Easy Sugar Cookies
Updated May 24, 2022
Quick Summary
Easy Sugar Cookies- this is the BEST sugar cookie recipe. The cookies are soft, chewy, and perfectly sweet. They are made with basic ingredients but taste incredible! They are the perfect cookies for any occasion.
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Pin ItAre you ready for the BEST sugar cookie recipe? I sure hope so because these Easy Sugar Cookies are absolute perfection!
I am normally not a huge sugar cookie fan because I don’t think there are that many GOOD sugar cookie recipes out there. BUT this soft and chewy sugar cookie recipe is our family’s favorite and seriously the best out there.
The cookies are made with basic ingredients, you don’t have to chill the dough, you don’t need cookie cutters, and they turn out perfect every single time. The cookies are soft, chewy, sweet, and pretty because they are rolled in sparkly sugar!
So the next time you want a sugar cookie, you HAVE to make this recipe! I promise it will be your forever favorite.
Sugar Cookie Ingredients
I love this recipe because I always have the ingredients in my kitchen.
- Flour– use regular all-purpose flour!
- Baking soda and baking powder– make sure they are fresh!
- Butter– I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt in the recipe.
- Salt– salt to add flavor and to balance out the sweet.
- Granulated sugar– you will need white sugar to make the cookies AND for rolling the cookies in before baking.
- Egg and egg yolk– I always use large eggs when baking. The eggs don’t have to be at room temperature. I actually prefer cold eggs for cookies.
- Vanilla extract– always use pure vanilla extract, the good stuff!
Tips for Making the Best Sugar Cookies
I don’t have any secrets when it comes to cookies. I am here to help you make the BEST cookies! Here are a few tips to help you make perfect sugar cookies every single time.
- Make sure your butter is at COOL room temperature. It shouldn’t be super cold, but cool to the touch and NOT warm or greasy. When you press the stick of butter with your thumb it should give just a little. If your butter is too soft, the cookies will spread and be flat. I usually take it out of the refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes before I want to start mixing.
- Don’t pack your flour when measuring. Fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level. If you use too much flour, the cookies will be puffy and dry.
- Use a large egg and large egg yolk. Adding a yolk will make the cookies extra chewy.
- Don’t be shy with the vanilla extract. I use 1 tablespoon, it’s not a typo:)
- After you add the dry ingredients, don’t over mix. Mix on low until just combined. It is ok if there are still a few flour streaks.
- Roll the cookie dough balls in sugar before baking. The sugar will give the cookies extra flavor and pretty crackly tops!
- Don’t over bake the cookies! You want them to be soft and chewy! Check the cookies early to be safe, every oven is different.
How to Make Sugar Cookies
Are you ready to make the best sugar cookies in the world? Let’s do it!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar (1 ¾ cups) and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. The dough might look a little crumbly at first, but it will come together and be just fine.
- Put the remaining sugar in a small bowl. Form the dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons per cookie. Roll each ball in the sugar until well coated. Place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until the bottoms are light golden brown and the cookies start to crack. Check early, every oven is different. Don’t over bake or the cookies won’t be soft and chewy.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack or eat up!
How to Store Sugar Cookies
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
Pro tip, if you want to keep the cookies super soft, you can put a piece of bread in the container with the cookies. The bread will get rock hard but the cookies will stay super soft. It’s magic!
How to Freeze Sugar Cookies
You can freeze the cookie dough balls BEFORE baking and you can freeze the baked cookies! I always love having a well stocked freezer.
To freeze the cookie dough: Roll the sugar cookies into balls and place on a baking sheet. Freeze the balls for 30 minutes or until firm. Transfer the balls to a freezer bag or freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, preheat the oven and bake! You don’t have to thaw first, just add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
To freeze baked cookies: Make sure the cookies are completely cooled. Place in a freezer bag or freezer container and freeze for up to 2 months. If you are going to stack them, you can put a piece of parchment paper in between the layers. Thaw and eat or even eat the cookies frozen. I love a good frozen cookie:)
Sugar Cookie Recipe FAQ
Don’t over mix the dough and don’t over bake the cookies. Take the cookies out of the oven when they are slightly under baked. They will finish baking as the cool on the baking sheet.
Make sure you use butter, not margarine. Use pure vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla extract for the best flavor. Roll the cookies in sugar before baking. If you want to add a little almond extract, you can! I recommend ¼ teaspoon because it is strong.
Always use a light colored baking sheet so your cookies don’t get too dark. You don’t want to burn the bottoms. I love the Goldtouch pans from Williams Sonoma.
Your butter was probably too warm or not enough flour. I also recommend using parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat.
No, this is an EASY sugar cookie recipe. You don’t have to chill the dough, roll the dough, use cookie cutters. The cookies are perfect little circles.
These sugar cookies don’t need frosting, they are good plain, but you certainly can add your favorite frosting.
More Cookie Recipes
Find all of our cookie recipes HERE!
Easy Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet (LOVE these pretty gold ones)
- Stand Mixer (I LOVE my KitchenAid mixer)
- Silpat Baking Mat (cookies NEVER stick to this)
- Cookie Scoop (this is my favorite!)
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling cookies in
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar (1 ¾ cups) and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. I always stop once and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and continue mixing.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. The dough might look a little crumbly at first, but it will come together and be just fine.
- Put the remaining sugar in a small bowl. Form the dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons per cookie. Roll each ball in the sugar until well coated. Place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until the bottoms are light golden brown and the cookies start to crack. Check early, every oven is different. Don’t over bake or the cookies won’t be soft and chewy.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or container.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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These turned out so good! I’m not a big sugar cookie fan either but these are by far the best I’ve ever had and are so yummy!
I am thrilled you loved my sugar cookie recipe! Thanks for reporting back!
Can’t wait to try these with my granddaughter. Do you think we could roll them in colored granulated sugar…to make them even more festive? 🙂
Yes, absolutely! They will be so pretty and festive! Have fun!
Can I roll the dough out to make Christmas cutout cookies?
This isn’t a roll out, cutout sugar cookie recipe.
So yummy! I added some ground anise seed and rolled in sugar and cinnamon to make a soft and chewy biscochito style cookie too!
We Loved These! Best sugar cookie recipe! We rolled them in colored sugar for Christmas. They were delicious! Adding them to our cookie favorites list!
I must share that these are the absolutely BEST sugar cookies ever! I’m 65 years old and raised 5 children and have 6 grandchildren! I feel like I’ve struck gold!!!
These will be a regular treat in my household!
I made these cookies for part of my holiday baking and my husband said they were the best sugar cookies he’s ever had! Thank you for the great recipe!
Oh good! I am thrilled you loved my sugar cookie recipe!
These cookies are perfect! They are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I only had 3/4 cup of butter, so the dough was a little tough, but I added a splash of milk and it turned out great!
I am thrilled you loved the sugar cookies! Thanks for sharing!
So good exactly as written! I’ve made these a dozen times in the last few months.
Which leads to a shortage of vanilla ….
I ran out of vanilla yesterday but I already had started my dough. I switched the vanilla for pure maple syrup. You can switch out vanilla and maple syrup 1:1 but… I added an extra 2 tbsp of the maple syrup and it’s incredible. I may do that on purpose next time!!!!!
There’s no measurements for the ingredients? If there is I can’t find them
Scroll down to the bottom of the post and see the recipe card. All of the ingredients and instructions are there:)
Just made these today and followed your recipe just as instructed. They taste delicious, they’re not flat, and this will be my go to sugar cookie from now on. I kept the butter cool and mixed the flour as told, just enough, and turned out perfectly. Thank you!
My sister does not like sugar cookies I made her try one of these the first time I cooked them I have had to bring them to her birthday ever since this is a 10 out of 10 recipe thank you so much for sharing with us
Yay! I am glad they got a 10/10!
So good! Especially for my daughter who is anti- anything chocolate and only eats sugar cookies or snickerdoodles. These turned out exactly as pictured. Make sure your butter and eggs are fully room temp. Cream the butter, add the sugar and mix together, add egg, mix, yolk, mix, and vanilla. We did add 1/4 cup less of flour because of a different recipe we tried yesterday that was an utter fail. You can’t go wrong with these. We will always use this recipe now.
Glad you loved the cookies!
Can this be made if I don’t have a mixer? I do have a electric wand mixer but no paddle attachment.
Thank you
Yes, that is fine.
Easy and delicious
They are the best!
Wow! Wow! Wow! This is my first time making sugar cookies that didn’t come from the store refrigerated section, lol! Followed the recipe to the “T”! These came out fantastic! Little crunchy around the ridge and soft and chewy, I also rolled some in red and green sugar sprinkles! My students love these! Now they all want me to print out this recipe! Ha! Thank you!
They are my favorite sugar cookies! I am glad you loved them!
I can’t find the amounts for each ingredient in your recipe. Perhaps I am missing something. They look so easy and fun, so I want to make sure I have the amounts correct. How much flour, sugar, butter?
Thank you. Nancy Miller
Scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the recipe card.
Absolutely loved these cookies!!
I added dried cranberries and chopped walnuts!
Fun!!
Can you make these as thumbprint cookies?
I am eighty seven save all these recipes, just wondering if I wii live long enough to try them.
Young lady you definitely have to try these delicious cookies! God bless..❤️
such easy cookies to bake, simple ingredients, and very yummy! Def making these again
easy, low effort, and delish! thank you!
Glad you loved the cookies!
I LOVE these cookies, they are the best sugar cookies I’ve ever tasted. Thank you so much for making this recipe because it has changed my life! I will suggest this website and these cookies to everyone I know. Again thank you so much!
Thanks so much!! I am so glad you loved the cookies and I appreciate you sharing!
Is this 2 full cups and a 3/4 cup of flour or is it 2 of the 3/4 cups of flour and is the sure 1 full cup and a 3/4 cup or just a 3/4 cup
You need 2 full cups and 3/4 cup of flour.
Are these good for cookie cutter cookies?
No, you don’t need to roll them out and use cookie cutters.
Amazing, velvety fluffy and absolutely addicting cookies. Sugary, but not overwhemlingly sweet; I added a few dashes of nutmeg and lemon rasp for variation – they were still delicious. Love this recipe!!!
We made these today for our 3 soccer teams. They stay moist and soft. They are easy to throw together when you need a quick cookie that’s yummy.
Glad they were enjoyed!
This is a wonderful sugar cookie recipe. Nice butter flavor! Thank you
I am glad you enjoyed the cookies.
I have tried several recipes and never made a good batch of cookies. This recipe is the secret I needed today. I crashed my WW diet but it will work itself out!
So glad you love the cookies!
This is SO easy and sooo good!! Made this on a whim and we ate them up within a couple days. Will definitely make again!
So glad you loved the cookies.
cut back on the salt. I could taste the salt in baked cookies.
This is the best sugar cookie recipe! Sometimes I cut the sugar back 1/4 cup to add white baking chips which is delicious! Thank you very Maria!
They are so easy and SO good!