Simple to make and sweet to eat, you’ll love these Sugar Cookies!
There are so many times when we need cookies. Friends come by unexpectedly, and we want something special to serve. It’s 8:00 at night, and our kids tell us they need something for a bake sale at 8:00 the next morning. Someone asks us to bring dessert to a dinner party. And sometimes, well, sometimes we all just need a crispy, chewy, sugary cookie because…well, because cookies! So here is our easy, go-to recipe for the most delectable Sugar Cookies whenever we need —or just want!!—them.
It may be that the very first version of the sugar cookie appeared in 7th century Persia, but in terms of what we think of as sugar cookies, it seems that German Protestants who settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, first made them in the mid-1700s, and they made them in the shape of their keystone state! This makes sense, right? Because sugar cookie dough is ideal for rolling out and then using cookie cutters to create confections in your favorite shapes.
But here’s the beauty of sugar cookie dough: Sure, you can roll it out and cut the shapes, but you can also do what we do here in this recipe. We roll the dough into small balls, then roll those balls into sugar, and then put them on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, those little balls will bake into perfect sugary, buttery, vanilla-infused circles of crispy, crumbly deliciousness that no one will be able to resist!
Mid-afternoon slump? Whip up an Iced Cappuccino to pair with some sugar cookies: you’ll have all of your energy back in no time! After school snack? What could be better than Sugar Cookies with a Mixed Berry Smoothie? Need a special treat to pack in a school lunch? How about a couple of sugar cookies and a little container of Chocolate Sauce to dip them in? Your kids will go wild for this!!
Tips for Perfect Sugar Cookies
The first thing you want to do is make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature—yes, that includes your butter and your egg. Cold ingredients are harder to incorporate evenly into the dough, and temperature affects the baking time, too. Use high quality ingredients: good butter and pure vanilla are really important to bring the maximum flavor. Next, measure everything carefully: baking is science and measurements need to be precise to ensure perfection. Cream your butter and sugar with a hand mixer; that will give you more control than a stand mixer so you can make sure that the butter and sugar are completely incorporated together. Form all the balls the same size to ensure even baking. Don’t over-bake!! As soon as you see the edges of these cookies turn golden brown, take them out of the oven. Let them cool completely. Then, all you have to do is eat these perfect Sugar Cookies!
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
This Sugar Cookie dough can be prepared up through Step 5 and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months before baking. Baked and cooled Sugar Cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 4 days, in the refrigerator for a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Is there a chocolate version of these Sugar Cookies?
You can easily make one! Just add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to your dry ingredients (Step 5), and you’ll have chocolate sugar cookies!
Are baking powder and baking soda gluten-free?
Generally, yes. Baking soda is a naturally gluten-free product, as is baking powder but sometimes manufacturers do add some wheat elements so make sure you check the ingredients. What all of this means is that if you use gluten-free flour and make sure your baking soda and baking powder don’t have gluten, you can make an excellent gluten free batch of Sugar Cookies!
Serving Suggestions
The pure, pristine flavor of these Sugar Cookies is perfection, but that doesn’t mean you can’t modify the recipe to suit your mood! Try adding lemon extract and the zest from half a lemon and half an orange to the batter (and maybe a little bit of juice from that orange) to make a citrus version of Sugar Cookies and then serve them with these delicious Creamsicle Smoothies. Or add some almond extract, and for a special morning treat, serve this version with Almond Milk Breakfast Smoothies.
Sugar Cookies also make the best ice cream sandwiches. If you make the chocolate version by adding cocoa powder to your batter, you can put a big scoop of Dark Chocolate Ice Cream between two cookies for an amazing dessert, or add some ground cinnamon to the cookie batter and make an ice cream sandwich filled with Salted Cinnamon Ice Cream (and no one would be mad if you drizzled some Caramel Sauce over these!). Another great thing to do with Sugar Cookies is to spread them with creamy frostings: keep the vanilla flavor going strong by topping the cookies with Vanilla Buttercream Icing or celebrate summer by putting some fresh sliced strawberries on top of a cookie and topping it with Strawberry Buttercream. Basically, whatever flavor you can imagine, this Sugar Cookie recipe will accommodate your vision!
Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar divided
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream together softened butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Gradually blend in the dry ingredients until just mixed.
- Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls, then roll in remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.
- Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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