Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe
Great decorated sugar cookies begin with with a great cookie base. My go-to recipe is quick, tasty, and easy. I have made thousands of cookies using this recipe with great results every time.
Keep in mind, this is the recipe I prefer. You don’t have to use this particular recipe to make beautiful cookies. There are hundreds of cut-out cookie recipes online.
Ingredients
- 1 c. (two sticks) of unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. almond emulsion
- 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Cream together softened butter and confectioner’s sugar. Crack the egg into a separate bowl, and add the flavoring. I use emulsions, but extract also works well. Add that to the butter sugar mixture and mix until the egg is thoroughly incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add little by little to the mixture. I can tell the dough is ready when it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. When I touch it, it has a little give, but does not stick to my fingers.
- Roll out on parchment to about 1/4 an inch thick, use flour for dusting as necessary. Then, cut and bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes. This version makes 2-2 1/2 dozen, doubled, it makes 4-5 dozen.
Notes
The dough DOES not need to be refrigerated. That’s why I like it.
The dough needs to rest a little after mixing, it will firm up a little bit after a minute or two
The recipe doubles well
Baking times are approximate. You must KNOW your oven. Watch them the first few times you bake them. Get a thermometer, and do not over bake. If the cookies are browning you have gone too far.
This dough can be flavored any way you like.
The cookies freeze well
There is a lot of leavener in these cookies. This is not a typo. The general rule is less leavener so they don’t spead, but I’ve never been one to follow the rules.
This recipe does spread a little. If you don’t like that add a little flour.
Speaking of flour, start with 2 1/2 cups. Add another 1/4 of a cup if the dough seems to sticky.
If you don’t like salt, leave it out altogether. If you only have salted butter, use that and reduce the salt.
I prefer decorating cookies the day after baking after they have had time to cool and rest. The surface always seems to be prettier the next day, and they seem less likely to leach oil back into the icing.
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This basic sugar cookie recipe, do your cookies spread when baking? I want the cookie cutter shape to not soread.
Thanks
Not much at all
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Is the 400 for 7-8 minutes in a conventional oven or convection oven? If convection, how much should the time be reduced?
Is baking at 400° for 7-8 min in a conventional or convection oven?
conventional
Is this a hard or soft sugar cookie?
Soft, but you can make it crisper by adjusting the baking time. Which do you prefer, hard or soft?
I love these cookies! So tender and delicious! Which attachment do you use to incorporate the eggs and flavoring? With the paddle, my mixture come out lumpy and doesn’t homogenize. With the whisk, I get better homogenization, but I’m afraid I’m beating too much air into it. Either way, I find my cookies bubble a little too much. I can usually press the bubbles down with a fondant smoother. I’d sure appreciate your insight!
I use the paddle and it works just fine. Just keep mixing until incorporated!
I was so excited to find that these cookies tasted great and didn’t spread! However, I had a lot of trouble rolling out the dough after letting it rest on the counter.
The dough was sticky but would crack easily when rolling. Flakes of dough would raise as I rolled the pin across, creating wrinkles and craters in the cookies. Flouring the rolling pin and parchment
paper only helped slightly.
My kitchen was warm, so I’m thinking maybe my butter was too soft? Do you have any tips for better results next time?
Hola….hecho esta receta muchas veces… El sabor es delicioso a mis hijos les encantan pero la masa queda pegajosa y tengo que poner mas harina de lo que dice la receta. Estare haciendo algo equivocado? Gracias y te felicito por tu blog.
Try rolling it between 2 sheets of a plastic bag vs the parchment paper. Just cut all the sides of new produce bag (those at your local grocery store) and roll it. Hope it helps you.
I am having the same issue and it’s warm where I am, however I have had the air conditioner running the last few times and it hasn’t changed 🙁 Did you end up finding out how to fix it?
I also had issues when the weather is hot, so I rader bake at night . I also try to use the butter not so softened, also maybe 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder instead of 2tsp.
Good evening!! I live in Brazil and I don´t understand your recipe because I use google translator, I don´t understand the amount of flour and butter {two sticks} means 2 bars of butter of 200 grams each ?, what does 1 c.? What about flour, I did not understand what it means 2 1 / 2-2 3/4 c. Would you have the amount of flour in grams? I very much want a recipe that does not need to refrigerate the pasta and all the recipes I see, have to refrigerate the pasta for more than 3 hours. Your cookies are perfect !!! Can you help me?
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Graziela Lopes,
c = cup ou xícara a xicara americana é um tantinho maior que a nossa, Se vc tiver medidores americanos que são enconttados facilmente aqui use-os que estará certinho. Um stick de manteiga americana tem 113g logo dois sticks .. 226g ajudou? Use tb esse site de conversão de medidas americanas em gramas
http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/food/cups-to-grams-converter-87833
Excellent! After several days of trying several recipes this is by far the best, everyone needs this in their recipe book. A couple of things…
For those not wanting any spread at all, I take out the baking powder completely and I freeze my cutouts before baking, this takes care of any spread!
Second. This recipe definitely is more dry than other dough when you’re done mixing. But I actually love that because it makes rolling and using cookie cutters so much more manageable!
Not only is this dough great to work with but the taste is the icing of the cake! I tried the cookies with no icing to see what it’s like and it’s great, even my picky kids love this one!
I used vanilla for flavouring but look forward to trying others.
Thank you sweet sugar belle for the great recipe!
I’ve tried this recipe four times and each time the cookies come out uneven and bumpy after baking. What could I be doing wrong? I figured less sugar and tried it and no improvements. I eased up on flour also and it was too sticky. Other than that they taste amazing!
Have you tried playing with your oven temp? I’ve used this recipe twice (but without baking powder) and have no bumps at all so I don’t think it’s the recipe. She states to use 400 but also that every oven cooks differently, on ours I have to use 350 or they won’t cook properly I’m wondering if that’s a factor for yours?
This recipe tastes amazing! Only problem I have is each time I bake the cookies never come out smooth. I’ve tried to lessen sugar and flour but then it became too sticky. What could I be doing wrong?
I’m thinking you might need a thermometer. Do you have one inside your oven? Sometimes temperature is way off.
Kristina I have the same problem, and YES, my oven is accurate. I quit fretting over it since the cookie is ridiculously wrinkled I flip them over and decorate the bottoms. ?
I use this recipe and except for the occasional spreading I am happy with it. I do use a trick I learned in a cookie blog at some point. After the cookie is baked I flatten it with a spatula. This gives me a flat surface to ice and better edges. I am wondering if my butter has something to do with the spreading issue.
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I’d like to know how your cookies manage to stay so pale yet are completely baked. Mine always manage to get too golden on the bottom, yet I use a heavy duty aluminum pan with parchment and an oven thermometer…Suggestions?
Same! The tops are so pale and the bottoms a deep brown. I use quality cookie sheets and parchment paper. I think my oven is too hot. I have been trying them at 400 for 5:30/45 and it’s worked out pretty well. Very very pale bottoms! I let them dry overnight then the next day they have a very yummy, cookie dough-y taste! I might try 375 decrees next at 7 minutes.
I flip my cookies from top to bottom shelf halfway through the baking.
Always CALIBRATE your oven. Get an oven thermometer. Set it on 350 degrees (for example) and let it set for about 20 minutes. Do not open the oven door and then check.
I love this recipe but mine always spread too much. I know a lot can affect this, but what should I try first? I live in Kansas, summer is very humid.
I love this recipe but mine always spread too much. I know a lot can affect this, but what should I try first? I live in Kansas, summer is very humid.
An over thermometer is my first suggestion if you don’t have one. Do you currently use one?
I tried this recipe today, I was so excited. But something went wrong, the dough was too sticky so I added a bit of flour and it help. But after rolling it out and cutting the dough with a cookie cutter the dough would fall apar when I tried lifting it . I don’t know what I did wrong I also tried letting it rest and it didn’t work. Can someOne help me please?
I use a cake icing spatula always to lift my cookie cut dough.
Hi! I would like to add vanilla extract. How many teaspoons should I use?
I just tried this today, and I love it! I used 2.5 cups of flour, and used the extra 1/4 cup flour in the recipe as i was rolling and cutting the dough. When the dough starts to cling to the roller pin, i would rub the flour to the pin, as well as to the parchment paper i used to roll the dough. I used my big rectangular spatula to transfer the cut dough to the cookie sheet and of course, again applied flour to it. it is a bit tricky as the cut cookie would cling to the spatula, so use extra flour so it separates from it. Thank you so much for the recipe! I tried another recipe initially that required putting the dough in the fridge before you can cut it, so i was not happy with that.
And it tasted fantastic!
Thank you so very much again!
Hi! I recently tried this recipe because I was on hunt for something softer some royal icing is hard. The cookies came out PERFECT and super tasty. Although on every single apple I made the leaf broke off very easily. I made my cookies pretty thick so I’m not sure what I could do do help this issue.
How long can this recipe stay out of the refrigerator? Days?
Hi! I have been using your sugar cookie recipe for a couple of years now and love love love it! My daughter is requesting chocolate decorated cookies this year though and I’ve never attempted that. Do you have a recipe you use? Not sure if I can just add some cocoa powder to your recipe. Please advise
This is a recipe I have used for 30 years. Mary’s Sugar Cookies by betty crocker, only her’s add’s cream of tatar and B soda instead of powder. Taste is so good. But mine did seem to hold the shape that well. I will try yours to see if better
Any chance you can tell me the measurements in grams please?
Also how much flour? Thank you
Thanks for the tips!
I am dairy/egg free and would love to achieve the same look and taste as you’ve created. Any ideas or tips for replacements? Thank you!
This cookie tastes delicious and buttery however my issue is that its very soft when i roll out and hard to cut because its so soft and transferring to the cookie aheets make them lose shape. I always rest it sometimes longer than the 15mins, i even started using more flour and its still soft. The directions say no need to refrigerate but i feel i have to refrigerate to get those clean edges… am i dont something wrong?
How far in advance can I make cookies??
I love this recipe it is my go to and most requested! I use almond flavoring and it is just delicious! Took a few temp adjusts to get it perfect as not every oven is the same but it find that baking mine at 185 c for 7 mins is just right! Does spread just a tiny bit but not enough to notice. Love it! Thank you so much xx
Is this a good recipe to use for making a cookie bouquet. I want softer cookies but I want to make sure they hold up on the sticks
My dough came out too wet, what did I do wrong? Help!
I tried this today for the first time, they look great! Last batch however did get a bit brown on the bottom but not much. I did not get any wrinkles but I did chill the tray while one was baking. I used my fondant smoother on them as soon as they came out of the oven. Fingers crossed they taste as good as they smell!
Why do you mix the egg & emulsion together before adding to bowl?
Has anyone ever tried to adjust this recipe to make chocolate cut outs? Or does anyone have any reliable chocolate cut out recipes?
https://www.hersheys.com/kitchens/en_us/recipes/chocolate-cut-out-cookies.html
I saw that you said your cookies were soft. Would they hold up with skewers in a cookie bouquet
Hello, I love your recipe but how would I make it sweeter? Thanks
Love the recipe but how can I make it sweeter?
What is the carb count per cookie or serving? My daughter is T1 diabetic.
8.2 grams if the recipe makes 2 1/2 dozen. You can put recipes in here and it will tell you.
https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Good morning! Is this recipe the same one that comes in the Sugarbelle “kits” sold on HSN? If so, it’s a wonderful recipe! I seem to have misplaced the recipe care that came with a kit, so this is why I am asking. Also, I would like to get a jump on my Christmas baking. It is okay to freeze baked cookies, and then decorate them later? Thank you for your help!
I don’t think I’ve ever made cookies with confectioners sugar instead of regular sugar. Is that the key to this recipe? I’m excited to try it!!! Thank you!
Yes! That’s the key, IMO! Good luck!
Any chance of uk measurement / weights x
Hi! Laura from UK. First of all, thanks for sharing your recipes. I’m trying to find my right one at the moment but still didn’t get the one! I a few times yours and never worked… exactly as you wrote and they spread as an fry egg! Then I added more flour -like a cup more- and they were a lot better but still quite not so neat. I had to put the oven down as they were quite brown, but removing them earlier were not cooked in the middle… i’ll try one tsp of baking powder instead of two, but also I think I will start blaming my oven. I’m feeling very frustrated. How soft they are supposed to be when you get them out of the oven and also when you get the first bite? 🙂 thanks
I would like to make chocolate sugar recipes. Do you have a similar recipe for that? Or do I just use the recipe you have and add unsweetened cocoa?
I just made these cookies and they turned out amazing!! The only problem I had was towards the end of rolling and cutting out of my dough, the dough started to become very crumbly and was’t holding together like it was when I first started. Is there something I did wrong or some way to prevent it?
This recipe did not work well for me. The cookies bubbled up on top and spread more than I’d like. The mouth feel was quite crumbly and “caked” up in your mouth causing it to feel dry. The cookies fell apart easily in storage. I wanted to try something new, and this appealed to me because it didn’t need refrigeration, but I will stick with my recipe.
I just wanted to say that I recently started baking as I realized that I have a passion and talent for it. I decided to try royal icing sugar cookies. After a lot of research I chose a royal icing recipe that I liked, and I tried your recipe for sugar cookies. They are delicious! I used vanilla extract, but may try almond or even both in another batch. I decided to make them for Christmas for each one of my nieces and nephews. After posting them on Facebook, I now have to make another couple dozen as all of their parents now want them, along with coworkers. They loved how they looked. Great. Wonderful. Looks like I’ll be baking until Christmas, lol. It’s a good thing I love doing it. Thanks for a great and easy cookie recipe! Easy to make, easy to cut out, and perfect for icing.
I was looking for a new sc recipe to try instead of the one I usually use and I bought your shapeshifter cookie cutter set and the recipe was in there. This is my new go to sc recipe. It is so good! I thought putting powdered sugar in a cookie dough sounded really odd but it WORKS! Thank you for the recipe!
Can the dough be colored? How does one do this?
The BEST sugar cookie recipe!! No fail! My cookies don’t spread leaving a beautiful edges on a complex cookie cutter. I love it love it love it. 100% recommended!
What brand of butter so you recommend? I am guessing not the Costco or Sams…
I totally use the off brand. It’s been many years since I have purchased brand-name butter. The Costco version has been good for me, as well as Target, and our local grocery store brand, Shurfine. I’m not sure if that’s the “expectation,” but my opinion is that if it’s good enough for you to eat, it’s good enough for others. I think the primary thing is to use one brand and become accustomed to what it does for you, if that makes sense? Butters can have different fat, water, and milk solid contents, so it’s best to choose a brand, learn how it works, and stick with it.
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times. The first time I made them they turned out really good with almond flavoring, the second and third time I made them I only used vanilla. They did not taste sweet at all. I even used your royal icing recipe. I’m wondering is it suppose to taste bland or did I do something wrong?
I love this cookie recipe!! It is the only one I will use now because nothing else compares to the taste and texture, but also how simple they are!! I have a couple of friends who are gluten free, so I was wondering how you would make this recipe gluten free, and if it would effect any other ingredients or part of the baking process?
Can you freeze the dough uncut? I’d like to freeze it and then roll and cut later.
All I have is self rising flour. Can I use that and leave out the baking powder and salt?
3rd or 4th time trying to use this recipe. I keep forgetting how awful and frustrating this recipe is to use. I have to add 3-4c additional flour and its a nightmare to roll out. Sticks to rolling pin or if you try to use parchment on top it sticks to the parchment.