With crisp edges, thick centers, and room for lots of decorating icing, I know you’ll love these soft cut-out sugar cookies. Use your favorite cookie cutters and try my classic royal icing.
Originally published on my website in 2014, this recipe is a massive fan favorite. You’ll also find the recipe in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
This is my flagship recipe for cut-out sugar cookies. I’ve made them at least 38577 times (imagine all the butter), so I figured it’s time to share new recipe tips, a video tutorial, and more helpful information.
Why You’ll Love These Sugar Cookies
- Soft, thick centers with slightly crisp edges
- Irresistible buttery vanilla flavor
- Leave plain or flavor with extras like maple, cinnamon, and more
- Hold their shape
- Flat surface for decorating
- Stay soft for days
- Freeze beautifully
Sugar Cookies Video Tutorial
Overview: How to Make Sugar Cookies with Icing
- Make cookie dough. You only need 7 or 8 ingredients. With so few ingredients, it’s important that you follow the recipe closely. Creamed butter and sugar provide the base of the cookie dough. Flour and egg give the cookies structure, and vanilla extract adds flavor. I almost always add a touch of almond extract for additional flavor and highly recommend that you try it too! Baking powder adds lift, and salt balances the sweet. So many *little ingredients* doing *big jobs* to create a perfect cookie. By the way, I also have a recipe for chocolate sugar cookies!
- Divide in two pieces. Smaller sections of dough are easier to roll out.
- Roll out cookie dough. Roll it out to 1/4 inch thick. If you have difficulty rolling out dough evenly, try this adjustable rolling pin. Speaking from experience—it’s incredibly handy!
- Chill rolled-out cookie dough. Without chilling, these cookie cutter sugar cookies won’t hold their shapes. Chill the rolled-out cookie dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Cut into shapes. If you need suggestions for cookie cutters, I love Ann Clark brand. (Not sponsored, just a genuine fan!) Some of my favorites include this heart set, dog bone, snowflake, snowman, leaf, and a pumpkin. I also use and recommend these heart cookie cutters.
- Bake & cool. Depending on size, the cookies take about 11–12 minutes.
- Decorate. See my suggested icings below. I also have a tutorial on how to decorate sugar cookies with even more helpful decorating tips.
Have a little flour nearby when you’re rolling out the cookie dough. Keep your work surface, hands, and rolling pin lightly floured. This is a relatively soft dough.
The Trick Is the Order of Steps
Notice how I roll out the dough BEFORE chilling it in the refrigerator? That’s my trick and you can see me doing it in the video tutorial in this post.
Let me explain why I do this. Just like when you’re making chocolate chip cookies, to prevent the cookies from over-spreading, the cookie dough must chill in the refrigerator. Roll out the dough right after you prepare it, then chill the rolled-out dough. (At this point the dough is too soft to cut into shapes.) If you chill the cookie dough and then try to roll it out, it will be too cold and difficult to work with.
I also divide the dough in half before rolling it out, and highly recommend you do the same. Smaller sections of dough are simply more manageable.
Another trick! Roll out the cookie dough directly on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper so you can easily transfer it to the refrigerator. (Parchment paper will slide around on your counter, so I always place a piece of parchment paper on top of a silicone baking mat to roll the dough without slippage.)
Pick up the sheet of parchment with the rolled-out dough on top, transfer it to a baking sheet, and place it in the refrigerator. You don’t need to make room for two baking sheets in your refrigerator—simply stack the pieces of rolled-out dough on top of each other, with the parchment paper in between.
How Thick Do I Roll Sugar Cookies?
These sugar cookies remain soft because they’re rolled out pretty thick. Roll out the cookie dough to about 1/4 inch thick or just under 1/4 inch thick. Yes, this is on the thicker side and yes, this produces extra thick and soft cookies. If rolling out cookie dough doesn’t sound appealing, try my drop sugar cookies instead.
Sugar Cookie Icing
I have 3 sugar cookie icing recipes, and you can choose whichever works best for you.
- Favorite Royal Icing: This royal icing is my preferred sugar cookie icing because it’s easy to use, dries within a couple of hours, and doesn’t taste like hardened cement. (It’s on the softer side!) I make it with meringue powder. Meringue powder takes the place of raw egg whites, which is found in traditional royal icing recipes. It eliminates the need for fresh eggs, but still provides the same consistency. You can find meringue powder in some baking aisles, most craft stores with a baking section, and online. The 8-ounce tub always lasts me a good while. The trickiest part is landing on the perfect royal icing consistency, but I provide a video in the royal icing recipe to help you.
- Easy Cookie Icing: This easy cookie icing is ideal for beginners. It’s easier to make than royal icing because you don’t need an electric mixer and the consistency won’t really make or break the outcome. However, it doesn’t provide the same sharp detail that royal icing decorations do. It also takes a good 24 hours to dry.
- Buttercream: This cookie decorating buttercream is also excellent for beginners. You can tint it any color you like, flavor it, and spread it on with a knife or use piping tips. It soft-sets after a few hours, meaning you can carefully stack the cookies for storage.
The pictured heart-shaped cookies are decorated with my royal icing using Wilton piping tip #4. If you’re not into piping tips, you can simply dunk the tops of the cookies into the icing, like we do with these mini animal cracker cookies. 🙂
Sugar Cookie Tips & Tools
Before I leave you with the recipe, let me suggest some useful sugar cookie tools. These are the exact products I use and trust in my own kitchen:
- Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer)
- Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Sheets
- Rolling Pin or this Adjustable Rolling Pin
- Food Coloring: Liquid food coloring can alter the consistency of the icing, so I recommend gel food coloring. For the pictured cookies, I used a few drops of dusty rose and 1 drop of sky blue. This Americolor Soft Gel Paste Color Kit is great to have if you do a lot of decorating and want to have a variety of colors on hand.
- Piping Tips/Squeeze Bottle: If you’re using royal icing, I recommend Wilton piping tip #4 for outlining and flooding. This is a wonderful basic piping tip to have in your collection. If you’re using my easy glaze icing, I recommend using a squeeze bottle.
- Piping Bag: If you’re using royal icing and a piping tip, you need a disposable piping bag or reusable piping bag.
- Couplers: Couplers are handy if you have multiple colors of icing and only 1 tip, and need to move the tip to the other bags of icing.
- Cookie Cutters: I like this heart-shaped cookie cutter, but you can use any shape you desire!
For even more recommendations, see this complete list of my favorite cookie decorating supplies.
Here’s What You Can Do With This Dough
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Striped Fudge Cookie Sandwiches
- Snowman Cookies
- Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Stained Glass Window Cookies
- Valentine’s Day Cookies
- Maple Cinnamon Cut-Out Cookies
- St. Patrick’s Day Cookies
- Easter Cookies
- Fireworks Cookies
And if you’re craving sugar cookies with a little extra tang, try my cream cheese cut-out cookies with Nutella glaze.
Print
Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (including chilling)
- Yield: 24 3-4 inch cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With crisp edges, thick centers, and room for lots of decorating icing, I know you’ll love these soft sugar cookies as much as I do. The number of cookies this recipe yields depends on the size of the cookie cutter you use. If you’d like to make dozens of cookies for a large crowd, double the recipe. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)*
For Decorating
- Royal Icing, Easy Glaze Icing, or Cookie Buttercream (royal icing is pictured)
- Assorted sprinkles
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until the mixture is light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. The dough should be soft. If it seems too soft and sticky for rolling, beat in 1 more Tablespoon of flour.
- Divide the dough in half. Place each portion on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a bit more flour if the dough seems too sticky. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4 inch thick.
- Lightly dust one of the rolled-out dough portions with flour. (This prevents sticking.) Place the second rolled-out dough portion, still on the parchment paper, on top of the first. Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Carefully remove the top piece of dough from the refrigerator. If it’s sticking to the bottom, run your hand under it to help remove it. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Gather the scraps, reroll, and continue cutting until all the dough is used. (Note: It doesn’t seem like a lot of dough, but you get a lot of cookies from the dough scraps you reroll.) Repeat with the second piece of dough. Arrange the cookies 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 11–12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are very lightly browned and set. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheets halfway through bake time. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing, easy cookie icing, or cookie decorating buttercream. Feel free to tint any of the icings with gel food coloring. See post above for recommended decorating tools. No need to cover the decorated cookies as you wait for the icing to set. If it’s helpful, decorate the cookies directly on a baking sheet so you can place the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator to help speed up the icing setting.
- Enjoy cookies right away or wait until the icing sets to serve them. Once the icing has set, these cookies are great for gifting or shipping. Store plain or iced cookies covered tightly at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate for up to 10 days. If decorated with cookie buttercream, cover and store decorated cookies at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Plain or decorated sugar cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Wait for the icing to set completely before layering between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. You can also freeze the cookie dough (before rolling it out) for up to 3 months. Prepare the dough through step 2, divide in half, flatten each half into a disc (like we do with pie crust), wrap each disc in plastic wrap, place both wrapped discs in a freezer-safe container, and freeze. Thaw the wrapped discs in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature for about 1 hour. Roll out the dough as directed in step 4, then chill the rolled-out dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour before cutting into shapes and baking.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Wooden Rolling Pin or Adjustable Rolling Pin | Heart-Shaped Cookie Cutter | Americolor Soft Gel Paste Color Kit | Piping Bags (Disposable or Reusable) | Couplers | Wilton Tip #4 | Squeeze Bottle
- Room Temperature: Room-temperature butter is essential. If the dough is too sticky, your butter may have been too soft. Room-temperature butter is actually cool to the touch. Room-temperature egg is preferred so that it mixes quickly and evenly into the cookie dough.
- Flavors: I love flavoring this cookie dough with 1/4 teaspoon almond extract as listed in the ingredients above. For more flavor, use 1/2 teaspoon. Instead of the almond extract, try using 1 teaspoon of maple extract, coconut extract, lemon extract, or peppermint extract. Or add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon. If using lemon extract, you can also add 1 Tablespoon lemon zest.
- Icing: Use royal icing, easy cookie icing, or cookie decorating buttercream. See post above to read about the differences.
- Can I Double the Recipe? Yes. Double all of the ingredients and divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions in step 3.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally. Could I easily double this recipe, or should I make two separate batches?
Doubling works wonderfully– I do it all the time when I need a larger batch.
This were the best sugar cookies I’ve ever had I didn’t refrigerate them cause I didn’t have time to but they were AWESOME
I love Sally’s baking addiction and have made countless recipes from her website. I have particularly made this recipe over 20 times and they come out perfect every single time. They are a real crowd please and so so easy to make. Thank you Sally!!
Hi sally! I understand if you cannot respond to my comment but I was wondering if you could give me any advice on how to make these lemon flavored? I have a request for that flavor.
Thanks!
Hi Maddie, See recipe note #3 about adding flavors. Enjoy!
Long time cookie baker and this is my favorite sugar cookie ever!
Can this dough be colored using gel or some other coloring, and if so, could you recommend type, amount of coloring and where in the process it should be added?
Thanks!
You can! I recommend gel food coloring instead of liquid since you won’t have to add as much for brighter colors. How much you add depends on the shade of the color you wish to achieve. You can add it in step 3. Enjoy!
So good!
Thank you sally! My first attempt on sugar cookies and they came out great. However, my dough was very oily. I mean VERY! They even bleeds out the dough. I had to add couple of tbs of flour and even blot it with some paper towels. What did i do wrong? I also used 1/2 tsp of almond extract and it came out too strong for my liking. Will definitely reduce it next time. Please advise!
Hi MaryJane, Be sure that your butter (real butter, not margarine) is room temperature and not too soft. Here is what room temperature butter means. You can definitely use only 1/4 tsp of the almond extract next time!
You’re right. I made my second batch: It’s hot and humid here, so I only put the butter 10 mins in my kitchen counter and use it straightaway. I also use cold egg. They were less greasy but still looks grainy. And they were crumbly because of the grainy dough. However, if i knead and roll again the scraps, they were almost smooth and looks like the one you’ve made. Should I knead the dough to make it smooth? Thank you for replying me 🙂
It’s simple to make and really holds it’s shape. I baked it a bit longer because people from my culture likes drier cookies and it was almost finished before the next batch came out of the oven. It’s sooooo delicious that it’s addictive. My first success baking sugar cookies, I’ll definitely make lots of dough and store it for when guests come over☺️☺️. Thanks a might, Sally!
So far they look good, I’m pretty sure I won’t get a response before I put them in the oven, but what temperature do I bake them at, haha?
I think that’s a good idea. maybe use a larger mixer for the flour mixer so you don’t have a flour explosion (:
Hi! Just wondering what you could substitute for almond extract, would almond essence or emulsion be ok?
Hi Ash, You can simply leave it out if you wish. Or take a look at your bottle, if it says imitation extract/essence then it can be used 1:1 or it will say that it is a concentrated form of pure extract in which case you want to use a smaller amount.
I am a regular sugar cookie maker, and actually do it as a side profession, so needless to say I’ve gone through my fair share of recipes… and I’m just here to say; THESE ARE THE BEST. This has been my go-to recipe every time since I’ve found it. They hold their shape, bake evenly, and stay flat for beautifully decorating. The texture and flavor are great, not to mention stays soft for days. I always get compliments on how delicious they are.
To anyone making these for the first time, definitely read through the notes and tips, it really makes a world of difference, and your life easier.
Thank you so much Sally!
Delicious cookies and easy-to-follow directions. Thank you for the recipe AND the video!
Hi Sally! My husband gushed over these cookies, saying twice (not once) “These are the best cookies you have ever made”. And he’s not a gushing kind of guy! My only problem was that after being decorated, the cookies became quite soft (which is a good thing!) but—they began to easily crack and became fragile. So my recommendation would be if you’re going to make these the day before an event (as I did) definitely store them in one single layer so they have less chance of breaking. But, the cookies and your royal icing recipe was a win-win!
Thanks again!
Will these work with a buttercream? Or is it more like a “christmas” cookie? If I do it with a buttercream with it kind of be like a lofthouse style cookie? Pls respond, I hope to make these with a strawberry buttercream today!
Hi Anna, these sugar cookies would be wonderful topped with buttercream! You could also try my soft & cakey sugar cookies.
tysm! Just made them, came out wonderful!
Hi Sally! I love your soft sugar cookie recipe! It is my go to! Do you have any suggestions for substituting the sugar with Stevia Granulated white sweetener? I have never baked with artificial sweetener so I was wondering ho wit will effect this cookie recipe. Thanks!
Hi Melissa, I have not tried this recipe with a sugar substitute so I’m unsure of the results. Let me know if you try it!
Hi Sally,
Thank you so much for this recipe! My kids love it! I like the texture and the sweetness is just right.
I just have one question, what can I substitue meringue powder with and what would be the measurement?
Hi Valerie, Meringue powder takes the place of raw egg whites, which is found in some royal icing recipes. I don’t have a recipe using egg whites but I do have an easy glaze icing you can use instead.
AMAZING!! My first time making sugar cookies and I didn’t regret it
We made these with Dairy-Free butter and they turned out great!
My cookies puffed up and lost their shape 🙁 Any tips to prevent that?
Hi Brooke, Make sure you are rolling your cookie dough out and then chilling it! It’s important for the dough to be very cold when going into the oven so that it holds it’s shape.
I must tell you that I make these cookies for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Spring and Fall. Decorating accordingly: trees, hearts, butterflies and leaves. Everyone loves them! Some get sprinkles only, some get icing and sprinkles. It is my favorite sugar cookie recipe with its soft chewiness!
This recipe was AMAZING !! I did have a problem though when I took the cookies out the oven and let them cool. They tend to harden quickly is there a way I can prevent this from happening?
This is the best sugar cookie recipe I have used for cutouts. They turned out beautifully – the perfect amount of crunch and softness.
I made these! Omg they are soooooo good!!!!! Thank you! i used refined coconut oil instead of butter. does it effect the taste?
These look super cute!
Love this recipe!!! Thank you so much
I would like to ask should you cover cookies setting with royal icing and can they sit overnight on the table to complete dry thank you again God bless stay safe
I don’t comment often. I love Sally’s recipes and this is my go to sugar cookie recipe and this time I used her frosting recipe also and my cookies taste and look amazing. If I could post a picture of the cookies I would. Keep up the great work on these recipes.
Perfect! The cookies held their shape without spreading. Also, the taste is spot on, love the almond extract. I followed your recipe exactly. Thanks for another winner!
I have made these before and they are so good! I have such a craving for them now but all I could find at the store in these strange times is Sugar in the Raw. Can I sub in Sugar in the Raw for the granulated sugar? How bad will it be?!
Hi Kristen! So glad you enjoy these sugar cookies. Sugar in the Raw won’t cream into a smooth and creamy texture like finer granulated sugar. The cookies may spread more as a result.
Wonderful recipe! So do the cookies still have a soft/fresh taste to them once they are frozen? I was wanting to make them ahead for my daughters birthday and just wanted to get some feedback.