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Nothing beats the charm of classic sugar cookies. Soft, sugary, and buttery, these are sure to delight for the holidays or anytime you feel like making them. My kids always ask for these and I’m happy to oblige since they’re made with wholesome ingredients instead of pre-made dough with preservatives. This chewy sugar cookie recipe is their favorite!

Best sugar cookie recipe

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

My husband calls this the world’s best sugar cookie recipe because the cookies will come out perfect every single time. The flavor and texture is spot-on, and you’ll get lots of requests for this recipe! So be ready.

Ingredients to make sugar cookies

Sugar Cookie Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour – it’s the base of any homemade sugar cookie recipe (and you can use gluten-free!).
  • Baking soda – makes these cookies wonderfully soft.
  • Baking powder – this ingredient gives your cookies some rising power which is good when making a sugar cookie recipe for decorating.
  • Butter – for a rich taste, though choose unsalted or else these will be too salty.
  • Sugar – can you have a sugar cookie without it? (the answer is no!).
  • Vanilla extract – for a well-rounded sweet flavor.
  • Salt – just a teensy bit balances it all out.

Easy sugar cookie recipe

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe

Making your own homemade sugar cookies is easy too with this recipe. There’s only a few steps to follow and before you know it, you’ll be inhaling the heavenly scent of baking sugar cookies in your home with this simple cookie recipe!

How to make sugar cookies from scratch

How do you Make Sugar Cookies from Scratch

It’s so simple to whip up a batch of easy sugar cookies! You’ll combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, you’ll cream the butter with the sugars and then add in the egg. Combine them together, and you’ll have a dough. You’ll want to refrigerate it for at least one hour prior to baking and then it’s cookie time!

How to make soft and chewy sugar cookies

Expert Tips for the Best Homemade Sugar Cookies!

  • Cold butter – Keep your butter cold. This will keep the cookies from spreading too thin.
  • Measure flour properly – for this perfect sugar cookie recipe, do not pack flour into the measuring cup. It can change the texture and make your cookies dense if you add too much flour.
  • Refrigerate your dough – I know you want your cookies fast, but the dough will roll out so much better when you put it in the fridge first. Room temperature sugar cookie dough can become difficult to work with.
  • Don’t forget to roll them in sugar before baking – This gives them that sugary taste and texture we all love about sugar cookies!

Expert tips and tricks for making sugar cookies

How to make Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

The secret to what makes cookies soft and moist as you’ll find in this soft sugar cookie recipe, is using brown sugar AND white sugar. Brown sugar gives it plenty of moisture to keep these cookies from becoming hockey pucks!

How do you make sugar cookies taste better?

Sugar cookies taste better with more sugar, hence the name. Using both light brown and granulated white sugars gives it more depth, plus the butter gives it a richness that will make you want to eat them all.

How to decorate sugar cookies

Abs aren’t made in the kitchen…but cookies are.
Anonymous

Making icing for sugar cookies

Can I Make Gluten Free Sugar Cookies?

Yes, you can make these sugar cookies gluten-free. However, it depends on your gluten-free flour. Some will have a binding agent in it which gives it the elasticity it needs to hold its structure. If it doesn’t have it, you can use xanthan gum.

Why are my cookies flat

Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda for sugar cookies?

This simple sugar cookie recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda. I recommend you use them each because they give special attributes to your sugar cookies (namely rising power and softness) that will give them the perfect texture.

Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda

How do you keep sugar cookies from spreading?

If you use too much sugar or butter, they can lose their shape. Make sure you follow the recipe and be sure to refrigerate the dough to avoid this problem.

Why didnt my cookies spread

Why Are My Cookies Flat?

The problem you might be experiencing is that your butter wasn’t cold enough. If you added butter in when it was too soft, your cookies will go flat. Also, you need to refrigerate the dough long enough.

Can I make gluten free sugar cookies

Why Didn’t My Cookies Spread?

Make sure you measure your flour correctly. Too much flour can keep a cookie from spreading out enough.

Homemade sugar cookies

How to Decorate Sugar Cookies

You can cut your sugar cookies out with cookie cutters (my kids LOVE doing this!). You can find all sorts of themed cookie cutters for making cut-outs online. Or you can leave them to form into circular shapes. Decorating is easy as you can frost them, add sprinkles, and do all kinds of things. Piping bags will definitely make it easier to add intricate designs, especially for the holidays. Don’t have one? Put your frosting in a plastic bag and cut one corner off. You can create all sorts of unique designs to craft the perfect cookie for the occasion.

Rolled cookie dough balls

How To Store Leftover Sugar Cookies

You can keep sugar cookies on the counter as long as they are wrapped well with plastic wrap. They need to be in an airtight container and each layer of them should be separated with wax paper. You can also put them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Sugar cookies baking

Can You Freeze Sugar Cookies?

Yes, you can freeze sugar cookies though I recommend you freeze them before decorating if that’s your intention. You can also freeze the dough ahead of time which will make holiday baking even easier.

Sugar cookies cooling after baking

How to Reheat Frozen Sugar Cookie Dough

The great thing about freezing sugar cookie dough is that, as long as you have formed them into balls and kept them well, you can just bake them from there. Heat your oven to 375F and then bake them for 12 minutes.


Watch How To Make Sugar Cookies (Video)

Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 38 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Servings 20 servings
Calories 264
This recipe is amazingly easy recipe for soft and chewy sugar cookies perfect for any occasion! This is my go-to sugar cookie recipe for family functions and events for the kids. These cookies are delicious and are always a hit!

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar (light)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar (additional for rolling)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed until fluffy. Once fluffy, add the egg and vanilla extract and thoroughly combine. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until the dough is formed.
  • On a clear work surface, create about 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough, then roll each ball in the additional sugar to completely coat.
  • Bake cookies on a prepared baking sheet for 7-8 minutes or until edges become golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
Calories: 264kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

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I’m a mom of two, food and wine lover, and recipe creation enthusiast. Good food brings families together. Which is why I’m devoted to sharing my best recipes that are simple enough for even the beginner cook that your family will love!

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