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 am trying to make to sugar cookies but its too crumbly…what can I do to make it so I can roll it and cut it?
Every year I make Christmas cookies with my grandchildren. However, this year we are ALL together in Hawai. I packed everything I would need, including cookie cutters and rolling pin! But I needed a recipe that didn’t need chilling. That’s when I found yours! Thank you for the perfect match to this grandmother’s need. A perfect dough, a perfect time making new Christmas memories and a delicious treat to enjoy with everyone afterward! Merry Christmas, Katrina and thank you for sharing!
This is seriously the best cookie dough ever. I’ve been using this recipe for years. I use it all year but double or triple it during the holidays and make cut outs, cookie cups, or add peanut butter, or add mini semi sweet chips, the possibilities are endless. They come out perfect every time, even when I divide the dough to make random cookies.
Thank you
You saved our Christmas tradition
Moved and packed my moms cookbook she gave me
It has been a nightmare
My recipe I’ve been doing for years can not find
Trying to make Christmas cookies with my granddaughter and i tears because I tried 4 different recipes. None came close to my mine until I found yours on Pinterest!!!!
Thank you for sharing
These cookies are amazing!!!!
These cookies suck, idk what ingredient you forgot but doesn’t taste like a sugar cookie.
(And by the way I rolled out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and I got 29 cookies. But that will always vary depending on cookie cutter size. It would’ve been probably 30 but we probably ate about a cookie of cookie dough.😆)
This is such an amazing recipe! I decided that I would make sugar cookies for a little friend getogether and they turned out awesome. I would like to say though that all ovens vary so one oven could take 8 minutes to bake to perfection and another 12. I always have and always will bake cookies until golden brown on the edges. I frosted with a family buttercream recipe, rather than a royal icing. I really just think it is a personal preference. I always soften my butter to, and the cookies turn out excellent. I used salted butter, but that was just because it was on hand and I didn’t feel like running 20 minutes to a grocery store to get unsalted butter. Over all, this recipe is AMAZING and would highly suggest it to someone’s else.
These are ridiculously easy and turn out amazing. Thank you!!
I love the recipe, it is very simple and not as sweet. I am making it for older Chinese/ Taiwanese people. They don’t like to eat that much sugar in a recipe. All there recipe always has less sugar or in cakes, only whip creams for the icing and the filling is mostly fruits and whip creams.
Would you please share your frosting recipe. Thanks.
Can u use mArgerine instead of butter
Make sure you find the right cookie cutters. I used some that were too big, rolled out the dough too thick so it wouldnt break and ended up way underbaking the first batch. I switched to some smaller ones I borrowed and they turned out way better
Thank you for the recipe- to clarify do you use room temp butter or cold? Looking forward to a quick sugar cookie recipe to make with the kiddos!
I have never had success with rolled sugar cookies. Just tried these this morning and am in LOVE with the recipe. Easy, quick and tasty. Thank you.
Love that the shapes are so sharp and defined, but the dough is very crumbly and cookies don’t taste nearly as good as our usual recipe. We always use almond extract so it must be in the amount of sugar.
I have used this recipe for two years now. It is wonderful, easy and delicious. No other recipe I’ve tried holds shapes as well as this one. Sometimes I will sneak in just a little whole wheat flour because I like the flavor, not more than a quarter of the total amount of flour so the texture isn’t messed up.
This is one of the best recipe i have ever tried. The dough was first a little wet so I add about 50gr all-purpose flour and the everything went smootly. After baking, the surface of cookies was flat. I baked 12 minutes for firmer structure so I could decorate easily. Thanks for awesome recipe 🙂
These were tasty and held shape fabulously! Thanks for the recipe!
I just made these cookies, following your recipe and tips. They turned out perfect! I have tried other recipes before, all required freezing and most of the time they spread! This is now my go to sugar cookies recipe! 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Greased or ungreased cookie sheet?
Do you use thawed butter..or mix it cold
What temperature do you have your butter and egg? Room or out of the refrigerator? Please anyone. I would like to make these now!
This cookie is so good! Instead of frosting, I used melted white chocolate because it sets faster, and it was a hit!
Very good recipe made with my kids yesterday, and made some Christmas cookies this still is very good for cut-out cookies. Harley would recommend this recipe.
Wonderful recipe with great instructions. Thank you for your hard work in making this so easy for the rest of us out there! Happy holidays to you and your family!
Trying your recipe tonight! Love your happy energy!! Thank you for sharing with us less talented in the kitchen.
I doubled this recipe and made it exactly at the recipe says and it was perfect. this is 100% my go to recipe from now on. Thank you.
Do you have to use almond extract? Could I just use a little extra vanilla? Same question for the Christmas cookie frosting.
Can I make these in chocolate? do you have a recipe?
This is the 4th time I am making this recipe. I will first say that I love this recipe as the cookies always hold their shape and they taste good.
However every year I find I have to chill the dough or else they tear apart very easily when getting them on the tray to bake. I don’t mind chilling it, though.
Can I use another extract for this? We have a nut allergy in the family?
We tried this recipe tonight and WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED! 😍
My husband just declared these cookies the best sugar cookies he has ever eaten. And he has had many different versions. I am definitely keeping this recipe. Thank you!
The texture is good on these cookies, as long as you’re careful with them while frosting them, but the flavor is terrible. It’s so bland, and I realized, there is no salt in this recipe! If you add in a half teaspoon of salt, the flavor will be so much better!
Oh my god. This recipe is awesome. I don’t do reviews of stuff but damn. I made the Fox Run butterfly cutter set with this. They are intricate and all just shy of 1” wingspan and they came out perfectly. I just really can’t believe it. I also used a veiner on some leaf cookies and it held perfectly. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!!
I love this recipie. I have used it for the last couple of years. I have a question. Can I freeze the dough to use in about 2 weeks? How long does it usually stay good in the refrigerator?
I made these with my ESL students and they loved it. It was really easy. I made these at home for myself.
Can the dough be frozen?
tried these cookies and they turned out great! I iced them and everyone loves them.
If I don’t have unsalted butter, can salted butter be used? I always seem to forget items like this when I go shopping.
If I don’t have unsalted butter, can salted butter be used? I always seem to forget things like this when shopping.
I just made these today to decorate, they are DELICIOUS!! My first batch I took out after 10 mins and they fell apart/were a bit too soft so I was pretty worried, the next 6 trays I left in for a few minutes longer and they were perfect. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi, should the butter be cold or room temperature?
Do you know if you can freeze cookies and decorate a few days later?? Ty
Sorry after going through all these comments I have a question.I believe you said somewhere in here you rolled these out to 1/4 inch. Will that be thick enough?I have to add you are a patient woman. Happy Holidays. B. Karr
Make a video of this
Leaving a reply al the way from South Africa! The recipe is PERFECT and the cookies turned out fantastic. Simple, fast, easy and kid friendly.
I baked mine a little longer to give them a golden brown colour and they taste divine. The kids and I are going to decorate them tomorrow.
Thanks so much!
Leanda
How long can these cookies be stored and how do I store them?
Have you ever baked these on a Silpat mat? If so, how long to bake them at 350* or do you recommend just baking on the sheet pan as written. Can’t wait to try your recipe out. 😊😊😊