This best ever recipe for sugar cookies is perfect for decorating with icing. Cookies that are soft inside, yet bake up with crisp edges that do not spread.
My Christmas baking starts with making sugar cookies and decorating them Royal Icing. I have tried many sugar cookie recipes and have been disappointed by their tasteless flavor. After many trials and errors, I have finally come up with the best sugar cookie recipe ever!
The ingredients you'll need to make perfect cut out sugar cookies.
- Butter - the butter must be soft but not overly so. When you press your finger into it with a little pressure it leaves an indentation but doesn't sink into the butter. I use unsalted butter, but if you use salted butter simply reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon.
- Sugar - just plain white granulated sugar.
- Vanilla bean- I love the superior flavor you get from vanilla beans, but they are sometimes hard to find and expensive. One teaspoon of pure vanilla extract will work as well.
- Eggs - bring to room temperature. Set eggs out on the counter 30 minutes before you bake.
- Flour- all-purpose flour. Do not sift before measuring. Simply scoop from flour container. Use exact measurement!
- Salt- I prefer using Kosher salt for baking.
- Optional Ingredients - add a different flavor to the sugar cookies by adding 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice. For a zesty orange flavor add 1 ½ teaspoons of cardamom and 1 tablespoon of orange zest.
Making Christmas cookies is always a special time of year. I finally get to use my large collection of cookie cutters. I have vintage ones from my Mom and beautiful copper cookie cutters in all my favorite holiday shapes. They make perfect cut-out cookies using this sugar cookie recipe and my Candy Cane Sugar Cookie recipe.
Want to create beautifully decorated sugar cookies with royal icing? I have a great post with step by step instructions How to Decorate Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing. For something simpler when decorating cookies with kids, try a simple buttercream frosting or powdered sugar icing.
Tips and Tricks for making perfect sugar cookies.
Be sure the butter and sugar are well beaten and fluffy before adding the eggs and dry ingredients.
After adding the dry ingredients combine well but don't overmix or you will get hard cookies.
Divide the dough into two disks, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes or longer. Can you make the dough ahead of time? Yes, 2-3 days making sure it is tightly wrapped in plastic and a freezer bag, and stored in the refrigerator. The dough may have to soften a bit at room temperature or it will be too firm to roll out.
The dough should be rolled out to about ¼ inch on a well-floured surface. This will give you cookies that are soft inside but have nice crisp edges. If you roll too thin you will have crunchy cookies.
After the cookies are cut out, place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Next, chill in the freezer for 5 minutes. Chilling is important for cookies to hold their shape.
Bake only until the edges start to brown. Allow to cool a bit on the cookie sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.
This is an easy, classic sugar cookie recipe. If you want to try a sugar cookie with a bit of a twist to it, try my Candy Cane Sugar Cookie recipe.
Be sure to these other tasty cookie recipes.
This post was originally posted December 2, 2013. Occasionally I update I update with fresh tips, content, and photos. Current update December 6, 2020.
Best Ever Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups butter room temperature soft
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 vanilla bean opened and seeds scraped out or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs + extra yolk
- 3 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Whisk together flour and salt.
- Using electric mixer with paddle attachment beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 5 mins.
- Add vanilla bean and mix well.
- Add eggs and egg yolk. Combine well.
- Add the flour mix a bit at a time. Combine until mixed, but avoid over mixing.
- Divide dough into 2 separate pieces. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake preheat oven to 350º F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- On well floured work surface roll disk out to ¼ inch thickness.
- Cut out with cookie cutter shape of your choice and transfer to baking sheet. To avoid dough sticking to cookie cutters dip them in bowl of flour, shaking off any excess.
- Place cookie sheet in freezer for about 5 minutes or refrigerator for 10 mins. This helps the cookies hold their shape and not spread.
- Bake 8-10 minutes (just until edges start to brown).
- Allow to cool a bit on cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack. Decorate with Royal Icing.
Teresita Caraccioli says
Hi Laureen! first, thanks for sharing all your amazing recipes, and for those incredible pictures!
Im cooking your cardamom orange sugar cookies recipe this week and I was wondering.. If I cook it today, will the cookies be fine till sunday?
Thanks again!!
Laureen King says
Thank you kindly Teresita, the cookies should be fine until Sunday, but I would cool them, then put them in an airtight container or ziplock bag and refrigerate. These cookies also freeze very well.
Tiffany Gosse says
do you need to add the pumpkin spice ? Will it effect the cookies shape or just flavour?!
Laureen King says
the pumpkin spice will only affect the cookies flavour Tiffany
Sharon M says
These sound amazing! Those detailed cookie shapes is a sure sign you're a genius, right?! ?
I have been baking & making custom cakes for a while but cookies are pretty new to me. I am really excited about trying this recipe as well as your Candy Cane Cookies (brilliant by the way)! I've been searching for a pumpkin cookie recipe (cut-out that is) and I kept obsessing over how I could get actual pumpkin in my cookies, sadly, I never dreamed of such a 'simple' fix lol.
I was considering using freeze-dried pumpkin, which I had no idea was even a thing until I saw it on Amazon while pricing freeze-dried fruit/powders (for macarons and flavoring fondant). Anyway, curious about your thoughts on adding those to cookies?
Another question I had was concerning this recipe. I have immense respect for people, like yourself, who develop recipes or tweak them! There's so much work and knowledge required when it comes to understanding the Science behind each ingredient and how they react with each other. I know for some people it comes naturally & like anything, a great deal of practice is required as well.
You talked about freezing, is that the dough or cooked cookies? Or both? Also, how long would they be good for approximately?
Forgive my babbling, I'm trying to learn the science behind ingredients and I was wondering what the extra egg yolk does? Whites are good for airration right? Making something more light/fluffy? So does the yolk do the opposite and make it more dense/help avoid spreading? That's also the reason to work with cold dough right, the butter firms & reduces spreading?
Thanks for sharing your recipes! I apologize in advance for all my mind numbing questions ?
Laureen King says
Hey Sharon, I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can.
I've never used freeze-dried pumpkin so have no idea about that, but looks interesting and worth a try.
I certainly am no expert on the science behind baking lol, you can freeze either the dough or the baked cookies, and should freeze well for 3 months, if sealed tightly (vacuum seal), in a container about a month. I like to bake up a bunch of cutout cookies, ready to decorate any time. Great fun with kids.
I have no idea what the extra egg really does, just the way my Mom used to make her recipe. And yes chilled dough reduces spreading.
Hope you enjoy the recipe, it is one of my favourite sugar cookie recipes.
Charlotte says
Can I substitute. The Vanelka bean for pure vanilla extract? Thanks
Laureen King says
Hey Charlotte, are you meaning Vanilla Bean? If so, yes I do all the time. Tastes great!
Jeannie says
The extra yolk is for tenderness and added moisture. Increases shelf life of cookie. I am an amateur cookie maker but have read many blogs by cookie bakers and this is what I've learned. I too am interested in the science behind each ingredient. Hope this helps.
MJ says
Yes! These sugar cookies are exactly the ines my dear Mother used to make. The cardamom and orange were what she used and they are lovely. Thank you for the recipe and always smile when I meet a fellow cookie cutter hoarder!
Laureen King says
Thanks MJ, I wish I could find some old cookie stamps and moulds.