How to make the most amazing sugar cookies that truly hold their shape! Soft and tender cookies that taste like a cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread, with perfectly defined and slightly crisp edges!
Perfect for any holiday cookie tray, and so easy to make! With several different prep options, you’ll find one that fits your baking timeline, and your tastes. We love holiday sweets like my Crockpot Candy and this is one of my Desserts you’ll definitely want in your dinner rotation!
SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
Cut-out sugar cookies are the quintessential holiday cookie. You’ll find them on all most all dessert trays and in every cookie exchange… not to mention, Santa enjoys them as well!
I don’t know about you, but in the past I’ve tried numerous sugar cookie recipes and none of them were perfect. They never held their shape and the edges were soft and sloppy. If you’re going to all the trouble of rolling out dough and cutting it into shapes, you want them to actually look like the cookie cutter shape right?
That all changed a few years back when I found this recipe from Allie over at Baking a Moment. She makes some fantastic desserts, and her sugar cookie recipe is phenomenal!
Over the years I’ve made a few minor tweaks based on my preferences, which is what I’m sharing with you today… but I wanted to give major props to Allie, as the base is her amazing recipe.
HOW TO MAKE
- Mix up the dough – a stand mixer is very helpful here
- Roll out the dough into a thin disc
- Cut out desired shapes – can re-roll scraps to get more cookies if desired
- Chill for a few minutes – not required, see recipe notes section at the end of this post
- Bake and cool
- Decorate as desired
COOKING TIPS
- Use cold butter – this severely cuts down the chilling time from several hours, down to about 15 minutes. Alternately, you can omit the chilling all together, although it’s not my preferred method.
- Cornstarch instead of baking powder – this is Allie’s secret, and it’s genius! Baking powder is a leavening agent that helps food rise and spread, which is great for biscuits, but not so much for sugar cookies. Omitting the baking powder can leave cookies tough and crumbly, but with the addition of the cornstarch, you don’t have to worry about that! Cookies stay soft and buttery.
- Cookies may not look “done” – cut out sugar cookies won’t be golden brown like other cookie varieties, they’ll just be set on the edges and are verrrrry lightly golden on the bottom. Don’t worry, they’ll keep cooking as the rest on the cookie sheet.
VARIATIONS
- Almond – not a vanilla fan? Almond flavoring tends to be pretty strong, so omit the vanilla and replace with 1 tsp almond extract or paste.
- Almond/Vanilla – why not have both? Try 1 tsp each of vanilla and almond.
- Orange – Try adding a bit of orange zest to your cookie dough for a fun twist.
MAKING SUGAR COOKIES AHEAD OF TIME
The great thing about cut-out sugar cookies is that they’re great to make ahead of time and they store really well.
To save time, I like to bake my sugar cookies, cool them completely, then store on the counter in an airtight container.
That way I can decorate them another day.
STORAGE
Decorated and undecorated cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 weeks.
Undecorated baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Unbaked cookie dough shapes can be frozen for 1-2 months.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT USED IN THIS RECIPE
- Stand Mixer – not required, but recommended for this recipe as the dough is very stiff.
- Rolling Pin with Rings – this adjustable rolling pin takes all the guesswork out of how thick the dough is.
- Baking Sheets – I love the large size and how sturdy these pans are.
- Parchment Paper – no cutting required, these sheets fit perfectly in the baking sheets above.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste vanilla extract can be substituted
- 3 - 4 cups all-purpose flour (this will vary from kitchen to kitchen)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch make sure NOT to use corn flour or corn meal, as this will result in dry, hard cookies
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and sugar and beat on MED speed until smooth and well combined. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add vanilla and mix.
- To a mixing bowl, add dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch and salt), and whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture, starting with 3 cups, and mix on MED LOW speed.
- Let mix for 3-5 minutes, and you'll see the dough go from a crumbly mess to pulling itself into a ball that pulls away from the sides of the mixer bowl.
- Turn out the dough onto work surface and roll dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Flouring the work surface and rolling pin is helpful, as is rolling dough out between 2 pieces of wax or parchment paper.
- Cut into shapes and place cut out dough pieces on prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
- Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until edges appear set. Cookies won't be golden on the top.
- Remove from oven and let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
- Decorate if desired.
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Chef Tips
- Please take care to check that you're using cornstarch, not corn flour or corn meal. Those won't work in this recipe at all.
- For a great Royal Icing recipe, check out this detailed post.
- Flour amount varies due to humidity. Start with 3 cups and add flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time, until you see the dough ball up and pull away from the sides of the mixer bowl.
- For reference, I normally use 3 1/2 cups of the flour mixture.
NO CHILLING OPTION
I find I get the best results when combining the cold butter with the short 15 minute chill time, but if you prefer to not chill at all, you can do that.- Make sure the butter you're using is extremely cold, and work quickly so it doesn't soften on you.
- If possible, chill your rolling pin, so it'll keep the dough cold as you're rolling it.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Ruth says
I was considering making this recipe but I’m allergic to corn so I usually substitute cream of tarter and baking soda for baking powder because baking powder has cornstarch in it and I usually substitute flour for cornstarch is there something you can recommend to replace the cornstarch in this recipe or should I just look for another recipe thanks
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe without using cornstarch, so I can’t say for certain what would be an easy swap. I know arrowroot has similar properties, but I’ve never baked with it. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Cindy says
This is by far the best cut out recipe I have ever made! So tasty, fluffy and melt in your mouth! Amazing!
Rach says
Cookies hold their shape. But the flavor was off and they ended up being too crunchy and brittle. I’m an experienced home baker and followed the recipe exactly as written. I think the corn starch did this recipe no favors.
The Chunky Chef says
It’s unfortunate they turned out that way for you, I’ve never had that happen and I make these multiple times per year. They could have been baked a bit too long (since all ovens cook a little differently), but cornstarch doesn’t have any flavor. I’ve had people accidentally use corn flour or cornmeal and they did have crunchy and odd flavored cookies though.
Lynne says
I’d have to agree with some other commentaries, these are the driest hard tack cookies I’ve ever made. I had 6 trays so I baked the first one for 11 minutes and it was like a dog biscuit ( dog loved them) next 2 I baked at 10 minutes, not much better, and the last 2 at 8 minutes, still like hard tack. I’m thinking 1/2 cup of corn starch is too much. I’m disappointed because I need to start over with a new recipe.
The Chunky Chef says
That’s unfortunate for sure. I make these multiple times per year, for many years, and have never had them be that hard. The cornstarch’s function in cookies (and not just these cookies), is to make them soft, so I don’t suspect that’s what’s making them hard… but without being in the kitchen with you, it’s hard to say exactly what went wrong.
Natasha says
These have a great texture and came out just fine. Perfect amount of sweetness if you’re going to frost them. I did however find them just a tad too bland. Idk what it’s missing.
Terri L Schenck says
Natasha, I feel the same, they were easy enough to make and roll out, but I felt something was missing also.
Barbara says
These are delicious & very easy to make & handle! Wonderful not having to refrigerate before baking!! Thanks!
Jane Dugall says
Not a fan, cornstarch gave them an off flavor!
The Chunky Chef says
That’s unfortunate, and I’ve never had the cornstarch give off any flavor. I’ve had people inadvertently use cornmeal or corn flour, which did cause an “off” flavor, but cornstarch is generally flavorless.
kim says
Can’t wait to try them. But if I need to chill them can I? not sure if I will be able to finish in one night.
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, you can certainly chill them 🙂
Whit says
These turned out perfect!!
Laura Knight says
I am going to try these,but want to color the dough. Is it okay to use gel food coloring to make the cookies themselves different colors?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, so can’t say for certain, but that should work just fine 🙂
Abby Brumback says
I researched and researched to find a recipe that would hold their shape. These did not disappoint! The shapes came out of the oven exactly as they went in!! This will be my go to sugar cookie recipe from now on!
Angie says
Don’t do it!!! Absolutely the worst recipe ever. Fell apart while trying to roll them out and taste like hard baked bread dough. I’m an experienced baker and hot tskrn by this one
The Chunky Chef says
While it’s unfortunate this recipe didn’t work out for you, many others have had great success. Without being there in the kitchen with you it’s hard to say exactly what went wrong, but I’m happy to troubleshoot if you’re interested.
Marissa says
So my butter sugar egg vanilla mixture is like curdled looking is that okay?
The Chunky Chef says
It will look a little like that, but check the video up in the post above the recipe to see exactly what it should look like.
Laurie says
I have been trying to make sugar cookies for a very long time. Never worked out.
These are amazing! I added almond extract instead of vanilla and my boys ate an entire tray before I could ice them!
Thank you so much. Happy Baking
Christine says
First time cut out cookies are soft and did not spread!
Allegra says
Made these last year for Christmas and I’ll make them again this year. Last year I didn’t decorate them. I love that they aren’t too sweet, so with royal icing adding more sweetness; they still won’t be overly sweet. Going to decorate with royal icing and maybe some sprinkles but they’re so good that they don’t need it to be impressive. Thank you for the great recipe!
Tina says
I am so impressed by the way these cookies turned out. I was a little nervous because my butter wasn’t cold however, I stuck the dough into the fridge for about 30 minutes before cutting them. They held their shape perfectly! I love that they are not too sweet and once they are decorated, they’ll be perfectly sweet. Thank you for this recipe!
Stacy says
Been wanting to try my hand at decorating an making sugar cookies, your recipe is amazing! Next up I will try your icing to decorate them! Thanks for sharing!
Autumn marks says
Hello! I’m a beginner sugar cookie maker. These make perfectly the first time I tried, I used 3.5 cups flour and they’re a tad dry when eating. Should I use less flour next time?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, you can use a little bit less flour next time. These have a texture similar to shortbread, so they won’t be super moist, but they also shouldn’t be super dry.
Shannon says
Hello! Is the cornstarch 1/2 cup or 1/2 tsp? Looking forward to making these! thanks!!
The Chunky Chef says
What’s written is correct, 1/2 cup. I hope you love them!
Christine Petrache says
I’m about to try this recipe- how long can I keep the dough in the fridge before cutting out shapes – I need to take the dough to some children to shape but I want to make the dough ahead .
The Chunky Chef says
I would say about a week in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen for up to 2 months.