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 ¼ 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 ⅛″) 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 ¼″, 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 ⅛" (for thinner, crispier cookies) or ¼" (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 ¾ teaspoon and add ¼-1/2 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.
Abi
Hello,
I’ve made this cookies once before and they turned out absolutely delicious!!
However, I was just making another batch and this time my dough isn’t sticky at all before putting it in the fridge. The consistency is perfect for rolling without putting it in the fridge. Should I be concerned about this and is there anything I can do to fix this?
Thanks!
sarah
i tried this out today i’m currently waiting for them in fridge but mine seemed to be more crumbly than i seen in the video? any suggestion on how i can fix? i followed recipe careful so i know i didn’t miss a step. Please Help!!!
Michelle
Mine “dough” was crumbly too. I added water a teeny bit at a time. They’re in fridge now so fingers crossed.
Britney
I made this for the 1st time I followed everything but it wasn’t sticky like you had said it was more crumbly but it was probably because I used a hand mixer.. It did come together once I used my hands and worked it together. I hope it does bake well <3
Kathryn Gay
I’ve made this recipe several times and always get rave reviews! I’m hosting a birthday party and would Like to make the frosting the day before and then store in individual piping bags. Will that work for this icing? Or does it need to be made the morning of (party is at 10am)?
Okcool
I made these cookies but I don’t understand about the “go to medium bowl” and that threw me off so can you explain what it means?
Sugar Spun Run
I go to a medium-sized bowl when I mix my dry ingredients. This makes sure that the flour, salt, and baking powder are well combined. This step ensures that the dry ingredients are evenly distributed when added to wet ingredients. I hope that helps. 🙂
Laura
This is my 2nd attempt and I’m still learning so much! This recipe is fabulous. I am not a fan of the royal icing taste but yours is YUMMY!! Thanks so much for sharing it with us!!
Sam
You’re very welcome, thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you, Laura! 🙂
Laura
How long in advance can you make/store icing? I have a busy week but need to make at least one batch of cookies. Hope to make them in three different sessions.
We love this recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Laura! You can make the cookies in advance, however, the icing is best when used right away since it hardens rather quickly. 🙂
Judy
I’m so happy to find icing for sugar cookies that is NOT royal icing. Now will this frosting/icing dry and harden like royal icing? When it’s dry, will it be as strong as royal icing, for stacking and packing?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Judy! Yes, it dries hard like royal icing so you can stack and pack the cookies. It does take longer to dry than royal icing, I usually let the cookies sit out overnight to let the icing harden completely. I hope that helps! 🙂
April Bricker
ThiS is the BEST sugar cookie recipe I’ve ever used. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, April! I am so glad that you enjoyed the sugars and found them to be the best! I appreciate your feedback and your 5-star review. 🙂
Edwina Marcotte
Sam, I’ve been baking your sugar cookies and I get nothing but compliments. I do have a question regarding the icing. At times the icing will dry fine and then others I’m getting like a marble effect and the color is dull. I’d love to send you a picture so you can see what I’m talking about. I would really like to have the icing dry with more a shine, than the dull. Any ideas?
Sam
Hi Edwina! Feel free to send a photo to my email at Samantha@sugarspunrun.com (or you may post the photo in my free Facebook group where I’ll see it and others might have an idea what might help with this, too, it’s a great resource for baking-related questions!). I’ll be happy to take a look and see if I can help troubleshoot 🙂
Christine
My cookies spread in the oven, what did I do wrong
Rosy
This recipe looks great and I can’t wait to try it, I don’t need tonnes of biscuits though, do you reckon I could freeze half the dough to use at a later date?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Rosy! You can freeze half of the sugar cookie dough if needed. I recommend that you store it in an airtight container. Enjoy the sugar cookies. 🙂
Rosy
Fabulous, thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Rosy! 🙂
Kirra
The frosted cookies have been in the fridge overnight (approx. 16 hours) and is still wet to touch. What do you think could have happened? Is there a way to dry the icing?
Thanks
Sam
Hi Kirra! I never put mine in the fridge to dry, but that definitely seems unusual. Do you think too much milk might have accidentally been used? I include some tips for getting the right consistency of the frosting in this video if that is helpful. The frosting definitely should be dry by now!
Teresa S Peacock
I made this recipe last week with a church-school vacation camp I co-lead. The attendees were 15 kids between ages 5 and 16 years old. We decided to scale up the recipe 7 times (yielding circa 280 cookies) so we would have generous portions for the 100-150 homeless persons our church’s soup kitchen/food pantry serves weekly.
The cookies and the frosting were the best I’ve ever tasted! They came out so beautifully! And the kids had a wonderful time creating gorgeous, delicious cookies! Raves all around! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the sugar cookies were such a hit, Teresa, and that everyone had fun in the process of decorating them. Thank you so much for using my recipe and taking the time to comment, I greatly appreciate it! 🙂
Evie
I can’t wait to try this recipe. With my BFF 👯♀️ tomorrow I will definitely write a review I hope it works out that’s all for now. Except I bet they will turn out really good. Bye 👋🏾
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Evie! I can’t wait to hear how your sugar cookies turn out! I hope that you and your best friend have a fun time baking and decorating the cookies. 🙂
Karen
How many cookies does the recipe yield using a 3” round cookie cutter ? Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Karen! I use typically use a 3″ cookie cutter and can get approximately 40 cookies out of one batch. I hope that helps! 🙂
Jennifer
I’ve tried several of your icing recipes and they’re delicious. The cream cheese is so yummy and the vanilla frosting is very good too. I’m going to try this sugar cookie icing. I’m sure it will be as good as the others. I have a tip for you for when rolling out your cookie dough. Use powdered sugar instead of flour to make the ball unsticky and to “flour” your table with to roll them on. This way, you’re not adding any additional flour to the dough to toughen it. The powdered sugar doesn’t affect the flavor of your cookies either. You only need a little and it works perfectly the same as flour does. It’s a trick my Grammy taught me. Try it out and see what you think. Thanks for posting all your yummy recipes. ❤️
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for sharing the tip, Jennifer, I will have to try it next time for sure! I am also happy to hear how much you have enjoyed my frosting recipes. I am excited to hear what you think about the sugar cookie icing. Keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂
Jamie
These were the most popular cookies at my family’s Christmas party. They are perfect!!
Sam
That is awesome! Thanks for letting me know how the sugar cookies turned out, Jamie! I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year!
NRS
Can I make the frosting without the corn syrup?
Thanks!
Sarah
Love the recipe. Everyone else did too. But I did find a problem when I tired to double the batch and used salted butter (omitted the salt). I also used your chocolate version as well once again a huge hit. Will be using again and again.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the sugar cookie recipe and the chocolate sugar cookie recipe, Sarah! Thank you so much for choosing these as your go-to cookies for the holidays, I appreciate it! 🙂