The Best Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe: This is the cookie recipe you have been looking for–a simple sugar cookie that holds it shape, bakes up soft and fluffy and is full of flavor. These cut out cookies are delicious eaten plain, but hold up perfectly to decorating and can be made ahead and frozen as well.
Sugar Cookies win the vote for my family’s favorite Christmas Cookie.
Give my husband a glass of milk and he can put away a dozen of these cookies in less than 10 minutes and my children LOVE to make these–flour everywhere, beating dough with a rolling pin, candies spilling onto the floor and sometimes into their mouths as they decorate–it is like a food fight that is encouraged, of course kids love this tradition!
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I have found a fail-proof recipe that delivers a perfect cut out cookie every time–even with kids beating the dough!
In fact, I made this recipe for my son’s Kindergarten class, and I was asked to bring the cookies EVERY SINGLE YEAR he was in Elementary School. His 2nd grade teacher even begged me for the recipe.
The Best Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
This simple sugar cookie recipe, will beat ANY sugar cookie recipe you have ever used in the past.
- The dough is buttery and tender.
- The cut out sugar cookie dough holds it’s shape perfectly.
- These sugar cookies are NOT bland in flavor. You can eat them plain or iced and will thoroughly enjoy them.
- These cut out cookies can be made months in advance and frozen for future use.
Do my butter and eggs need to be at room temperature?
Yes. Room temperature butter will cream easier allowing air to incorporate into your batter therefore creating a lighter cookie.
Room temperature eggs also help to trap air into dough, creating a light and fluffy cookie.
Can I overmix cookie dough?
Yes. It is important to fully whip air into butter and sugar, but once dry ingredients are added to the batter, it is possible to overbeat your dough. Overmixing flour, activates gluten, which produces a tough cookie. But hear my out–this dough is forgiveable. I let my kids mix in the dry ingredients and they don’t do it perfectly or gently and the sugar cookies still turn out delicious.
Do I really need to chill my sugar cookie dough?
Yes. Any cut out sugar cookie that says it does not need refrigerated, could potentially spread when baking or be very difficult to roll out because the dough will be sticky.
Do I have to use flour to roll out my sugar cookies?
No. In fact, I strongly suggest you use powdered sugar instead of flour! The powdered sugar works to keep the dough from sticking and and dissolves into the cookie when baking for a sweet taste instead of a bland flour taste.
I also like to place my dough on a sheet of parchment paper that has been lightly dusted with powdered sugar, cover with another piece of parchment paper and roll out. Therefore the parchment paper prevents the dough from sticking and you don’t need much powdered sugar (or flour) if any at all.
How do you make the dough even when rolling out dough for baking?
To roll out sugar cookie dough, I think it is best to roll out your cookie dough before refrigerating. It is MUCH EASIER to manage.
- Place in several flat mounds of cookie dough on parchment paper
- Place 2 wooden spoons or spatulas on either side of the parchment paper. These wooden handles work as guide, so that you dough will be rolled out to the same depth as the handle, about 1/4 inch-evenly across the parchment paper or working surface.
*If you refrigerate your dough before rolling it out, allow dough to sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before rolling.
Can I make these cookies in advance?
Yes, the dough will last 5 days in the refrigerator. But you can also freeze the dough for up to 3 months.
To freeze sugar cookie dough to bake at later date:
- Place dough on parchment paper in flattened rounds.
- Place the sugar cookie dough into a freezer safe bag and tightly seal.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Place dough in refrigerator night before to thaw.
- Roll out and bake as directed.
Can I freeze baked sugar cookies?
Yes.
To freeze baked sugar cookies:
- Once cookies are baked, allow to cool fully.
- Place into a freezer safe container.
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
I don’t recommend placing baked cookies in a freezer safe bag, as they are very fragile. A freezer safe container will protect your cut out cookies better from tossing and shuffling that is bound to happen when getting things out of your freezer.
Can I freeze iced sugar cookies?
Yes. I think it is best to freeze un-iced cookies for the best taste, but you can freeze iced cookies for up to 6 weeks.
To Freeze Iced Cut Out Cookies:
- Place cookies on cookie sheet and freeze until solid, about 1 hour.
- Transfer cookies to a freezer safe container.
- Be sure to place a layer of parchment paper or wax paper inbetween layers of cookies.
- Freeze up to 6 weeks.
What if you cookies look under-baked?
Do not be tempted to over-bake sugar cookies. Cut out sugar cookies will be very blond in color and just set to the touch. Leave on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes to continue cooking a bit after removing from the oven and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Sugar cookies will go from perfectly cooked, to very crispy and browned in a matter of a minute or two.
How many times can I re-roll scraps from sugar cookie dough?
After you cut out as many cookies as you can, place the scraps together to form a ball of dough and roll out the sugar cookie dough again and cut out additional cookies.
After that process has been repeated, place the 2nd of batch of scraps together. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and roll out the sugar cookie dough one final time
That is a total of 3 times for rolling out sugar cookie dough. Any additonal rolling after that will result in an over worked cookie that will be tough and burn easily.
Do I need to cool cut-out cookies before decorating?
Yes. If not the icing will melt off the cookie and not set properly.
When do I put sprinkles on Sugar Cookie Dough?
If using, place sprinkles or sanding sugar on sugar cookie dough before baking cut out cookies.
More Cookie Recipes
- Reindeer Cut Out Cookies
- Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- The $250 Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
The BEST Cut-Out Cookie Recipe
How to make the BEST Sugar Cookie--soft, tender, butter, and perfect for decorating or eating alone.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butter softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 cups unbleached flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
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In a large mixing bowl (or your stand mixer), beat together butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Add eggs, one at time with mixer running on low. Turn mixer up to medium and beat until well combined for about 2-3 minutes. Add extracts as mixer is going.
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Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to butter mixture, beating on low until just combined.
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Place about 1 cup dough mixture onto parchment paper or wax paper that has been dusted with powdered sugar and cover with an additional sheet of parchment paper. Roll out to 1/2' thickness and place in sealed storage bag or large covered container.
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Repeat until all dough has been rolled out.
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Place the rolled dough into the refrigerator, sealed well, for 12 hours or overnight. (If you are not planning on using all the dough right away, freeze in well sealed storage bags in freezer.)
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When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400.
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Lightly dust cookie cutters with powdered sugar and cut dough as desired.
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Re-roll scraps to cut more shapes.
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Bake for 6-7 minutes.
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Remove from oven and allow to sit on cookie sheet on a cooling rack for 2-3 minutes and then gently remove cookies from tray and allow to fully cool before icing.
Recipe Notes
The recipe time does not include the chilling of the dough. You need to chill at least 12 hours, if not 24 hours for best results.
TO MAKE THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES EVER, YOU MAY NEED:
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Kathy says
There are no ingredients.
Kristen Chidsey says
Hi Kathy! I am not sure why you aren’t seeing the ingredients. Everything looks fine on my end. If you could refresh your screen and let me know if it happens again, I would appreciate it–obviously I want to be sure it works for you!!
Sylvia says
Must the flour be unbleached?
Kristen Chidsey says
NO, that is just what I prefer. But all-purpose works perfectly Sylvia! Enjoy
Pam Kennedy says
I made your recipe for my grandsons on St Patrick’s day.
Everyone loved the cookies
I will definitely make this my go to recipe for sugar cookies
Kristen Chidsey says
YAY! I am so glad you enjoyed Pam. We made a giant Shamrock Cookie Pizza with this dough today too.
Stephanie says
what is better…unsalted butter or salted?
Stephanie says
AND — need a icing recipe!?
Kristen Chidsey says
Hey Stephanie! So first of all, it is always best to use unsalted butter in baking–that way you can control the level of salt in your baked goods. As for an icing, here is my favorite chocolate icing:
4 ounces cream cheese softened
2 tablespoons butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar sifted
1-2 tablespoons milk
Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until completely smooth. Mix in the cocoa powder. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until thoroughly combined. Add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time to thin if necessary to create a smooth icing that can be spread easily on the cookies.
This is from my reindeer sugar cookie recipe–if you don’t want chocolate frosting, omit the cocoa powder and use 2 cups powdered sugar. This icing sets up well for thick iced sugar cookies.
However, you can also use this Buttercream Frosting or Royal Icing Frosting from my blogging friends!
Amy says
How long can baked cookies store for at room temperature? What’s the best way to store them?
Kristen Chidsey says
Hi Amy! These are GREAT questions, and ones I should have addressed. You can store the cookies in a SEALED container, un-iced, at room temperature for 4-5 days. If your cookies are iced, store in fridge for 3-4 days. Enjoy!
Cara says
Should I roll these to 1/2” thick or 1/4” thick. Your recipe says half-inch but in the description before the recipe that mentions us up g wooden spoons as guides, you wrote a quarter inch. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey says
Good catch, I need to change that. My wooden spoons are more like 1/2 inch.
Bonnie Postma says
I have a questions regarding chilling the cookie dough. IN THE RECIPE YOU SAY: Place about 1 cup dough mixture onto parchment paper or wax paper that has been dusted with powdered sugar and cover with an additional sheet of parchment paper. Roll out to 1/2′ thickness and place in sealed storage bag or large covered container.
Repeat until all dough has been rolled out.
Place the rolled dough into the refrigerator, sealed well, for 12 hours or overnight.
But then you also write this .To roll out cookie, I place in several flat mounds on parchment paper before placing into refrigerator–it is much easier to roll out smaller portions of dough at a time. When it is time to roll the cookies out, unwrap the dough and place 2 wooden spoons or spatulas on either side of the parchment paper. These wooden handles work as guide, so that you dough will be rolled out to the same depth as the handle, about 1/4 inch-evenly across the parchement paper or working surface.
So my question is, do I roll it out before or after chilling the dough? Thanks!!
Kristen Chidsey says
Hi Bonnie, that is confusing. I need to change that now.
You can do either way, but it is MUCH easier to roll out BEFORE chilling.
Enjoy the cookies.
Erin says
What if I don’t let it chill for 12 hours in the fridge? What if I only chill for 6 hours?
Kristen Chidsey says
Hi Erin! That will still work. They may spread a bit more, but will still be good!
Katy says
My daughter cannot have dairy. Since we’re new to this diagnosis, I’m not adept at substitutions. However, I can say that substituting coconut oil for the butter worked beautifully for this recipe in case any other folks reading this are in the same boat. We followed all directions as written. We even used some difficult shapes like spiders. The shapes held up extremely well.
Kristen Chidsey says
OH thank you so much for sharing that Katy! I try to include dairy free modifications as often as I can but this is one recipe I had not tried with coconut oil. Thank you again! This will help others. Enjoy the cookies.