There’s something absolutely magical about biting into Easy Sugar Cookies fresh from the oven. With their delicately crisp edges and soft, melt-in-your-mouth centers, these cookies bring back all the comfort and nostalgia of classic home baking in just one bite. Whether you’re prepping for the holidays, hosting a bake sale, or simply craving something sweet, you’ll fall in love with how simple, foolproof, and crowd-pleasing this recipe is—so easy, you could make them any day of the week just because.
Ingredients You’ll Need
All it takes is a handful of pantry staples to whip up a batch of these classic cookies. Each ingredient is selected to create the perfect balance of buttery richness, gentle sweetness, and just the right texture. Here’s everything you’ll need, plus a few tips for the best results!
- All-purpose flour: This provides the perfect sturdy base and ensures your cookies have just the right bite.
- Baking soda: Helps your sugar cookies puff up gently and gives them a lovely, soft texture.
- Baking powder: Adds a touch more lift so each cookie stays light rather than dense.
- Salt: A small amount balances and intensifies all the flavors beautifully.
- Unsalted butter, softened: Using butter at room temperature makes for a creamy, evenly mixed dough and rich, classic cookie taste.
- Granulated sugar: This sweetens and adds crunch both in the dough and when rolling the cookie balls.
- Large egg: Binds the ingredients together and gives the cookies some softness.
- Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla if possible for a beautiful depth of flavor.
- Almond extract (optional): Just a dash turns these into bakery-worthy treats; skip if you prefer a pure vanilla flavor.
- Granulated sugar for rolling: Rolling the dough in sugar gives every bite a sparkling, irresistible crunch on the outside.
How to Make Easy Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Prep the Oven and Pans
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) so it’s hot and ready while you mix your cookie dough. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure the cookies bake evenly and come off effortlessly when cooled. This simple step makes clean-up so much easier, too!
Step 2: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. This is key—it evenly distributes the leaveners and salt, preventing any unpleasant surprises in your cookies, and helps the dough come together smoothly later on.
Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar
In a large bowl, combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. This step adds air, making for a wonderfully tender cookie. Don’t rush it—creaming really is the secret to those signature soft centers!
Step 4: Add Eggs and Extracts
Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) until everything is well combined. The vanilla brings out that classic sugar cookie flavor, and a hint of almond can make these cookies feel extra special—like something straight from your favorite bakery!
Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures
Gradually add the whisked dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, mixing on low speed and scraping down the sides as you go. Stop as soon as everything is just incorporated—overmixing can lead to tough cookies, and we want to keep these Easy Sugar Cookies irresistibly soft.
Step 6: Shape and Roll the Dough
Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them into balls with your hands. Drop each ball into a bowl of granulated sugar and roll to coat. This step creates those beautiful, sparkly exteriors and a satisfying, delicate crunch on the outside of every cookie.
Step 7: Flatten and Bake
Place the dough balls on your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each. Gently flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass or your fingers—just enough to create a classic cookie shape. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers still look soft and pale. Avoid overbaking for that perfect chewy texture!
Step 8: Cool and Enjoy
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes (they’ll finish setting as they cool), then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, your Easy Sugar Cookies are ready to be devoured—or dressed up for serving!
How to Serve Easy Sugar Cookies
Garnishes
Sugar cookies love to be dressed up! Sprinkle colored sanding sugar or festive sprinkles on top before baking for a pop of color. For holidays, try a drizzle of melted chocolate or a dusting of powdered sugar once the cookies have cooled.
Side Dishes
Pair your Easy Sugar Cookies with a cozy mug of hot cocoa, a glass of cold milk, or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a classic treat. If you’re hosting a cookie platter, these cookies play so well with chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and gingerbread varieties too.
Creative Ways to Present
Get creative and stack your cookies in a glass jar tied with ribbon for gift-giving, or arrange them in a spiral on a cake stand for a stunning cookie centerpiece. You can even use cookie cutters before baking for fun seasonal shapes that make any event extra special.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover Easy Sugar Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay soft and fresh for up to five days. If you live in a humid climate, add a slice of bread to the container to prevent them from drying out!
Freezing
You can freeze both unbaked cookie dough balls and the fully baked cookies with great results. Freeze dough balls on a sheet until solid, then store in a freezer bag and bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time. To freeze baked cookies, let them cool fully and layer with parchment in an airtight bag for up to three months.
Reheating
If you love a warm, just-baked cookie, give cooled Easy Sugar Cookies a quick zap in the microwave for about 10 seconds. This softens them up, reviving that fresh-from-the-oven magic. Don’t microwave too long or they’ll dry out!
FAQs
Can I add food coloring to Easy Sugar Cookies?
Absolutely! You can tint the dough with gel food coloring before shaping, or decorate the baked cookies with colored icing for even more festive fun.
How do I make my sugar cookies extra soft?
The key is not to overbake. Pull them from the oven when the centers still look soft and a bit pale—they’ll set up as they cool for that delicious chew.
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted?
Yes! If you use salted butter, just reduce the added salt by half to keep the flavors balanced.
Do these cookies hold their shape for cut-outs?
This dough is slightly softer, but if you chill it well and roll it out, you can absolutely use cookie cutters for classic shapes. Just add a couple extra tablespoons of flour if needed.
Can I double this recipe for a big batch?
Definitely! This recipe doubles or even triples beautifully, making it perfect for big gatherings, gifting, or freezing extra batches of Easy Sugar Cookies for later.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a no-fuss, totally reliable treat that’ll win over anyone with a single bite, these Easy Sugar Cookies are simply a must-try. They’re quick, versatile, endlessly customizable, and pure comfort in every golden, sugary round. I can’t wait for you to bake up a batch and make your own sweet memories with them!
Print
Easy Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Easy Sugar Cookies are a classic treat that’s perfect for any occasion. Soft and chewy, with just the right amount of sweetness, these cookies are simple to make and always a crowd-pleaser. Whip up a batch for a quick and delicious dessert that everyone will love!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
- Shape and bake: Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough, roll into balls, coat in granulated sugar, and place on baking sheets. Flatten slightly and bake for 8–10 minutes.
- Cool and enjoy: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For chewy cookies, avoid overbaking.
- Add sprinkles or colored sugar for decoration.
- Dough can be chilled for thicker cookies or frozen for later use.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
