Classic Sugar Cookies

The cookies are baked until they’re smooth and just a pale golden color since they harden as they cool. If you don’t have cookie cutters a glass cup makes a great makeshift version!

Classic Sugar Cookies

How to Make Classic Sugar Cookies

1. Beat the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix once again.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In another large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixer, beating on low speed until it has all been incorporated.
3. Chill dough. Turn dough out of the bowl and divide it in half. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to a few days before cooking.
4. Roll out the dough. Heat oven to 325ºF. Lightly flour a clean surface and turn half the chilled dough out onto it. Lightly sprinkle flour over the top of the dough and use a rolling pin to evenly roll out the dough so it’s ¼” thick.
5. Cut shapes. Use cookie cutters to carefully cut shapes from the dough. Arrange on a parchment paper lined baking sheet spread 1” apart. Pull together any dough scraps and re-roll out the dough to make as many cookies as possible. Repeat with the remaining dough half.
6. Bake the cookies. Bake until pale, sandy in color, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to move cookies to a cooling rack.
7. Decorate. Let cool completely before decorating with icing and sprinkles (optional).

A few tips for making the best sugar cookies:

• Make sure the dough is chilled! Chilled dough makes it easiest to use cookie cutters and move the cut shapes.
• I’d recommend letting the cookies cool completely for a few hours before decorating them so the frosting doesn’t melt and run.
• For the best sugar cookies make sure you are patient when creaming together the butter and sugar, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be really fluffy before adding the eggs and the dry ingredients.
• Don’t roll the dough out too thin or it will become fragile. Roll it out to about ¼-inch thick for the best cookies.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Linzer Cookies
• Cream Cheese Cookies
• Grandma Mary’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Classic Sugar Cookies

Print Pin

Prep Time 2 hrs 15 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Serves 24 cookies

US Customary – Metric

Equipment:

• Cookie cutters in various shapes (optional)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional as needed for rolling out dough
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Frosting of choice. (optional) for decorating
• Sprinkles of choice, optional, for decorating

Instructions:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix once again.
• In another large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixer, beating on low speed until it has all been incorporated.
• Turn dough out of the bowl and divide it in half. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to a few days before cooking.
• Heat oven to 325ºF (170ºC).
• Lightly flour a clean surface and turn half the chilled dough out onto it. Lightly sprinkle flour over the top of the dough and use a rolling pin to evenly roll out the dough so it’s ¼” thick.
• Use cookie cutters to carefully cut shapes from the dough. Arrange on a parchment paper lined baking sheet spread 1” apart. Pull together any dough scraps and re-roll out the dough to make as many cookies as possible. Repeat with the remaining dough half.
• Bake until pale, sandy in color, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to move cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before decorating with icing and sprinkles (optional).

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