Sugar cookies sound simple, but I am extremely picky about them. I’ve made more batches than I can count, tweaking ratios, bake times, and mixing methods until they were exactly what I wanted!!
This recipe delivers what a true deliciously soft sugar Cookie should be, super buttery, soft in the center, lightly chewy, and full of rich vanilla flavor. It has been baked dozens of times to get the texture just right, and yes, there is an optional frosting because frosting a cookie is never the wrong choice. Whether you keep them classic or dress them up, this is the sugar cookie recipe you can trust to work every single time!
If you're a cookie lover, check out my almond croissant cookies, chocolate butterscotch cookies, and turtle cookies!
Why You'll Love This Recipe For Soft Sugar Cookies
- Easy to make: No chilling required and simple pantry ingredients
- Perfect texture: Soft centers with chewy edges!
- Rich flavor: Buttery, vanilla forward, and not overly sweet
Baking Tips
- Using a kitchen scale is a total game changer for baking. It makes measuring ingredients super precise, so your recipe comes out perfect every single time. Plus, fewer measuring cups means less cleanup, and who doesn’t love that? Invest in one, and you’ll wonder how you ever baked without it!
- I absolutely love baking with fine kosher salt, it gives the perfect balance of flavor. Table salt, on the other hand, can be a bit too harsh, so if you're using it, be sure to cut the amount in half to avoid over salting your treats.
- Always check your oven temperature! Ovens can be sneaky, sometimes running hotter or cooler than what the dial says, and that can really affect how your baked goods turn out. For the most consistent results, I recommend using an oven thermometer to make sure your temps are spot on every time
Soft Sugar Cookie Ingredients
- Butter: Provides richness and flavor. Use real butter, and let it soften before mixing.
- Cornstarch: The secret to extra soft, tender cookies that stay chewy.
- Extra egg yolk: Adds richness and moisture without making the cookies cakey.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Brown sugar adds chew and depth, while granulated sugar helps with structure and crisp edges.
- Almond extract: I love using almond extract, it gives that classic bakery flavor.
See recipe card below for quantities.
How to Make Soft Sugar Cookies
- Using a stand or hand held mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until a soft dough forms. Do not over mix.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers look slightly underbaked and soft. Do not over bake. Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, place a round cookie cutter or bowl over each cookie and gently scoot in a circular motion to make them perfectly round and slightly thicker. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet
Hint: To separate an egg, crack it gently on a flat surface and open it into two shell halves. Let the egg white fall into a bowl while you pass the yolk back and forth between the shells until all the white has dropped away.
Best Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe Tips
- Cream the butter and sugars well: This creates air in the dough and leads to better texture.
- Almond and vanilla extract adds a lot of flavor: Even a small amount enhances the buttery notes without overpowering the cookie.
- Don’t overbake: The cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when you pull them from the oven.
- Scoot the cookies if they spread too much: Use a round cutter or glass to gently shape them while warm.
- Don’t skip the salt: It balances the sweetness and makes the flavors pop.
Why is my Sugar Cookie Dough crumbly?
Crumbly cookie dough usually means it’s too dry or the fat hasn’t fully incorporated yet. The most common reasons are using too much flour, measuring flour by scooping instead of spooning and leveling, or not mixing long enough for the dough to come together. Weighing the flour is best! Cold butter can also cause crumbly dough because it never fully blends with the sugars.
Another cause is missing moisture. If you accidentally left out an egg yolk or reduced the sugar, the dough won’t have enough structure.
How to keep Sugar Cookies from spreading
Sugar cookies usually spread because the dough is too warm or the butter melts too fast in the oven. The butter should be softened, not greasy or melted, and the butter and sugars need to be fully creamed together. That step matters more than people think and gives the cookies structure before they bake.
Flour balance is another big one. Too little flour or skipping ingredients like cornstarch can make cookies spread more than expected. Measure flour properly and don’t skip the salt, it actually helps the dough hold shape.
Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe Variations
- Add citrus zest like lemon or orange for a bright twist.
- Mix in sprinkles for a classic funfetti vibe.
- Top with frosting and decorate for holidays or special occasions.
- Dip half the cookie in melted chocolate for an extra decadent option.
How to Store Soft Sugar Cookies
Room Temperature: Store baked cookies at room temperature in a tin or airtight container.
Refrigerator: Do not refrigerate, as this dries them out.
Freezing Soft Sugar Cookie Dough
Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature. Cookie dough balls can also be frozen, make sure the dough comes to room temperature before baking.
No chill sugar cookies FAQs
You can put sprinkles on sugar cookies if that's what your heart desires! I like to frost them and top with fun sprinkles appropriate for the season or occasion.
At room temperature, baked sugar cookies will stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container or tin. Keep them in a cool, dry spot and avoid the refrigerator, which dries them out and makes them stale faster.
More Sweet Treats
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Soft Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Hand held or stand mixer
- Parchment Paper
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract use ¼ teaspoon if you do not like almond flavor or omit entirely
- 1 and ½ cups (185 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine kosher salt
Frosting, optional (if you like a thick layer you can double this recipe)
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter room temperature (can also use salted if desired)
- 2 oz (58 grams) brick style cream cheese room temperature, full fat
- ¾ cup (95 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Sugar Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a stand or hand held mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until a soft dough forms. Do not over mix.
- Scoop the dough into 15 equal portions and roll lightly into balls. Place 6 cookies per baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Bake one sheet at a time. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers look slightly underbaked and soft. Do not over bake.
- Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, place a round cookie cutter or bowl over each cookie and gently scoot in a circular motion to make them perfectly round and slightly thicker. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet
Frosting
- Using a hand held or stand mixer beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until fully combined and fluffy. Frost the cooled cookies.
Jane says
I made these for a birthday party, I added the full amount of almond extract and doubled the frosting recipe because my daughter loves frosting. Everyone loved them, thank you for a great recipe!!
Amanda says
i LOVE hearing that!! Thank you so much for leaving a review!!