Sugar Cookies are the ultimate holiday cookie and so fun to decorate! They bake quickly and you can make them soft or crunchy according to your preference.
The holidays are always the perfect time to make your favorite Cookie Recipes. Add these classic Sugar Cookies to your list along with Ginger Cookies, Chocolate Cookies, and Brown Sugar Cookies.
SUGAR COOKIES
With all the Holiday Recipes we have on the blog, I was shocked when I realized we hadn’t posted a classic Sugar Cookie recipe yet. Although there’s a recipe for Rolled Sugar Cookies and Sugar Cookie Frosting, there hasn’t been a traditional Sugar Cookie. Well, that all changes now.
This is the perfect recipe for delicious, chewy, buttery Sugar Cookies. They’re perfect to bake for the holidays and enjoy a fun night of decorating them with the whole family. These cookies come together quickly with simple ingredients and are sure to become your go-to Sugar Cookie recipe every Christmas.
They’re great to have around the house, serve at holiday parties, and give as gifts. To make sure you have enough Sugar Cookies for the entire season try making a double batch. You can put some out right away and freeze the rest to enjoy later in the month.
HOW TO DECORATE SUGAR COOKIES
When it comes to making Sugar Cookies, decorating them is probably the best part. Slathering on the frosting, and sprinkles is a great way you can involve younger kids in holiday baking. They can add as many different colors, shapes, and sparkles as you want! Here are some of our favorite ways to finish off Sugar Cookies.
- Frosting: For the frosting, you can use Sugar Cookie Frosting or Buttercream Frosting. Once you’ve made it divide the frosting into smaller containers and add different food coloring to them. You can also try making some Chocolate Frosting or Easy Mint Frosting to change things up.
- Sprinkles: Get as many different kinds of sprinkles, sanding sugar, and edible glitter as you can find to choose from.
- More toppings: For some more creative toppings try crushed peppermints, red hots, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, M&Ms, or toffee bits. You could also drizzle some melted chocolate over the top.
MORE HOLIDAY COOKIE RECIPES
Molasses Cookies
Linzer Cookies
Shortbread Cookies
Award Winning Gingerbread Cookies
TIPS FOR MAKING DELICIOUS SUGAR COOKIES
- Make sure the butter is softened before starting the recipe. This will make sure it can properly cream with the sugar for a fluffy mixture that combines well with the rest of the ingredients going forward.
- Continue mixing the sugar and butter on medium speed until it reaches the desired fluffy consistency. This should only take about 2 minutes.
- When you add in the dry ingredient don’t over-mix the dough. Just keep the stand mixer on until the dough is just combined.
- Put the dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the cookie tray so that they have room to spread while baking.
- You can decide if you prefer your sugar cookies more chewy or crunchy.
- For chewy Sugar Cookies only bake them for 8 minutes.
- For more crunchy cookies up that to 10 minutes. If you take them out at 8 minutes they’ll look underdone. Still take them out, and let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to keep them soft and chewy. They’ll finish up a little more while sitting and be baked to perfection.
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VARIATIONS ON SUGAR COOKIES
- Spices: For some delicious seasonal flavor additions try mixing in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Gluten-free: To make gluten-free Sugar Cookies, you can replace the all-purpose flour with almond flour, oat flour, or arrowroot flour.
- Mix-ins: For some tasty additions try mixing in nuts, like pecans, pistachios, almonds, or walnuts. You could also fold in dried fruit like cherries or cranberries.
MORE DELICIOUS HOLIDAY BAKING
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Ginger Cookie Bars
S’mores Fudge
Rum Balls
HOW TO STORE SUGAR COOKIES
- Serve: You can keep Sugar Cookies at room temperature for 3-4 days. Let the cookies cool to room temperature, then put them in an airtight container to store in the pantry.
- Store: To store the cookies longer put them in a ziplock bag or other airtight container to store in the fridge. They’ll keep well for 5-7 days.
- Freeze: You can also freeze Sugar Cookies for up to 6 months, which is the perfect way to get your holiday baking done in advance.
Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture on the lowest speed setting until just combined.
- Add a heaping teaspoon of rolled cookie dough per cookie to the sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8 minutes for soft cookies or 10 minutes for crunchy cookies.
Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.
