I love all cookies — I’m not a respecter of types. My mom’s chocolate chip cookies are delicious, I love whipping up some No-Bake cookies, and my local grocery store makes a mean Monster cookie (see what I did there?).
But there’s one cookie that reins over the others during the holidays. Sugar cookies! Many of us have fond memories of mixing up some dough with our families, and cutting it out with little metal cookie cutters.
When we were young, it was a tradition in our family to dye the sugar cookie dough red and green for Christmas. My mom would swirl some of it together to make the prettiest cookies for us to enjoy. In a family with 7 kids, we went through plenty of Christmas Tree shaped cookies in one sitting.
With hundreds of Sugar Cookie recipes out there, we wanted to make a recipe that will be your go-to for all the seasons. Whether you’re decorating for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, 4th of July, or a random Tuesday, this recipe is your “one-stop shop” for sugar cookies.
This recipe is fast, easy, and delicious! It only has 6 ingredients, (that you probably have in your kitchen right now), and the dough is easy to work with. The prep is quick so you can get to the fun part — the decorating! These sugar cookies are soft, chewy, and delicious!
Easy Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Cookie Cutters
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Water (Add more if needed. Add 1/2 tbsp at a time)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Beat your butter and sugar together for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for another 1 minute.
- Add in the egg and the vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Add baking soda and flour. Add the flour 1 cup at a time to avoid a large mess with the mixer.
- Add in water. You want a play dough-like consistency. If the dough seems dry, or it won’t stick to each other (you may see the dough turn into little balls), try adding water ½ tbsp at a time to get it to stick better. If the dough is wet to the touch, try adding a bit more flour.
- Lay out your parchment paper or silicone mat. Roll out your dough to about ¼ inch thick. Cutting your cookies on your baking surface means you do not have to transfer the cookies (keeping their shape in tact)!
- Cut the dough with your cookie cutters, or use an upside down glass to get a basic circle shape. Remove excess dough from the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes. The cookies will be soft, but not doughy to the touch. Check them at 7 minutes – do not let them brown or they will lose their soft texture!
- Let the sugar cookies sit for 1 minute on the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Cool completely before frosting. Or enjoy them sans icing!
Enjoy making these cookies with your friends and family! Check out more cookie recipes like these Chocolate Rolo Cookies!