Cut-out sugar cookies are a holiday baking tradition in so many families — and this recipe, perfected over 30 years, is the one you’ve been looking for. Soft, chewy, and completely non-spreading, these cookies hold their shape beautifully through every cookie cutter in your drawer, then finish with a glossy, shiny frosting that sets perfectly for stacking and gifting. Whether you’re baking with kids on a rainy afternoon or filling holiday tins for teachers and neighbors, this is the only sugar cookie recipe you’ll ever need.
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- Cuisine: American
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes per batch
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Servings: 24 cookies
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No spreading means your cookies keep their shape perfectly.
- Simple frosting hardens for easy stacking and storage.
- Perfect balance of sweetness in both cookie and frosting.
- Proven family tradition with 30 years of perfect results.
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter (softened): Adds richness and keeps the cookies tender. Unsalted butter works too; just add a pinch more salt.
- 1 cup granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies and aids in spreading slight caramelization for flavor.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract: Provides foundational flavor; substitute with almond extract for a nutty note if desired.
- 2 large eggs (room temperature): Bind the ingredients; room temperature eggs blend more evenly into the batter.
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour: The body of your cookies; sift before measuring for more accurate results.
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder: Offers a slight lift and tenderness.
- ½ teaspoon salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavors.
- 4 cups powdered sugar (sifted): Base for the icing, ensuring it’s smooth and lump-free.
- 3-4 Tablespoons milk (room temperature): Adjusts icing consistency; use more or less for desired thickness.
- 2 ½ Tablespoons light corn syrup: Gives the icing shine and hardness once set.
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract: adds complementary flavor to the icing.
- Gel food coloring (optional): For decorating; gel coloring doesn’t alter icing consistency.
How to Make It
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until pale and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air, which helps the cookies rise and maintain texture.
Step 2: Add Wet Ingredients
Mix in the vanilla extract, then add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. Room temperature eggs help to blend seamlessly into the butter mixture.
Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently to avoid overmixing, which could make the cookies tough.
Step 4: Chill and Cut
Divide the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Chilling helps the dough hold its shape during baking. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to your desired thickness, then cut with cookie cutters.
Step 5: Bake and Frost
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 8-10 minutes until the edges are just set. For the icing, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. Adjust milk quantity for preferred consistency, and add gel food coloring if desired. Frost once cool for a shiny finish.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Allow it to sit at room temperature until slightly softened before rolling out.
How do I prevent my cookies from spreading?
Ensure your dough is well-chilled before cutting and baking. Avoid using a warm baking sheet, as this can cause premature spreading.
What’s the best way to store decorated cookies?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If stacking, place wax or parchment paper between layers to protect the iced surface.
If you love easy holiday baking, our Easy Shortbread is another foolproof classic that comes together with just five pantry ingredients and is perfect for filling cookie tins alongside these decorated sugar cookies.
These cut-out sugar cookies are the kind of recipe that creates memories as much as they create delicious cookies — the kind where kids are elbow-deep in flour, frosting is somehow on the ceiling, and everyone is arguing over who gets to use the star cutter. The dough is forgiving, the frosting is foolproof, and the cookies come out perfectly soft and shaped every single time. Bake a big batch, get the whole family involved in decorating, and don’t be surprised if this recipe becomes the most requested tradition in your house from Halloween straight through to Valentine’s Day.
The Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Soft & Non-Spreading)
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened: Adds richness and keeps the cookies tender. Unsalted butter works too; just add a pinch more salt.
- 1 cup granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies and aids in spreading slight caramelization for flavor.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract: Provides foundational flavor; substitute with almond extract for a nutty note if desired.
- 2 large eggs room temperature: Bind the ingredients; room temperature eggs blend more evenly into the batter.
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour: The body of your cookies; sift before measuring for more accurate results.
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder: Offers a slight lift and tenderness.
- ½ teaspoon salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavors.
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted: Base for the icing, ensuring it’s smooth and lump-free.
- 3-4 Tablespoons milk room temperature: Adjusts icing consistency; use more or less for desired thickness.
- 2 ½ Tablespoons light corn syrup: Gives the icing shine and hardness once set.
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract: adds complementary flavor to the icing.
- Gel food coloring optional: For decorating; gel coloring doesn’t alter icing consistency.
Instructions
- Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until pale and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air, which helps the cookies rise and maintain texture.
- Step 2: Add Wet Ingredients
- Mix in the vanilla extract, then add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. Room temperature eggs help to blend seamlessly into the butter mixture.
- Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently to avoid overmixing, which could make the cookies tough.
- Step 4: Chill and Cut
- Divide the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Chilling helps the dough hold its shape during baking. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to your desired thickness, then cut with cookie cutters.
- Step 5: Bake and Frost
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 8-10 minutes until the edges are just set. For the icing, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. Adjust milk quantity for preferred consistency, and add gel food coloring if desired. Frost once cool for a shiny finish.
Notes
- Salted butter can be used in place of unsalted — just omit the additional salt in the recipe
- Almond extract can replace vanilla extract in the cookies for a slightly nutty, bakery-style flavor that pairs beautifully with the frosting
- For the frosting, fresh lemon juice can replace the milk for a subtle citrus note
- Gel food coloring is strongly recommended over liquid — liquid food coloring adds excess moisture and can throw off the frosting consistency