3 inch thick. Utilizing a cookie cutter, lower out shapes of the dough together with your desired cutter(s) and place the cookies on the ready baking sheet 1½ inches aside. In case you are baking in batches, maintain the unused dough within the fridge till prepared to make use of to stop dough from getting too heat.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes till the sides are calmly golden. Enable the cookies to chill on the baking sheet for five minutes after which switch them to a wire rack to chill utterly.
Icing:
- In a bowl, whisk collectively the powdered sugar, water, and corn syrup till clean.
- Unfold or pipe onto cooled cookies. You need to use a drop of meals coloring to realize totally different colours. Enable the icing to arrange utterly earlier than storing.
Notes
- You possibly can chill the dough if desired, earlier than or after slicing the cookies out. See ideas within the publish for all the main points.
- Retailer hermetic at room temperature for as much as 5 days.
Diet
- Serving Measurement: 1 cookie with out icing
- Energy: 323
- Sugar: 16.8 g
- Sodium: 58.4 mg
- Fats: 16.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.2 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Ldl cholesterol: 56.2 mg
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