Best-Ever Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
This is the absolute BEST cut-out sugar cookie recipe, hands-down! No softening butter, no chilling dough, they bake up super soft with no spreading and keep their shape each and every time. Use your favorite cookie cutters and eat them plain or decorate them with an easy buttercream or royal icing. I guarantee you will never need another cut-out cookie recipe again!
Let’s be honest, here. While cut-out sugar cookies from scratch always sound awesome in theory (the shapes! the icing! the decorations! the epitome of Christmas cookies!), they can be daunting both in time required and execution.
Sometimes you need to soften butter, and almost always you need to chill the dough… by the time you’re pulling cookies out of the oven, you’re crossing all of your fingers and toes hoping that they didn’t spread and lose their shape, or become too brown or crunchy.
A couple of years ago when my boys begged to make classic sugar cookies, I unearthed this recipe that was perfectly suited to baking with kids – you use cold butter, you don’t need to chill the dough, and the cookies were absolutely amazing time and again. It’s the only recipe I’ve used since and will be a forever family favorite!
Why This Recipe Will Be Your Forever Favorite, Too:
Seriously, the buck stops here. This is the best sugar cookie recipe, and here’s why:
- You don’t need to bring butter to room temperature.
- You don’t need to chill the cookie dough (but you can!).
- The cookies bake up super thick and soft (and STAY soft for days after baking!).
- They do not lose their shape.
- Absolutely delicious plain (yes, vanilla and butter!) but perfect for decorating, too.
- They don’t puff up, which makes them a perfect surface for decorating.
- Freeze exceptionally well.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Them
I love the simplicity of this recipe and that it’s perfect for impromptu baking sessions! Here’s how the rolled sugar cookies come together:
- Preheat the oven and line baking sheets with parchment paper. An important note: I always, always line with parchment paper, not a silicone baking mat (which I find causes more spread).
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. An important note: A stand mixer is ideal for this recipe; since we are starting with cold butter, the paddle attachment does a good job of beating it into the sugar. A hand mixer tends to send the butter and sugar flying; if all you have is a hand mixer, I recommend using your fingers to smash the cubes of butter into the sugar before starting the mixer to give everything a little headstart.
- Add the egg, vanilla, baking powder, and salt, and mix until combined and smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- On low speed, gradually add the flour and mix until just barely combined. Give it a final mix with a rubber spatula so no pockets of flour remain.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the sugar cookie dough to ¼-inch thick. Cut out shapes as desired, transfer to prepared baking sheets, and bake cookies until set but still pale, 10 to 12 minutes. Cook for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.
How Thick to Roll Your Sugar Cookie Dough
This is a super key point! To ensure the wonderfully soft sugar cookies of your dreams, you want to roll the dough about ¼-inch thick. This may seem too thick when you are rolling and cutting, but it’s absolutely vital.
If you’ve found your cut-out sugar cookies lose their shape in the past, it could have been due to a few factors (too much butter in the recipe, dough too warm, dough not rolled thick enough, etc.), but I can tell you that this recipe yields absolutely beautiful edges that do not spread if you take care to roll to the appropriate thickness (if rolled too thin then they can spread).
Use a thin metal spatula to carefully transfer your cut-out cookies from the rolling surface to your baking sheets.
If you prefer thinner cookies with some crispness to the edges, then roll the dough thinner and reduce the baking time a bit.
The Best Tools for Cut-Out Cookies
- Baking Sheets: I use my favorite rimmed half-sheet pans.
- Stand Mixer: For this particular recipe, since we do not soften the butter, a classic stand mixer works best. You can still use a hand mixer if that is all you have, but see note above.
- Rolling Surface: You can use a clean countertop, butcher block, or your favorite non-stick dough mat. A marble pastry board isn’t necessary, but if you have one, it’s great for keeping sugar cookie dough and pie crust cold!
- Rolling Pin: A simple wooden one is all you need.
- Cookie Cutters: You can use absolutely any, so pick your favorites! I have had this 100-piece set for nearly 20 years and I love them… includes all letters, numbers, and cutters for every season and holiday.
- Food Coloring: I swear by gel food coloring! It creates a beautifully saturated color without thinning out the frosting.
Recipe Notes
A quick rundown of my best tips for making this easy sugar cookie recipe!
- Flavors: I adore the pure vanilla flavor, but some people like a little bit of almond – I would recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon of almond extract in addition to the vanilla. You can also use things like cake batter extract, lemon, maple, coconut, etc. You can also add a little bit of cinnamon to the cookie dough if you’d like!
- Scaling: You can double (or more!) this recipe without issue.
- Buttercream frosting: For a simple frosting (with or without sprinkles!), then I recommend my favorite vanilla buttercream. It is easily colored and tastes amazing!
- Royal Icing: To do more detailed decorating, see my tutorial on how to decorate cookies with royal icing.
- Storage: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Make-Ahead: While I love that you can whip up these cookies immediately, you can mix together the dough, divide it in half, form it into disks, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Freezing the Dough: You can also freeze the dough (place the wrapped disk in a ziploc freezer bag) for up to 1 month; thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to almost room temperature, roll it out, and proceed with the recipe.
- Freezing the Cookies: These cookies freeze exceptionally well! You can freeze them plain or decorated; if decorated, let the icing set before freezing. Store in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag (with parchment paper between the layers if they are decorated). The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Ideas for Decorating Cut-Out Cookies
Use royal icing to create fun, beautiful cookies to celebrate holidays and special occasions:
- Valentine’s Day Conversation Heart Cookies
- Baby Shower Cookies
- Easter Egg Cookies
- St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Cookies
- Football Cookies
More Sugar Cookie Recipes:
- Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies (Drop-Style)
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
- Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies
If you make this cut out cookie recipe and love it, please stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla, baking powder, and salt, and mix until combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour, only mixing until the dough just comes together. Give it a final mix with a rubber spatula, folding and pressing it together, to ensure all of the flour is mixed in.
- Separate the dough in half and work with one piece at a time, roll the dough ¼-inch thick. Cut out shapes as desired and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 inch of space between cookies.
- Bake until the cookies look set and are slightly firm to the touch but still pale, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Mixer: A stand mixer is ideal for this recipe; since we are starting with cold butter, the paddle attachment does a good job of beating it into the sugar. If all you have is a hand mixer, I recommend using your fingers to smash the cubes of butter into the sugar before starting the mixer to give everything a headstart.
- Baking Sheets: I use my favorite rimmed half-sheet pans. I always, always line with parchment paper, not a silicone baking mat (which I find causes more spread).
- Rolling Surface: You can use a clean countertop, butcher block, or your favorite non-stick dough mat. A marble pastry board isn’t necessary, but if you have one, it’s great for keeping sugar cookie dough and pie crust cold!
- Rolling Pin: A simple wooden one is all you need.
- Cookie Cutters: You can use absolutely any, so pick your favorites! I have had this 100-piece set for nearly 20 years and I love them… includes all letters, numbers, and cutters for every season and holiday.
- Food Coloring: I swear by gel food coloring! It creates a beautifully saturated color without thinning out the frosting.
- Flavors: I adore the pure vanilla flavor, but some people like a little bit of almond – I would recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon of almond extract in addition to the vanilla. You can also use things like cake batter extract, lemon, maple, coconut, etc. You can also add a little bit of cinnamon to the cookie dough if you’d like!
- Scaling: You can double (or more!) this recipe without issue.
- Buttercream frosting: If you want to do a simple frosting (with or without sprinkles!), then I recommend my favorite vanilla buttercream. It is easily colored and tastes amazing!
- Royal Icing: To do more detailed decorating, see my tutorial on how to decorate cookies with royal icing.
- Storage: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Make-Ahead: While I love that you can whip up these cookies immediately, you can mix together the dough, divide in half and form into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Freezing the Dough: You can also freeze the dough (place the wrapped disk in a ziploc freezer bag) for up to 1 month; thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to almost room temperature, roll it out, and proceed with the recipe.
- Freezing the Cookies: These cookies freeze exceptionally well! You can freeze them plain or decorated; if decorated, let the icing set before freezing. Store in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag (with parchment paper between the layers if they are decorated). The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Recipe slightly adapted from Cookies & Cups.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[Photography by Dee of One Sarcastic Baker]
Love love love this recipe ! So easy and delish. I have made several different sugar cookies over the past decades
And this is y far my favorite ! Worthy of making it to the recipe box
« Labeled it « my best cut out »
Hello, would these cookies work to build a house with?
I made this recipe last Christmas and everyone loved them. Making them again this year and the grandkids are going to be decorate. Starting a new holiday tradiiton!
This sugar cookie dough is absolutely perfect! Best sugar cookie dough I’ve ever worked with…super easy to make and easy to roll out. Delicious!
You are so right! These are the best ever. SO easy to mix and roll out. And the taste is outstanding! I made a batch to freeze and will frost them shortly before Christmas. I love almond flavor in my frosting, so that’s how I’ll make it, but I’m really glad I only used vanilla for the cookies.
On another note, I’m glad I’ve learned that you don’t always have to have butter softened. I used your method of cold butter to make oatmeal raisin cookies today and it saved me time.
I have made these cookies 3 times. Each time they baked up perfectly and are delicious. Everyone I shared them with loved them. So happy to have found this recipe. Thank you!
I used the sugar/butter cookies on your website when my eldest turned one for her bday party. That was in 2014 and that recipe was amazing! I tried this recipe today and it wasn’t as good. Any way you can bring back that recipe?!? Please!!!
Best sugar cookies I’ve ever made! Excellent flavor, texture and easy o make!
Just made these and they turned out perfect. I love that there is no refrigerating involved – make the dough and bake the cookies!!
Love, love, love this recipe! It’s the only cutout recipe I use now. I always get compliments on the taste along with the designs. I’m often asked for the recipe as well! Thank you for an amazing cutout that provides perfect results every time.
Did cut out sugar cookies twice in one week they are delicious
Right so this is the 2nd recipe I have made from your website….the first was brownies, which were a disaster. Now the so called no spread cookies spread. Thank goodness I did not make them for a customer. They spread and lost their shape. Really disappointed with this recipe.2 failed recipes is enough. Good luck to all those who try any !
Sorry Sae, sounds like you’re the problem in this equation. I’d hate to be your customer. These cookies are the best I’ve ever made!!! Perfection!
Love, love, love these cookies!! So
Easy and so buttery and soft!!
Can cookies iced with buttercream icing be frozen?
These were delicious and easy to make. Loved that there was minimal distortion. Mine turned out. Now to be able to master Royal icing is another story.
Michelle, Where do I begin the thank you. You made our Christmas Week so special!!
Using your Cut-Out Sugar Cookie recipe, my daughter and I made Trees, Bells and Stars. They are perfect and so yummy!! The dough was so easy to use. You are so right, “This is my new go to recipe”
May you and your family have a Blessed Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Terri Ann
Sooooo good and sooooo easy! Buttery and tender. Thanks!
Great recipe–came out exactly as you said. The only cookies at today’s cookie exchange that got finished off!
Will this dough hold an embossed design? I have an embossing rolling pin with flowers that is very pretty, but the design gets lost if cookies puff up or spread. You do say the cookies don’t spread, but do they puff up? Thank you!
Hi! Since your butter is straight from the fridge, what about the egg? Does it need to be room temp or cold from the fridge? Thank you!
Hi Michelle,
I love this recipe and make it all the time!
My daughter in college made the cookies BUT they came out all “cracked” on top of the cookies. They kept their shape and the flavor was very good.
I know in her dorm kitchen she only has a hand beater- ( no paddle attachment) and because of that she had to use softened butter and to make up for it she then put the dough in the refrigerator.
So, why did the cookies crack? and what do you think she should do different next time??
THANKS!!
Dorm MOM :-)
Hi Rocio, It definitely could have been from chilling the dough. I’ve also noticed that if I reroll the scraps a ton of times, the later versions have tops that are a little more cracked. Just slather on some icing ;-)
I’m confused about one thing. I am trying to mix the chilled butter cubes in with the sugar but it is spraying butter and sugar everywhere. i moved the butter to a large bowl but am having the same problem. The butter is not getting light and fluffy it is staying in cubes. Do I need to soften the butter somewhat.
Hi Katy, That can definitely happen, which is why I recommend a stand mixer if you have one; it contains the butter/sugar and the paddle does a better job of beating it together than a hand mixer. I have used a hand mixer, but do so in a deep bowl and it takes longer to cream, but it WILL work!
These were great! Not a baker…AT ALL… And I was able to pull these off. Thank you for the great instructions and recipe!
This is a great recipe, thank you! The cookies held their shape while baking and taste really good.
Oh. My. Goodness! These are a dream! The last several years I’ve put off making decorated sugar cookies until it’s too late to include them in my gifts to friends and neighbors, this year included, because our family recipes just didn’t hold their shape, were an ordeal to make, and frankly didn’t make me very jolly. Hubby REALLY wanted to decorate sugar cookies this year, so I finally gave these a shot. They have held their shapes *beautifully*, are tasty just of the cooling rack, and will hold up to & not be overwhelmed by the frosting and decorations. I can now confidently put all those cookies cutters and decorations I’ve been collecting to good & frequent use!
Delicious and very easy to make a roll out. Dough is very soft and cookies can be chewy or crisp depending on your desired thinness. I am definitely adding this recipe to my holiday cookie list!
These are LEGIT. Mixed, cut, and baked in almost under an hour and they turned out PERFECT!!!
My go to sugar cookie recipe for over 50 years.
HELP!!! =} my batter is dry and on the crumbly side. How do I correct?
This recipe is beyond awesome. I love my Mom’s sugar cookie recipe but the thought of making a cookie with no preplanning was intriguing I was so happy that I could make and have everything baked and cleaned up in slightly over an hour. The cookies taste almost identical to my Mom’s and didn’t spread at all like promised. A winning recipe!.
love these cookies!!! but whatever happen to the old sugar cookie recipe that was on here before this one?
Every year at holiday time I struggle with cut-out sugar cookies puffing up and losing their shape. I usually end up tossing about 3/4 of them. Decided to give this recipe a try today for Halloween cookies. Thank you! Every cookie turned out perfect and delicious! Ended up making 3 dozen Halloween cookies to freeze for decorating next week, and have another 3 dozen Christmas cut-outs in the freezer! Best recipe ever!! Will use it again and again!
This really is a fool-proof recipe. This recipe made 24 cut-out cookies at 1/4″ thick. I did use parchment paper on the cookie sheet and put these in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking the first 2 sheets. The third sheet I baked I did not put in the freezer or refrigerate the dough because I wanted to see if there was a difference and they did spread just a bit. I added 1/2 teaspoon of pure Almond extract and could smell the almond while they cooked but couldn’t taste the difference. I’m looking forward to using this recipe again but with 1/2″ thick cookies.
Id like the answer to this question can i add cream of tartar to this recipe. I lost my recipe that i have been for 50 years, it called for the tartar i have not been able to find another id love to have one again it used regular sugar only and couple tbs of milk and they were the best, easiest cut outs soft and perfect and i used crisco butter flavor. Any help from anyone would be more than wonderful tks 70 year old baker sending would be good 13226 autumn ln oregon city oregon 97045 c. Cooper
I have tried other recipes to try to make sugar cookies for my sons birthday. But all I have been able to do is a runny blob and it ends up in the trash. I had already called it quits, BUT scrolling around (looking for fishing info) I found this recipe. Imma give it one last try!!
My family LOVES cut out sugar cookies but I don’t like to make them very often. But these – these look great and have my favorite quality – NO NEED TO CHILL! I cannot wait to try this recipe!
I have been baking this recipe for over 40 years……and would never bake anything else!! I got it off of a of a Martha Whites recipe booklet in 1979. I have made thousands and thousands of these for holidays, showers, kids parties….etc. and everyone always raves how good these are. So glad BEB shared it!!
Can I add cocoa powder to make it chocolate?
hi…what are your thoughts for a cream tart cake using this cookie cut out recipe with swiss meringue? will it hold up from one day to the next? should it be refrigerated if that were the case? also, would you still roll to 1/4inch or do thicker? thank you 😊
Can’t wait to try this. I find using a guided rolling pin is key to getting the right thickness. I can’t believe it took me so many years to discover one.
I made these yesterday and they were SO good! The cut-out sugar cookies was so flavorful and the tzatziki was perfect. My kids voted this their favorite quarantine meal so far!
Best & easiest cut-outs. This is the 5th year I have used this recipe for baking cookies (cut-outs) with the theme of my granddaughters birthday. Last year was the first time she was old enough to help. It’s now our tradition. Party guests look forward to this little extra treat. They are so delicious & ingredients are pantry staples.
Used this recipe to make heart cutouts for my wedding. Also used your royal icing recipe . Both are five star!! Amazing!! Thank you. They have beautiful and will be a fantastic addition to my cookie table.
These are the BEST sugar cookies! Perfect every time.
I have made this recipe 3 or 4 times . It always comes out great ! I *add , not replace, a tsp. of rum or lemon juice .
I will never stray again!! You are my go to site for baking, but for some reason I decided to branch out and try a different recipe. Tossed all the cookie dough that I made after tasting one batch. Made this recipe this morning and WOW what a difference. 26 large leaf cookies for my daughters school tomorrow… time to start baking.
So today I am thankful for Brown Eyed Baker.
These are the best cookies!!! I made them for the first time about a year ago for my son’s birthday party. I made giant bowling pins to put onto his bowling ball cake, they looked, tasted, and held up wonderfully. I also made them for his Halloween party at school. The kids went nuts for them and the staff could not get over how nice they looked flooded with royal icing, Thank you so much for this recipe, It has now become a staple in our home!!!
I have used this recipe and let me tell you, this is by far the BEST sugar cookie recipe!! Thank you for sharing!
By the way, I have also made a couple of variations to the recipe using half salted and half unsalted butter, and also using 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon butter extract! Super yummy!!
Hi Michelle! This recipe sounds awesome and I can’t wait to try it! I’m planning on making them for my students on Friday but I don’t have enough time the day before to do them. How much earlier can I make these? Thank you! :)
Oh and I will be decorating them – flooding them and then I’m planning on writing their names on time. It’s my first time doing this so I’m not sure how long I should let them dry and whatnot.
Hi Subaat, You can make them up to 3 days or so ahead of time. Once you flood them, you’ll want to let them dry at least 4 hours (ideally, overnight) before adding more details.
Lovely website, I’m a fan!
I love your sugar cookies recipe, and will be using it from now on. I would like to try pressing some patterns on the cookies, how long do you reckon my I let the flooded cookies set. My first attempt was not successful, I let it rest for about an hour.
Hi Sonja, I generally let the flooded cookies dry overnight before I add any additional decorations on top. However, if you try to press something into the cookie once it’s already flooded with icing that has dried, my guess is that the icing is going to crack since it dries hard.
Thanks very much, Michelle. I shall experiment on it.
Hey there. I came across this, what looks to be promising sugar cookie recipe. I am attempting (for the first time) to make Sugar cookies flooded with pink royal icing then sprinkled with pink edible glitter in the shape of a 3 for my nieces birthday. I do not have time to make cookies during the week and was hoping to make them tonight and store the baked cookies in the freezer until next Friday..thaw and decorate Saturday. You say they will hold up baked in the freezer if they are well wrapped. Do I have to wrap the cookies individually? Or will they old up in a sealed Tupperware? Wrapping each cookie individually sounds less than desirable. I hope this finds you well! Love your sight!
Hi Jessica, I would layer the cookies with parchment paper in between in an airtight freezer bag or container.
Do you have any recommendations for high altitude baking of these cookies? We are at 8,000 ft in the mountains. Thanks!!
Hi Jennifer, I have some general high altitude baking guidelines on the FAQ page: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/baking-faq/. Good luck!
this cookie recipe is fantastic! I made mine slightly thinner than 1/4 inch, because I prefer a crisp, crunchy sugar cookie, and they’re absolutely lovely. I can’t wait to decorate them!
Hi – How long can you store the unused dough in the refrigerator?
Hi Megan, I’ve found up to 3 days is optimal.
OK – this is the best sugar cookie I ever ate. I actually have a bag of ‘scraps’ (broken cookies, pieces from re-cutting with cookie cutters after baking, etc) that I snack out of. Had it for dinner last nite and breakfast today. Love, Love Love
Oh my goodness, these are the perfect sugar cookies! I have been searching for the right one, something soft and chewy but that holds its shape. THIS IS IT! I’m so excited; I was about to give up, after about 10 different recipes. It seemed like either they ended up too soft or too crunchy, but these are just right! I am wanting to get into cookie decorating as a hobby, and I have finally found my cookie base! THANK YOU!! Now on to trying the icing ;-)
These are so cute! I am still looking for a really good cut-out sugar cookie recipe. Would you say these hold their shape very well? Thanks!
Found your blog from foodgawker – I’m a Pittsburgher and I love these!! :)
These are just brilliant!
Those are adorable!!!
They’re adorable – nice job!!