Best Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER
This is the BEST sugar cookie recipe– no chilling the dough, cookies keep their shape when baked, soft and flavorful, perfect for decorating.
Every year millions of people print this Best Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER from In Katrina’s Kitchen. I have been using this recipe for over 25 years, and it has never failed me.
The texture is medium-soft, but you can bake them longer if you prefer a crisp cookie. This cookie is my absolute favorite, and I have spent many years perfecting it for friends and family.
Why is This the BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe?
The dough comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients.
It does NOT need to be chilled.
The recipe can be doubled easily.
Cookies hold their shape with very little expanding when baked.
Baked cookies freeze well.
The recipe I am giving you makes a large batch of dough because I like to bake many cookies. Also, I like to roll and cut my cookies fairly thick…to hold a lot of frosting.
Incorporating the last cup of flour may look dry and look crumbly. Turn out the dough onto your countertop and work with wet hands and/or more flour until the dough is smooth and ready to roll.
Most asked Q and A about this Recipe
Butter questions
- It is most important to note that the butter does not have to be at room temperature. We do not recommend rock-hard butter but allow the butter to sit on the countertop for 10-15 minutes while you assemble your ingredients.
- If you can press your finger into the butter and you can easily make a deep indent then the butter is too soft.
- You should be able to press the butter and make a small fingerprint.
- A tip for mixing butter is to cut it into cubes (or just small pats) before creaming with the sugar.
The dough is sticky and/or crumbly. What can I do?
- The final dough really comes together and has a texture close to Play-Doh. Wet your hands if you need to. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Don’t be afraid to use more flour and incorporate it in while you are “kneading” it into a smooth ball.
- Forget everything you know about sugar cookie dough. Don’t be afraid of sprinkling more flour as you roll it out. Use the scraps! Mix them back into the unused dough and keep going.
Can I chill the dough? I want to chill the dough. Actually, I need to make these 3 days in advance, is that okay?
- If you need to make the dough in advance, you can chill it. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
- Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling and cutting. You may need to use more flour on the countertop.
The cookies look under-baked. Can I bake them longer?
- I almost always suggest pulling out these cookies and the 8-9 minute mark for large cookie cutters, and 6-8 minutes for small cookie cutters. They will continue baking on the cookie sheet for a few minutes while they cool and set.
- After cooling for about 5 minutes, I use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.
Can I omit the almond extract?
- You can omit the almond extract.
- If not using almond extract, replace it with an equal amount of pure vanilla extract.
- You can use any of your favorite flavorings in this cookie. I have used peppermint, maple, and lemon with great success.
How Do I Make these Cookies Gluten-Free?
- To make these the best gluten-free Sugar Cookie, swap out the flour for your favorite gluten-free 1:1 flour.
- I use King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Flour
What is your favorite Christmas Cookie Frosting Recipe?
- I’m happy you asked! I like a soft, sweet frosting. Here is my favorite Christmas Cookie Frosting.
- Click here for my Small Batch Royal Icing recipe (it dries smooth and hard and is perfect for holding together gingerbread houses, too!).
- You could also try our Three Ingredient Chocolate Glaze
I hope you love this Best Sugar Cookie recipe as much as our family does! Merry Christmas!
Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup unsalted butter, 226 grams
- 1 Cup granulated white sugar, 200 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour, 360 grams
Instructions
- PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
- In the bowl of your mixer, CREAM butter and sugar until smooth, at least 3 minutes
- BEAT in extracts and egg. (PLEASE NOTE there is 1 egg in this recipe.)
- In a separate bowl, COMBINE baking powder and salt with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: If the dough looks crumbly keep mixing for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the mixer.
- If the dough still looks too dry or stiff for your mixer, turn out the dough onto a countertop surface, flour surface as needed. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
- DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches (2-3 chunks), roll out onto a floured surface, and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
- Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Troubleshooting Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
Scooping and dumping your flour may be the problem! Even with level scooping measurements can vary. Try getting a digital kitchen scale and adding your ingredients by weight.
If your cookies seem to consistently need a longer or shorter baking time consider calibrating your oven with an oven thermometer.
Bake with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Invest in a small metal cookie spatula to transfer cookies.
If left on the counter top for about an hour your butter should be the right consistency- a finger pressed onto the butter will make a slight indent but not sink down into it. (Read more about room temperature butter in this post about XL Bakery Style Cookies.)
Whenever a recipe calls for room temperature butter you should use room temperature eggs. To take the chill off of eggs I place them in a shallow bowl of warm (not hot) water for 2-3 minutes. You can then crack them for use in your recipe.
Looking for more Christmas Cookies?
Try my Christmas Cookie archive for some of the most adorable and delicious Christmas cookies.
Some of my favorites are Grinch Cookies and Ugly Christmas Sweater Sugar Cookie Bars.
For something different, try Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies.
2,506 Comments on “Best Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER”
I love this recipe! Although I used 2 eggs instead of one cuz it was falling apart.
At first, the batter was powdery almost, but then we added 3 tablespoons of milk and it turned out alright. We didn’t do anything wrong so not sure what happened there.
This is by far the best Sugar Cookie Recipe I have ever used!! It’s always my go to for any holiday or event. No fail, best tasting, easy recipe. Thank you for posting this. I have been making this recipe for years now. 😊❤
Wow these delicious and easy to make! I’ve been looking for a good recipe that doesnt spread and is easily decorated 🙂 and the hint of almond is the best! Thanks for sharing!
These are delicious! I subbed coconut sugar for regular. The taste is AMAZING! Thank you for a no-chill recipe. My 2yo can barely wait for them to bake, let alone chill. 😆 These will be our recipe for holiday sugar cookies. No need to try others. Thank you!
Fantastic cookie! Love that you don’t have to chill. I did just under 3 cups of flour just to be sure it wasn’t to dry. I used my dough hook in my kitchenaide and it was super easy. I also added 1 tsp lemon juice and omitted the almond extract as I didn’t have any. Wonderfully light and fluffy. Will be my go to for sure! I will post a pic if I can figure out how. 🙂
This recipe was perfect! I substituted butter vanilla extract for the vanilla, but they came out amazing and so perfect for decorating.
Truly the best sugar cookie recipe I’ve tried. I replaced the almond extract with lemon extract. I was unsure about not chilling the dough, but it worked! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
These were hands down the worst sugar cookies I’ve ever made. The dough was difficult to make and knead together because of the overwhelming amount of flour. Once it did, they did bake beautifully and held their shape in the oven. However, they tasted like flour. Not sweet, not buttery, not soft. Floury. I threw the dough out and gave the cooked cookies to my dogs as dog treats.
Amazing! This is a perfect recipe! Thank you for perfecting sugar cookies that become whatever the cookie cutter is! Skeleton bones for Halloween!!!!!!
I always use this recipe for all the holidays and want to take them in for the kids at school, do you think I can replace the almond extract with more vanilla? Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I have the Kitchen aid artisan mixer and it is fantastic.Also the Spiralizer
is great for making vegetable noodles.
This really is THE BEST sugar cookie recipe! The dough rolled out perfectly, the shapes cut out perfectly, and the cookies baked perfectly. To sum up the recipe in one word…PERFECTION.
The dough crumbles. Has anyone else had this issue?
I found it looks crumbly at first but it all comes together when you gather it with your hands. The texture is perfect then for rolling
I did too….but i made this batch times 4…i just added more water and kept kneading it until it was the consistency that I wanted. And also worked with smaller portions once it was mostly mixed.
This really is the best sugar cookie recipe. I have been free lancing cookie baking for parties for three years now and this is my “go-to” recipe. I have never adjusted the recipe; it is so reliable. The cookies are consistent every single time. Thank you Katrina for posting this awesome recipe! I should have written a reply sooner!
These cookies were extremely disappointing. They feel apart and were very difficult to decorate. Don’t make if you are going to decorate. I did let them cool completely before trying and they feel apart. Very disappointed kiddies!
Do you know what would happen if I used cake and pastry flour?
Can I use maple flavor in this recipe? Can I use It in place of almond extract? if no, how much do you think i can use for maple flavor?
BRAVO! I made both the cookies AND the icing! So, so extremely tasty! The icing tastes like what one gets at a bakery!
Me and my roommate just made these and they are such a huge hit
Can you explain why the cookies need to be thicker? I’m jumping into the baking scene, and learning to make sugar cookies before my kids birthday…
I have made the cookies a few times and they turned out well. Sometimes I have added cinnamon and nutmeg.
Today I made them with an gluten free flour and they were too dry and basically fell apart. Its a shame but I will continue to look for a good gluten free sugar recipe.
These cookies are the perfect sugar cookie, I’ve been making them for a while. But now I’m vegan so if you could some how make them equally as good vegan that would be even better!
Making these right now!!!😍
Delicious & easy! I added cinnamon sugar and put blueberries mixed with a little sugar, flour, salt and vanilla underneath the cookie dough balls and it was soooo yummy(baked at 375 for about 20 mins)
How to store the cookies to keep them soft?
I love this recipe ! The cookies tasted amazing ! I do have one quick question though. Even after the cookies completely cooled. Some of them broke very easily when handling them. Is there a way I could make them a little harder perhaps?
How do you freeze these cookies once they are baked?
Thanks for the recipe. I must let the dough rest in cool place because they melted in one very BIG cookie 😂 but i don’t mind. Let it cool for 10-20 min ise enough. I have Baker oven, so it IS a little bit slowly cooking, about 15 minuteid until golden edges, after cooling down – nice crispy.
How long do these stay fresh tasting after baking?
You are right this was the best sugar cookie cut out Joe I’ve ever tried but what happens if you do refrigerate the dough
This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe, I stumbled upon your website years ago, (Thanks Pinterest!) and it is now the only sugar cookie recipe I use. I always get amazing reviews, my kids and people who know me request cookies for all special occasions, not just Christmas anymore. I’m about to go decorate my daughter’s unicorn cookies for her birthday party this weekend!!! Thanks a million!
Tried this after several others and like it the best for cookie making. How do these cookies survive being frozen?
I love this recipe! I just made them and they turned out perfectly and taste really good.
Thank you!!
HI! Can you freeze and use the dough for another time?
I made these cookies to give to some old friends, and they were quite delectable! Great recipe. I’ll have to make these again some time soon!
YES!! ABSOLUTELY BEST SUGAR COOKIE!!
I’m making Greek Letter cookies for son’s fraternity and daughter’s sorority. 2 separate batches easy to mix up and I have 7 dozen 3” letter cookies! Still have to make 1 more batch (they go to a small school!)
So thrilled w/recipe! Trying your icing tonight. How many high can I stack??
I’ve used this recipe many times and it’s always PERFECT.
I’m wondering though, can I replace part of the flour for cocoa powder to make them chocolate? How much flour would you replace?
Thanks!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!! Comes together so easy, not too sticky, almost a play-doh consistency and bakes the softest cookies. Thank you!!
If I roll and cut the dough can I freeze the prebaked cookies?
Hands down, the best sugar cookie recipe I’ve used!!! I reduce the baking powder to 1 1/2 tsp because I was using detailed shapes and wanted the edges to stay extra sharp.
The dough does seem VERY crumbly at first, just keep working it. I rolled my cookies out on parchment, loved that flour wasn’t needed!
These were definitely the best sugar cookies ever! I by chance found your recipe and I’m so glad I did. They were easy to make…its been years since I made a batch of sugar cookies. I don’t like the crispy kind…these were perfect especially with your best cookie icing on top of them! Thank you!!
I hosted a Christmas cookie decorating party for friends and neighbors. I used your cookie and frosting recipe. My colors didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted, but I think that was my food colors fault. The cookies still turned out delicious and everyone had so much fun. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
Thank you for your recipe, I made these for our annual Santa Cookie tradition. I was very happy with the flavor or the cookie, and they were so easy to cut out. I love how they held their shape! I know Santa loved them, too!
After years of the same recipe, I tried yours. Please note, I am a sugar cookie addict. I loved the cookies. My grandkids loved the cookies. My daughter was skeptical, but ultimately she enjoyed the cookies too. Best of all, my husband really enjoyed the sugar cookies; he was never a fan in the past. The almond extract makes the difference. Simple and quick recipe…I had great results!! I am thankful I found my new “go-to” recipe and that says a lot from a grandma.
I just wanted to say I made your sugar cookies for Christmas and they were yummy! Turned out perfectly and were so easy! Thank you so much this will be my life long sugar cookie recipe!
This IS the best no spread cookie recipe ever! Dough was perfect and didn’t need extra flour or water. Kept half a batch in the fridge for 2 days and it was still perfect. I’m no baker but I feel like one with this recipe! Thank you so much!
Recipe knocked it out of the park! Tried it for first time with my kids tonight Christmas Eve & it worked like a charm. First recipe found when searching for dough that did not require refrigeration. Better, way better than that pillsbury pre made stuff and quick to make. Thanks! Santa will be very pleased this year!
We tried these tonight for Santa’s cookies. They don’t taste like sugar cookies at all, but rather butter/flour cookies. The redemption was that by decorating them, they didn’t end up too sweet on too sweet. Some broke easily, but others didn’t. I’ll keep hunting for our sugar cookie recipe!
Great recipe!