These are the best sugar cookies! This recipe makes a simple, versatile vanilla sugar cookie; 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 frosting (one that’s not royal icing!).
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
This is just a friendly reminder that Christmas is officially less than one month away, so if you aren’t freaking out yet about not having all of your Christmas shopping done, or even started, now is the time to start freaking out.
Wait. Breathe. Have a (sugar) cookie.
While my gift buying situation is not at all under control, I at least have the Christmas cookie situation locked down with this easy sugar cookie recipe. I started working on this recipe a long, long time ago, but made myself wait until after Thanksgiving to finally share it. It was a lot of work, but the end result was perfect cut-out sugar cookies that were well worth the wait.
This recipe yields perfect homemade sugar cookies that:
- Don’t spread in the oven, so you have perfectly defined shapes.
- Have a soft texture and buttery flavor (and instructions for adding other flavors, if desired).
- Can be made thicker and softer or thinner and crisper, depending on your preference.
- Have a simple, shiny, foolproof sugar cookie icing that you are going to love (and it’s not Royal Icing!).
This is an easy cut-out sugar cookie recipe and is destined to be your future cookie platter staple. Sugar cookie dough always shocks me with its simplicity; it only calls for a few ingredients and no fancy techniques.
When you first make your dough, it will be a bit sticky and tough to manage so you are going to need to chill it before you can roll it out. I divide my dough into about two equal parts, wrap each in cling wrap and form it into a disk, then chill for 2-3 hours (though you can certainly chill it overnight, or even make it several days in advance).
I know, chilling is a pain. I played with some no-chilling-required recipes, though, and this recipe that required chilling beat out all of my no-chill sugar cookie recipe versions, so trust me when I tell you that the wait is worth it! It also makes your dough very easy to manage when it comes time to roll it out, simple and frustration-free.
An Easy Sugar Cookie Icing
For the frosting for these cookies, I did not use a royal icing, which I know is popular. Truthfully, I don’t really love the taste of royal frosting, and I know many of you don’t keep meringue powder in your cabinets or feel comfortable making egg white frosting.
Instead, I used the same frosting that I used for my Galaxy Cookies. It’s easy to make, easy to pipe, and dries hard for stackable cookies. This recipe uses light corn syrup (which is not the same as high fructose corn syrup!) for a nice shiny frosting.
I frosted my cookies and then topped a few of them off with colored sugars, but if you want to skip the frosting you can sprinkle your cut-outs with sanding sugar just before baking. This is the way my mom always makes her sugar cookies, they still taste delicious!
Tips for making perfect 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. You will want to 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 together. Otherwise the small ones will burn and the large ones won’t finish baking.
- For thinner, crispier sugar cookies: Roll cookie dough thinner (about 1/8″) and look for the edges of the cookies to be just beginning to turn golden brown to know that they are done.
- For thicker, softer sugar cookies: Roll dough to about 1/4″, 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!
Alright, that’s how to make the best Sugar Cookies from scratch. Hopefully you guys love cookies as much as I do because I have so many more coming up this month that will be great for your holiday cookie platters (especially excited to share my gingerbread cookie recipe!).
Enjoy!!
More Classic Christmas Cookies to Try:
I included a brief video on how to make this Sugar Cookie Recipe in today’s post. If you are looking for my detailed video, you can see my Sugar Cookie Video on YouTube.
Easy Sugar Cookies & Sugar Cookie Frosting
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (226g)
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract²
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315g)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Sugar Cookie Frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted (375g)
- 3-4 Tablespoons milk
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 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.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until completely combined.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients into wet until 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 with clear wrap and mold into a disk. Repeat with remaining cookie dough in another piece of cling wrap. Transfer dough to refrigerator and chill for at least 2-3 hours3
- Once dough has finished chilling, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Generously dust a clean surface with flour and deposit one chilled cookie dough disk onto the surface. Lightly flour the dough and roll out to 1/8" (for thinner, crispier cookies) or 1/4" (for thicker, softer cookies). Continue to add flour as needed both on top of and beneath the dough so that it doesn't stick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and use a spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheet.4
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 9-10 minutes5, or until edges just begin to turn lightly golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet before moving and frosting.
Sugar Cookie Frosting
- Combine 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.
- If coloring the frosting, divide into bowls and color as desired at this point.
- 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.
- Allow frosting to harden before enjoying (this took several hours for me and may vary for you depending on the consistency of your frosting)
- Keep uneaten cookies sealed in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Full-Length Video:
I shared a quick, short video for how to make this sugar cookie recipe in today's post. If you prefer my longer, more detailed videos, please check out the detailed video I made for my YouTube channel.Nutrition
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Luna says
Can you half this recipe? I’m trying out different sugar cookie recipe and don’t want to make a full batch. Thanks
Sam says
Definitely! I hope you love it! 🙂
Gini says
Can cookies be frozen after baked but before frosted?
Sam says
Hi Gini! That should be just fine. 🙂
Anonomous says
I have golden corn syrup at home. Can I use it instead of light corn syrup
Sam says
I am not very familiar with how golden syrup will set and harden, but if it acts anything like corn syrup it would be fine to use here. 🙂
Jamie says
Thank you Sam ,
I needed a homemade frosting recipe that work well in between two other cookies.
Sam says
You’re very welcome, I’m so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Char says
Hi! Can I add sprinkles to the dough? Funfetti style? Thanks for the help.
Sam says
That should work just fine! 🙂
Kris says
The dough was extremely dry – did I miss a step? Do I need to add any milk or water to the dough?
Sam says
Hi Kris! This is a pretty dry dough. You can check the video for what the consistency should be. 🙂
Carrie says
Thank you for your really good recipes. I love all of them I have tried. I am looking forward to trying your sugar cookie frosting! Can’t wait!
Sam says
I am so glad you have enjoyed everything! I think you’ll love that frosting too. It’s so simple to make. 🙂
Christina says
This looks yummy, and I can’t wait to try. Can I substitute the milk for almond milk in the icing?
Sam says
Hi Christina! I think that will work fine, but you may need a little bit more sugar since the almond milk is going to be thinner. 🙂
Anna says
I hope to make these this week for my cousins to decorate, however I think it would be cleaner to work with buttercream rather than royal icing. Will these be good with a buttercream? I would do soft sugar cookies but I would like to shape them
Sam says
Hi Anna! These cookies would work just fine with buttercream. 🙂
Haylie Pledger says
I am making them right now and the smell so good I can’t make the frosting but 🤞🏻 I hope they go good with this other frosting I am using!!!!!
Sam says
I hope you love them Haylie! If your frosting doesn’t turn out the one listed with these cookies is really simple and really tasty. 🙂
Jamara Dye says
Hello, I was wondering would i be able to make the icing without corn syrup? or is there a substitute for the corn syrup?
Sam says
Hi Jamara! The corn syrup is really vital for the frosting to set up properly and have the proper sheen to it. Unfortunately there isn’t a good substitute for the corn syrup. 🙁
Kay says
O… M… G…!!! So every year, I make cookies using my Wilton cookie press and the recipe that come with it, the spritz one, and I thought I loved that recipe, until I tried yours!!! I am blown away! It has such a wonderful light sweetness. I used your icing recipe also and I added concentrated lemon juice to the icing because I didn’t have any lemon extract and IT IS AMAZING. I have to use every ounce of self control i have to only eat one! Just one question, do you know if it will work in the cookie press? I guess I can try it. Thank you!!!
Sam says
Hi Kay! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies so much! I am not sure this would work in a cookie press the dough may be a little too thick. I do have some spritz cookies, and butter cookies that work well in a cookie press. 🙂
Kay says
Do you have to use all purpose flour?
Sugar Spun Run says
For the best results, I reccomend it.
Dior says
Hi! Is it okay if I do not have vanilla extract? I sadly ran out a couple weeks ago so are there any substitutes?
Sam says
You could really use whatever extract you like. Some are stronger than others so you will want to be careful. 🙂
Kathaleen says
I’m a big fav of sugar cookies but am not the best when it comes to baking. I’ve made your recipe several times with success and have to say they are the best!! Today I made some for my daughter to take to daycare tomorrow for her birthday. I want to send the cookies, icing and sprinkles so the kids can decorate the cookies themselves as an activity. I love the icing but I read in the comments it hardens quickly and needs to be used right away. Do you suggest another icing I could refrigerate over night to be used tomorrow?
Sam says
Hi Kathaleen! You could try my royal icing recipe, I have instructions on storing it, too. I hope that helps!!
Kathaleen says
Thank you so much Sam!! I’ll check it out. I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly 🙂
Sam says
Enjoy! 🙂