Thick & SOFT Sugar Cookie Recipe (That Holds Its Shape)
A secret ingredient in this sugar cookies recipe makes these cookies the SOFTEST and most flavorful cookies of your life! And they even hold their shape after baking, so you get exactly what you want instead of sad blob cookies. (Frost them with The BEST Buttercream Frosting for Sugar Cookies.) Originally posted March 15, 2017.
The Best Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
I’m doing dishes in the kitchen when all the sudden I hear the saddest, most piercing cry come out of 4 month old Valentine. Slightly panicked, I ask Eric what happened, and he said, “I kissed her.” Oh the drawbacks of having a beard. This actually happens all the time. Poor baby faced Valentine!
I went running last week for the first time in a very long time (like, pre-pregnancy…) I ran for 20 solid minutes and probably only went a mile and a half. (Picture a slug glorping along on the sidewalk and you pretty much have an idea of me running.)
Anyway, when I got home both of my big toes were killing me, and since then they have developed dark bruises underneath my nails. You know what this means, right. Get new shoes? Learn how to run the right way? No. Listen people, it’s a sign. The sign says DON’T EVER GO RUNNING AGAIN KAREN.
Instead, eat alllll the sugar cookies.
I’m super excited to share this recipe with you guys today! I’ve been working on this post for a while now. The recipe is adapted from my sister-in-law Sandi. I wrote it down in pencil in a notebook years ago and have been tweaking it ever since. They are good sugar cookies, for sure, but I was on the hunt for a secret ingredient that would make them next-level.
Here’s the thing. Sugar cookies for me MUST be super soft. No crunchy edges please. I want a THICK cookie with a THICK layer of frosting. And please, none of this royal icing business. Give me the goods. Go buttercream or go home.
So, here it is. A sugar cookie that is moist and soft and does not dry out or crunch! It’s magical! How is it done? Cream cheese. I know, what?? Didn’t our grandmas only use butter for sugar cookies? Why yes, yes they did, and guess what, their cookies were hard and crunchy ;)
We are still using butter, oh yes. But we are replacing half of the normal amount of butter used in sugar cookies with dreamy creamy cream cheese. The resultant cookies are tender and soft and have a delicious flavor, with a tiny bit of a tang from the cream cheese. I tested this recipe several times and didn’t make frosting every time. I enjoyed the cookies all by themselves. They are sweet but not overwhelming. (The buttercream frosting for cookies takes care of that.) They have tons of flavor from the butter, as well as the almond and vanilla extracts. Let’s dig into the details!
Soft Sugar Cookie Ingredients
Make sure you have the following on hand. (Quantities given in the recipe below.)
- Cream cheese
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter will work just fine, but remember to add a ¼ teaspoon of salt for every stick (½ cup) of unsalted butter.
- All purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Almond extract. You can sub the almond for vanilla if you want. But I’m telling you, the combo of almond and vanilla is what makes this cookie.
- Salt
How to make Soft Sugar Cookies
I’m going to start with the basic overview below and then drill into the finer details with pictures further down. (Don’t worry; all the instructions are given in the recipe as well!)
- Beat the butter on medium speed 1-2 minutes. Add the softened cream cheese and continue to beat for 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and beat 1-2 minutes.
- Add salt and flour and beat until just barely combined. Do not stir too much or you will make your dough tough.
- The dough will be sticky!
- Scrape the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours (or overnight) or in the freezer for 1-2 hours. (If I am in a hurry I will split the dough in half and wrap separately so that it will chill faster.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line 2-3 baking sheets with silpat baking mats or parchment paper.
- Use floured hands to flatten out half the dough on a floured surface, then use a rolling pin to roll it and smooth it out to be THICK, about 3/8 inch.
- Press floured cookie cutters into dough, then place the shaped dough on the prepared baking sheet.
- If you’ve taken long enough that your shaped cookies are no longer chilled, place the baking sheet in the fridge or freezer for a couple minutes.
- Re-roll dough to cut more cookies, working it as little as possible and chilling it if it gets soft.
- Dough should go into oven cold!!
- Bake the shaped cookies at 350 for about 9 minutes for smaller cookies, and about 10-11 minutes for larger cookies. Cookies should be barely browned on the bottom. See photos.
- Leave the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then immediately transfer to a large, sealed tupperware until they are completely cooled.
- Frost cookies with The BEST buttercream frosting for Sugar Cookies!
Sticky dough.
What thickness is best for cut out cookies?
I researched sugar cookies for quite a while before landing on today’s recipe and method. One of the things I learned is that it doesn’t matter how great your sugar cookie recipe is, the rolling technique is where most people go wrong.
This is 3/8 inch. Thiiiiick.
To get a THICK, soft sugar cookie, the dough needs to be rolled out, you guess it, MEGA THICK. We are talking about ⅜ of an inch, and yes I’ve provided an actual measuring tape for all you people like me who have a hard time with the maths. You can see in the picture on the left about how thick this is compared to my fingers.
How do you keep a Sugar Cookie soft?
One of my biggest tips is to make sure you care for your final baked cookies! If you put the sugar cookies into a tupperware right after they have cooled a few minutes on the pan, they will stay softer longer. Letting sugar cookies sit out is what makes them get dry and crunchy. Don’t do it! Put your treasure into a tupperware or ziplock asap!
What makes this sugar cookie recipe so soft?
I will only accept soft cookies. Soft!!! In case you’re skimming this post and haven’t been bossed around enough on SOFT COOKIE RULES, here’s the short version:
- Use cream cheese in the dough to replace some of the butter
- CHILL the dough!
- Roll out the dough mega thick, like ⅜ inch.
- Do not over bake the cookies! They should be just barely matte on top, but not golden on the edges.
- Transfer to a sealed container within minutes after cooling.
- Frost with Buttercream Frosting. Royal icing just is not going to cut it my friends. The buttercream locks in moisture and makes your cookies ultra soft!
What happens if you use unsalted butter instead of salted?
Absolutely nothing! If you use unsalted butter, your cookies will be exactly the same as if you had used salted butter, but they will have less salt, which will make them a little more bland. No thanks. Just add in an extra 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and you are good to go!
How do you keep sugar cookies from spreading when baking?
Want to keep your dough from spreading? Try humming Ice, Ice Baby the entire time you’re cooking. Or go ahead and rap it. You might have skills I lack.
COLD dough, people. COLD. Cold dough holds its shape in the oven, preserving the adorable shapes you so painstakingly cut them into. If you bake your cookies when the dough is not chilled, they will not hold their shape as well, and the texture of the final cookies will be wrong.
You will also notice that there is no leavening agent in this recipe. No baking soda, no baking powder. Just flour and eggs to help these cookies rise a minimal amount. This is on purpose! We do not want our sugar cookies rising, we want them to keep their shape. Chocolate Chip Cookies go into the oven in a ball, and the baking soda helps them rise and spread out. Exactly the OPPOSITE of what we want for cut out sugar cookies.
Do you cut cookies before or after baking?
Cut the dough before baking. There’s pretty much no way to get a consistently clean edge if you bake first and then try to cut.
How can I tell when the cookies are done?
You know how most cookie recipes say to cook until the edges are golden? Just say no! No, I tell you! They’ll be hard and crunchy instead of soft, tender, and chewy. You do not want the edges or tops to brown at all. The cookies should be barely browned on the bottom. When the cookies are baking, they will have a shiny surface on top. When they are fully baked, they will appear completely matte across the top, but not at all brown. Watch carefully! Over baking is a death sentence for soft cookies.
Can you freeze soft sugar cookies after frosting?
Bless us all, yes! So much yes. You can bake all throughout November to get Christmas cookies ready, or bake weeks before that wedding you’re providing treats for. Trust me, I always do this!
- Remove your cookies from the oven and let them set up on the pan for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- Transfer cookies to a cold pan.
- Put the whole pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours
- Transfer the frozen cookies into a large food storage container.
- Store for up to 2 months if they are unfrosted. I would only do about 4 weeks if they are already frosted. More on that below.
How I mass produce this soft Sugar Cookies recipe
Everybody’s got their way of doing things, right? When I need a ton of sugar cookies, here’s how it goes down:
- Day 1: Make the dough and chill at least 2-3 hours, if not overnight. (You can freeze the dough in a ziplock for up to 3 months at this point! Let thaw in the fridge)
- Day 2: Roll out the dough and bake ALL the cookies. Immediately remove cookies from the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely.
- If you are freezing before frosting: Immediately after cooling (don’t let them dry out! Time is of the essence!) transfer all the cookies to a large food storage container, the kind that are flat and rectangle and hold about a gallon. You can leave these in the freezer for about 4 weeks.
- If you are frosting and then freezing: Once the cookies are cooled, frost as desired and place back onto a baking sheet. Cram on as many as you can without messing them up. Flash freeze the cookies for about an hour until the frosting has hardened. Then transfer the frosted cookies to a large food storage container. I like to line them up on their sides so that the frosting has less of a chance to get messed up. Pack em in like sardines.
- At this point, you can leave the cookies in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.
- On the day you want to serve them, take them out of the freezer at least two hours beforehand. Make sure you move them to a flat surface before the frosting gets to room temperature, otherwise all the cookies will start sticking to each other.
- CHRISTMAS: When I am putting together cookie plates at Christmas, I add frosted sugar cookies to the plates completely frozen, along with any other cookies, fudge, or candy that is going on the plate. By the time I’m done assembling all the plates, wrapping them up in cellophane and tying with ribbon and adding name tags and taking them out for delivery, the cookies will have thawed, but all the jostling and wrapping happened when they were still quite chilled and stiff.
Buttercream Frosting versus Royal Icing
I’ve figured out my absolute favorite buttercream frosting to top these cookies with! This simple recipe has a few secret ingredients that give it the best, most nuanced flavor. I love it!
But I know, I know, some of you are going to want to stack these cookies for shipping. No, you can’t use buttercream if you’re doing that. You need royal icing and a royal amount of patience. THESE cookies are meant for jamming into your mouth immediately with a sticky, soft, glorious buttercream that will get all over your fingers. No apologies. If you insist on using royal icing (here’s a recipe), be very careful not to break the cookies. These cookies are much more delicate than your average sugar cookie, meaning they break easier when shipping.
Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe for every holiday
I’ve had this sugar cookie recipe on the blog for years now, and I’ve been surprised at the level of traffic on this recipe for EVERY holiday. People just want sugar cookies for every occasion! They are a classic! I’ve picked out a few of the holidays and linked to cookie cutters that would work for each one, just in case you’re looking for some cute ones. Sugar cookies are so fun to make all year long!
- Valentine’s Day cookie cutters
- St. Patrick’s Day cookie cutters
- Easter cookie cutters
- 4th of July cookie cutters
- Halloween cookie cutters
- Thanksgiving cookie cutters
- Christmas cookie cutters
To be honest though, I often don’t even make shapes with my sugar cookies, especially if I’m making a massive amount for my kid’s class parties or Christmas gifting. I just use a circle biscuit cutter and have fun with colored frosting and sprinkles.
And that’s it folks! The best, softest sugar cookies of your life, with no sinister crunching going on. Make it! Love it! Repeat for every holiday!
More frosted cookies you will love!
- The Softest Chocolate Sugar Cookies << a chocolate version of this recipe
- Coconut Frosted Sugar Cookies with Strawberry Hearts << if you are desperate to make today’s recipe before I post the buttercream frosting on Friday, use this frosting. It’s amazing.
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies << these are one of the top recipes on my site!
- Peppermint Meltaways from 5 Boys Bakers
- Frosted Gingerbread Cookies from Baker by Nature
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies from Dessert Now Dinner Later
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Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter, softened (1 and 1/2 sticks)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 & 3/4 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups flour, spooned and leveled
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it is soft and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the softened cream cheese and continue to beat for 1 minute, until well incorporated.
- Add the sugar and beat well, 1-2 minutes, until fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat well. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. This is my spatula that I love and use for every baking project.
- Add salt and flour and beat until just barely combined, scraping the sides and bottom again. Do not stir too much or you will make your dough tough. The dough is pretty sticky!
- Scrape the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap (or into a ziplock or tupperware). Cover or wrap tightly and put it in the fridge for 2 hours (or overnight) or in the freezer for 1-2 hours. (If I am in a hurry I will split the dough in half and wrap separately so that it will chill faster.)
- When the dough is completely chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line 2-3 baking sheets with silpat baking mats or parchment paper.
- Prepare a work surface with a light dusting of flour.*
- If you have not already split the dough in half, do so now. Put any dough that you are not working with in the fridge.
- Use floured hands to flatten out the dough a bit, then use a rolling pin to roll it and smooth it out a little bit. Don’t go too crazy here, remember we want the cookies to be THICK, about 3/8 inch. I actually busted out the measuring tape for this step. No crisp cookies, please.
- Lightly dust your chosen cookie cutters with flour. Press firmly into the dough, utilizing your space wisely. Use your finger or a knife (depending on the shape) to wipe away the excess flour/dough on the outer edge of the cookie cutter before pushing them out onto the pan. This helps you get clean lines.
- Place the shaped dough on the prepared baking sheet. If you are using multiple cookie cutter shapes, bake all of the same shape on the same pan. Otherwise your smaller cookies will get over baked. Leave at least 1 inch in between each cookie.
- If you’ve taken long enough that your shaped cookies are no longer chilled, place the baking sheet in the fridge or freezer for a couple minutes.
- Scrape together the excess dough and knead it together once or twice (as little as possible), then roll it out again to 3/8. Don’t overwork the dough! (It will get tough.) Continue until the dough is gone. Refrigerate the dough as necessary. They should go into the oven cool.
- Bake the shaped cookies at 350 for about 9 minutes for smaller cookies, and about 10-11 minutes for larger cookies. Do NOT over bake. You do not want the edges or tops to brown at all. The cookies should be barely browned on the bottom. See photos.
- Leave the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then immediately transfer to a large tupperware and cover until they are completely cooled and you are ready to frost.
- Frost cookies with The BEST Buttercream Frosting for Sugar Cookies!
Notes
Nutrition
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I doubled the recipe & they turned out great. Very soft! Keep dough in the fridge for 24 hours before rolling out the dough & cookies keep their shape.
Hi! These seem great so far (just pulled first batch out of oven) but I wanted to 100% confirm there’s no baking powder or soda in the recipe, correct? Thanks!!!
None at all Meredith! It’s what makes them so “fudgy.” enjoy!! Happy T-day!
Awesome cookies. I scooped them 2t scoop, dipped in crystal sugar and flattened to 3/8” and they were great. I didn’t see any difference between the ones chilled or not chilled. If I were rolling out I would definitely chill the dough. Thanks for sharing.
Okay so tried this recipe and what I noticed,
1. Way too much salt. And I love salt. But it’s way too much with the salt and the salted butter. I’m thinking maybe 1/4 tsp if you really need to add more. I added closer to 1/2 tsp unlike the full tsp recommended
2. The cream cheese is quite strong, my husband doesn’t bake or understand flavours and when tasting the batter that was the first thing he picked out. (He thought he tasted cream cheese icing) So although the cream cheese helps I would definitely lessen it and add more butter.
Overall i will be making them again with the changes because they still seem to be great
I am thinking of adding pumpkin purée to this recipe! How would you suggest going about that?
Hi Keslie, that’s a fun idea! I haven’t tried it, Let me know how it goes!
Hello, I made these for Christmas last year, they are wonderful. This year I’m hoping to make my dough and freeze it ahead of time. Can this dough be frozen? How should I do that?
Hi Tiffany! Yes, I make and freeze this dough all the time. I like to split the dough into 2 or even 3 discs, then wrap in plastic wrap, place in ziplock, and freeze. Let thaw in the fridge overnight, then let the dough sit at room temp for a few minutes before rolling it out. Works perfectly! Enjoy!
These are AMAZING and came out perfectly shaped and so soft! I love them! How long do they keep on the countertop after cooled and frosted? Wasn’t sure if their shelf-life was a bit less with the addition of the cream cheese. Thank you for this incredible recipe!
Hi Leni! So glad you are enjoying the recipe! These cookies will keep on the counter just fine for several days, at least 3-5 days. (I’ve never had any that lasted that long though.) I usually store any frosted leftovers in the freezer to keep them fresh, they only take about an hour to thaw. Enjoy!
Can you use margarine or does it have to be real butter?
Hi Jenny! Real butter is best!
Just made my first batch and will ice with buttercream on some and royal frosting on the other. Is it okay to stack these cookies in the container after taking them out of the oven?
Hi Shelby! If iced with buttercream, they will not stack well. Royal frosting is what you want for stacking!
Love these cookies! Was making them for school a couple weeks ago but had a snow day, so I froze the dough. How early do you think I should take them out of the freezer/what I should do if I plan to bake and decorate Thursday evening?
Thanks for an AMAZING recipe!
Hi Ali! If you’re making them Thursday I would put them in the fridge wednesday night! And then set them out on the counter to thaw some more if they are not quite thaw. I’m so glad you’re loving the recipe!
Love this SOFTEST Thick Sugar Cookie Recipe, will love to make this one , thanks for sharing this one with us.
This SOFTEST Thick Sugar Cookie Recipe seems delicious, will love to make this one .Thanks for sharing this recipe with us .
Perfect Perfect! Kids and I made on Christmas Eve and followed recipe. We put flat and sealed in large ziplocs was only difference (we were out of containers!) We spread and piped buttercream. They held their shape perfectly. Soooo happy we choose your recipe!! Thank you!
Well they are soft I will give you that. And the taste is good. It’s just that they are soooo doughy and raw. And they didn’t hold up to decorating for Christmas cookies. I only use royal icing on cookies otherwise how could you stack them? Some of them fell apart even though I tried to handle gently. I have another batch of dough in the fridge I will try baking them a little longer to not get such a raw cookie.
Hi Serena, yes, if you are making these with royal icing they will need to be baked a little longer. These cookies are meant to go with buttercream :)
How much longer?
Hi Gina, just a couple minutes should do, you will want to make sure the bottom edges of the cookie are turning golden. It will be different for every oven. Enjoy!
Would using less cream cheese mess up the recipe? I want the soft cookies but don’t want a lot of tang with the cream cheese.
Hi Jessica, I would try this recipe as is first! It’s very subtle. You need all the fat called for; if you want to reduce the cream cheese, replace it with an equivalent amount of butter.
Hi can I use lemon extract instead of almond and vanilla?
Hi Misty! I haven’t tried this, I bet it would work fine! I don’t think you will taste the lemon much, maybe a hint. Add zest for more flavor!
Can I sub vegan cream cheese?
I haven’t tried that Ellen! Let me know how it goes!
1st sugar cookie that I could switch out regular flour for gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mills 2 to 1), not have them fall apart when finished baking, and are DELICIOUS! I am SO SO SO excited my little one will have Christmas cookies she can decorate and eat this year!!!
I’m so happy to hear this Ginny! I wonder if the cream cheese helps bind them together more. Thank you so much for commenting so other gf people can try it!
I’m so glad I saw this comment! My BIL has a gluten allergy, so I’m always looking for something around the holidays that he can have. When you say 2 to 1- is that you adding double the amount of the Bob’s Red Mill flour or is the Bob’s Red Mills 2 to 1 a bag I’ve never seen before?
Thank you!
Kristen, I’m pretty sure Ginny was just mixed up when she was typing. Bob’s has a very popular gluten free flour called Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour, here is a link. I’m pretty sure that’s what Ginny was referencing, I would try that 1:1 flour first, cup for cup!
Can I eliminate the almond extract?
Sure Kate just replace with vanilla!
Can’t wait to make these. Wish you would share your frosting tips.
I made these cookies. I altered the recipe a smidge by adding toffee bits to one batch and crushed red hots to the other and eliminated the almond extract (just because of the add-ins) and replaced with more vanilla. I rolled out my cookies immediately after mixing and put the entire cookie sheet in the freezer, uncovered for a half an hour. Then I put the pan in a preheated oven. For my oven I had to do 340 and baked for 13 minutes. I used 3″ round cookie cutters 3/8″ thick. I did put them in tupperware after letting them cool on the pan for 5 minutes but because they were still way too hot, I suspected they may stick a bit to one another since they were stacked. I suspected correctly. But I was anticipating it so I was able to grab more tupperware and lay them single layer. They are still in the tupperware as I type this so i can’t say how soft they will be tomorrow or a week from now. I can say, there was ZERO spread which was awesome. The flavor was incredible. They are indeed super soft. Can’t wait to frost and maybe use for Christmas and other holidays…or maybe just because!!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I will.. I was thinking, why not just slice the roll and bake the slices?
If you wanted to shape it into a cylinder and slice and bake I’m sure that would work great Donna!
Could you include gram measurements too please??
I have requested the calories and carbs for this recipe. My 8 year old grandson is type 1 diabetic and cannot eat these until we know this information. Please help. We could figure it out but surely someone knows this already. Thanks in advance.
Just to make sure, you use SALTED butter AND then add more salt???
Yes indeed Laurie! You are welcome to use unsalted butter and then adjust the salt to your taste!
Made these with the grandkids yesterday. They were seriously the best I have had and dough was easy to work with!
Can you sub granulated sugar with powdered sugar?
So you want to use powdered sugar in the cookies instead of granulated? I would not recommend it. I’ve tried powdered sugar in sugar cookies before; it seriously changes the texture.
I made these for Valentines Day to eat and to give to others. THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! I literally could have eaten 10 in one sitting! And that means a lot from me because I am much more of a brownie and pie kind of girl. My friends LOVED them too! They said..”these are the best cookies I have ever eaten!” While stuffing another in their face…and also “did you get these from a bakery??” I was so happy! Thank you so much for such wonderful cookies!
I’ve gotten that one before, Abby, people are surprised these aren’t bakery cookies! It’s a good feeling, right? :) I’m so glad the recipe is working for you, thank you so much for your kind review!
I saw your recipe after Christmas and thought I wonder if it will work in the high altitude of CO. I made them yesterday and did no adjustments for the altitude and they are perfect! My high school kids wanted bigger cookie cutters so I did buy 4”. Those took about 16 minutes. I was concerned that the center did not look totally baked. However, once they cooled, they are completely baked! Wonderful cookies! I love the combination of vanilla and almond extract. Great flavor! Thank You so much!
There is no baking soda or baking powder listed, is this correct?
That is correct Renee! Enjoy!
Wow! These are the best sugar cookies! Follow the directions and roll dough thick, and don’t brown. I let them sit for 5 minutes and then directly into a sealed container. Again these were perfect!
I left these in the freezer overnight….oy. Did I ruin them?
Definitely not! I freeze these all the time! If you froze them without covering then they might be a little dried out. but I’d definitely still eat them!
LOVE this recipe! I get requests for them all the time. When I chill mine, I have started to always split it in half and put it in Saran Wrap, flattening out just a little bit, no matter if I do a quick chill or overnight. I find it too hard to get out of the bowl and roll out otherwise. Love the consistency of the recipe and how it turns out the same each time! For summer, I sometimes swap the almond for some lemon extract and in the fall, I add a little pumpkin spice the mix. Been thinking about adding some chai powder to it as well for a warm winter-y touch. Such a versatile recipe!
Looking forward to trying this recipe after reading all the great reviews! I see you use butter cream icing… Will they be too soft to use Royal Icing for decorating?
Hi Natasha! These cookies are more delicate than your average sugar cookie. But I do know that lots of people have tried them with royal icing. You just have to be a little more careful with them! Hope it works out, enjoy!
Probably a dumb question but do you put the lid on the Tupperware dish while they cool the rest of the way? I’m so excited to try this!! Thank you!!
Hi Tyna, yes I did put the did on because I want to keep all that moisture in there! Enjoy!
I was so excited to come across your sugar cookie recipe! It sounded exactly like what I had been looking for. I gathered all ingredients and followed the recipe exactly as written. My question is: why didn’t my dough come out sticky? It was more along the lines like pie crust dough. I didn’t want to lose hope so, I kept moving forward. Then when I tried to roll out the dough, it kept cracking. I did manage to get about a baker’s dozen out of what dough I had. I lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper and followed tour instructions to watch them so they wouldn’t brown. They ended up browning on the bottom (I suspect maybe my oven runs hotter than what it says… better get an oven thermometer!). With all of this said, they are still good but, do you happen to know why the dough wasn’t sticky? What could you recommend for when I make them again (I’m not giving up)?
Hi Lauri, that sounds frustrating! Sounds like a case of too much flour in the dough. Did you spoon and level the flour? That means Using a spoon to fill the measuring cup, then leveling off the top. As for the oven, maybe try lowering the temp 25 degrees and baking longer? you could also try rotating the pan halfway. Good luck! Keep me updated!
I have been looking for a wonderful cut out cookie for years!!! I finally found it with this one. The cookie is even better the second day!!! The flavor and softness was perfect!!!
These are hands down the BEST sugar cookies I’ve ever had. I’d make these any holiday 😍😍😍
Love love love this recipe! I finally found my GOTO recipe for sugar cookies. I did everything exactly as stated. I even used the parchment paper to roll out my dough. I made three pans, one pan of cookies actually came out all brown on the bottom and I was worried that batch was going to be like a rock. But to my pleasant surprise, they were still so soft in the center, yes a little more firm than the other two batches but still soft none the less. This recipe is my NEW, now and forever, Christmas, valentines, Easter, and rainy day cookies.
Oh and just to add. I didn’t use any almond extract due to an allergy in the family.
I made these today for the first time. Soft and delicious BUT …. the Almond extract overpowers the cookie. I even added Less than the recipe called for. Ugh. I will be giving these cookies away. Warning! Unless you really love the taste of almond, you’re better off leaving that ingredient out!
Bummer Edith! Next time replace with vanilla!
Hello! Just brought these out of the refrigerator and they seem so hard :( how will I roll them! LOL
Hi Tina! Just leave it on the counter for a few minutes, it will soften up and roll out just fine. Enjoy!
I feel the same way about frosting! We must be sisters in a former life!!!
What type of flour did you use? I noticed no baking powder in recipe.
Hi Dana! Regular all purpose flour. and no powder! We don’t want these cookies spreading so no leaveners in sight :) enjoy!
I make these cookies every year at Christmas time and sometimes even in between!!! They are my family’s favorite!!!!!
Do these freeze well?
Hi Danielle! Yes I freeze the frosted cookies every year when I make massive amounts of these for Christmas! Freeze frosted in a sealed container, they will stay fresh at least two weeks. (Or freeze unfrosted!) Let thaw in the sealed container at room temp. Enjoy!
These are terrible. There is no baking powder to give them rise and make them fluffy so they are super dense, and also underbaked if you follow the suggested baking times. There is a way to make soft cookies, but not baking them long enough is not that way. Do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time or ingredients on this recipe.
Oh so sad Jenn! I’m sorry they didn’t work out for you! I stand by my no-leavening-agent in this recipe. it’s what makes them chewy! I’m literally on the computer right now to grab the recipe to make a quadruple batch of these for my kids classrooms tomorrow, haha. Bummer you didn’t like them. Merry Christmas!
These are wonderful. There is no baking powder in them and that is what gives them their great chewy texture. And not over-baking makes for a softer cookie. Do yourself a favor and make these cookies now! Thank you, Danielle for sharing this amazing recipe. Everyone loves them! :)
Why even comment so negative ? These cookies are amazing every time. They don’t need to rise because they are thick to begin with. Definitely not underbaked. I guess I don’t understand the negative response. If you hated them how about just move on.
What is the textural difference between your cookies and the ones you mentioned from Mel? I just wanted to know how they compare or differ. Thank you!
Hi Bambi! I’ve actually never tried Mel’s recipe! I just saw that she had added cream cheese to sugar cookies and adapted the idea to my own recipe.
I’m currently in a country where I can only get basic baking ingredients. So far, the only extract I can find is vanilla. I’m not a baker but I’d really like to make these for an upcoming event. Any recommendations for substituting the almond extract with vanilla extract when vanilla extract is already in the recipe?
Hi Dhalia! Just replace all the other extracts called for with vanilla extract! This goes for the buttercream frosting recipe too, if you’re using it.
Hi! My mom makes these and they are delicious! Wondering if you can freeze these, but already cut into their shapes? Would you have to let them thaw or could you just bake them? Thanks!
Hi Britania! You can bake these straight from frozen! You will probably need to add a couple minutes to the bake time, so keep an eye on it. Great question! Enjoy!
Hi!! I tried a recipe fairly close to this one. My dough was so incredibly sticky that it wouldn’t roll out, it wouldn’t come off my fingers and it stuck using the cookie cutters. I did the basic stuff to help like placing flour on my baking mat, on the cutters, my fingers, rolling pin, etc. Your picture and your directions state this recipe will be sticky. Any suggestions?, as I am afraid to try this recipe though it looks fabulous!!
Hi Cindy. It’s definitely not THAT sticky! Try it out, I think you will have a better experience. Tell me how it goes!
After attempting sugar cookies for years and getting that hard crispy too brown bland cookie I had almost given up hope. But THESE… these are unbelievable – this is now my go to sugar cookie recipe forever. Thank you so much for sharing. And I loved your icing recipe as well – thick and soft and super flavorful. I do have a question on if you have a recommendation for a royal icing recipe that would be a bit thinner and more importantly allow you to flood the icing onto the cookie to make more of a thin “shell”? I’m thinking about making these and shipping them and I think that would work a bit better? I could google a royal icing recipe, but honestly after trying your recipes I’d prefer your recipe for royal icing if you are willing to share? :)
Hard crispy too brown bland cookies are really the worst right?? And sadly the norm for most sugar cookies!! I’m so glad these worked out for you. I don’t have a royal icing recipe on the blog yet, but thank you for your trust :) Here is a recipe from my friend Amy, who has great recipes. Enjoy!
There isn’t baking powder or soda in this? Please tell me now 🙄 I’m baking these now
Hi Heather! Nope none at all! It’s what makes them so chewy!
Thank you so much, these are great! :) thank you.
I tried a different blogger’s recipe last week and it was thin and crunchy and brown. I hated them. I had a glorious cookie from a local bakery and have been trying to recreate them. This recipe is to die for! I will be trying royal icing with them tomorrow but I made a test batch and I am in love! My 1 year old and I ate more than we should have and now we are going to bed full and happy! This is definitely my new go to recipe for cookies and it was so easy!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe Ashley! And oh, I think we’ve all had the sad crunchy brown cookie experience before. Such a tragedy ;) So happy you have a new go-to recipe! Thanks for reviewing!
First off, I have been using this recipe for almost a year and it is PERFECT!! Perfect every single time.
Today I used it in a 12” pizza pan to make a cookie cake. It was amazing again. No tweaks! Perfection. Just needed extra time in the oven. I recipe filled the pan. Thanks so much!
Oh hooray, I’m so glad the recipe is a staple for you Annie! And I LOVE the pizza pan twist! How awesome is that? What a great idea. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hi Annie,
Any tips on cooking larger sugar cookies? I always find that my dark center is quick large and if I bake any longer, the edges get brown/crispy. Thanks in advance!!
-Cindy
So I NEVER comment on recipes I’ve tried before because I’m never particularly blown away or feel so compelled. BUT, in this case, I absolutely have to! These are, without a doubt, the best cookies I’ve made in my life…compared to any other drop cookie as well as shaped sugar cookie. The dough is a dream to work with, and the end result is flavorful (just the right amount) and so soft. I ended up decorating them with royal icing and they still tasted amazing. I’ve found *the one* when it comes to sugar cookie recipes…I will ONLY be using this one from now on for shaped sugar cookies, and am already looking forward to the next time I can make them again…probably for Christmas (I just made some candy corn shaped ones for Halloween the other day). My family members raved about them, too. All I can say is THANK YOU!!!
Hooray! I’m so glad you liked them Emma! These are one of my favorite cookies too. How can you deny a cookie that’s so soft?? Glad they worked well with royal icing. Thank you for sharing your experience and taking the time to comment!
Hey! I made some dough but the event I was making it for got postponed, can I freeze the dough? If so for how long?
Absolutely Emma! You can freeze it well sealed for up to 3 months!
Remarkable!! These are sooooo good AND easy to make! I bake a lot, but typically steer clear of cutout cookies. The rolling, sticking, uneven cutouts, etc. But, this dough is a dream to work with. Rolled beautifully right from the fridge after a chill for a few hours.
I actually used a scalloped biscuit cutter I had to cut these out, and the scalloped edge is so defined! Baked perfectly for 10 minutes in my oven. That almond flavor, omg I love it!
Used your delicious, BEST buttercream frosting too. I was going to pipe rosettes but got a little lazy ( I was making these while working from home…ssshhhh) so I just spread the frosting on with an offset spatula and put some sprinkles on top.
I’m actually excited to make these again, soon. So many options with design! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
I’m so happy the recipe was a success for you Julie! I used to not love making sugar cookies either, before I found this recipe! All that work for not great results. But now it’s fun because they work every time! Thanks for the detailed review Julie!
Hi there!
I’m struggling with knowing whether my cookies are fully cooked after the baking time. It seems even if I cook them for longer than recommended, there’s like a dark shadow across the top, and if I break into them, they seem underdone. I’m worried for those cookies that I give away that the egg isn’t fully cooked. What should they look like on the inside?? The tops and bottoms always look nice a dry and pale, but the inside is a bit darker and more moist looking, which leads me to believe they’re not done.
I appreciate any advice you could give!
Hi Jennifer! I think this might just be a personal preference thing. You will notice that dark shadow on all the cookies in my post, I bake them that way on purpose so they turn out super soft. If you don’t like your cookies to be under baked, then leave them in a couple minutes longer, although they will be crispier. I don’t think you need to worry at all about the egg being undercooked. After 8-9 minutes at 350 degrees, any potential salmonella from the eggs will have been cooked out, even if they are a bit dark in the center. As long as the cookie hold it’s shape and isn’t wet in the middle, you are good to go. Hope this helps!
These are THE BEST sugar cookies out there! Thank you so so so so much for this recipe. I now make these in different shapes for EVERY holiday for my family. They love them every day of the year. Thank you! Genius, truly.
I love this recipe and have used it countless times. I have had trouble on and off with the consistency of the middle being fully cooked though and wanted to know if you had any advice. I have oven thermometers on both sides of my oven to make sure the internal temp is 350 degrees, and I cook it on the middle rack, 1 inch apart, but it seems like no matter what my range is for cooking time, they seem to end up more on the raw side in the middle. I am also making sure they are 3/8 thick. Any tips to get more consistent cooking through the cookie would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Erin! Every oven is different unfortunately, so bake times are always going to have a bit of a range. It sounds like you need to bake them a little bit longer! Are you saying that even when you bake a long time, they are raw in the middle? and getting brown on the edges? That is very odd! It should bake eventually if you leave it in there long enough!
Hi food charlatan! Just wondering, can I warm my butter up in the microwave? Thanks! :)
Hi Willow! Yes, you can, put it in the microwave in 30 second increments at power level ONE. I do it all the time!
I am so happy I came across this recipe! The cookies turned out, and even after a few days, they remained soft and luscious. I know you are all about buttercream versus royal icing, but I needed to ship these and opted for a royal icing/glaze hybrid. Still tasted great to me! I did note a little bit of spread, but nothing drastic or blobby.
So happy you loved the recipe Angie! And royal icing is a great idea for shipping, buttercream would not go over well :) Thank you so much for reviewing!
My teenage son asked me to make him sugar cookies last night. Haven’t tried your recipe yet but I will be surprising him with some Halloween cookies. Glad I stumbled across your page! I have been on the hunt for that perfect sugar cookie recipe like the pros make and I hope I have found it. Will update after I bake them
I’m so glad you found my recipe Katie! I hope you and your son enjoy the cookies! I have a chocolate version of this recipe, and there are some fun frosting ideas (spiderweb designs) that you might have fun trying out, if you’re going with a Halloween theme. Enjoy!
With this recipe I not only made the best cookies I’ve ever made in my entire life, but they are hands down the best sugar cookie I’ve ever tasted, whether homemade or store bought. And they really do stay perfecty soft for days (I should know, I hid 1/2 the batch from my husband so I could enjoy one every morning with my coffee. ) I have thought of them every day since I made them last week and am a little afraid to make them again because I’m sitting around a lot in quarrantine, and they will get eaten way too quickly.
thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!!
I’m so happy you love the recipe so much Aishi! That’s how I feel about this recipe; no other sugar cookie will ever be good enough! I have also been known to hide these cookies. Thank you so much for reviewing!
I made these cookies a few years ago and they were absolutely amazing!!! Our family lived them. They had great flavor and they held their shape and we did really intricate shaes and edges. I was amazed. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Hooray! So glad they turned out well Jessie! Thank you for reviewing!
Alli have is all purpose flour…is that ok?
Hi Mandy, yes that is the best flour to use!
We made these this weekend for Easter. They are supposed to last until Sunday but I don’t think that’s going to happen! I love this recipe!
Ha I’ve so been there Christi! I guess you will have to make them again ;) So glad you liked them, thanks for reviewing!
I’m not even done baking, but I have to share. These are the best cookies I have ever made. I doubled the recipe and I’m not joking when I say my husband and I are eating these as they come out of the oven. I was hoping to share with my quilting group but I make no promises.
No promises, haha! What the quilting group doesn’t know won’t hurt them :) So glad you are enjoying the cookies Pam, thanks so much for reviewing!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!!
Truly the BEST sugar cookies EVER!!!! After finding this recipe, I have ditched all my other sugar cookie recipes. Think I have made about 5 batches in the last 6 months. Everyone loves them. 😋😋😋
I was wondering why you use cornstarch in some of your cookie recipes and not in all of them? I think adding cornstarch would make any cookie tender, can it be added to any cookie recipe?
Hi Patsy! Yes, cornstarch will make your cookies a bit softer. This recipe doesn’t need it because the cream cheese takes care of that! I use cornstarch when I want an extra soft cookie texture. And yes, generally speaking you can usually add about a tablespoon or so of cornstarch to any cookie recipe (in place of flour), although obviously there are exceptions!
I love your recipes and especially your comments about friends and family. I will be trying these cookie recipes soon
Thank you for reading and being here Patsy! Enjoy the cookies!
This is my go to recipe for quick and easy sweets
Ugh anyone know what I did wrong? I made the dough yesterday, wrapped it in plastic wrap to keep in the fridge overnight, and this morning it’s rock hard. Like way too hard to roll out.
Hi Hannah! Just give it a few minutes sitting out on the counter, it will soften up!
I’ve made these a few months back, they were delicious and didn’t last long in my house!
I plan on making again for my daughters birthday on Saturday, I want to make them today as I have lots of baking and cooking to do for the party, I plan on waiting a day to frost them with royal icing instead. Will they last till this Saturday? How long do they stay good for?
Hi Olivia! I would bake the cookies and then freeze them. I do it all the time! Take them out the day you want to eat them and frost then. Or, if your royal icing needs time to set up, frost them one day ahead. Enjoy!
I’ve been searching for the best thick sugar cookie recipe ever since I ate a professional baker’s sugar cookies. This is it! These taste like what the pros make, and the texture is heavenly! This will now be my go-to recipe for sugar cookies!
Hooray! I’m so glad you’ve found a recipe you love! I agree, the texture is where it’s at. Thanks so much for reviewing Kim!
Ok what did I do wrong? Do you really use all 3 cups of flour? After I was done combining everything my dough was not sticky whatsoever, it was very loose and dry! I don’t know what I did! Please help.
Hi Stephanie! That is very strange, I’m not sure what went wrong! The dough is pretty sticky. Is it possible you packed your flour too much?
Omg delicious cookies the best ever
No need for baking soda or baking powder?
Hi Debbie, nope, no leavening at all!
Can you double the recipe is d divide into 4 portions?
Yes Angue, I just did that yesterday when I doubled this! Enjoy!
Do you think I could skip the cream cheese? I don’t have any on hand. If so, should I use more butter in its place?
Hi nikki! Sure you can replace it with butter. They won’t be the best sugar cookies though, in my opinion. They will be good, but the cream cheese is what makes them so soft.
AND, I forgot to mention the egg replacement was from Red Mill! Thank you! Everyone loves your recipe!
Someone mentioned using ricotta cheese, all they have to do is look for a good Italian Sugar Cookie Recipe.
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter, softened15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bow, with the mixer a low speed, beat the sugar and butter until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Reduce speed to medium and beat in the ricotta, vanilla and eggs.
Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until dough forms.
Drop dough by level tablespoons, about 2 inches apart; onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 15 minutes or until cookies are very lightly golden (cookies will be soft). With spatula, remove cookies to wire rack to cool.
When cookies are cool, prepare icing. In small bowl, stir confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. With small spreader, spread icing on cookies; place a candied cherry piece on top of each cookie or sprinkle with colored sugar or candy sprinkles.
Happy Holidays🎄🎁
how fun, thank you for sharing Annette!! I’ve never made these I will have to try it out!
It’s about time I give YOU the credit for cookies I’ve been making for every holiday! And, they are vegan! For the animals❤️ I use Daiya cream cheese, Earth Balance butter, and bone char-free sugar. I make your butter cream frosting vegan, as well!
No way Angie you get the credit on this one! That is awesome, thank you for sharing your vegan tips! I think this will be really helpful to so many readers!!
I was wondering how a dairy free version would turn out. Thanks for sharing!
Love this recipe! The only issue I ran into though was when I put the fresh cookies in the Tupperware to cool they stuck together and when I took them apart it tore the middle off each cookie just slightly. It’ll be fine because the frosting will cover, but just a warning to others!
Oh sad Brittany! I’m glad they didn’t get completely broken! And hopefully covering with frosting solves the problem. Thanks for sharing so others can avoid this! Next time make sure the cookies have had a chance to cool completely (or most of the way) before storing.
They are soft (mushy in fact inside) and hold their shape, but have little flavor. I’ll go back to my “best” sugar cookies from All Recipes. Those are delicious, and flavor is the reason I go to this trouble to make cookies.
Add more almond flavor to increase taste.
Hi! Excited to try this recipe for the first time today, but I have one question: If I use Royal (or no) icing, would they survive shipping from West to East Coast? Thanks!
Hi Dona! If you use Royal icing and package them with great care, yes, I think you could ship these! You could also try brushing with water or corn syrup and sprinkling with sanding sugar. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
could I use ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese? This cookie sounds wonderful.
Hi Joan! I’ve never tried it with ricotta and would be nervous about it because ricotta is much wetter than cream cheese. Let me know if you try it out and how it goes!
Hands down the best cookie recipe we have had! I doubled the recipe (12 kids) and used a teaspoon of maple extract and minus the almond extract. And of course use the extra vanilla to make up for the rest Of the almond extract I did not use.I made a cream cheese frosting and this is now my go to sugar cookie recipe. rolled out awesome and the shapes stayed perfect
Ooh I love the idea of using maple instead of almond! What a fun twist! Thanks for the tip Adrianne, so glad you’re loving the recipe.
Best tasting, soft as can be, and they hold their shape…hallelujah! This has been our family’s go to recipe for basically every holiday since we discovered it. Thanks a million, Karen. Go ahead with your bad a** self.
Bahaha!! my kids just all turned to look at me because I barked out laughing when I read this. I’ll just go ahead then!! haha! :) So glad you are loving the recipe Melanie, thanks for the comment!
Could you ice these with Royal Icing?
You sure can Marisa!
I read someplace to use sugar instead of flour to roll the cookies out and dip the cutter. I haven’t tried it yet but I like the idea. Have you tried it?
Hi Jojo! I’ve heard that too but haven’t tried it out! I’m sure it would work great, the goal is just to make them not stick. I usually take the time to brush off excess flour before baking, so drying out my cookies isn’t an issue. Let me know how it goes!
I have made these cookies on more than one occasion and they are a HUGE hit!!!! They bake up nicely, stay soft, hold their shape and taste amazing. This has become my go-to recipe.
I’m do happy to hear that Sherry! Once you find a great sugar cookie recipe, you are set! So glad the search is over. Thanks for the review!! :)
LOVE these!! I made them gluten free using a 1 to 1 gf flour. ( Bobs Red Mill)
They turned out soft and really yummy. I did a combination of vanilla and almond extract. Thank you! Shape held up perfectly.
This recipe is a keeper!! I never made cut out sugar cookies because all the ones I’ve had before never tasted good at all. These are some delicious sugar cookies. LOVE the flavor and they turned out so soft. I followed the exact recipe except only put it 1tsp of almond extract instead of 1 and 3/4 tsp. They hold the shapes perfectly too. Thanks for my first great sugar cookies experience.
I’m so happy to hear how much you love the recipe Linh! Crunchy or dry sugar cookies are such a disappointment. Thanks so much for the helpful review!
I made the cookies exactly as in the recipe. They were delicious! However I want them a little less sweeter. If I cut back on the sugar should I replace the sugar with flour? Or just cut back on the sugar?
Hey Leticia! So sugar actually plays a few different roles in cookies, it’s not just the sweetness they add. So just be aware that messing with it too much is going to change the nature of the cookie. I would say start by decreasing the sugar by 1/4 cup or so and see how it does. Or maybe even 1/3 cup. Let me know how it goes!
I see there is no baking soda or powder. Is this right? They sound like they are turning out great. I hope so. I am going to give them a go.
Hi Kim, no baking soda or powder is correct! It’s what makes them nice and chewy and taste non-cakey. Enjoy!
I love sugar cookies but don’t like almond extract can I use just vanilla extract and would that be 2 3/4 tsp? Thank you
Hey Jen! Yes just replace all of the almond extract with vanilla!
This is truly a great recipe, and the cookies are perfect for cookie cutters. I made these for the first time and turned out awesome. I vac sealed them and froze them after decorating, pulled out today (3 months later) and they tasted like they just came out of oven….DELICIOUS!!
This is awesome Perriann! That is so good to know that they keep so well, if sealed properly. Thanks so much for the info!
I obviously did something horribly wrong. This is the only sugar cookie recipe I have ever made that came out like rocks. Guess if you would dip them in milk they would be edible.
I’m so sad to hear that Donna! Any idea what went wrong? My friend made these the other day and accidentally left out the sugar. Tragic!!
Can these be kept at room temperature, since there is cream cheese in them? I’ve seen a few other sugar cookie recipes with the cream cheese that say only keep out one day, or put in refrigerator for up to 7 days,
Hey Kara! The cream cheese is baked into the cookie, so no need to refrigerate. Great question! If the cream cheese were in the frosting, then I would say refrigerate.
I made these cookies, but I cut the salt in half. They were delicious. I also tried making them with lemon extract because I was out of vanilla and almond. Also very good. Thank you for the great recipe. It’s a keeper.
Love the lemon extract idea! Thanks for the tip Angela!
This was our 2018 Christmas Cookie of year. They were so delicious and soft and the Best Buttercream Frosting made them sooo good. I baked mine 11 – 13 minutes and they were perfect. Thanks again, Karen.
Thanks for this amazingly delicious recipe! It was so easy to follow your instructions and they turned our perfect with your buttercream recipe. I was skeptical that they were going to taste undercooked when I took them out so early but they just tasted amazing! Thanks!
I’m so glad the tips were helpful Debra! I spend a lot of time writing out detailed posts so I’m glad to know it’s appreciated :) Thanks for commenting!
Just made them today with my daughter and 22 month old granddaughter, she handled the sprinkles. Easy to make, held their shape beautifully. Sadly for me the almond extract taste is overwhelming. Will probably cut it out completely for the next batch.
Sorry the almond wasn’t for you Carolyn! Just sub vanilla next time. The kids are always in charge of sprinkles around here too, it makes for some interesting decorations ;)
Just made them for Christmas, Best sugar cookies ever!!! Also made the frosting, adding another 1/4 of salt to get a salty sweet taste. DELICIOUS 😋
Yessss another salt lover :) I’m glad you liked it Michelle!!
You mentioned cream in the buttercream frosting for the soft sugar cookie. What kind of cream or what do u mean? I want to make sure I do this right.
Hey Kathy! I used heavy cream, but any type of cream will work. You can also use milk in a pinch. Enjoy!
Hello! I was wondering if I could freeze the dough for a couple of days before baking it off?
Thank you! I cannot wait to try these!
Hey Natalie, yes absolutely you can freeze it! Let it thaw in the ziplock in the fridge over night.
I see it calls for salted butter and added salt in recipe…is there a certain kind of butter or salt you use so they are not too salty? I have never use salted butter in a sugar cookie recipe before so just wanted to confirm! They look delicious! Hope to try them today.
Hi Stacy! I always use salted butter, but you can totally use unsalted butter if you like! It’s just a personal preference.
Is the almond extract amount an important ingredient ? I want to add less as last time I didn’t like that taste.
Absolutely Lorrie! Replace all extracts with whatever you like best, use the same amount of liquid. Just add vanilla in it’s place.
Can you do a rolled or drop cookie with this recipe?
I happened to be making these last night for my daughter’s Christmas party at school, and I dropped a couple on the pan to see. As expected, they remain as little mounds that do not spread. There is no leavening in this recipe. So you will get very thick cookies.
Best soft cookie recipe! Delicious! Soft, thick and best flavor. I kept the icing on the thin side, my preference. Everyone enjoyed them. Thank you!!
Thank you Alice! I’m so glad you liked them!
After much experimenting, this has become my go to recipe for the BEST sugar cookie ever! Thank you! I am starting to even get orders to bake for other people! I use a royal icing and package individually in resealable cellophane bags. My question is because there is cream cheese, how long are they good for? Best eaten by?
Hi Julie! So happy you are loving the recipe! The cookies will last just as long as any other cookie. The cream cheese is baked. 2 days frosted and they will still be soft, after that they will start to dry out.
I too love a soft sugar cookie! I have used the same recipe for 25 years from a friend and I absolutely love them, they melt in your mouth. This Christmas I will try yours, I like the idea of cream cheese in it. We will have nine grandchildren and all the adults as well to enjoy these!!
Thank you and have a Merry Christmas🎄
Tell me what you think of the recipe Donna! :)
Ok! I made double Bach of this and WOW!!! The dough was perfectly smooth and the instructions were easy to follow. Making a double batch made it so I did not have to split up the butter or my cream cheese. It was simple and quick! My dough is chilling right now andI am excited to bake up cookies this afternoon for my kids to decorate tonight.
Great idea Jenie!! Why don’t I always double this?? more cookies please!
this is a good recipe but make sure an do not over cook …and roll them thick to cook…i made a batch and rolled the first one little to thin and had brown edges so these were not as soft…the next batch i made thicker and pulled out just as they started to get brown…frosted with whipped butter/cream cheese n powder sugar frosting…no vanilla and put in zip bag once cooled and they are really soft and tasty..
I’m assuming all purpose flour? But there is no baking powder, soda or salt?
Hi Karen! Yes all-purpose flour. And no, don’t use baking soda or powder. There is a teaspoon of salt called for in the recipe.
So this is by far the BEST shaped cookie recipe out there and the frosting…YUM! I have a request. I would like to make gingerbread men but the recipes I have always get crunchy on the edges, even when I under bake and they dont hold their shape great. I was wondering if there would be a way to adapt this recipe to include molasses and other spices. I know I can always cut out sugar cookie men, which is what I’m going to do this year (and make those most recent molasses cookies with peppermint icecream, of coarse) but I would love to have a great gingerbread recipe in my cap. If you feel a challenge, it would be appreciated.
I tried this recipe yesterday — followed it exactly as written. Even chilled over night well into the next day. When I went to roll the dough out it was SO sticky it stuck to everything no matter how much I floured my surface, rolling pin, and hands. I even went back and tried to freeze the dough and roll out between parchment paper.. again.. too sticky. Stuck all to my floured cookie cutters and the parchment paper. The dough is tasty so I was really hopeful this recipe would work.
Hey Kelsey! I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you. This is a very popular recipe and I know hundreds of people have made them, so I’m wondering what went wrong? It sounds like adding more flour would have solved your problem, and if this happens again, I would definitely try rolling them out on a floured surface.
Have you tried freezing these cookies after they have been baked? With or without frosting?
Would they thaw just as soft?
Hey Melanie! I haven’t frozen the baked cookies, I usually freeze the dough. But I think it would work out just fine, as long as you sealed them well and didn’t freeze for more than 5-7 days. Let me know how it goes!
I want to make this dough ahead and freeze it for a couple of weeks. Do you freeze the dough prior to rolling and cutting? Or have you cut the shapes and then frozen them?
Hi Virginia! Great question! Freeze the dough just after you’ve mixed it together. Don’t cut and shape prior to freezing. Enjoy!!
Hello! About to try these (so excited!) and was wondering, if I don’t have parchment paper or a baking mat, should I grease the cookie sheet or not?
Hey Kara! I haven’t tried it. Greasing the cookie sheet can cause the cookies to spread. I recommend parchment paper for the best results.
Hi do you have an adjustment for high altitudes?
Hey Rachel! I haven’t tried it because I live at sea level so couldn’t be much help. But here is King Arthur’s guide for adjusting to high altitude, I trust them! https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I made these last night, and they are awesome! I think rolling the cookies out super thick makes all the difference. I also used your buttercream recipe- it is by far the best frosting I have ever made. I replaced the coconut extract with an extra 1/4 tsp of almond (somehow my dad doesn’t like coconut!) and it was great! Thanks for an awesome recipe:)
I agree Ashley, rolling it out thick makes a huge difference! I’m so glad the recipe was a success! There is nothing better than a soft sugar cookie and the best buttercream frosting…yum, now I want to go make these. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! It makes me smile!
This recipe sounds so good! I’m wondering if sour cream could be used instead of cream cheese, as I’ve seen other soft sugar cookie recipes call for it? I had planned to make a recipe from Wholefully but after reading the reviews.. I changed my mind! Thank you :)
hey Jenna! I’ve never tried it with sour cream, but you could certainly give it a shot. I can guarantee amazing results with the cream cheese though :) Let me know how they turn out!
Made these today and they were GREAT! They held their shape perfectly! The only thing I’m going to change next time is the amount of salt – I’m going to use 3/4 tsp instead of 1 tsp.
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Good tip Natalie! I’m so glad you loved the sugar cookies, these are a huge favorite of mine! Thanks for the review :)
Hi, I was wondering if I could skip the egg or replace it with something else? Thank you
Hey Alice! Definitely don’t skip it! If you want to replace it I would just use an egg replacer or look up how to replace one egg with flax. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe. My grandson and I have now made these cookies 4x in the last 3weeks. He loves baking with Nana!!! Now that Easter is upon us we are eager to make them again. Thank you again memories are being made and lots of happy joyful moments with the light of my life.
That is so sweet Christine! I’m so happy you and your grandson get to bake together in the kitchen! You are doing it right :) Happy Easter!
Hi Karen! These look amazing! Do you think I could use gluten free flour? Thank you!
Hey Carly! I’ve never tried it! Let me know if you try it and how it goes!
Hi! I am so glad I found this recipe! I’m making sugar cookies for Christmas and I can’t stand crunchy cookies, so these seem to be exactly what I’m looking for! I was just wondering if after I decorate them with the buttercream if it would be okay to stack them on top of each other (without the decorations getting too messed up). Thank you!!
Hey Elizabeth! So unfortunately since this is buttercream frosting and it won’t really harden much. If you leave it out uncovered it will get a bit crispy on top but not really stackable. If you want to try royal icing, they will stack beautifully! Here’s a good recipe: http://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/04/spring-cupcakes-with-cookie-toppers.html
Beautiful cookies & thanks for the recipe! I’m making these tonight & was just curious why there is no baking soda or baking powder added to this recipe?
Hey Isabelle! Because we don’t want them rising. no rising agent makes for a thick, soft, chewy cookie! The flour makes them rise a little but not too much. Hope this helps!
These look soooo good. Soft cookies all the way! I don’t have room right now in my kitchen to roll out the cookies. Do you think if I roll the dough into a log and chill it, cut the cookies 3/8″ and bake them, they’ll turn out? Thanks!
Hmmm I’ve never tried it Kelly! You will have to let me know how it goes!
I made these cookies this weekend since my husband has been nagging me for Christmas cookies. I, like you, love a soft sugar cookie over the hard kind. I followed your recipe and the cookies came out AWESOME!! I only made round cookies this time, but I was very pleased that the cookies held their shape, no spreading and w!ill be perfect with shaped cutters!
The icing was great too! I will probably use a little less almond/coconut extract as my husband is not a big sweet fan, but loved them.
I will be making these cookies going forward as my “Go To” cookie recipe/icing. :-)
YAY! So happy to hear you and your husband loved them Kelly! Soft sugar cookies for life! Thank you so much for coming back to review. You have no idea how much it means to food bloggers! It’s like a Christmas present :) Happy cookies and merry Christmas!
Love the sound of these! = ) I may have to add them to my Christmas cookie repertoire. I was wondering what decorating tip (if any) you used to get the effect on the cookies.
Hey Jay!! I used tip #12. That’s what it says on it, I just checked. Hopefully that helps! I’m tip illiterate so I hope that’s what you need. I think there are lots of tips that would work for this effect. Check out how I did the frosting on this post: https://thefoodcharlatan.com/the-best-buttercream-frosting-for-sugar-cookies/
I used this recipe at Thanksgiving, and they turned out great. I made another batch yesterday and baked them this morning. This time, they spread and flattened out … I’m devastated! I don’t know what I did wrong. I refrigerated the dough over night and refrigerated the cut-out cookies before putting them in the oven. I did done the batch this time, could that be a problem? Or, is it possible to over-beat the butter/sugar mixture??
Thanks
That was supposed to say that I made a double batch?
Tricia, I’m so sorry I missed this comment! That is so strange that they baked flat! I’m wondering if you accidentally forgot a cup of flour or something?? Overbeating the butter/sugar wouldn’t be a problem…
I’m guessing I can keep the dough chilled for a few days or so before making the cookies? Thanks in advance!
Hey Jen! Yes totally! I wouldn’t go more than 2-3 days or I imagine it would get dried out. Throw it in the freezer if you need to do it more than 3 days!
Hello,
I am wondering what the different between almond flavoring and almond extract? Which would be ideal for these cookies?
Thank you
Diana
Hey Diana! I always use almond extract!
I’m going to make the recipe and I was wondering how long these cookies stay soft? Some recipes I use go stale the next day :/
Hey Isabelle! If you follow the directions exactly they should stay soft for at least a day or 2. Keep them tightly covered, even after frosting them!
I made these cookies for my daughter’s confirmation. They were absolutely the best!
Yay! I’m so happy they turned out Kim! Congrats on your daughter’s confirmation!
I tried this recipe today and the cookies turned out PERFECTLY! They seriously taste just like bakery cookies-very impresssive. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy they worked out for you Katrina! They really do taste like they’re from a bakery, I agree. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I’m sure you know how valuable that is to bloggers :)
I am making these cookies for my daughter’s wedding. I want to just put decorating sugar on them. (Not enough time to ice them) Did you brush them with water and sprinkle with sugar after baking?
Hey Greta, yes that’s exactly what I did! use only a very small amount of water. Use a pastry brush with actual hairs (not the kind with rubber or silicone brushes, you know the ones?) I would brush with water and then dip in sanding sugar, that will get better coverage. Let me know how it goes! Happy wedding, congrats to your daughter!
Have you ever made this with 1/4″ cookies instead of 3/8″? Love this recipe but looking to get thinner and more cookies out of it. Would I reduce baking time at all?
No I never have Lauren! It will work just fine, and yes I would reduce the bake time by a few minutes. You will just have to check it. Let me know how it goes!
Hi, Im going to try this recipe tomorrow and was wondering if i can freeze the dough or how should i store the extra dough i dont use, im not sure ill be needing 2 dozen cookies
Hey Kristen! Yes you can freeze the dough. I just put it in a ziplock. I’ve got some in my freezer right now!
These look amazing! But I have a hatred for almond extract. If I leave that out, do you suggest I replace it with anything, or increase the vanilla?
Yo Vanessa! Who doesn’t like almond extract?? Weirdoooooo :) Yes, just up the vanilla to replace the almond. They will still be delicious! Enjoy!
I stumbled upon this recipe while attempting to make sugar cookies for the first time. Wow! These are absolutely delicious, and the almond extract shines through brilliantly!! I was a little nervous since my dough wasn’t too sticky, but they turned out perfectly. Your directions are so clear and easy to follow. This will be my go-to recipe for making sugar cookies in the years ahead for my family. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Lindsay, that’s such a huge compliment! I hate vague recipes :) I’m so glad you all loved them. I am totally craving these now! Thanks so much for the review!
I just realized you asked me about sugar cookies a while ago and I never responded! Sorry, looks like you found a good one. These look very similar to mine, I like them thick and soft as well.
Poor Valentine, Henry feels her pain.😊
These look so unbelievably amazing it’s killing me! I want one right now! :)
Ooh Karen, I so need these! I’m totally with you in the fact that I prefer my sugar cookies soft. :) Definitely going to make these soon, and I also can’t wait to see your frosting recipe!
Karen, your cookies are gorgeous!!!! You have mad frosting skillz. I hate that I said “skillz” but I think it kinda goes with “mad.”
what a simple recipe — and easily veganized. YUM>
I am a sugar cookie SNOB! And these look amazing!! I also love a soft cookie with sweet frosting. Those fancy cookies with royal frosting decorations are beautiful, but usually are a disappointment to munch. Give me one of these any day! I may have to try this recipe for Easter!
Thanks Debbie! Long time no talk, how are you? i was just checking out your friend’s soup that she guest posted, looks good!
And I agree, there’s nothing more disappointing than a beautiful cookie that tastes like cardboard! Let me know if you try them out! Have a great rest of the week!