The short answer: This sugar cookie recipe makes soft cut-out cookies with sharp edges. Cream 1 cup of softened butter with 1 cup of sugar, beat in 1 egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla, then mix in 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt. Roll it ¼ inch thick, chill 1 hour, cut, and bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes.
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Below are the exact amounts, the chilling steps that stop spreading, bake times, decorating ideas and storage.
Sugar cookies are the cookie I plan the whole baking day around, because once the dough is chilled everyone can cut and decorate.
Sugar cookie ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unsalted butter | 1 cup (2 sticks) | Softened, not melted |
| Granulated sugar | 1 cup | |
| Large egg | 1 | Room temperature |
| Vanilla extract | 2 teaspoons | Add ½ teaspoon almond extract if you like |
| All-purpose flour | 3 cups | Spoon into the cup and level |
| Baking powder | 1 teaspoon | |
| Salt | ½ teaspoon |
How to make sugar cookies, step by step
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth, scraping the bowl.
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt, then add them on low speed until just combined.
- Roll before you chill. Split the dough in half and roll each piece ¼ inch thick between two sheets of parchment.
- Chill. Refrigerate the flat sheets for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
- Cut the shapes. Peel off the top sheet, cut, and move shapes to a parchment-lined pan 1 inch apart.
- Freeze for 10 minutes. Cold shapes hold their edges in the oven.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then on a rack.
Sugar cookie bake times
| Thickness | Texture | Bake time at 350°F |
|---|---|---|
| ⅛ inch | Thin and crisp | 7 to 8 minutes |
| ¼ inch | Soft, best for icing | 9 to 11 minutes |
| ⅜ inch | Thick and cakey | 11 to 13 minutes |
Fixes for common sugar cookie problems
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies spread | Warm dough or a warm pan | Freeze shapes 10 minutes; use a cool pan |
| Dough cracks when rolled | Too cold or too much flour | Let it sit 5 minutes; measure flour by spooning |
| Cookies are hard | Overbaked or rolled thin | Bake until edges just set; roll ¼ inch |
| Puffy, rounded tops | Too much leavening | Level the baking powder exactly |
| Dough sticks to cutters | Dough too warm | Dip cutters in flour; chill again |
Make-ahead plan for a cookie-decorating day
- Two to three days before: make and roll the dough, then chill the sheets.
- The day before: cut and bake the cookies, cool them completely and store them airtight.
- Decorating day: mix the icing, set out sprinkles and let everyone decorate.
- After decorating: let royal icing dry 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, before stacking.
Decorating sugar cookies
- Royal icing dries hard and smooth for detailed designs. Our royal icing recipe covers piping and flood consistency.
- Simple glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 to 4 tablespoons milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla.
- Sprinkles before baking: press colored sugar on the cut shapes for a no-icing finish.
Make a few batches for a Christmas cookie box or add them to your Christmas baking list. For more cookie ideas, see our Christmas cookies list. For a spiced cut-out, try our gingerbread cookie recipe, and for a cookie press, our spritz cookies. For a no-roll classic, bake our chewy chocolate chip cookies.
Baking and gifting safely
- Raw dough contains uncooked egg. The USDA's guide to shell eggs explains why eggs should be cooked before eating.
- Label gift tins with ingredients. The FDA's food allergy guide lists wheat, milk and eggs among the major food allergens, and all three are in this dough.
- Mailing cookies? FoodSafety.gov's holiday food gift tips recommend shipping early in the week so packages don't sit over a weekend.
Storing sugar cookies
| Where | How long | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | About 1 week | Airtight tin; let icing dry fully first |
| Freezer (baked) | Up to 3 months | Freeze plain, decorate after thawing |
| Freezer (dough) | Up to 3 months | Thaw overnight in the fridge |
Plan your holiday baking
- Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Save this recipe with your family's favorite shapes and icing colors.
- Christmas Budget & Gift Planner, $4.99. List who gets a cookie tin and track what the baking really costs.
- Holiday Season Bundle, $15.99 (regularly $25.94 for the six items bought separately). Gift planning, meal planning and cleaning in one set.
Browse the Holiday shop.
Want more to bake? Our easy cookie recipes guide covers drop, rolled, bar and no-bake cookies.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make sugar cookies that don't spread? To keep sugar cookies from spreading, measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, chill the rolled dough for at least 1 hour, and put the cut shapes in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. Bake on a cool, parchment-lined pan, never one still warm from the last batch.
Do you have to chill sugar cookie dough? For cut-out sugar cookies, yes. Chilling firms the butter so the dough rolls cleanly and the shapes keep their edges. Roll the dough between sheets of parchment first, then chill the flat sheets for 1 hour; it chills faster than a ball of dough.
What temperature do you bake sugar cookies at? Bake sugar cookies at 350°F. Cookies rolled ¼ inch thick take about 9 to 11 minutes; thinner ⅛-inch cookies take about 7 to 8. Pull them when the edges are set and the bottoms are just turning light golden.
How thick should cut-out sugar cookies be? Roll sugar cookie dough about ¼ inch thick for soft cookies that hold up to icing. Roll it ⅛ inch thick for crisp cookies, and bake them a couple of minutes less.
Can you freeze sugar cookie dough? Yes, you can freeze sugar cookie dough. Wrap discs or rolled sheets of dough tightly and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling or cutting.
How long do sugar cookies stay fresh? Undecorated sugar cookies keep about 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies decorated with royal icing keep about 1 to 2 weeks once the icing is fully dry, and baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.
Why are my sugar cookies hard? Sugar cookies turn hard when they're overbaked, rolled too thin or made with too much flour from rerolling scraps. Take them out when the centers still look slightly soft and dust the counter with as little flour as you can.
What icing is best for sugar cookies? Royal icing dries hard and smooth, so it's best for detailed decorating and stacking cookies in tins. A simple glaze of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla is quicker and softer, and buttercream gives the softest bite but doesn't stack.
Is it safe to eat raw sugar cookie dough? No, eating raw sugar cookie dough isn't recommended. Raw dough contains uncooked flour and raw eggs, which can carry bacteria. Bake the dough before eating it, and keep it away from little hands while you work.
How many cookies does one batch make? One batch made with 3 cups of flour makes about 24 to 30 cookies with a 3-inch cutter when the dough is rolled ¼ inch thick. Smaller cutters give you more cookies.
Sources
- FDA: Food allergies, what you need to know fda.gov
- USDA FSIS: Shell eggs from farm to table fsis.usda.gov
- FoodSafety.gov: Holiday tips for food gifts foodsafety.gov