Sugar Cookies are the ultimate holiday cookie and so fun to decorate! They bake quickly and you can make them either soft or crunchy!
Everyone loves baked cookies. And this is the perfect recipe for delicious, chewy, buttery Sugar Cookies. They’re perfect to bake for the holidays and enjoy a fun night of decorating them with the whole family. These cookies come together quickly with simple ingredients and are sure to become your go-to Sugar Cookie recipe every Christmas. The holidays are always the perfect time to make your favorite Cookie Recipes. Add these classic Sugar Cookies to your list along with Ginger Cookies, Chocolate Cookies, and Brown Sugar Cookies.
Sugar Cookies are great to have around the house, serve at holiday parties, and give as gifts next to other yummy Holiday Recipes. To make sure you have enough Sugar Cookies for the entire season try making a double batch. You can put some out right away and freeze the rest to enjoy later in the month.
Video: How to Make Easy Sugar Cookies
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Sugar Cookies Recipe
Perfect for the holidays, homemade Sugar Cookies are a timeless treat, combining a yummy consistency with a buttery vanilla flavor, making them a favorite for those with a sweet tooth. You’ll need basic pantry ingredients: unsalted butter, sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
The secret to perfect Sugar Cookies lies in the perfect balance of these basic ingredients, resulting in cookies that are soft on the inside with crispy edges on the outside. The process is straightforward: cream together butter and sugar, mix in the egg and vanilla extract, and combine with the flour mixture. Shape the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet, and bake until golden. What sets this recipe for Sugar Cookies apart is its adaptability; you can adjust the baking time for either soft or crispy cookies.
Can These Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can make this cookie recipe ahead of time. Refrigerate the dough for up to 2-3 days or freeze it for longer storage. To refrigerate, shape the batter into balls of dough, cover, and bake when needed after allowing it to reach room temperature. For freezing, solidify the dough on a baking sheet and store it in an airtight container or freezer bag. You can bake cookies directly from frozen, with a slight increase in baking time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter: The butter’s richness forms the foundation of these cookies, lending a sumptuous flavor and tender texture. Substituting with salted butter is possible, but adjust the added salt accordingly.
- 1 ½ cups Sugar: Sugar sweetens the cookies, creating that irresistible sweetness. We are using white sugar. If desired, you can try granulated sugar or brown sugar.
- 1 large Egg: The egg acts as a binding agent, helping to hold the dough together and provide structure to the cookies.
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract introduces a delightful aroma and flavor to the cookies. Experiment with other extracts like a teaspoon almond extract or lemon extract for unique variations.
- 2 ¾ cups Flour: Flour is the bulk of the dough, contributing to the cookies’ structure. We are using all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda: Baking soda aids in leavening, creating a subtle rise in the cookies. It’s vital for achieving that perfect balance of softness and crispiness.
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder: Baking powder further assists in leavening, ensuring the cookies have a tender, airy texture. Be mindful of freshness for optimal results.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Stand Mixer: A stand or electric mixer with a paddle attachment is ideal for effortlessly creaming the butter and sugar to achieve that light and fluffy texture in the sugar cookie dough. However, you can also use a hand mixer or even mix by hand with a sturdy wooden spoon.
- Baking Sheet: You’ll need a cookie sheet to place the cookie dough balls. Line the sheet with parchment paper or wax for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Sifter: A sifter comes in handy for combining and aerating the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and baking powder) to ensure a uniform cookie dough.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: Accurate measurements are crucial, so use measuring cups for dry ingredients and measuring spoons. Don’t forget a medium bowl!
- Cookie Scoop or Teaspoon: A cookie scoop ensures consistent cookie sizes. If you don’t have one, a teaspoon can work; just aim for uniform portions.
How to Make Sugar Cookies
Time needed: 20 minutes
- Step 1: Preheat Oven
Start by preheating your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 2: Mix Butter and Sugar
In a stand mixer, blend 1 cup of unsalted butter and 1 ½ cups of sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Step 3: Add Egg and Vanilla
Incorporate 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mixture until well combined.
- Step 4: Sift Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, sift together 2 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
- Step 5: Combine Wet ingredients with the Dry
Mix the sifted dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined.
- Step 6: Shape Dough
Use a heaping teaspoon of dough per cookie to form balls on the prepared baking sheet, keeping them 2 inches apart.
- Step 7: Bake
Bake the cookies for 8 minutes for a soft texture or 10 minutes for a crunchier one.
- Step 8: Cool and Enjoy
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Once fully cool, enjoy!
Nutritional Facts
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure the butter is softened before starting the recipe. This will make sure it can properly cream with the sugar for a fluffy mixture that combines well with the rest of the ingredients going forward.
- Continue mixing the sugar and butter on medium speed until it reaches the desired fluffy consistency. This should only take about 2 minutes.
- When you add in the dry ingredient don’t over-mix the dough. Just keep the stand mixer on until the dough is just combined.
- Put the dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the cookie tray so that they have room to spread while baking.
- You can decide if you prefer your sugar cookies more chewy or crunchy.
- For chewy Sugar Cookies only bake them for 8 minutes.
- For more crunchy cookies up that to 10 minutes. If you take them out at 8 minutes they’ll look underdone. Still, take them out, and let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to keep them soft and chewy. They’ll finish up a little more while sitting and be baked to perfection.
How to Decorate Sugar Cookies
Baking cookies is so much fun! When it comes to making baked Sugar Cookies, decorating them is probably the best part. Slathering on the frosting, and sprinkles is a great way you can involve younger kids in holiday baking. They can add as many different colors, shapes, and sparkles as you want! Here are some of our favorite ways to finish off Sugar Cookies.
- Frosting: For those who love cookies with icing, you can use Sugar Cookie Frosting or Buttercream Frosting. Royal Icing is also popular. Once you’ve made it divide the frosting into smaller containers and add different gel food coloring to them. If you’re not a fan of Royal Icing or plain frosting, you can also try making some Chocolate Frosting or Easy Mint Frosting made with real peppermint extract to change things up.
- Sprinkles: Get as many different kinds of sprinkles, sanding sugar, colored sugar, and powdered sugar as you can find to choose from.
- More toppings: For some more creative toppings try crushed peppermints, red hots, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, M&Ms, or toffee bits. You could also drizzle some melted chocolate over the top.
Storing Leftovers
How to Store Leftover Sugar Cookies
For storing leftover Sugar Cookies, place them in single layers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. To extend freshness, refrigerate them for up to five days. Ensure the container is tightly sealed to prevent moisture loss, which can lead to hardened cookies.
Freezing Sugar Cookies
For longer-term storage, freeze Sugar Cookies individually wrapped in plastic wrap or foil, then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag. This prevents freezer burn and preserves their taste. When frozen, Sugar Cookies can retain their quality for up to three months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use salted butter, but be mindful of the additional salt it contains. Reduce the added salt in the recipe by about ¼ teaspoon to balance the flavors.
Absolutely! For a vegan alternative, consider using a flaxseed or chia seed “egg.” Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed or chia seeds with 2.5 tablespoons of water, let it sit for a few minutes until it thickens, and use it as a replacement for one egg.
If your cookies are too soft, reduce the baking time slightly next time. For cookies with crisp edges, increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes. The texture can vary based on personal preference and oven performance.
Certainly! Feel free to customize your Sugar Cookies by adding your favorite mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruits. Gently fold them into the dough after combining the wet and dry ingredients, just before shaping the dough into balls.
Yes, you can experiment with whole wheat or gluten-free flour. Keep in mind that these flours may yield slightly different textures and flavors.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture on the lowest speed setting until just combined.
- Add a heaping teaspoon of rolled cookie dough per cookie to the sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 minutes for soft cookies or 10 minutes for crunchy cookies.
- Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.
Video
Nutrition
Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes
Variations on Sugar Cookies
- Spices: For some delicious seasonal flavor additions try mixing in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Gluten-free: To make gluten-free Sugar Cookies, you can replace the all-purpose flour with almond flour, oat flour, or arrowroot flour.
- Mix-ins: For some tasty additions try mixing in nuts, like pecans, pistachios, almonds, or walnuts. You could also fold in dried fruit like cherries or cranberries.
- Shapes: Feel free to use cookie cutters to make cut-out Sugar Cookies. You can use a silicone baking mat without harming the mat. Be sure to bake larger cookies to accommodate all the shapes!
More Easy Cookies
Photos from a previous version of this post:
How much salt? It shows salt on the video but not listed in the ingredients.
Lisa, this is an “oops”. We mention 1/4 t salt depending on if you are using salted or unsalted butter in your recipe. Really appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We’ll get this recipe card fixed! Happy Holidays and let us know how your cookies turn out!
Loved this recipe, totally recommend it. I was just really wanted to bake today and I tried these. OMG they are super quick and super easy. If you don’t have unsalted butter salted also works.
I’ve been using this recipe for a while & it’s been a fan favourite for years!
I was searching fir a quick cookie recipe and saw these. Took very few ingredients ans little time to make. very good flavor. Will keep some in the freezer when craving fir something sweet. Good recipe.