This is Grandma Prudy’s easy sugar cookie recipe for THIN and CRISPY cookies, not to be confused with the kind that you put frosting on. These ones are light, snappy, and shatter in your mouth when you take a bite. The flavor is exquisitely buttery. They are irresistible and I may or may not have eaten about 5,000. Dip them in milk! Die happy! (If you are looking for a frosted cookie, try The Softest Sugar Cookie Recipe of Your Life.) Originally posted March 15, 2019.
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Eric’s parents were in town last weekend for Charlotte’s baptism. On Sunday afternoon we were deciding what cookies to make for Cookie Sunday (a very serious tradition at our house).
We were having trouble narrowing it down, so I made everyone tell me which kind they wanted most, and then we all got 3 votes that we could put under any cookie. (So you could put all 3 votes under your own cookie or divide them up however you like.) Now you have a strategy for next time you can’t decide what cookie to make, you’re welcome. (What, no one else has this problem??)
Most everyone wanted chocolate chip cookies of some sort, but Eric wanted them to be these ones with maple and raw sugar, Truman wanted chocolate chip with M&Ms, and Chip wanted regular ones. (The phrase “divide and conquer” comes to mind) Kris was the only one who wanted CRISPY drop sugar cookies, the kind her Grandma Prudy used to make, even though none of the rest of us are huge fans of crunchy cookies.
Well everyone gave Kris a pity vote, don’t ask me why, it certainly wasn’t me, but she ended up winning. That was the point when Truman let out a guttural scream, like a wounded animal, and started crying real tears. For a moment I thought he had hurt himself somehow, and we all stared at him expectantly, but then he yelled, “I HATE CRUNCHY SUGAR COOKIES!!!!” and that’s when we all started dying laughing, trying to choke it back and bite our tongues so he couldn’t see, while we sent him into a time out.
We ended up making both kinds of course. (After a stern talk with Truman.) Kris decided to make a half batch of easy sugar cookies because she thought she would be the only ones eating them. We all enjoyed the warm chocolate chip cookies when they came out of the oven.
But guess what happened over the next 24 hours? We DEMOLISHED those crispy sugar cookies. They were gone way before the chocolate chip cookies. And we were all sad that Kris hadn’t made the full batch.
Grandma Prudy’s No Roll Sugar Cookies are Crispy Crunchy Heaven!
Here’s the thing about Grandma Prudy’s easy sugar cookie recipe: they are kind of like air. You breathe them in without really thinking about it. A warm chocolate chip cookie is like an event: you need to sit down with a glass of milk and really focus in on the warm richness of it.
But Grandma Prudy’s easy sugar cookie recipe? You nab one on your way to get a glass of water in the kitchen. You take two more as a snack on your drive to pick up the kids. You eat 4 with a glass of milk while Netflixing, and barely even realize what happened. I bet that in the process of writing this post I’ve had at least 7. Don’t judge. I’m telling you, these sugar cookies are dangerous.
And you can trust me, because I consider myself firmly entrenched in the soft sugar cookie camp. One of my most popular recipes is for The Softest Sugar Cookie Recipe of Your Life, and I stand by that title; I’ve never had a homemade sugar cookie that stayed so soft, even on the edges. Top it with The Best Buttercream Frosting For Sugar Cookies and you will be in heaven.
But these drop sugar cookies are in a different category entirely. They are impossibly thin and impossibly crispy. They shatter in your mouth when you take a bite, and then they melt into exquisite sugary bliss. You will get crumbs everywhere. You will have butter and oil on your fingers after eating them. And it will only give you an excuse to grab another one.
Sugar Cookie Recipe Crispy Ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Butter (I prefer salted, but unsalted will work)
- Granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Cream of tartar
- Kosher salt
- Red hots (optional)
How to make Crispy Sugar Cookies
Here’s a quick overview of how to make these cookies (full instructions below in the recipe card).
- Cream butter.
- Add granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat well with vanilla and eggs.
- Add dry ingredients and blend together.
- Shape dough into one-inch balls.
- Dip a glass in sugar and gently smash each dough ball.
- Press one red hot in the middle of each cookie, if you want.
- Bake until light golden brown, crispy, and perfect!
They are scary easy to make. You don’t even have to roll the dough, or chill it, meaning you can go from zero to warm cookies in 30 minutes. It’s a simple mixture that has butter, white sugar, powdered sugar, and vegetable oil. The oil is part of what makes them so crispy. The other thing that helps with texture is the cream of tartar. It gives these simple sugar cookies a tender crumb (that melt in your mouth texture), and the same tart aftertaste that you get with snickerdoodles.
Here is Grandma Prudy’s original recipe. (When she got older, her doctor told her to cut back on salt, so she cut it out entirely from her baking. But what’s a cookie without a little salt? Terrible, according to everyone who tried them. Kris (her granddaughter) added it back in you can see. And also some mace. Or nutmed?? ha! Nutmeg would be pretty good in these.)
Grandma Prudy is my husband Eric’s Swedish great-grandmother. Her parents were immigrants from Sweden. She was a lovely lady who I never had the chance to meet, but she left dozens and dozens of amazing recipes that we all remember her with. She was the Swedish cookie queen:
Grandma Prudy’s Classic Gingersnaps
Crispy Swedish Cardamom Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cookies (In our family we call them Sweethearts)
Eric’s mom Kris told me that every time they went on a road trip, her mother would make a giant batch of these simple sugar cookies, and another giant batch of Gingersnaps, and they would store them in empty coffee cans to enjoy while they were driving. I seriously can’t think of a better road trip snack!
One more thing, Prudy always baked these cookies with a red hot candy in the middle, like this:
I didn’t think I would be into this, but Kris proved me wrong, again. The red hot melts into the same texture as the rest of the cookie, so instead of having a hard cinnamon candy for your middle bite, it adds just a little kick of cinnamon that blends right in with the cookie. It’s delightful.
(Check the comments within a few days of me posting this. I’m SURE Kris will have LOTS to say about me eating crow over crispy sugar cookies. She’s been waiting for this day a long time I think. We argue about crunchy cookies vs. soft cookies ALL the time. I frequently have to save batches of cookies from the jaws of over-baked death when she is in charge.)
But not these sugar cookies. It’s impossible to over bake them. You want them to be BROWN on the edges when you take them out of the oven. Crispy heaven!! See, I’ve come a long way over the years. Crispy simple sugar cookies with no frosting or royal icing really do have a place in the world. Kris, you can die happy now.
How to Use Drop Sugar Cookies
I know. It’s tempting to keep the entire batch of these cookies to yourself to munch on every time you walk through the kitchen. And don’t let me stop you!
But these crispy sugar cookies also make an excellent holiday gift or addition to a party!
To gift your cookies, let them cool completely, then put a few in a cute bakery box or cellophane bag tied up with a bow. They’re the perfect way to share some joy (buttery, crispy cookie joy) to your friends and neighbors any time of year (but especially at Christmas).
To bring them to a party, simply let them cool completely, then layer them on a serving platter, cover it with plastic wrap, and transport.
Crispy Sugar Cookie Recipe Storage
These cookies will last at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Can you freeze these cookies?
Yes! Sugar cookies freeze extremely well, which makes preparing ahead for the holiday season so easy.
To freeze the cookies, let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready for the cookies, let them thaw at room temperature, then add them to your holiday cookie plate.
Thin Sugar Cookies FAQ
There are a couple things you can do to make sure you get the crispy crunch we’re going for with these cookies:
Smash them. Smashing the cookie dough balls flat before baking thins them out so they get nice and crispy in the oven.
Let them bake. I mean bake. The edges of the cookies should be browning before you pull them out of the oven. Then when you pull them out of the oven, let them cool on the baking sheet for five minutes to give them time to crisp up even more.
While smashing the cookies and giving them plenty of time to bake makes them crunchier, the granulated sugar also absorbs moisture in the dough. This creates a crispier texture than if you were using brown sugar.
Notice also that we are not chilling the dough here. Not only does this mean you’re putting cookies in your mouth faster (what, am I the only cookie monster here??) but it also means that the cookies flatten out nice and thin and crispy.
Chewy cookies are often created with brown sugar and eggs – the extra moisture creates a deliciously chewy texture, like a classic chocolate chip cookie. A chewy cookie should also be watched carefully so it doesn’t over-bake.
Crunchy cookies are created with granulated sugar, rolled out or pressed until nice and thin, and then baked not until soft, but until light golden brown and crisp.
This is where my mother-in-law and I disagree. In my world, soft sugar cookies are the only way to go. One of my most popular recipes is for The Softest Sugar Cookie Recipe of Your Life, and I am obsessed with how incredibly soft they are, even on the edges. BUT there’s something so delightful about the crunch of these thin sugar cookies that I cannot deny.
Because there’s no rolling out the dough with a rolling pin. You use a baking scoop (or two spoons if you’re old-school) to drop some dough onto a baking sheet and they’re ready to go in the oven.
More cookie recipes you will love!
- The Softest Sugar Cookie Recipe of Your Life << these really are the best sugar cookies, if you’re looking for a soft and buttery cookie that is frosted. Frost with The Best Buttercream Frosting For Sugar Cookies!
- Soft Chocolate Sugar Cookies (That Hold Their Shape) << These are the chocolate versions of those ones.
- Coconut-Frosted Sugar Cookies with Strawberry Hearts << I LOVE these ones. They use the same sugar-smash method for shaping the dough.
- Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies << I could not stop eating these!
- Lemon Curd Sugar Cookie Sandwiches << for some reason this recipe never took off and I don’t know why, because what could be better than lemon curd + sugar cookies??
- Linzer Cookies (Original Austrian Recipe) from Also the Crumbs Please << crisp sugar cookies filled with apricot jam? Yes please!!
- Norwegian Butter Cookies (Serinakaker) from Bowl of Delicious << I really want to try these buttery almond shortbread cookies!
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Crispy Sugar Cookie Recipe (Grandma Prudy’s Thin and Crispy Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks – I liked salted, unsalted is fine too)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large large eggs
- 4 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for smashing cookies
- red hots, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup butter for about 2 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl. Make sure it is nice and smooth, light and fluffy.
- Add 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 cup vegetable oil (I like to use light olive oil).
- Beat until well combined, scraping sides to make sure the butter and sugar gets incorporated.
- Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, and 2 large eggs. Beat well until smooth.
- Add 4 and 1/2 cups flour, making sure you measure it correctly (spoon it into the measuring cup.) Don’t stir yet.
- Use a small spoon to stir 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt into the flour. Break up any chunks of soda or tartar.
- Beat the dry ingredients into the dough until just barely combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Make sure all the flour is incorporated, but don’t over mix (or you will get a tough cookie. Who wants that??)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a few baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Use a 1 inch cookie scoop to shape the cookie dough. A 1 inch ball of dough will yield about a 2 and 1/2 inch wide sugar cookie. You don’t want them bigger than that. (Trust me. I’m usually the one using 1/4 cup of dough for my cookies. But not these ones. Tiny is better.)
- Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets with about 2 inches in between each cookie. The dough is pretty soft because of the oil, but fear not, they bake up just fine.
- Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar to a plate. Lightly wet the bottom of a drinking glass that has a flat bottom. Dip the glass in the sugar and use it to smash one cookie dough ball. Dip in sugar again and repeat with the remaining dough. You want to smash the cookies so they are about 1/4 inch thick.
- Press one red hot in the middle of each cookie, if you want.
- Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes. You want the edges of the cookie to be light brown, and there should be no shine in the center of the cookie. The bake time also depends on how much you smashed them.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Eat 500 a day until they are gone. These are really good dipped in milk. Crispy crunchy heaven!
These are the very sugar cookies I grew up on from my grandmother. Love them. I don’t make them often because we can’t be trusted with them and start accusing each other of pilfering them when they seem to disappear too quickly! Sometimes I would add a touch a lemon of almond extract to match the season.
Thank you!
That’s so funny Sherri, the same thing seems to happen around here! Thanks for sharing your story and taking the time to comment, it means a lot :-)
Thank you , thank you , thank you! I have made your recipe and in my opinion they are the perfect cookie. So simple to make.
So glad to hear you loved them Buddy! They are pretty perfect :-) Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review – it means a lot!
These are perfect!! So easy to make. I do have a tip for everyone. I don’t mess with the glass smashing routine…I use parchment paper. Cut a small rectangle parchment paper, place over the cookie balls, then press down with the glass. Totally eliminates the sticky mess! Quick and easy. You can then sprinkle sugar on them before they go in the oven, but only if you want to.
Great tip Christy! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review and comment – it means a lot :-)
I baked these tonight. The cookies didn’t come out crisp, like a dry cake like texture. What do you think happened?
Hi Cathy! so sorry to hear the texture wasn’t quite right! I’m wondering if maybe they weren’t smashed to the recommended 1/4 inch thickness, or if perhaps you beat them a little too long after adding the flour. Also, did you spoon and level the flour? Too much flour would make these cookies dry.
Kathy, I did follow the recipe and I understand what you mean. I then looked up my grandmother’s recipe and she did not use powdered sugar but used 2 cups granulated sugar which leaves them lighter and crisper, melt in the mouth. Give it a try and see if it works for you. I looked up the difference between the effects of powdered vs granulated and I think that is the issue. Good luck
Sherri