Introducing the actual best sugar cookie recipe! My recipe makes simple, versatile vanilla sugar cookies; the dough is easy to roll and to work with and doesn’t spread when baking, so your cookies will always have sharp, defined edges! You can decorate these cookies with sanding sugar, or you can use my recipe below for a simple (and tasty!) pipe-able sugar cookie icing (one that’s not royal icing!).
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
If you’re looking for perfect cut-out Christmas sugar cookies, ones that hold their shape and don’t spread in the oven, come together easily with no strange ingredients, and that actually taste incredible, too, I’ve got you covered this year.
If you want a foolproof (and I do literally mean foolproof) easy sugar cookie icing that isn’t royal icing, one that dries firm but not break-your-teeth hard, well I’ve got you covered there too.
I’m adding this flawless sugar cookie recipe to my Christmas cookie tray alongside the gingerbread men, meringues, and hot chocolate bombs (am I the only one including these on my cookie list this year?) and would like to gently suggest you consider doing the same, I don’t think you (or your guests or gift recipients!) will regret it.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe:
- My recipe yields cookies that absolutely do not spread in the oven, so you have perfectly defined shapes and clear cookie-cutter edges.
- These sugar cookies have a soft interior texture with a classic, buttery flavor (and instructions for adding other flavors, if desired).
- Recipe includes instructions to easily customize the cookies depending on whether you prefer thicker and softer or thinner and crispier sugar cookies.
- Includes a simple, shiny, and absolutely foolproof (you seriously can’t mess this up!) sugar cookie icing that you are going to love. While royal icing certainly has its place (and I even have a fantastic royal icing recipe, if you’re searching or would like to use that here) I generally prefer this oh-so-easy frosting instead.
What You Need
Sugar Cookies Ingredients
- Butter. I recommend using unsalted butter so that we can best control the flavor. For best results, note that the butter should be softened, but not so soft that it’s melting/oily.
- Sugar. Use granulated sugar, it gives my sugar cookie recipe that classic Christmas cookie flavor you know and love and helps keep them from spreading.
- Egg. A single egg helps the dough bind together.
- Vanilla extract. You can really flavor these cookies with whatever extract you like best (almond and lemon are popular choices), but typically I always include at least a splash of vanilla, even when using other flavors, as it gives the sugar cookies a beautiful depth of flavor. (If you have homemade vanilla extract, now is a great time to use it!).
- Flour. I have only tested and only recommend this sugar cookie recipe with all-purpose flour (often simply referred to as “plain” flour outside of the US).
- Baking powder. My recipe uses just a small amount of baking powder, which helps give the cookies the perfect soft interior texture and crisp edge.
- Salt. I mentioned above that unsalted butter is best, but if you only have salted on hand simply reduce the salt in the recipe to ยผ teaspoon.
Sugar Cookie Icing Ingredients
- Powdered sugar. Also known as confectioners sugar or icing sugar. For best results (especially if you’ll be piping the icing), sift it to remove any lumps before using.
- Milk. I use whole milk, but any variety (low-fat, skim, or even non-dairy milk like almond) will work instead. Just note that if you are using a lower-fat milk you may need less than the recipe calls for, as it is thinner.
- Vanilla extract. If you want pure white icing I recommend using a clear vanilla extract.
- Light corn syrup. Not to be confused with high fructose corn syrup, this ingredient gives my sugar cookie frosting a glossy, shiny finish and helps it to to set firmly. If you must leave it out, I’ve included notes in the recipe on how to do so, but for best results I recommend using it. Dark corn syrup could work but will add a muddy color and additional flavor to your icing. Outside of the US, you may be able to find glucose syrup, which should work instead.
- Food Coloring. Of course this is optional, but for festively decorated Christmas sugar cookies, you’ll probably want to add a bit of color. I love and use gel food coloring for best results (and linked to the kind I use in the recipe). Liquid or powder food coloring will work, but may not be as vibrant.
As always, this is just an overview of the ingredients used here and why they were chosen. For the full sugar cookie recipe with amounts and detailed instructions, please scroll down to the printable recipe.
SAM’S TIP: Don’t have time to decorate? Skip the sugar cookie frosting and just sprinkle colorful sanding sugar over the cookies before baking!
Tips for Making the Best Sugar Cookies
- When cutting out your sugar cookies, make sure to keep your cuts as close together to get as many cookies out of your dough as possible. Re-roll any scraps so that you use all of your dough. Keep in mind that with each re-roll you’re adding more flour into the dough, so you want to get as much as possible out of that first roll.
- Bake cookies that are about the same size on the same baking sheet. Otherwise the small ones will burn and the large ones won’t finish baking.
- For thinner, crispy sugar cookies: Roll cookie dough thinner (about โ ″) and look for the edges of the cookies to be beginning to turn golden brown to know that they are done.
- For thicker, soft sugar cookies: Roll dough to about ยผ″, and watch for cookies to be just beginning to turn lightly golden around the edges. Let them cool completely on the cookie rack as they may break if you try to move them while they’re still warm.
- When making the sugar cookie icing: It’s hard to mess this one up, because if you make it too thin, just add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, just add more milk! Look for a consistency where the icing that drizzles off of the whisk holds its shape for several seconds before dissolving back into the icing bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sugar cookies should always have a distinctly buttery, sugary and (usually) vanilla flavor, but in order to maintain their clean-cut shape they are never quite as rich as drop cookies. Much of their flavor comes from the sweet sugar cookie icing. While my sugar cookie recipe is already flavorful, to make them even more so, you can add different extracts or emulsions to the dough or top the icing off with sanding sugar or decorative candies.
Yes, my easy sugar cookie icing may be colored (if desired) and stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to a week before using. To help keep the top from crusting, always place a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the sugar cookie frosting when storing (or keep in a plastic bag and twist to keep the air from reaching the icing). Most likely you will need to stir (or if you stored it in piping bags, massage it) before using.
This is often a result of accidentally mis-measuring an ingredient or over-measuring the flour. Please see my post on how to measure flour properly, and remember to never scoop the flour directly into the measuring cup (for best results, use a scale!).
Add your flour gradually. Adding it all at once can make it difficult for the dough to properly absorb the dry ingredients, resulting in a crumbly, difficult dough. Make sure that your sugar cookie dough is thoroughly combined; if it still seems crumbly after you’ve added all the flour, just keep mixing with an electric mixer (or stand mixer) until dough is clinging together and no flour remains.
This is most often a result of accidentally mis-measuring or substituting an ingredient, using butter that is much too soft (it should never be melting/oily and should not be warmed in the microwave), or not chilling the dough for long enough. Dough that is still slightly sticky after chilling can often be salvaged by chilling longer or by generously dusting your countertop and the dough with additional flour.
Hopefully you love this easy sugar cookie recipe as much as I do, and don’t forget to check out the how-to video in the recipe card!
Enjoy!
Easy Sugar Cookies & Sugar Cookie Frosting
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (see note)
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour (Plain flour)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
Sugar Cookie Frosting
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar, sifted (weigh before sifting)
- 3-4 Tablespoons milk (I use whole milk, but any kind will work)
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup (see note)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring optional
- Additional candies and sprinkles for decorating optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Sugar Cookies
- Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer) and beat until creamy and well-combined.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until completely combined.1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 large egg
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon table salt
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until dough is smooth and completely combined.
- Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and transfer approximately half of the dough onto the wrap (dough will be quite sticky at this point, that’s OK!).
- Cover dough with clear wrap or wax paper and mold into a flat disk. Wrap tightly. Repeat with remaining cookie dough in another piece of clear wrap. Transfer dough to refrigerator and chill for at least 2-3 hours and up to 5 days.
- Once dough has finished chilling, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (alternatively bake cookies directly on an ungreased baking sheet). Set aside.
- Generously dust a clean surface with flour and place one chilled cookie dough disk onto the surface. Lightly flour the dough and roll out to โ " (for thinner, crispier cookies) or ยผ" (for thicker, softer cookies). Add additional flour as needed both on top of and beneath the dough so that it doesn't stick. Note: if dough is cracking as you roll it, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften before attempting again.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and use a spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 1" apart. If you are not intending to decorate your cookies with icing, you can decorate them with sanding sugar at this point before you bake them.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 8-10 minutes (this is for cookies that are approximately 3" [7.6cm]; note that smaller cookies will need less time and larger cookies will need more), or until edges just begin to turn lightly golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet before decorating.
Easy Sugar Cookie Icing
- Combine powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl and stir until combined. If frosting is too thick, add more milk, about a teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is thick but pipeable. If you accidentally add too much milk, add powdered sugar until desired texture is reached.3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar, sifted, 3-4 Tablespoons milk, 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- If coloring the frosting, divide into bowls and color as desired at this point.Gel food coloring
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag with a piping tip (I used Wilton 5), or place in a Ziploc bag and snip a small piece of the corner off (not as neat, but this will still work, just take care that the frosting isn’t so thick that it breaks open the seam of the bag when you are squeezing).
- Pipe frosting on cookies and decorate with decorative candies, if desired.Additional candies and sprinkles for decorating
- Allow frosting to harden before enjoying, stacking, or storing (this took several hours for me and may vary for you depending on the consistency of your frosting).
Notes
Flavoring and extracts
You may also reduce the vanilla extract to ยพ teaspoon and add ยผ-1/2 teaspoons of either almond or lemon extract (or just about any other extract you’d like!).Corn Syrup
I highly recommend using light corn syrup for the firmest, glossiest finish on your sugar cookies. However, if you must omit it, you may, but note that the frosting will not dry quite as hard and you will likely need to add more milk to get the icing to the proper consistency. Glucose syrup may be substituted, but outside of that I am not sure of a substitute that would give the same effect.Making Frosting in Advance
To make icing in advance, store in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the icing. It will keep for several days and may be stored either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Icing will need to be stirred again before using. It may be colored with food coloring before or after storing.Storing
Keep uneaten cookies sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to ten days. Cookies may also be frozen for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Brad
I just made these cookies last night. They turned out great. I did add the lemon extract and find the flavour scrumptious. Thanks so much. All my friends love them.
Sam
I’m very glad to hear they were such a success! Thanks for commenting, Brad! ๐
Darlene
Waste of time. Don’t bother or waste your money. A bunch of crumbled garbage that doesn’t roll out and chilling is a joke. Chilled 2 hours and the dough is like a rock. Then waited 45 minutes and let the dough stand on the counter. Still rock hard…so got impatient and started cracking it apart & hand warming the dough. Crumbling everywhere. This recipe took all of the joy and enthusiasm I had for making cookies. I’m actually so pi$$ed that I took a break from tossing out 6 balls of crap dough to leave this review, which will probably be deleted so other people are mislead by this junk recipe. What a joke.
Sam
Sorry to hear it wasn’t a success for you, Darlene! Sounds like you might’ve used too much flour. I’m disappointed to hear they weren’t a hit in your household. A few comments down you’ll see that a two year old managed to successfully help make this “junk recipe”, so maybe it’s not the recipe that’s at fault after all. Merry Christmas anyway!
Ashley
Made the dough today and about to bake it. But the dough came out really crumbly. Was hoping with chilling it would fix it. But didnโt seem like it did. Hopefully everything still turns out the same.
Sam
Hi Ashley! The dough definitely should not be crumbly, it should be actually pretty sticky before going into the fridge. If it’s crumbly that most likely means too much flour was used when making the dough (and unfortunately that can make your cookies a bit dry as well after baking), did you use cups or weights? If you use cups, make sure that you are spooning the flour into the measuring cup and then leveling it off rather than scooping the flour directly into the cup, which can pack in the flour. I hope they still turn out for you!!
ASHLEY ROSENFELD
I checked the recipe and I used the correct amount and it was still sticky but crumbly at the same time. I donโt even know how to explain it. They came out dry and we ended up not icing them. But my 4 year old liked them and thatโs all that mattered. Next time Iโm going to try a little less flour
Sam
I’m very glad to hear your 4 year old still enjoyed them! Merry Christmas, Ashley!
Ken
Got my dough chillin now! Cookie showdown is whatโs happening in our house tonight!! Our kids are going to compete…FYI all three are over 21๐๐๐๐ณ
Sam
Oh man that sounds like a great time! Have fun!!
Julie
Omg thank you so much for sharing this recipe. My two year old son helped me make them and it was easy fun and delicious!!
Sam
You are very welcome, Julie! I’m so happy to hear they were such a success for the both of you! ๐
Heather
So close to the Western PA classic smiley face cookies from Eat โNโ Park itโs amazing!!!!! I will never use another sugar cookie and frosting recipe again!!! Thank you!!!!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for commenting, Heather! ๐
Lydia
Can I double recipe and get the same texture? Or should I make it twice?
Sam
This recipe is great for doubling ๐ Enjoy!
Leslie
So excited to try!
Sam
I hope you love them, Leslie! ๐
Cay
Can I substitute something for the corn syrup? I donโt use it much and donโt want to buy a whole bottle for the frosting! Thank you!
Sam
Hi, Cay. I have heard of people omitting it completely with success, but it won’t firm up the same with the same shininess to it.
Monica
My cookies still spread out a ton… any advice
Sam
If you had adequate flour, and they chilled long enough, I would make sure your baking powder is still good. Hope that helps. ๐
Jesse
Hi Sam, thank you for your FABULOUS icing recipe. Unfortunately I had already baked my sugar cookies from the Pouch mix (will do your recipe next time) and was looking for a good icing recipe when I stumbled across your page! It was perfect and just what I was looking for with the ingredients I had on hand!. Iโm new at using a piping bag and used this icing as my first attempt w/ my Wilton piping bag and tips and it worked perfectly! I was a bit of a sticky miss but Iโm sure with some practice Iโll get the hang of it! Thanks again! ๐๐ผ๐
Sam
Yay I’m glad you liked the icing! I think you’ll enjoy these cookies way more than the pouch cookies. Piping icing can be messy at times, but you’ll definitely get better with practice. ๐
๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ
My little boy and I are insomniacs (not fun) So we both came out of our rooms at 1:40am and decided to bake our Christmas Cookies. I already had the dough chilling from this morning. Iโm surprised we didnโt wake my husband.
Perfect taste, kid friendly and what easy fabulous frosting! I always get frustrated with royal icing and end up throwing it out. What a sweet&precious memory made with my almost pre teen ๐๐ผ Iโm going to try to send you a pic via email
๐๐๐ช๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ธ๐ต๐ฒ๐ญ๐ช๐๐ผโ๏ธ
Sam
I can’t wait to see it! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies. ๐
Summer
These cookies are so good, gonna keep this recipe, thank you!
Sam
Thank you so much, Summer! ๐
Karen Gottsponer
Can the frosting be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator in piping bags?
Sam
Hi, Karen. This frosting will start to harden in about a half an hour, so it’s best if you make it right before frosting cookies. ๐
Chrystal Rae Anderson
Cookies I love and make them all the time ๐ the frosting I donโt like at all. Itโs too sweet and just doesnโt taste good.
Sam
I am sorry you didn’t enjoy the frosting, but at least you were able to enjoy the cookies. ๐
Lana Simola
I actually love the frosting recipe used it for my gingerbread men cookies and they came out great! Pipes well too!
Sam
So glad you enjoyed! I use it for my gingerbread cookies too! ๐