Super soft sugar cookies with a delicate vanilla flavor and texture. They’re so good that you’ll want to eat them all as soon as they’re out of the oven. You’ve been warned!
I’m going to admit something to you. I never understood the hype around sugar cookies. I thought they were too sweet, and not too flavorful. But then I tried these cookies, and I realized I was wrong. So wrong.
These cookies were born by accident. I made my original recipe and ran out of sugar, so I swapped the rest with powdered sugar. When I tried them I couldn’t believe the difference it made. They tasted better and the texture was superb. This is now my favorite recipe for sugar cookies. They’re chewy, soft, and they have a delicious vanilla flavor. I even love sneaking a taste of the dough, which is always a weakness of mine! (If this is also a guilty pleasure if yours, you must try my edible cookie dough recipe for an entire bowl full of chocolate chip cookie dough that’s 100% safe to eat).
Why are these cookies so soft?
First, I use powdered sugar in the recipe, which makes them incredibly soft–same as in my a-m-a-z-i-n-g melt-in-your-mouth vanilla pudding chocolate chip cookies. The reason is that powdered sugar has cornstarch in it, which helps give a soft texture to cookies and other baked goods. Make sure not to omit it from the recipe!
Second, I underbake the cookies to keep them soft in the center, as I do with almost all my cookies. I’m on team soft, chewy cookies, not flat, crunchy cookies. If you’re anything like me, make sure not to overbake your cookies. Don’t wait until they’re golden brown on top, but rather just slightly brown around the edges.
How to make these soft sugar cookies
- Cream butter and sugar together. Do this in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer. Blend room temperature butter with both sugars until fluffy, about 4 minutes until it’s fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla. Be sure the scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients. Don’t overmix the dough, which can result in tougher cookies (we’re going for soft and chewy here)
- Bake. Shape dough into balls and roll in granulated sugar. This adds another delicious layer to the cookies. Bake at 350°F/185°C for 10-11 minutes.
How long can you keep sugar cookies?
Unfortunately, mine never last too long to tell, but 3-5 days at room temperature is ideal. Because of their substantial shelf life, they’re an excellent option if you’re planning on shipping holiday cookies. I always recommend that if you make a large batch, place some in an airtight container, and freeze. Freezing is the best way to keep cookies fresh. If I’m craving a cookie, I’ll take one or two cookies out of the freezer and either warm them in the oven, or let them thaw to room temperature.
Tips for perfect sugar cookies
- Don’t overmix your cookie dough. This can result in tougher, more dense cookies. Combine ingredients just until they come together.
- Freeze leftover cookies or cookie dough. Baked cookies stay fresh in the freezer for 3-4 weeks, while cookie dough will stay fresh for 2 months. You can either freeze dough in a disc shape wrapped in plastic wrap or pre-roll them into balls and place in a freezer-safe container. Simply place them on a baking sheet when you’re ready to bake them and bake frozen (this will require a few extra minutes of baking time).
- Don’t omit the powdered sugar. Powdered sugar makes these cookies incredibly soft and chewy, so I highly recommend using it in addition to the granulated sugar the recipe calls for.
More Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies:
- Melt-In-Your-Mouth Butter Cookies: Perfectly buttery and decadent, these are like a dream.
- Soft, Chewy, Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies: Truly one of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes in the world.
- Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies: Tangy lemon and white chocolate is one of my favorite flavor combos, and both flavors shine in these delicious cookies.l
- Dulce De Leche Sandwich Cookies: One of my all-time favorite sandwich cookies (they’re incredible)!
- Nutty Mexican Wedding Cookies: A perfect afternoon cookie to eat with a cup of tea or coffee.
My funfetti cookie recipe is very similar to this sugar cookie recipe. Here’s a video of how to make these amazing cookies!
Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
These incredibly soft and chewy sugar cookies are rich, buttery, and insanely delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks/227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup (130g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (85g) powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar on medium-low speed for 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract just until combined. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Do not overmix.
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Place ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into balls, the size of 1.5 tablespoons each (I use this ice cream scoop for that), then roll them in the sugar and place on the cookie sheets, spacing them 2-inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes until cookies just begin to brown at the edges, but the center is still soft (you don't want to overbake them). Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Rosalie says
These were amazing…thank you
Mary S says
You are a sugar cookie genius!
I have a friend who loves sugar cookies, the soft sugar cookies! I’ve made them many years for him and they’re never just quite right. Guess what these are perfect according to his high standard. Thank you so much! All my other recipes are in the trash!
Liisa says
Five star cookies. Perfect soft cookie melts in the mouth. Kids loved them too. I used brown sugar instead of granulated sugar just because I like brown sugar flavour. I will make these again.
Kari Baltz says
I added some peppermint for Christmas an they were better then ever! these were so yummy and everyone in the town loved them! <3
Dawn Martin says
did you add pepermint oil, or crushed candy canes
Marvin coil says
I have been looking for a good soft sugar cookie I ve made a lot of cookies and these top the list. In fact I used one stick of salted butter and one unsalted. They tasted delicious
Lyn says
Love these. Simple and oh so delicious!
Sandy says
I loved how these cookies came out. Just perfect! I will be using this recipe often for our guests at our guest houses in Madison, Indiana!
Miri says
I tried it and it so yummy and soft, I LOVE IT, thank you very much!!
Alena says
These are so great! Couldn’t stop eating them! Thank you for the recipe!
Georgia says
These aren’t gonna stay in my cookie jar for long, thank you for the recipe – they’re delicious!
Miranda says
I’ve made this recipe over and over and every time it turns out amazing! This is a delicious recipe. I highly recommend it for the cookie lovers out there.
Tip for putting the sugar on: make sure the cookies are hot, just taken out of the oven, when you top them with the last dash of sugar.
Lolo says
This cookie recipe came out delicious. Thank you
Riley says
OMG They were so good I can’t believe it I am not even a teen and I made these
ANgela Conty says
THese are so good. I added cinnamon and sugar mixture. Wow stays soft for 4 days. That’s how long it lasted with my husband.
Riley Jones says
Hi Shiran I am not even a teen and I made these for my church and everyone LOVED them I will totally make these again
Sarah Posz says
Rolled mine in turbinado sugar, this recipes is a keeper!!! Thank you for sharing 💜
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you, Sarah!
Alaura says
Looking forward to trying these this Christmas! Can these be rolled out and cut as well?
Shiran says
If you’re looking for sugar cookies that keep their shape during baking then check out this recipe for cut out sugar cookies.
Steven says
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I tend to bake a lot more in the colder weather and I like to experiment with different recipes online. I love this one in particular because I swapped out the vanilla extract for pumpkin pie spice extract and the texture makes it so much more like pie! Thanks again!
Vanessa says
When I was mixing mine it seemed to watery, maybe I mixed to much?
Emily says
Weird, I had the opposite problem. Mine were super duper dry and I had to really pack the dough to get the balls to keep their shape. Resulted in weird cooking. I don’t know what I did wrong.
Julia says
Best. Sugar. Cookies. Ever. Thank you! Bookmarking this one for sure ❤️
Kathy says
Omg, my family and I loved these!
I’m definitely going to make these again! My family said these and your Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip cookies that I also made tonight are the best cookies I ever made! And I bake cookies about 4 or 5 times a year!
stacey a geiermann says
hello, what would you think about adding some fresh cranberries? would it work?
Shiran says
I usually add dried fruit to these kind of cookies. I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure how it will affect the cookies.
Lismar says
Hey i was wondering if i can add cocoa powder to make it chocolate?
Raquel says
Soooo good! Thank you for this recipe! And thank you to you guys who commented and rated it and convinced me to give it a try.
Lori says
Can you omit rolling and sugar? I wanted to frost them
Shiran says
Yes you can!
Trelene says
I don’t have a mixing bowl with paddle attachment what can i do instead?
Shiran says
Hi Trelene. I always use a mixer. You can search google on how to make cookies without using a mixer.
Nancy Warren says
I just made them today using a hand mixer. Worked fine.
Samantha says
My mixer broke so I mixed them by hand with a wooden spoon. They came out just fine. We did add some cinnamon though as they didn’t have as much flavor as I’d like.
Sandra says
I just made these. I used half granulated sugar and half Tang in the mix and they came out delicious! I also added some Tang in with the sugar to roll in. Nice subtle orange flavor and a pleasant tang. They won’t last long!
Denise Brown says
Love these! So soft and yummy. However, my dough seemed too moist, I wasn’t able to roll into balls and I had to bake for 14 mins instead of recommended 12.; any idea what I may have done for these things to have happened? They are awesome and I will make them again!!!
Shiran says
Hi Denise. This can happen if you measure the ingredients by volume and not by weight, and it also depends on the type of flour you use. You can add a bit more flour to the dough if it happens again.
Jolean gernandt says
We absolutely loved loved loved them.thank you so much.
We’re happy baking!!
Sarah says
Can you add m&m’s or chocolate chips to this recipe?
Shiran says
Yes you can! These are delicate cookies so if possible, use mini chocolate chips.
Loretta says
I made these with my son and they were absolutely delicious. Thanks so much for sharing.
Courtney says
WOW!!! I just found this recipe last night as I was looking for a tastier soft sugar cookie. These cookies are amazing!! I have literally made 4 batches of these for my family and for a Christmas party. Best sugar cookie and maybe my favorite ever! 🙂
Sarah W. says
I tried this recipe and it tastes great but when I cooked it it was too runny and it all ran together I double checked the recipe but I didn’t do anything wrong ate there any tips you can give me for next time?
Audrey says
Was your butter room temp? Also, I had to stop my kitchen aid a couple of times to scoop it all back together. I also added 1/4 cup cream cheese and that made my dough really firm and easy to shape. Good luck next time!
Sarah W. says
I tried this recipe but when I cooked them they were too runny and they all ran together. I double checked the recipe but I didn’t do anything wrong so I was wondering if u could give me any tips for next time?
Shiran says
Hi Sarah, maybe the flour wasn’t measured accurately. If the dough is too soft or sticky, try to add more flour next time. It will also help if you chill the dough for several hours before baking.
Mamadee says
Best recipe hands down. We have made these twice in one week. We never have to worry about storage lol, because they are demolished in a matter of minutes.
Danielle Fasse says
Wow! These are the most delicious sugar cookies I have ever tasted! I will definitely be saving this recipe!
Marin says
The cookies were very delicious! I will say, one thing I did to half of the batch is add sprinkles, and then put them on pan, then add sprinkles to top. After that I took a spoon and pressed down, that I think helped make them a bit more flat. Overall these cookies were perfect! My siblings said they were great, and asked for more!
Madeleine says
It tasted great. However, I think that the cooking time was under-estimated. It took almost 20 minuets for the cookies to be done baking. Anyone else had this?
Charlie says
Is that 2 butter sticks at 227g each, or 227g total?
Shiran says
Hi Charlie. 2 stick, 113g each, so it’s 227g total.
Marvin coil says
Made these and they turned delicious. Now everyone wants me to make more
My question is Can you double the recipe without trouble?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Absolutely!
Rosie says
Two (sticks); I used plant butter, avocado, I think, by country crock.
I am certain the olive oil plant butter would work fine because there is no difference in taste. Great chewy cookies!
Marisol says
This was my first time baking. I found your recipe and was so happy that I did. The cookies were deliciously wonderful. They turned out Perfect! My family really enjoyed them. I added chocolate chips to a second batch and they were soooo good! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Wendy says
I made these cookies today. They are soooo good! I modified it a little with 2 teaspoons of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of almond extract and 1 teaspoon of lemon extract. I felt like the came from the bakery. This recipe is a keeper!
Leah says
Can I use this recipe for cut outs? I see you have a separate recipe but I loved these cookies at Christmas and I was hoping to make heart shaped sugar cookies this Valentine’s Day. Should I stick with your cut out cookie method?
Shiran says
Hi Leah. You should stick to the other recipe. These cookies are more soft and moist.
Jeanette says
Made these with my toddler. Loved how simple the recipe was and the cookies had great texture. Not too sweet.
Roberta says
I need a sugar cookie recipe that does well in high altitude. What do I need to adjust in this recipe? When I tried these with the regular recipe, they ran all over the pan, so What suggestions do you have?
Claudia says
Amazing!!!!
Claudia says
Amazing
I’m trymg to give it 5 stars but it won’t let me
Sarahjane says
Made these on a whim last night and they are beautiful. I’m having trouble not eating them all. . . I want to try these as a base for a snickerdoodle or maybe add a touch of nutmeg next time. Thank you for the quick, easy, and delightful recipe.
Joanna says
Could I make these into snickerdoodle cookies by adding cinnamon to the mix and using cinnamon sugar for rolling?
Shiran says
Yes you can 🙂
Kelsey says
Soft, chewy, buttery! These are amazing cookies!
Ram says
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mackenzie says
Absolutely delicious. I made these for a family who just moved into the neighborhood . The mother of the family (who actually has her own cooking and baking blog) HAD to have the recipe. She said they were so good she didn’t want to share with anyone else! I completely agree with her ! I had to get rid of the extra (because I made 2 batches) or else I would have gained 15 lbs!
These sugar cookies are extremely soft and have the most amazing texture. They truly are perfection! The only adjustment I ended up making was adding 2 & 1/2 tsp of almond extract, which really just adds to the flavor of these delicious cookies! I highly recommend making them with almond extract! You WILL NOT be disappointed! For bigger cookies, I made some with 2 Tbs of cookie batter and increased the bake time by a couple of minutes. TRULY a hit with the whole neighborhood!
Thanks for sharing! I will definitely be making these over and over again!
Joni Goldsborough says
They are amazing. You can add so many things to these. I like lemon , lime or orange zest. Perfect for spring or summer . Thank you for the share .first time made with cinnamon and sugar. They were gone in less then 2 days lol. A true hit.
Julie says
My new favorite cookie recipe! Very soft when following the recommended timing.
Tiffany says
Today my 3yo was put on a soft food diet after an injury. Seeking recipe ideas I found this one and tried it, but ran put of sugar. My daughter had fun however, rolling the cookie balls in powdered sugar. My oldest son said they are delicious and especially loves them with the powdered sugar.
Dayon says
Hi, I was wondering what temperature to bake them at! Would it be around 180º C?
Tracye Waldroup says
I’ve made my sugar cookies with powdered sugar for years. The best cookies ever!
Abby says
They are beautiful and tast so good but it took a lot more time then I thought
Sharon says
THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES EVER!
Tess says
Can I freeze the dough?
Ella says
Just made these cookies! They are awesome!! This will be my new sugar cookie recipe ! Thank you
Erika Kim says
I used almond extract instead of vanilla (I love using almond and other unique flavors like rose, lavender, orange, …)
I don’t have a hand mixer or a stand mixer, so I cream the butter and sugars using a fork. The butter has to be a bit softer, but it definitely still works!
CJanie says
Thank you so much for your awesome recipes, I make your soft chocolate chip cookies and these all the time. I like to add almond extract and instead of rolling in sugar, I roll mine in freshly toasted almond slivers.
Shiran says
It sounds delicious!
Heather Williams says
I just made a batch of these and they turned out great! Super soft and a nice flavor. I rolled them in red and green sugar to some festive color, and it worked really well. Also, I live at 8300 feet, and the recipe works well at high altitude without any adjustments!
Thanks for the awesome cookie recipe!
Mary S says
You are a sugar cookie genius!
I have a friend who loves sugar cookies, the soft sugar cookies! I’ve made them many years for him and they’re never just quite right. Guess what these are perfect according to his high standard. Thank you so much! All my other recipes are in the trash!
Shiran says
Thank you so much Mary! I’m so glad you and your friend liked it!
Sandy says
Just made these for Chanukah and they are delicious! Your honey cake has also become a family favourite. Thank you, love your website!
Shiran says
Thank you so much, Sandy!
Vhipir says
i followed this recipe almost exactly, i just did half and half baking powder and baking soda and added an extra tablespoon of flour so i could add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and some zest. great recipe, i know what breakfast is gonna be!
Jim canfield says
Thanks! Chemo and radiation have made my palate and tongue too sensitive for most cookies. Your soft cookies made all the difference. After my first batch I thought I would have some fun so after mixing the dough I separated it into 6 batches and using a little food color with some extracts I made almond, orange, pineapple, strawberry, lemon and maple. Not only easy to eat but colorful as well. Thanks again.
Erin says
Yum, I’ll give your flavorings a try. Pineapple sounds especially tasty. Hope you are doing well!
Maria says
Awesome cookies. I baked half of them rolled in cinnamon sugar, the others as per recipe. Both were AWESOME!
Melody Taylor says
I JUST made these and decided to top some of them off with my mom’s buttercream recipe and WHOA. These are SO. GOOD. Exactly what I’ve been craving during this insane quarantine! Thank you!!!
Reeah says
I wanted a soft sugar cookie to bake for my grandsons. This recipe is amazing. I measured the flour and sugars by weight. I added the zest of one large orange. I also used a small ice cream scoop to keep the cookies uniform in size and shape. I used Bob’s Mill sparkly decorating sugar and just dipped the tops of the cookie mounds in the sugar. I baked them for the full 12 minutes and let them cool for a full 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring them to cooling racks. The recipe made 27 cookies. I can’t wait for my grandsons to try them.
Tami Gosney says
These are AMAZING. I’ve made them three times now, adding coconut the last two times. I am curious if adding cream cheese and cocoa powder would be ok, and if I would need to change any of the other ingredients?? I’m craving a chocolate cream cheese sugar cookie!
Shiran says
Hi Tami, adding these ingredients will affect the texture so I’m not sure how it would turn out. Sounds interesting though 🙂
Ethan says
These were so good. We had a family cookie baking challenge and I won with these. I’m 9 🙂
Shiran says
Yay! I’m so glad you won, Ethan 🙂
Reese says
Just tried them today. I was worried cause my batter/dough came out kind of sticky so I let it chill in the fridge for about 10 mins and then I was able to roll them. The cookies are so soft and amazing. Great recipe!!
Kelly Dujmovic says
Highest compliments! (My husband is not typically a fan of sugar cookies. He wouldn’t stop raving about these!) This recipe went right into my “specialty” cookbook!!
julie says
i added 2 tbs of light brown sugar… they were a hit with everyone!!!!! thanks
Fran says
ABSOLUTELY the Best sugar cookie I have ever made and so easy. thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Holly says
Just as described, beautiful and soft!
Erin says
These cookies are amazing. I’m not a huge sugar cookie person (chocolate lover) but I had a specific craving for them and decided to try this recipe. We were blown away by how tasty they were! They are so soft, with the most delicate crispiness at the edges and a rich, buttery center. This recipe will come in handy for the holiday baking season. Thank you!!
Oli London says
The Ulitmate Sugar Cookie!!!
10/10 can’t wait to visit again
Mary L says
These cookies were awesome. Soft and sooo good. Mine came out fairly flat though. The dough was a little sticky when I rolled it so I will weigh the flour next time. Would it help to refrigerate the dough before rolling?
Shiran says
Hi Mary. If it will be too sticky then yes, you can place it in the fridge.
Jasmyn Camp says
These are bomb. I made them just as recipe stated. Melt in your mouth and soft. If you want them more crunchy just bake them longer. I coated some with cinnamon sugar it was so good.
john says
idk i havent made them
Sofiya says
This was the best sugar cookie recipe with such good flavor.And if was very creamy and fluffy.
Taryn Simbrow says
I have tried a sugar cookie recipe once before but couldn’t even mix the flour in. Became too dry. Can you use a hand held mixer for this and does the butter need to be softened? I consider myself a good baker. I love baking so not being able to complete the last recipe I tried was so hard. You are using 2 1/8 cups of flour. The other used 2 3/4.
You don’t use baking powder? Why?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Taryn, you can definitely use a handheld mixer to cream the butter and sugar together. I recommend the butter to be room temperature to help the ingredients emulsify evenly. And I typically prefer making cookies with baking soda instead of baking powder, like I do in this recipe, because I prefer how soft and chewy it makes them 🙂
Taryn Simbrow says
Just finished making these and we’re perfect. Just what I expected and wanted. Thank you!
Des says
Turned out just like the photo. Only thing I don’t like about the recipe is how additive the cookies are.
Des says
Addictive*
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Haha so glad you enjoyed them, Des! And yes, I know these cookies are dangerous to have around 🙂
Sheri Gouthro says
We make rolled sugar cookies every Christmas, but I have officially found our new recipe. So much easier and the cookies are perfect!! Thanks!!!
PS I rolled them in sugar and also coloured sugar (red and blue)… adorable!!
Feng Liu says
Best
Feng Liu says
Best cookies!!
Elle says
So easy, so delicious, Agee do not over bake…and def let sit on pan-I doubled rolled them in sugar.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you, Elle!