How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookies | The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe (2024)

So this is the day I’ve been having… I didn’t bother icing this batch of our perfect sugar cookies because they taste amazing all on their own. But my4 year old LOVES her sweets and she insisted on having icing on hers (they’re deliciouswith and without icing!).

We have a small kitchen, so I keep all the leftover icing tubes from other treats we’ve made in a box upstairs in my office. So every day after school this week while I’m trying to squeeze in just 10 more minutes of work, my middle daughter has been bringing me a cookie, choosing a tube of icing from the box and asking me to decorate it for her.

Yesterday she chose the bright red glitter gel icing that I used on the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Heartsway back when. That stuff is RED (and sparkly…). I iced a beautiful little snowflake on the cookie she brought me. She was so excited watching me decorate that cookie, and (just saying…) I was actually pretty impressed with my quick, free-handed icing skills too! When I was done, I handed the cookie back to her, and I said, “Now sweetie, this icing is really messy, so whatever you do, do NOT drop the cookie!”

How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookies | The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe (1)

And before I could even finish the sentence, her little fingers fumbled and she dropped her pretty little snowflake cookie just covered in wet gel icing on the floor. No no… Not face down. That little cookie rolled about 2 feet along the carpet leaving a straight line of bright red icing and THEN it landed face down on the carpet.

My poor daughter stared at the cookie on the floor and just kept apologizing. She had the biggest look of disappointment on her face and her bottom lip was puffing out. She was so excited to eat her delicious snowflake cookie, and it was ruined. She looked like she was going to cry from the disappointment. And of course she was nervous to see how I’d react to the GIANT, bright red stain on the carpet… Normally I’d be angry, but how could I get mad when it was clearly an accident and she was already so sad!?

*sigh* So for the moment, I’m stuck with a big red patch of carpet on the floor right next to my officechair! If you know how to get red gel icing stains out of carpet, please feel free to leave me some tips in the comments below!!

How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookies

When it comes to baking, I am definitely NOT an expert. So when I tell you that this recipe makes the best, most perfect sugar cookies, you can truly believe me. Because if I can make perfect sugar cookies with this recipe,I promise, you can make perfect sugar cookies too!

You don’t need any special tools, and you definitely don’t need to chill the dough. I’m not going to claim to know why you need to chill the dough in some recipes (I’m sure there’s a reason for it in other recipes??), but I’m lazy. And when I’m baking with the kids, they just want to get those cookies in the oven! So I’d rather not take a giant pause in the middleof our kitchen fun.

How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookies | The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe (2)

I used my hand held mixer to combine all the ingredients. When it gets to this clumpy stage where all the ingredients are mixed together, you’ll have to start using your hands to knead the dough.

How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookies | The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe (3)

Knead the dough until it forms a consistent ball. It’s easier to roll the dough out in smaller batches, so at this point, you’ll want to split your big dough ball into 2 or 3 smaller balls.

I recommend covering the bowlwith plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out while you’re rolling out each ball.

How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookies | The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe (4)

Take one of the balls and carefully roll it out onto a floured surface. I did mine right on the counter. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough as well to keep the rolling pin from sticking to the dough.

Roll the dough by starting in the center and rolling out to the edges, changing the angle each time you roll until it has an even thickness throughout (about 1/4 inch thick). There are lots of tools available to make the rolling process easier, but I would much rather stick with a simple rolling pin. If it was good enough for my grandma, it’s good enough for me!

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I don’t know why, but this is always my favourite part! Choose your favourite cookie cutters and cut out your shapes!

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Lift them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet using a thin metal spatula.

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The baking time will depend on your desired level of doneness. I baked the ones I made last year for 8 minutes but they looked kind of bleached (you can check them out here). The less time they bake, the softer their texture will be along with a lighter colour.

For the super cuteteddy bear cookies I made, I wanted them to be a little more golden, so I cooked them for 10 to 11 minutes. Cooking them longer gives them a firmer texture with golden edges.

These particular cookies in this batch here I cooked for just over 9 minutes. Ovens will vary of course, so you’ll have to keep an eye on them near the end and take them out when they’re ready.

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These cookies have wonderful, even edges, they have a lovely smooth surface, and they taste delicious both with and without icing!

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They have a delicious slightly soft texture, not that super crunchy texture you get from store bought cookies.

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Print Recipe

4.75 from 20 votes

How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookies

This is truly the only sugar cookie recipe you'll ever need!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Servings: 30 to 40

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.

  • Cream together the butter and sugar with a mixer until smooth.

  • Beat in the vanilla extract and egg.

  • In another bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder and mix together.

  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time and continue using the mixer until everything is combined and the mixture is crumbly.

  • Wet your hands and knead it by hand. Separate it into 2 or 3 dough balls. Cover the remaining dough balls with plastic wrap while you are rolling. (Don't chill the dough)

  • Place the dough on a floured surface, sprinkle a small amount of flour on top to keep the rolling pin from sticking and roll it out until it's about 1/4" thick.

  • Using your favourite cookie cutters, cut out the shapes, then use a metal spatula to transfer the shapes to a parchment lined cookie sheet.

  • Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes.

Notes

1. If your dough is too "crumbly" it might mean your butter wasn't softened enough. But no worries! Add 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of water to the dough and kneed it in until it sticks together properly. You might need to add more water when you are rolling the scraps a second time.
2. Cooking for 8 minutes will result in a softer cookie with a lighter colour. Cooking for 10 or 11 minutes will result in a firmer texture with a more golden colour. Ovens will vary, so keep an eye on yours, but I cooked these cookies for just over 9 minutes.

How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookies | The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe (12)

This is truly the only sugar cookie recipe you’ll ever need!They keep their shape, they have perfect edges every time and they taste AMAZING!

My kids know I don’t bake a whole lot, so when they came home from school and saw these and LOVED them – and said they’d be perfect to leave out for Santa– Ifelt like I had accomplished something. 🙂

And just in case you need a recipe for sugar cookie icing, check out our gorgeous Sugar Cookie Christmas Tree Cookies. I LOVE that fir tree texture!!

How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookies | The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a perfect cookie? ›

The key is to always use top-quality ingredients as they'll result in a better cookie; it really is that simple.
  • Always use butter.
  • Choose the right sugar.
  • Choose the right flour.
  • Check your flour is in date.
  • Choose the right kind of chocolate.
  • Cream the butter and sugar.
  • Beat in the eggs.
  • Fold in the flour.

How do you make sugar cookies taste better? ›

I don't like cookies that taste of baking soda, and I like the flavor and texture that just a little bit of milk adds. How do I make a sugar cookie mix taste better? Use flavored water, add some flavor extract, stir in some sprinkles or baking chips, or broken up candy canes, roll in sugar before flattening and baking.

What makes a high quality cookie? ›

The best cookies have layers of texture. A slightly crisp outer shell that holds up to some heat with an inner core that's soft and chewy.

Is shortening better than butter for sugar cookies? ›

Lack of Flavor

Let's face it, butter is the star ingredient when it comes to flavor. While shortening can be used as a replacement, it lacks the same depth of flavor and deliciousness that butter provides. So if you're looking for a truly flavorful cookie, we recommend sticking with butter.

Should sugar cookies be hard or soft? ›

The very best sugar cookies are soft and tender. → Follow this tip: One of the keys to great sugar cookies is mixing the dry ingredients only until they're just incorporated, and not a second longer. Once the dry ingredients are added, less mixing equals more tender cookies.

How do bakeries get their cookies so round? ›

Tip a mug upside down. It should be approximately the same size as the cookie and have a large enough lip to cover it completely. Place the lip over a cookie. Holding the bottom of the mug, quickly work it in swirling, circular motions.

How to make cookies more sweet? ›

Adding granulated sugar to the top of your cookies before baking them results in a sweet and crispy batch of cookies. Sprinkle the sugar over your dough balls, lightly pressing the granules into the dough.

Do you have to flatten sugar cookies before baking? ›

Flattening the cookie dough provides more surface area that comes into contact with the ice bath, shortening the time it takes to chill. Then submerge the dough in the ice water and let it chill. After 20 minutes the dough will be completely chilled and ready for baking.

How do you spruce up sugar cookies? ›

Add a teaspoon of good quality cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. Zested Orange, Lemon, or Lime Sugar Cookies. Add a tablespoon of zest and a teaspoon of orange flavor, lemon flavor, or lime flavor to your cookies to give your sugar cookies a zesty flavor.

How to improve sugar cookie mix? ›

A teaspoon or two of extracts will noticeably boost flavor when blended into your sugar cookie mix. Vanilla is the obvious choice. For a more intriguing flavor, add both vanilla and almond extracts. Rum, maple and anise are other delicious varieties to consider.

Why aren t my sugar cookies smooth? ›

Sticky dough.

If your dough is too sticky, you may notice that your sugar cookies aren't turning out as flat as you'd like them too. To make sure that your flour measurement is the most accurate it can be for your recipe, weigh the flour using a digital scale. Every baker should own one!

What is cookie secret? ›

Cookie Secret is the secret used to encrypt and sign session cookies. If you don't provide a cookie secret, Pomerium will generate one for you.

How do I make my cookies chewy instead of crunchy? ›

How To Make Cookies Chewy Without Cornstarch
  1. Go heavy on brown sugar. It has more moisture than its granulated counterpart, which means the cookie comes out less crispy. ...
  2. Choose margarine or shortening instead of butter. ...
  3. Use baking powder instead of baking soda. ...
  4. Rest your dough. ...
  5. Shorten baking time.
May 14, 2023

What is the secret to making soft cookies? ›

How to Make Soft Cookies
  1. Cream your butter and sugar well. When baking soft cookies, start with softened butter. ...
  2. Choose a low-protein flour. ...
  3. Don't overmix your dough. ...
  4. Chill your dough.
Feb 19, 2021

How do you make the perfect cookie texture? ›

The ratio of brown sugar to white sugar determines the softness of your cookies. Using more white sugar makes your cookies thin, crisp, and more delicate. More brown sugar makes a softer, chewier cookie because it melts and caramelizes at a faster rate.

References

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