Soft and chewy in the middle, lightly golden around the edges, and ready for all your favorite cookie cutters, these sugar cookies are the kind of recipe you’ll want to come back to whenever there’s something to celebrate.
There’s something especially fun about making cut-out sugar cookies. You roll out the dough, pull out a collection of cookie cutters, and before you know it, the kitchen counter is covered with stars, hearts, flowers, or whatever shapes fit the occasion.
But as pretty as cut-out cookies can be, I still want them to taste like really good cookies. These have that balance I’m always looking for: buttery and tender with chewy centers and just a little crispness around the edges. A touch of almond extract works alongside the vanilla to give them a lovely, classic flavor without overpowering the cookies.
And, of course, there’s the best part: decorating them. Sprinkle the shapes with colored sugar before baking for something simple, or wait until they’re completely cool and bring out the frosting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love a sugar cookie that can do a little bit of everything, and that’s exactly what you get here.
The chilled dough is made for rolling and cutting, so you can use simple cookie cutters or reach for those intricate shapes you’ve been saving for a special occasion. Once baked, the cookies have lightly golden edges with chewy centers instead of turning dry and crunchy.
They’re also just as good plain as they are decorated. Vanilla gives the cookies their familiar sweetness, while that small amount of almond extract adds a little extra depth. You can add colored sugar before baking, frost them afterward, or leave them completely alone.
Make them for the holidays, birthdays, showers, cookie boxes, or an afternoon of baking just because. This is one of those simple recipes that can become something different every time you make it.
Sugar Cookie Ingredients
You only need a handful of simple baking staples to make these cut-out sugar cookies:
- Unsalted Butter – Use butter at room temperature so it combines smoothly with the sugar. It gives the cookies their rich, buttery flavor and tender texture.
- Granulated Sugar – This provides the sweetness and helps create those lightly crisp edges while the centers stay chewy.
- Egg – A room-temperature egg helps bind the dough together and adds structure and moisture to the cookies.
- Vanilla Extract – This gives the sugar cookies their classic warm, sweet vanilla flavor.
- Almond Extract – You only need a small amount here. It works with the vanilla to give the cookies a little more depth without making them taste strongly of almond.
- All-Purpose Flour – This forms the base of the dough and gives the cookies enough structure to be rolled, cut into shapes, and baked.
- Salt – Just a little salt balances the sweetness and brings out the buttery vanilla and almond flavors.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Let’s make some cookies!
First, make the dough.
Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and granulated sugar and mix for about 45 seconds, stopping once the two are thoroughly combined. Do not continue beating until fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, then mix well for about 1 minute.
Next, add the dry ingredients.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl so everything is evenly incorporated. Add the flour and salt and continue mixing only until the dough comes together and no visible streaks of flour remain.
Now, chill the dough.
Shape the dough into a flat oval disk and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or leave it chilled overnight.
This step is worth the wait! Chilling makes the dough easier to work with and helps those carefully cut shapes hold up once they reach the oven.
Roll and cut.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly flour your work surface and use a rolling pin to roll the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
Cut the dough into your desired shapes and carefully move the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets. If you would like to decorate them with colored sugar, add it before the cookies go into the oven.
Time to bake!
Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, adjusting the baking time according to cookie size. Mini cookies generally need about 8 minutes, medium cookies about 10 minutes, and larger cookies about 12 minutes.
You’re looking for edges that are only beginning to turn golden brown. That little visual cue is much more helpful than waiting for the entire cookie to look browned.
Let the cookies cool completely before transferring them to a wire rack. Once fully cooled, frost as desired or serve them without frosting.
Expert Tips
Give the dough time to chill. I know it’s tempting to get straight to the cookie cutters, but the chilling time matters here. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour so it’s easier to roll and less likely to spread in the oven.
Don’t whip the butter and sugar. Unlike recipes where you want a light and fluffy mixture, here you only want the butter and sugar thoroughly combined. About 45 seconds is enough.
Keep the dough about 1/4 inch thick. This gives the cookies enough thickness for that chewy middle while still allowing the edges to develop a little crispness.
Use enough flour when rolling. A well-floured work surface makes the whole process much easier. You can also roll the dough on plastic wrap if you’re worried about sticking.
Flour your cookie cutters, too. If the dough starts clinging to the cutters, dip them in a little flour between shapes.
Watch your first batch carefully. Tiny stars and big circles aren’t going to bake at exactly the same speed. Mini cookies generally take about 8 minutes, medium cookies about 10, and larger cookies about 12.
Making detailed shapes? Once the cookies are on the baking sheet, place the sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes before baking. The extra chill helps intricate shapes retain their details.
Recipe Variations
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how easily you can change the finished cookies without changing the dough itself.
For the easiest version, sprinkle the cut cookies with colored sugar before they go into the oven. It gives them a little sparkle and means there’s nothing left to do once they’re baked.
For classic decorated sugar cookies, leave them plain while baking and frost them once they’ve cooled completely. Add sprinkles or other decorations to suit whatever you’re celebrating.
You can also let the cookie cutters do all the work. Hearts make them perfect for Valentine’s Day, stars and trees are lovely for the holidays, and numbers or letters are fun for birthdays. The recipe stays exactly the same—the shapes and decorations make each batch feel new.
Storage & Reheating
Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature. Keeping the container tightly sealed will help prevent the cookies from drying out.
For frosted cookies, allow the frosting to set before storing or stacking them. If you need to layer decorated cookies, parchment paper between the layers can help protect the tops.
And there’s no need to reheat these! Sugar cookies are wonderful at room temperature. If you’ve kept them somewhere particularly cool, give them a little time on the counter before serving.
Serving Suggestions
These cookies really don’t need much. Put a few on a plate with coffee, tea, or a cold glass of milk, and you have a very good afternoon snack.
For holidays and parties, pile them onto a cookie platter alongside other favorite treats. They also make sweet additions to homemade cookie boxes and edible gifts.
Or turn serving into the activity itself. Bake and cool the cookies ahead of time, then set out frosting and decorations and let everyone make their own. It’s especially fun for holidays, birthdays, and family baking days—and you get to eat the results when you’re done. 🙂
Recipe FAQs
1. Why do I need to chill the sugar cookie dough?
Chilling the dough helps keep the cookies from spreading too much and makes it much easier to roll and cut into shapes. Don’t skip this step! Chill the dough for at least 1 hour or overnight before rolling it out.
2. What if my sugar cookie dough is too hard to roll?
If you chilled the dough overnight, it may be pretty firm when you first take it out of the refrigerator. Simply let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes. This will soften it just enough to make rolling easier without letting it get too warm.
3. How thick should I roll out sugar cookie dough?
Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thick. This is a great thickness for cut-out cookies because they’re easy to transfer to the baking sheet and still have that delicious chewy center after baking.
4. How do I keep cut-out sugar cookies from spreading?
Make sure you chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling and cutting. If you’re using intricate cookie cutters, you can also place the baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes before baking. This extra chill helps the cookies hold all those pretty little details.
5. How do I know when sugar cookies are done?
Look at the edges instead of the centers. The cookies are ready when the edges are just starting to turn golden brown. Mini cookies usually take about 8 minutes, medium cookies about 10 minutes, and larger cookies about 12 minutes. Don’t overbake them if you want to keep those centers nice and chewy.
Classic Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and granulated sugar and mix for about 45 seconds, stopping once the two are thoroughly combined. Do not continue beating until fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, then mix well for about 1 minute.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl so everything is evenly incorporated. Add the flour and salt and continue mixing only until the dough comes together and no visible streaks of flour remain.
- Shape the dough into a flat oval disk and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or leave it chilled overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour your work surface and use a rolling pin to roll the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
- Cut the dough into your desired shapes and carefully move the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets. If you would like to decorate them with colored sugar, add it before the cookies go into the oven.
- Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, adjusting the baking time according to cookie size. Mini cookies generally need about 8 minutes, medium cookies about 10 minutes, and larger cookies about 12 minutes. Remove them from the oven when the edges are only beginning to turn golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool completely before transferring them to a wire rack. Once fully cooled, frost as desired or serve them without frosting.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.2g | Protein: 1.5g | Fat: 4.9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 10.1g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.5mg Nutrition information is per serving (1 cookie) and is approximate.
