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Finally, a cut-out sugar cookie that actually holds its shape AND tastes delicious. This easy recipe delivers soft, flavorful cut-out cookies that are sturdy enough to ice without falling apart.
You'll love this cut-out sugar cookie recipe because the dough stands up to re-rolling, the almond extract adds a subtle boost of flavor, and the method keeps your cookies from melting into sad little puddles in the oven. Whether you dust them with sprinkles or slather on sugar cookie icing, these cut-out cookies are worthy of making year-round.
Kristen's Keys for Perfect Cut-Out Cookies
From bake sales to holiday cookie trays to after-school treats, this is the sugar cookie recipe I turn to time and time again! And through the years, I have learned quite a few tips you will want to keep in mind to achieve perfect results.
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs. This helps you cream the butter and sugar into a light, airy base so the cookie texture is tender, not dense.
- Roll before chilling. Rolling the dough into disks before chilling is simply easier. But beyond that, you will have to work with the dough less after it has chilled, which helps the cookies keep their shape.
- Plan for at least 12 hours of chilling. The flavor develops and the dough firms up so shapes hold. Feel free to make the dough up to 36 hours prior to baking cut-out cookies.
- Powdered sugar for rolling. It prevents sticking without the gritty, floury taste that all-purpose flour can leave. I will melt into the cookies, adding a kiss of sweetness as well.
- Limit rerolling to three times. While the dough is forgiving, overworking the dough can make cookies tough and prone to burning. Roll scraps no more than three times to ensure tender cookies.
5-Star Reader Review
This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe! I'll soon be baking and freezing them to be ready for our traditional Christmas Eve Day cookie decorating with the grandkids. And the sugar cookie frosting recipe is perfect. -Jean⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How to Make Perfect Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Think of this step-by-step process as me in the kitchen with you, helping you achieve perfect results.
Step One: Cream Wet Ingredients
It is best to use a stand-mixer or handheld mixer to mix the wet ingredients, as it will help to incorporate air into the mixture and create a smooth batter. Both translate to a light and tender sugar cookies.
- Cream butter and sugar together. Using a handheld or stand mixer beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs and extract. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low just to combine. Add the vanilla and almond extract and mix again until just combined.
Step Two: Sift Dry Ingredients
Sifting together the flour, baking powder, and salt before adding the creamed butter and eggs will help ensure everything is nice and distributed and you don't need to overmix the dough. Another tip for tender cookies.
Step Three: Fold Together
Add half the flour mixture and mix on low speed until JUST combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix again until there are no more streaks of flour in the dough.
👉🏻Don't Overmix: Once you add in the flour, use a light hand and low speed when mixing. We want to just incorporate the dry and wet ingredients together. Mixing too long or at too high of a speed develops gluten and makes cookies tough.
Step Four: Roll Before Chilling
Divide dough into four disks, then working one at at time, place each disk between two sheets of parchment dusted with powdered sugar, and roll to ¼-inch thickness.
👉🏻For Uniform Cookies: Use dowels or wooden spoon handle as guides for even thickness.
Step Five: Chill
Stack the disks of cookie dough on a baking pan that will fit in your fridge, being sure to separate the layers with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 12 hours or up to 36 hours.
Step Six: Cut Out Cookies
Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into shapes of choice, keeping mind it is best to dust your cutters with powdered sugar to prevent sticking and place the cookies 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with fresh parchment paper.
👉🏻Adding Sprinkles? Add them now, so they adhere to your cookies. and place cutouts 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If adding sprinkles, do it now so they stick.
Step Seven: Bake
Bake on the center rack of the oven until the tops of the cookies are just set. Don't let the bottoms brown too much, or the sugar cookies will lose the softness they are known for.
👉🏻For a Perfect Bake: For even baking, make sure you oven is fully preheated and only bake one tray of cookies at a time. While one batch is in the oven, use that time to roll and cut out the next batch.
Step Eight: Cool and Ice if Desired
Let cookies rest on the baking sheet 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before enjoying or icing.
👉🏻Icing Cookies? Use my favorite cream cheese sugar cookie icing. It is flavorful and is suited to simple icing or intricate details.
Storage & Make Ahead Instructions
- Sugar Cookie Dough: Make the dough, cover and chill up to 36 hours prior to baking. Alternatively, place prepared dough into freezer-safe storage bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator, roll into disks, chill again, then bake as directed. before cutting out and baking cookies as directed.
- Uniced Sugar Cookies: Allow to cool, then stack cookies in an airtight and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. Alternatively, freeze layered with parchment for up to 2 months.
- Iced Sugar Cookies: Chill the icing until set (about 1 hour), then store in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl (or your stand mixer), beat together 1½ cups unsalted butter and 2 cups granulated sugar until light in color and fluffy on medium-high speed.
- Add 4 large eggs, one at a time, with the mixer running on low. Turn the mixer up to medium and beat until well combined for about 2-3 minutes. Add the ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon almond extract as the mixer is still going, mixing to combine.
- Over a separate large mixing bowl, sift the 5 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon table salt together. Whisk to combine.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beating on low speed until just combined. While this dough is forgivable, use caution to not overmix the dough.
- Place about 1 cup of the dough mixture onto parchment paper or wax paper that has been dusted with powdered sugar and cover with an additional sheet of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out to ¼-inch thickness. Repeat until all dough has been rolled out.
- Stack the disks on a plate or in a shallow dish, separated between layers of parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 36 hours.
- When ready to bake the cut out cookies, position a rack to the center of the oven, preheat the oven to 400℉, and line cookie sheets with clean sheets of parchment paper.
- Remove one disk of dough at time from the refrigerator. Lightly dust cookie cutters with powdered sugar and cut into shapes as desired. Place the cut-out cookies onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2-inches of space between cookies. If adding sprinkles, do so now. Note on Scraps: Reroll scraps up to 3 times, refrigerating briefly if needed to allow the dough to chill.
- Bake for 6-7 minutes or until JUST set, but not yet browned. Remove the cookies from the oven, place the cookie sheet on a cooling rack, and allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes to finish setting up.
- After 2-3 minutes, gently remove the cookies from the tray and allow them to cool fully before icing or enjoying.
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet (more than one is helpful for this recipe)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was first published in November 2017 and updated in 2025.
Can i use shortening(crisco) for this recipe?
Hi Maria! Crisco will change the shape, taste, and texture to any baked recipe. I personally have not tried crisco, so I am not sure the results. If you give it a try, I would maybe do half crisco half butter.
This recipe got me a lot of compliments for my daughter's birthday. I strongly recommend freezing rolled out dough. Once the dough reaches room temperature, it was very hard to cut out. I had to keep sticking it in the freezer periodically to work with it. Other than that, it's a dream.
I am so glad everyone enjoyed! And great tip to pop in freezer if the dough gets too warm to work with.
Hi! This recipe looks lovely and I would like to use it for my son's birthday party - we are having a cookie baking and decorating party.
I would like to bake the dough a few days in advance and have a few questions:
- can I store the dough in the freezer already rolled out (I would stack with parchment in between and keep in sealed container)? everywhere says to freeze in a ball, then thaw and roll, so i wanted you opinion
- how long can i store the dough rolled out (and stacked in parchment) in the fridge?
- how long should i let it thaw before letting the kids cut the cookies out if it's been in the a) freezer b) fridge ?
- thickness to roll out? you prefer 1/2" to 1/4" - that's thick! but looks like it makes a nice soft cookie.
thank you in advance and sorry for all the questions! i need to make a million cookies, i so appreciate your recipe and help!
Hi There!
--I always freeze the dough in rolled out portions--makes it SO Much easier to work with and thaw out.
--You can store your cookie dough in fridge for 4 days safely
--I would take the dough out of freezer the night before the kids are cutting cookies. I would take out of fridge right before cutting cookies. If you need to roll dough out more, take out 10-15 minutes before rolling sugar cookie dough.
--I would roll out to 1/4 inch for this party 🙂
I hope you enjoy the party!
I made this and it came out really well. But no one in my family has a sweet tooth so if I reduce the sugar content of 2 cups to maybe 1.5 cups will it be okay?
If not do you have a recipe for butter cookie cutouts? Pls share the link!
Hi! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies. I have not experimented with cutting back the sugar cookie, nor do I have a butter cookie recipe at this time. I am sorry!!
I have been making cut-out Christmas cookies since I was in elementary school (I'm now in my 50's 🤫), and this is the BEST recipe I've found so far! So many compliments and friends asking for the recipe. I had to make two batches this season! My niece and her friend helped with one batch, and even though they weren't as mindful with how often they re-rolled out the dough, they never got too hard. Wonderful recipe, thanks so much for sharing!!!
Oh Maria, this makes my heart so happy I love sharing recipes that people love. Thank you for taking the time to share that with me.
I made these cookies because my husband has been asking for sugar cookies, although I find them boring...lol This recipe really is the best I’ve tried yet! Very tasty and baked up perfectly! I actually can’t stop eating them myself!...lol Thank you!
Oh that makes me so happy to hear how much you love them...even if you used to think they were boring 😉
This recipe is amazing! I made these cookies for Christmas and they were a huge hit with my family. Absolutely delicious. I coated one side of them in colored sugar sprinkles and they were easily the best sugar cookies I’ve ever had. I gave a big container of them to my boyfriend as a gift but I ended up eating maybe half of them myself (oops). I made them on Christmas Day and they’re just about gone so I plan on making more today. They’re that good! Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
Yay!! Thank you for sharing with me (and everyone else) how much y oi u enjoyed this recipe. I hope you enjoy these cookies for years to come.