Easy Sugar Cookies Recipe

Sugar cookies are soft, chewy, buttery gifts from heaven.

Don’t let their simple appearance fool you. These easy sugar cookies may look plain, but they taste fantastic. 

Who would have thought such basic cookies could taste so yummy? And not just yummy, but – dare I say it – PERFECT.

They don’t need fancy toppings like chocolate chips or sprinkles to taste phenomenal. (Though those things are tons of fun, too!)

Sugar cookies are simply irresistibly addictive, just as they are.

So, I suggest making large batches of this recipe. Because these will be a sure hit – not just with the kids but with grown-ups as well.

Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies

This soft and chewy sugar cookie recipe is the last one you’ll ever need.

It’s better than mom’s. Better than grandma’s. And honestly, better than any bakery’s recipe, too.

Especially when you’re able to enjoy them fresh from the oven.

Oh, and did I mention they’re easy to make?

You don’t have to thank me for this recipe. I’m just happy to share it with others and bring the joy of these sugar cookies all over the world.

Sugar Cookie Ingredients

One of the things I love most about sugar cookies is their simplicity. You’ll need only seven common ingredients to make them:

• Flour. Sugar cookies work best with all-purpose flour, which is great because most people have it!

• Baking soda & baking powder. Using both will ensure the cookies rise well and are soft and fluffy. Just be sure both ingredients are fresh.

• Butter. Let the butter soften to room temperature before adding it.

• Sugar. You’ll need this to sweeten the batter, of course. But I also like to roll my cookies in extra sugar before baking them. It makes them even sweeter and prettier!

• Egg. I like to use large eggs for cookie recipes. You’ll also add an extra egg yolk to make the cookies softer and chewier.

• Vanilla extract. It’s hard to find a baking recipe that doesn’t include vanilla extract, and this one is no exception. It just makes everything taste better.

How to Make Sugar Cookies

Follow these steps to make the softest, chewiest sugar cookies imaginable.

1. Preheat. Set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Make the batter. Combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl.

Then, in a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, and beat the mixture until everything is incorporated.

Retrieve the original dry-ingredient mixture. Slowly add it to the wet mixture. Mix gently until the batter forms.

3. Roll and coat the cookie dough. Use your hands or a cookie scoop to form small dough balls.

Roll these balls in the extra granulated sugar to coat them. Then, place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until they’re golden.

5. Cool. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Serve at room temperature (or still slightly warm) and enjoy!

Tips for the Best Sugar Cookies

• Use high-quality, fresh ingredients. Doing so is the key to success, particularly with the butter and vanilla. Regular butter has a higher fat content than margarine or butter-flavored shortening – so don’t use these substitutes. Additionally, expired baking powder and baking soda will make your cookies flat. Make sure those ingredients are fresh.

• Use softened butter. Don’t melt it, and don’t use it cold. Remove the butter from the fridge 20 minutes prior so it softens to room temperature.

• Get the baking powder to baking soda ratio right. The absolute perfect formula is 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. If you only use baking powder, you’ll get thick cookies that are too cake-like. If you only use baking soda, the cookies will be too thin.

• Add brown sugar for chewier cookies. This recipe calls for only white sugar, but you can swap just two tablespoons of white for brown sugar and you’ll see a big difference.

• Don’t overmix the batter. Doing so will yield tough cookies. Mix the ingredients just enough to combine them.

• Chill the dough. Though not a requirement, it’s better to chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking. Doing so should prevent spreading.

• Sift the dry ingredients after measuring. Doing so will give you extra delicate cookies.

• Don’t overbake. Pay attention to the cookies as they bake. Take them out of the oven as soon as the edges look golden. They may seem undercooked, but don’t let this fool you! That’s how they’re supposed to look. They’ll firm up as they cool.

How to Decorate Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies taste absolutely divine on their own. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and decorate them!

In fact, doing so is a great way to spend time with your littles!

Because the cookies are so soft, cutting them into fun shapes isn’t ideal. There are plenty of other ways to decorate them, though!

Be sure to let the cookies cool fully first. Then, use any of these ideas to decorate them however you want!

• Coat them in a simple glaze or icing. You can even add food coloring to the icing to make themed sugar cookies.

• Cover them with sprinkles. You can buy multi-colored or single-colored sprinkles. The cookies will look lovely either way.

• Use edible glitter to jazz them up. Amazon has a whole pack of edible glitter containing ten different colors!

• Dip them in chocolate. Be sure the cookies are fully cooled first. Then, dip them halfway into the chocolate to give them a diagonally split appearance.

• Write or draw on them. Make a DIY piping bag out of a Ziploc bag. Or purchase food markers, which work like pens but are 100% edible.

• Add toppings. Crushed peppermints, chocolate chips, broken pretzels, and fruit jams are all good ideas.

Keep in mind: You may need to add icing or a light egg wash to get sprinkles or toppings to stick.

Storing Sugar Cookies

Place cooled sugar cookies in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 7 days.

If you decorated them with icing or sprinkles, you may want to put parchment paper between the layers. Doing so will prevent them from sticking.

How to Freeze Sugar Cookies

Want to freeze your sugar cookies? Here’s how:

1. Let your freshly baked sugar cookies cool.
2. Place them in an air-tight container.
3. Use pieces of parchment paper to separate the layers.
4. Label and date the container
5. Freeze the cookies for up to a month.

You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough, as well. Place the batter in a zip-top bag and freeze. These, too, will last up to a month.