How To Make Sugar Cookies Recipe

4.77 from 13 votes

These buttery sugar cookies can either be rolled out and cut into shapes or baked soft and chewy! Makes 24 cookies and only takes 12 minutes to bake!

Prep Time1

Cook Time12

Total Time1 12

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Calories: 161kcal

Start by preheating oven to 375 F.
In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt and whisk together until well combined.
In your stand mixer, add butter and sugar and mix on medium high speed until light, fluffy and creamy (about 4-5 minutes).
Next add in egg and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth. Scrape down sides if needed.
Finally turn mixer down to slow speed and add flour mixture in intervals of 3 and mix until combined.
Remove the cookie dough from mixer and cut into 4 mounds of dough and wrap with plastic wrap creating disks. Refrigerate for about 30-40 minutes.
For regular drop sugar cookies, scoop out 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Pat with your hand slightly to flatten.
For roll out/cut out sugar cookies, add a disk of dough to a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Roll until about ⅛ inch thickness and use cookie cutters to cut shapes.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Don't skip chill time, boos. 30 to 40 minutes in the fridge helps the dough firm up so it’s easier to roll and cut without sticking all over the place.
Roll out in smaller batches. Working with one big slab of dough is a pain and makes uneven cookies. Cut your dough into tennis ball-sized chunks and roll them one at a time, just like pie crust.
Keep an eye on the oven. These soft sugar cookies should look just barely set in the center. Start checking at 9 minutes. If the edges turn brown, they have gone too far.
Use Ziploc bags for piping, not fancy tools. Ain't no need to break the bank on piping bags! Just grab a Ziploc, fold the top over, spoon in your icing, then snip a corner. The smaller the cut, the more control you'll have when decorating.

How to Store these Sugar Cookies

Room Temp: Store your baked sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days. Keep them in a cool, dry spot. If you decorated them with soft icing like buttercream, lay them in a single layer. No stacking unless you want a mess.
Fridge: Baked cookies will last about a week in the fridge if sealed up tight. If you have extra dough, keep it for 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Just wrap it up well.
Freezer: Freeze plain sugar cookies without icing in a container or freezer bag. When you're ready for one, let it thaw at room temp, then decorate. You can also freeze the dough, boos! Wrap it in plastic, pop it in a freezer bag, and label it. Thaw overnight in the fridge, roll, cut, and bake like normal.