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4.8 from 726 votes

Sugar Cookies

Our soft Sugar Cookies recipe has that perfect chewy texture and couldn't be easier to make! These are fun to cut into shapes for any holidays and frost with cream cheese or buttercream frosting.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 438 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup butter or vegetable shortening* , or 1/3 cup butter and 1/3 cup shortening (123g)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup milk (83g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes a great flavor )
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
  • 1/2 cup butter softened, (113g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar (360-480g)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix shortening/butter and sugar In a mixing bowl until well creamed together. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla and mix.
  2. Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients--(flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet mixture until you form a large dough ball. Add a little more flour, if needed, but not too much.
  3. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, or up to 3 days.
  4. Roll Out: Dust counter top with flour and roll dough ball out until 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. (Add a little flour as needed to counter, rolling pin and top of dough, keep dough from sticking). Cut the dough into shapes with cookie cutters (or use a round drinking cup).
  5. Bake: Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 7-10 minutes. Cookies will be very light colored and just set, when you take them out. They will harden as they cool, so don't over bake them. 
  6. Frosting: Add butter and cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat well until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add more powdered sugar, as needed, until the frosting is desired thickness. Beaet for several minutes until very smooth and soft. (Stir in food coloring if desired.)
  7. Frost cooled sugar cookies and top with sprinkles, if desired.

Notes

  • Yield: This recipe makes about 12-15 cookies, depending on how thick you roll the dough and the size of the cookie cutter used. 
  • Serving Size: 1 cookie (1/15th of recipe)
  • Shortening: I like to incorporate vegetable shortening because it helps the cookies stay really soft and chewy, especially if I'm not serving them that day. But you can use all butter with great results as well. 
  • Make Ahead Instructions: Bake classic sugar cookies as instructed and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days unfrosted, or in the fridge if frosted. (I prefer to freeze them, frosted or unfrosted, if waiting longer than 1 day).
  • Freezing Instructions: stack baked, unfrosted sugar cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. To freeze frosted sugar cookies flash freeze them first on a parchment lined baking sheet for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container with parchment paper between each layer. Freezer sugar cookies for up to 3 months. Freeze sugar cookie dough in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Remove dough from freezer and let sit at room temp for 2 hours, or until soft enough to roll out.

Nutrition Information

Calories 438kcal (22%) Carbohydrates 58g (19%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 22g (34%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 57mg (19%) Sodium 321mg (13%) Potassium 68mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 38g (76%) Vitamin A 437IU (9%) Calcium 63mg (6%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 438

% Daily Value*

Calories 438kcal 22%
Carbohydrates 58g 19%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 57mg 19%
Sodium 321mg 13%
Potassium 68mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 38g 76%
Vitamin A 437IU 9%
Calcium 63mg 6%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.