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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe

    By: Jessica · Posted: Nov 22, 2024 · Updated: Dec 7, 2024 · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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    Jump to Recipe 32 comments
    4.30 from 41 votes
    Holiday Sugar Cookie Recipe for cut outs! They taste good too!
    Close up of baked cut-out sugar cookies on cutting board.

    Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe: These cut-out cookies are amazing for decorating and are by far my favorite cookie recipe for cut-out sugar cookies that hold their shape!

    Baked cut out sugar cookies on wooden cutting board.

     

    When learning how to decorate sugar cookies, and sharing it with you, so many of you asked for the recipe so this is the recipe that turns out perfect every time!

    The sugar cookies taste amazing, and hold their shape after baking. The best of both worlds, really!

    No time for cookie cutters? Try pressing sugar cookie dough into mini muffin tins!

    Here are some rave reviews on Pinterest of this recipe!

    My favorite sugar cookie recipe so far. No need to chill. Yields about 24 cookies…yum! See review.

    Jossie Linares

    🎄🌟👢😀 success!!! Happy holiday season everyone! See review.

    xymenakp

    I use my Kitchenaid mixer to make these sugar cookies, although it’s not required.

    The best sugar cookie recipe

    How to Make Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

    Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

    Best Sugar Cookies for Decorating AND eating!

    Cream the Butter, Sugar, and Egg

    In your mixer, cream the butter and sugar, and then add in the extract/emulsion and egg!

    Best Sugar Cookies for Decorating AND eating!

    Mix In Dry Ingredients…

    In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, and then slowly add the flour mixture to wet ingredients, until mixed!

    Best Sugar Cookies for Decorating AND eating!

    How to Prevent Sugar Cookie Dough From Sticking

    I love using big-white, art paper, to roll my sugar cookies out. It keeps my counter “cleaner,” and I can just roll it up and throw it in the trash when I’m done rolling them out.
    Sprinkle a little flour on the paper, that way the cookie dough doesn’t stick!

    Or, if you don’t have any paper, I simply sprinkle sugar, powdered sugar or flour (however this can make the cookies have more of a “flour” taste) and roll the dough on top of that so it doesn’t stick. I’ll also sprinkle a bit on the dough so it doesn’t stick to the roller!

    Best Sugar Cookies for Decorating AND eating!

    How to Roll Out Sugar Cookie Dough

    There are two different ways you can do this.

    Place the dough out on a rolling surface and LIGHTLY sprinkle with flour or powdered sugar, IF necessary, to reduce sticking (too much flour can make the dough crumbly).

    2. OR… roll the dough between wax or parchment paper. Place between two pieces of wax or parchment and then there’s no need to dust the dough with flour.

    Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe. Great for cut out cookies and decorating!!! Best Sugar Cookies for Decorating AND eating!

    Knead the dough, and roll out (with a rolling pin) to a ¼ thickness.

    Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe. Great for cut out cookies and decorating!!! Best Sugar Cookies for Decorating AND eating!
    Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe. Great for cut out cookies and decorating!!! Best Sugar Cookies for Decorating AND eating!

    Once rolled out, cut cookies in to desired shapes!

    No Chill? No Refrigeration?

    So many sugar cookie recipes require the dough to be chilled before cutting out and baking.

    I’ve found that this recipe does NOT need chilled, however… some have stated that they need to and do just to be safe. So it’s completely up to you. If you have time, feel free to chill!

    Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe. Great for cut out cookies and decorating!!! Best Sugar Cookies for Decorating AND eating! Sugar cookie recipe image

    Bake in your 350 degree oven for 6-8 minutes!

    Then, after decorating, they can look like this below! Aren’t those adorable little ice cream cookie cutters? Look at the final result of the ice cream sugar cookies for the ice cream party I styled!

    OMG SOOO cute! Ice cream cone sugar cookies! Using fondant instead of icing is so much easier!

    I just love how easy these are to cut out, and especially love how they hold their shape while baking!

    Or if you’re looking for a fun way to use your sugar cookies, you’ll love these sugar cookie sandwiches!

    Raw sugar cookie dough on kitchen counter with shapes cut out of Christmas trees.

    Common Sugar Cookie Questions:

    How long chill sugar cookie dough?

    If you choose to chill your dough, you can chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

    Can I Freeze Sugar Cookies?

    Are you just starting out with making sugar cookies, and decorating? A tip I like to share is to make a few batches of these sugar cookies, and then freeze them after baking, until you’re ready to use them. This works GREAT if you’re making cookies for a party, and don’t want to wait to make them on party day!

    How do you get sugar to stick to sugar cookies?

    When it comes to decorating, if you want to decorate with sugar, lightly brush the cookies with a solution of one part light corn syrup to two parts water and before it dries, pour the sugar onto the cookie. Then, gently tap the cookie on its side to remove any excess sugar.

    New Baking Mat Must-Have!

    Friends, since writing this post a couple of years ago, a dear friend has introduced me to a new baking mat that makes a HUGE difference in my baking. No non-stick spray needed, and the bottoms of the cookies turn out BEAUTIFUL!

    This is where you can buy the baking mat!

    Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe. Great for cut out cookies and decorating!!! Best Sugar Cookies for Decorating AND eating!

    If you have an air fryer, I thought it was so fun to see this sugar cookie recipe in the air fryer too!

    Ingredients in US measurements.

    Christmas Cookie Baking Resources

    Love making and creating fun things for Christmas? You’ll also love these DIY gingerbread ornaments that are a holiday staple for gift-giving and making memories.

    Then, if you’d like to dabble in royal icing decorating, then don’t be intimidated. If I can do it, you can do it:

    See the whole post on decorating sugar cookies with royal icing!

    Royal icing decorated Christmas sugar cookies sitting on wooden cutting board.

    More Cookie Recipes

    Try this non-traditional sugar cookie recipe with chocolate chips too!

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      Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
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      Cake Mix Peanut Butter Cookies
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      Bird Nest Cookies
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      Twix Cookies

    Recipe

    Cut out and baked sugar cookies that hold their shape, sitting on cutting board.

    Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe

    Jessica Burgess
    This easy sugar cookie recipe is great for cut-out cookies, and they hold their shape! Plus, adding almond extract makes these the best tasting cookies!
    4.30 from 41 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 8 minutes mins
    Total Time 28 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24 cookies
    Calories 160 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup butter softened
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 teaspoon butter vanilla emulsion Can use regular vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon almond emulsion Can use regular almond extract
    • 1 egg
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • extra sugar or powdered sugar for rolling If desired

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oven to 350 degrees
    • Cream the butter and sugar
    • Add in extract and egg
    • In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder
    • Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients, until mixed
    • Place dough out on rolling surface
    • LIGHTLY sprinkle with flour, IF necessary, to reduce sticking (too much flour can make the dough crumbly)
    • Knead dough, and roll out to a ¼ thickness
    • Cut cookies in to desired shapes
    • Bake for 6-8 minutes

    Notes

    * You may notice that you don’t have to chill the dough for these cookies! Some prefer doing it though, and if you do, you can chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
    * If you’d like to make the sugar cookies in advance, you can bake them, allow them to cool, and then place in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. I’ve even frozen them for a year and they’ve lasted!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 55mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.8mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    Keywords Christmas cookies, cookie cutters, cookie recipe for party, cut out cookies, decorate sugar cookies
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

      4.30 from 41 votes (36 ratings without comment)

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    1. Brooke says

      May 26, 2024 at 5:20 pm

      This is my daughter’s and my favorite recipe!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        May 28, 2024 at 8:40 am

        Awww yay!! Thank you so much Brooke. I love hearing that you like these sugar cookies too!

        Reply
    2. Michelle says

      March 23, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was awesome. I picked chunks of the dough at a time instead of one big roll out. Then I chilled the dough in between the time I Cutout other cookies, that was perfect. How long can they be stored on the counter though before freezing?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        March 27, 2020 at 10:19 am

        Hi Michelle! So glad that you liked them and thank you for letting us know what you did! I would say 4-5 days would suffice. A week is still probably fine, but I’d want them as fresh as possible! I hope that helps!

        Reply
    3. Karen says

      December 15, 2019 at 5:00 pm

      I was a little confused by your instructions. The recipe itself called for one egg get the instructions kept referring to “eggs”. Is it one egg or more? That could be why it’s crumbly if there’s not enough egg.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        December 15, 2019 at 8:08 pm

        Hi Karen! Thank you for letting me know! You’re right… it did say “eggs” in the post quite a bit, but should only be one egg. 🙂 Thanks for the tip! I’ve edited the post to say “egg”. 🙂 Have a great night!

        Reply
    4. Donna says

      February 25, 2019 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Jessica, I dont use flour to roll my dough I find it makes the cookies a little tough. I use confectioners sugar serves the same purpose as the flour while rolling dough and it does not make the dough sickening sweet. Thank you for a great recipe.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        February 25, 2019 at 9:06 pm

        Hi Donna!! That’s a great idea! Love it! Thank you so much!

        Reply
    5. Chris miko says

      January 20, 2019 at 6:36 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this recipe for the second time. The dough was very crumbly, so I added a little milk and that helped. The dough is a little harder to work with than other recipes I have used. But the taste… OMG. I live the taste of these cookies!!!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        January 21, 2019 at 9:35 am

        Hi Chris! Oh that’s so good to know!! Thank you so much for sharing. I may make a note to add a little milk if others find it crumbly. I’m still unsure of why it’s crumbly for others since I’ve never had this problem I love hearing what you do to help it! Thank you!

        Reply
    6. Bri says

      November 15, 2018 at 9:17 am

      3 stars
      I too found the dough to be a little too dry and crumbly making it a bit hard to work with but all in all it worked out and tasted great!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        November 15, 2018 at 5:08 pm

        Well shoot. I sure don’t know why this turned out dry and crumbly for some. I hate that too, because I’m not sure what to suggest to help with it, or why it may be doing it.
        But I am so glad that they worked out for you and tasted great! I think they do too! Thank you for sharing! XOXO

        Reply
    7. Lorie says

      September 12, 2018 at 6:38 pm

      5 stars
      I have to make cookies for a baby shower and found this recipe. I really loved how easy they were and how they held their shape after baking. Mine also came out dry (also live in high altitude) I put a little sour cream in the dough along with a little orange extract and zest. They really came out awesome. Can’t wait to ice and decorate!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 13, 2018 at 9:24 am

        Thank you SO much for sharing the trick of using sour cream, orange extra and zest! That sounds delicious!!! I’m so glad you let us know. XO

        Reply
    8. TahoeBarb says

      February 14, 2017 at 1:10 pm

      Just made these for Valentine’s Day and my family loved them! I did have to add some extra water- they were a little dry. Maybe because I live in a high altitude place (Lake Tahoe). King Arthur Flour has a nice Buttery Vanilla flavoring that I used along with almond extract and it was yummy!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        February 14, 2017 at 5:19 pm

        Excellent! I’m glad they ended up turning out for you with the extra water!! That could be it! I’ve made them, along with others who live near me, and we haven’t had that problem. So that’s definitely something to look at! Thank you for letting me know!! XO

        Reply
    9. Alissa says

      February 13, 2017 at 9:25 pm

      I love these cookies! This is my first time ever making sugar cookies. They really hold their shape! I’m going to try the emulsions next time for extra flavor. The batter was dry and crumbly at first, I think I over mixed it? I added a little but if milk and that really did the trick. Tomorrow,I tackle royal icing….. Have a wonderful day!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        February 14, 2017 at 9:09 am

        Awww yay! I’m so glad that they turned out for you at the end!! So so happy to hear that. Thank you for coming by and dropping a note!

        Reply
    10. Katie Soukup says

      December 28, 2016 at 1:12 am

      I found this dough needed to be chilled. I could not work with it at all until after I chilled it. The cookies were tasty and held up well to decorating.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        December 28, 2016 at 6:27 pm

        Oh good, I’m so glad that they ended up working out for you. It’s good to know that you had to chill them to work with them too! I haven’t had that problem yet, but good to know that it helps if need be! Thank you!!

        Reply
    11. Mindy Thornlow says

      December 18, 2016 at 6:29 pm

      Hi Jessica
      I have just made this cookie dough but I found the dough really dry and hard to work with. I don’t use white sugar but tourmaline sugar.

      Any suggestions on how to make it easier to work with.

      I’m not a beginner in the baking area but this is my first from scratch sugar cookie….

      Thanks in advance
      Mindy

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        December 18, 2016 at 7:27 pm

        Hi Mindy! Thank you for dropping a comment! I’m sorry they turned out dry and hard to work with! I’m not sure what may have caused that. I’ve never used tourmaline sugar… but not sure if that would make a difference or not. I’ve made them multiple times, and they’ve turned out just fine, so I’m not sure what to suggest to change! But if I find out, I’ll be sure to let you know!

        Reply
    12. Terry Freeman says

      December 17, 2016 at 3:02 pm

      I have to say that these cookies rolled out really well. However they didn’t brown around the edges and they don’t have much of a flavor. Not sure I’ll make again.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        December 17, 2016 at 4:18 pm

        Aw well I’m sorry they didn’t turn out like you had hoped. Thanks for letting us know what you thought!

        Reply
    13. Jaqki Guerrero says

      December 11, 2016 at 4:00 pm

      do you need almond extract

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        December 11, 2016 at 9:43 pm

        Hi Jaqki! I’m sure you can do without it… it just may not have the same flavor as it would with it. But I wouldn’t think it would mess up the cookies from baking correctly!

        Reply
        • Jaqki Guerrero says

          February 05, 2017 at 5:50 pm

          Thank You! So yes it is February but the cookies came our great! Everyone loved them!

          Reply
          • Jessica says

            February 05, 2017 at 9:40 pm

            Yay!!! I’m so glad they did!! Thanks for letting me know! XO

            Reply
    14. Kerri says

      September 14, 2016 at 2:27 pm

      Do I frost then before or after freezing?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        September 15, 2016 at 4:58 pm

        Hi Kerri! I wouldn’t frost before freezing. I’ve never tried it… but afraid that it could sweat too bad during thawing! 🙂

        Reply
    15. tahnee says

      July 26, 2016 at 3:39 pm

      Great, Now I have to try these….Lol! totally counts as “preparing meals for baby,” though right!? Can’t wait to test this out! does freezing the dough change anything about the texture?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        July 27, 2016 at 5:47 pm

        Haha!!! You crack me up! You know, I haven’t frozen just the dough. I usually freeze them after I’ve already baked them! I hope that helps!

        Reply

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