Best Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
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If you’re wondering how to make soft and chewy sugar cookies, then you have to try this recipe. These easy sugar cookies don’t need to be chilled and stay wonderfully soft & chewy for DAYS! It’s my best sugar cookie recipe!
This is definitely the best classic soft sugar cookie recipe, but if you’re looking to mix things up a bit you may also like my Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies recipe. Or if you want to decorate cookies, these Cutout Sugar Cookies are perfect!
THE BEST SOFT AND CHEWY SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
So I feel like I’m a tad bit late with these cookies, since I just missed Christmas and all, but the truth is that sugar cookies are good all year round. In fact, next to a good Snickerdoodle, Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies are a total favorite of mine any day of the week. I feel like Cutout Sugar Cookies are the Christmas version of a sugar cookie while a classic drop cookie, like this one, is the year round version, you know?
And as with any classic, simple cookie, it can’t hide behind frosting or anything, so it really needs to be just right. Soft and chewy for days, my friends. I don’t want some cookie that’s great for a day or so and then you have to toss them. No, these will call to you from the kitchen counter until they’re all eaten – and it could be 4 or 5 days later (if they last that long).
I tested SO many versions of these sugar cookies, I’m pretty sure my mother in law (who watches they twins while I work), thought I was losing my mind. I’d be all, “Just one more version!” and then a week later there’s still new batches on the counter.
But seriously, I love a good old fashioned soft sugar cookie. Like, for reals. So it just had to be right. And I’m happy to say these are it. Not too thin, not too thick, soft, chewy and delicious. They’re dangerous because you want to keep eating them all! Let’s talk about how to make them.
Sugar cookies can easily turn out dry or too cakey. In all my testing, I found that my favorite sugar cookies were ones that used a combination of baking soda and baking powder – and just a bit more soda than powder. Nothing wrong with using just one or the other – I have done both in other cookies. In fact, I have an all baking soda Coconut Sugar Cookie that is delicious! But for the straight up vanilla bakery-style sugar cookie, the combo works best. Baking powder only = thicker and cake-y. Baking soda only = chewy and thin. A combo = just right.
WHAT MAKES A SUGAR COOKIE CHEWY?
The other big thing here is the sugar. Naturally a sugar cookie is going to use white granulated sugar. It’s just how it is. But part of what makes a cookie chewy is a high moisture content. Brown sugar has more moisture than white sugar, because it contains a little bit of molasses. You don’t want to overdo the brown sugar here, but I swapped out two tablespoons of white sugar for brown sugar and the result was fantastic. It makes a much softer and chewier cookie that stays fresh longer.
And just a little tidbit about baking cookies – it’s amazing how much of a difference such a small change can make to a cookie. Just two tablespoons! When I used all white sugar, the cookies didn’t spread as much (less moisture). When I used just a bit of brown sugar, they spread just enough AND stayed soft for DAYS! And when I used just a bit more brown sugar, the flavor started to get a bit too off track and they spread more than I wanted, leaving me with a little thinner cookie with less defined edges. So I totally suggest sticking with it as I have it. The best!
The other important part of a chewy cookie is having enough flour. You have to have enough flour to support the moisture content, but not too much to make it dry. A tight balance, but it’s well achieved here.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SOFT AND CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES?
So one of the best parts of these cookies is that they are quick and straight forward to make. You’ll start by creaming the butter and sugars together until it’s light in color and fluffy. You’ll actually be able to see the lighter color, so don’t quit mixing until you see it.
Next you’ll add the egg, then the vanilla extract.
The final step is to add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix it until it’s all combined, but don’t over mix it. Over mixing any batter or dough can lead to toughness.
Divide the cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls of dough and roll them in a little bit of granulated white sugar. Place the balls onto a cookie sheet (I like to line my cookie sheets with silicone baking mats) and bake them! No need for chilling the cookie dough or pressing the balls flat. They spread perfectly on their own.
Mine baked just enough at 7 minutes, but keep an eye on them to see how they do in your oven. I removed mine when they had spread nicely, looked just done enough without looking undercooked, and the edges weren’t quite golden.
These sugar cookies are the perfect example of a treat that doesn’t have to be fancy to be awesome. In fact, I think something simple like this is one of the most impressive things when done well and right. And these are SO right!
HOW TO DECORATE YOUR SUGAR COOKIES
– If you’re looking to make sugar cookies for a holiday or an event, these cookies would be great rolled in sprinkles, instead of sugar. Use any color you like!
– If you simply can’t have a sugar cookie without it being frosted, check out my royal icing or my vanilla buttercream frosting. Even my cream cheese frosting would make a tasty addition. Any of them would be delicious!
– For another fun spin on the sugar cookie, add some sprinkles for a confetti sugar cookie!
SUGAR COOKIE BAKING TIPS:
– Make sure your butter is the right temperature. Room temperature can be a little misleading if your house is too warm or too cool. Your butter shouldn’t be so soft that your finger goes right through it if you press on it, but it should also be able to make an imprint. If it won’t, or it barely does, it’s likely too cold still.
– Be sure to use just two tablespoons of brown sugar. It adds just enough additional moisture to the cookies to help them spread correctly and stay soft and chewy for days!
– Don’t over mix the dough after you add the flour. It can over develop the gluten and cause the cookies to not spread as nicely or be tough.
– Make sure your cookie dough balls are 1 1/2 tablespoons each or you’ll want to adjust the baking time. I also found that size to be just right for spreading well.
– These cookies freeze nicely too! Just pack them in a ziplock bag and freeze them. Thaw them in the fridge or on the counter when you’re ready to eat them.
Whether you’re looking for an alternative to a cutout sugar cookie, or simply looking to cure a craving for a good soft and chewy Sugar Cookies, these are sure to be your new favorite easy sugar cookie! They stay soft for days and have the ultimate chewy-factor!
NOTE 5/16/19: Due to feedback about the cookies not spreading well, the recipe has been slightly changed and updated.
Best Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
If you’re wondering how to make soft and chewy sugar cookies, then you have to try this recipe. These cookies require no chilling, are easy to make, and stay wonderfully soft and chewy for DAYS!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 30-32 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (358g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (233g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp (28g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sugar (additional for rolling)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
4. Add the egg and mix until well combined.
5. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
6. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is well combined. It will be thick and shouldn’t be sticky. Do not over mix. Once it’s well combined, use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.
7. Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll into a ball, then roll each ball in the additional sugar to coat. Set the balls on the baking sheet.
8. Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes. The cookies will spread and the centers will look soft, but should look done. Remove just before the edges begin to turn golden. Don’t over bake. The cookies will be a little puffy when you take them out of the oven but will fall a bit as they cool.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
The sugar amounts are important for these cookies. If you chose to use all granulated sugar, rather than a little brown sugar, the cookie won’t spread quite as much and will be a little thicker and a little less soft.
Be sure to measure the flour accurately. The best way is by weight with a food scale, but if you don’t have one, give your flour a stir, then scoop it out with a measuring scoop. Do not pack it into the measuring cup.
Keywords: sugar cookie recipe, soft and chewy sugar cookies, best sugar cookie recipes, chewy cookies, how to make sugar cookies, the best sugar cookie recipe
Enjoy!
I'm a wife and mom to twin boys and a sweet black lab with a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the sugar!
These look fantastic! I agree, sometimes simple things like a great sugar cookie (or a vanilla cake) are the BEST! Your vanilla cake is always my go to. That is another awesome yet simple recipe!
Thanks for another great recipe. Hope all is well with you and your boys!
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Thanks Katrina! I’m so glad you enjoyed the vanilla cake and I hope you enjoy these cookies. The boys are doing great! Dylan is looking so cute, I hope you guys are doing well!
Uh oh! I don’t have parchment paper. Is there another way?
Do you have something else that the cookies won’t stick to? Maybe wax paper or a silicone baking mat?
Could you make this with salted butter and just omit the added salt?
Yes, you can.
Hey. I was wondering which tool to cream the butter and sugar. Whisk or paddle?
The paddle attachment.
Hi Lindsay,
Thank you very much for this recipe! My kids came home from school to these delicious cookies! I made some w/ sprinkles and some w/out. 🙂
However, I didn’t weigh the ingredients because I don’t have a scale and this is where things could’ve gone wrong.
The dough was very sticky, so I added more flour.
Not sure what I did wrong, but the cookies still came out good!
Thanks again!
Clara
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I’m glad you enjoyed them! I’m not sure about the stickiness. The dough has a little bit of stickiness normally, but it’s hard for me to say if what you experienced was a normal amount or not. Sometimes refrigerating cookie dough for about 30 minutes can help reduce some of that stickiness.
Fantastic cookies! Probably the best I’ve made they’re nice and chewy and easy to make. Thank you Lindsay for this amazing recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These look yummy! Quick question….When you say 2 tbsp brown sugar, is that packed or loose? Thanks
Packed.
Hi! I made these cookies and they spread very nicely. I have a tendency to NEVER measure anything out. Just slap it in a measuring cup and if it looks close enough then there you go! But, in this case I did end up measuring correctly because I didn’t have time for meds ups and they turned out perfectly! I did, however, have to cook them for 10-12 minutes at 350 due to my oven being a little wacky. They’re very fluffy and taste wonderful. I also didn’t have paper or foil to put underneath them, so I floured my board and slapped them on there, they didn’t stick or anything! They were a hit with my family and the guests at our churches Christmas party. My youth group was very happy with how they tasted. Will definitely be using this recipe again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
The cookies look delicious and I can’t wait to try them. I much prefer a soft, chewy sugar cookie over the crisp kind. Straightforward recipe and I can’t thank you enough for including the gram equivalent in your recipes. I like baking using my kitchen scale to get the amount of each ingredient as exact as possible. It really does make a big difference as you wrote about the importance of not using too much or too little of each ingredient. I appreciate the efforts you make when providing us with the best possible recipe!!
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Thank you! I’m glad you find the gram measurements helpful. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
These were great thanks for. Great recipes turned out great soft sugar cookies!!
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Hi! Your recipe looks amazing! I would like to know the aprox diameter of the cookies. I need to make little bags as gifts, but I don’t know how many cookies I need to make to make it look nice 🙁
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I would say they are between two and 3 inches when baked.
Have you ever tried this recipe for cutouts, or is it too ‘soft’?
I haven’t tried it, but someone else commented that she did and they turned out great, so it’d be worth a try. I also have these cutout sugar cookies you could try.
Can the dough be rolled out and be used with Christmas cutters?
I think someone else commented that they have done that and it was successful. I personally would think that they’re going to spread more than you want. I would actually recommend using my cut out sugar cookie recipe. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/cutout-sugar-cookies/
This recipe is fantastic! Cookies came out so yummy on the first try, and really so simple! I am always on the look out for quality cookie recipes that will last a lifetime….and so happy to add this one to my list! Pure classic!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Do you think this would be a good cookie for ice cream sandwiches?
Looks delicious! Thanks!
What do you mean don’t pack the flour in measuring cup? I was taught to always do that with a knife?
Mine barely spread. Followed the recipe exactly. Cant figure out what happened. Still good and very soft just very thick. They dough did seem dry to me, I wonder of I need to add less flour next time.
I’m not sure if my baking skills just suck or what, but my cookies didn’t spread like yours looked in the pictures 🙁 they stayed little balls. How do I fix that in the future?
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Are you measuring by weight with a food scale or by volume? Cookies are really sensitive to the amount of flour. If you don’t have a food scale to weight the flour (which i think is most accurate) you want to be sure to loosen up the flour and scoop into measuring scoop and don’t pack it into the cup. I hope that helps, sorry you had trouble.
Don’t feel bad, my attempt did same thing. I used the exact measurements that was posted. Plus 7mins was actually half the time using 350′.
Same here! Just little balls after 10 or more minutes cooking. I pressed them down myself, but I think it must be too much flour?
These cookies should spread perfectly if the flour is measured properly. Did you use a food scale? That’s the only way to be sure that it is 100% accurate. Certainly you can try reducing the flour.
Just wanted to say that these cookies are THE BEST! I’ve made them twice and then I lost the recipe. I forgot to actually pin it! I was so afraid I lost it forever, but here it is. So relieved. Thank you for your hard work creating this amazing cookie.
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I’m so glad that you have enjoyed them so much!
I am not sure how anyone can mess up this recipe it is so easy!! Turned out perfectly!!! Just do what she recommended and stir the flour then scoop it into the cups. You do not have to pack in the flour. The flour does not have to come to the top of the cups either. These were great and super easy! Thank you for this recipe
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Awesome! I’m so glad you were happy with them!
Well- they didn’t flatten much and I had to cook them longer; but knowing my kitchen skills I’m certain I did something wrong!!! Lol!!! But regardless, these are SO tasty!! Thanks for the recipe! I’m sure I’ll be making them again- perhaps I’ll even do it the right way! 😆 also- I love reading all the tips and tricks!! ❤️
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I’m so excited to try these! My favorite sugar cookies are from the bakery at Harris Teeter, and I’ve made a few attempts at replicating them, but haven’t come very close. These look really similar, so I’ll give them a shot.
These look fantastic! My cookies didn’t spread. I will attempt a second time with weighing the flour.
What happens if you use blue bonnet instead of butter?
Are you referring to margarine? I honestly don’t ever use it so I can’t say from experience, but I believe it has more water in it so your cookies would spread more.
My dough didn’t come together, can’t make balls to roll!
i am always a big fan of yours Lindsay and all of your recipes have worked out so well for me. So I tried these sugar cookies and the first time I made them, the dough was very crumbly, almost as if there wasn’t enough moisture in it or perhaps too much flour. The second time I was hugely careful with every last measurement thinking that I made a mistake and still, the dough is crumbly and when I formed the balls, after 8 minutes in the oven, the balls didn’t even spread, so I had to flatten the dough down just to ensure they baked. Even at that I had to bake them 4 extra minutes so they wouldn’t be raw. What am I doing wrong? The recipe does seem like it calls for an excessive amount of flour for ratio of butter/one egg. This dough seemed more conducive to the rolling out kind of dough for cut out sugar cookies. Is the 3 cups of flour correct? I can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact I goofed up twice despite going to the highest most conscience level of care.
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Are you measuring by weight with a food scale or by volume? Even with taking the most care, it’s very possible that if you are measuring by volume with measuring cup, that would be part of the problem and you are over measuring flour. Cookies are really sensitive to that. If you don’t have a food scale to weight the flour (which I think is most accurate), you want to be sure to loosen up the flour and scoop into measuring scoop. Don’t pack the flour into the cup. I hope that helps, sorry you had trouble.
The same thing happened to me. I even loosened the flour and did not pack the flour when I measured the flour. And no I don’t have a food scale.
Hi,
Can I use half of cup of salted butter and half a cup of unsalted butter and omit the salt in the ingredients?
TIA!
That should be fine. You could just use all salted butter too. How much of the salted butter (or salt) you use depends on the flavor you want. I added the amount of salt that I thought gave the best flavor, so you can adjust as you like.
Can you roll this dough out and use heart cookie cutters or will it fall apart?
These are going to be too soft for cutout cookies – they will spread in the oven and not hold their shape.
I actually chilled the dough over night and it made the perfect heart shaped sugar cookies for a valentine’s day event.
Wonderful!
I am no baker, let me start off telling you that. But I love soft sugar cookies and every recipe makes them the “normal” way so I wanted to try this one and wow, they came out great!! Thank you for a great recipe.
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
So i tried these today and they tasted delicious i had to press my fingers on them when they came out of the oven to flaten them and they came out perfect
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
It isn’t too much flour. You must have measured something incorrectly. Lots of other people have had success.
I just made these. I made them really big and added a couple minutes and they mimick Potbelly sandwich shop’s sugar cookies! I had to flatten them a bit but I will definitely be making them again!
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Wonderful! So glad to hear that! Thanks Lindsey!
Even something like reducing the amount of sugar can make them too dry. With cookies, it’s really important that all things are measuring accurately and the only way to know that for sure is to weigh the ingredients.
Terrible recipe! Something is off. I measured the sugar perfectly! I am 50 yrs old and never used a scale to measure flour in a cookie recipe. They were edible but not good. Something is not right. So disappointing.
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble. I just made these cookies again this week and they were perfect.
I just made these today and I subbed the flour with Bob’s Red Mill GF 1:1 baking flour and o.m.gosh they turned out just delicious! Just in case you get any requests for making it gluten free, you now know your recipe is perfect for it! I did bake them a little closer to 8 minutes as GF cookies tend to be a bit more fragile, but they are still soft and chewy! Thanks for a great recipe!
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That’s great to know – thank you! So glad you enjoyed them!
Why is my dough crumbly? I don’t use a scale but always loosen my flour. I use fluff it with my scoop then scoop into my measuring cup then level off
It might seem a little crumbly when you first mix it together, but it should form dough balls fine and bake correctly if everything is measured correctly.
I am trying to find the recipe but it wont allow me to access it. Please send me the info asap…
I’m so sorry for the trouble! There was an issue today that affected thousands of sites – mine included. It looks like it’s been resolved, so you should be able to access it here now. Sorry about that!
I was doubtful because of the dry reviews but I was pleasantly surprised! These cookies are excellent as is. Kids and husband love them, and they stayed soft and chewy for…well, for the 3 days that they lasted 😂. I’m definitely adding these to my favorites list!
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Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
My cookies came out absolutely perfect thank you so much!! I shared them with my community. Everyone loved them and kept asking for more. 🙂
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Awesome! So glad to hear that!
Can the mixture be refrigerated until you’re ready to bake it?
That should be fine. You’ll just want to bring the cookie dough back to room temperature before baking it that so that they spread properly.
Wow You Really Did Find The Perfect 🍪 Recipe Girlll,
I Added Peanut Butter Like 2Tbspd to a lil dough like a cup & 1/2 and PERFECT…
I also put jam in the center & yes perfect 👍…
Thank You Soo Much I’m Soooo Glad I Came Across Your Sugar Cookie Recipe!🍪 Amanda Bechard
4/2019 Happy Easter
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I made these yesterday and they were incredibly flavored and so so soft. However, mine stayed fluffy and puffy, almost like a snickerdoodle. Any suggestions on how to get them flatter with a “denser” texture?
Me and my husband just used a weight to bake these and after 7 mins in the oven they still did NOT flatten out they stayed in balls. Not sure how to fix that…
this cookie is good.
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I want to try this recipe, but I would like to print it. I can not get just the recipe. Is there a way you can help me?
There’s a red print button within the pink recipe card. You can also find it here. I hope you enjoy them!
Thank you. I got the recipe for the Sugar cookies. I do not know how I miss that print button.
I just made these sugar cookies tonight . My family loves them ,they turned out real good.
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I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks Peggy!
I made these 2 days in a row, quick easy recipe! Weighing your flour is the best way to go. My first batch I added lemon emulsion and vanilla, then drizzled them with lemon icing after they cooled, FANTASTIC! The 2nd batch I added chopped dried cranberries to the batter, then sprinkled with turbinado sugar when I took them out of the oven, also FANTASTIC!!!!!!!
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Awesome! So glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Love this recipe and they came out perfect. However, I will admit I used bread flour since it always seems to help make cookies more chewy.
Question though, I’d love to try making these chocolate. Could I just add cocoa powder or would I need to alter the sugar or flour content at all?
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You would definitely need to reduce the amount of flour if you were to add cocoa powder. You may need to make other small adjustments too, but it’s hard for me to say for sure without trying it myself.
I didn’t have light brown sugar & was worried about making this recipe or making your other sugar cookie recipe. I ended up having dark brown sugar so I used it instead. The cookies came out perfect! I used a potato masher to make a hash print on the cookies & sprinkles.
They are so cute!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I have never been able to find a “perfect” recipe for what I consider the perfect sugar cookie…I’ve tried and tried, and altered recipes myself, etc and have made good cookies, but never awesome perfect cookies. Until stumbling across this recipe.
Omg! Made these this afternoon…following the recipe EXACTLY…and they are absolutely perfect! Everything I’m looking for in a sugar cookie! Soft, sweet but not sickeningly so, moist, chewy, perfect thickness…honestly I can’t think of a single thing to change!
These were amazing, and this is my new go-to for homemade cookie baking from now on!
Perfect, thank you so much!
Wonderful! I’m so glad they turned out perfectly!
Easy to make and super delicious! Quite possibly the best sugar cookies ever! I threw sprinkles in mine for a festive look. We couldn’t stop eating them!
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I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks Jennifer!
Anyone having trouble is 100% doing something wrong…I’ve been searching for the perfect Sugar Cookie recipe for years and this is it. People.at work were literally fighting over them! I’ve made 3 batches in the last week!! Utter perfection ❤
I’m so glad to hear that you have enjoyed them!
Excellent! At 7 minutes i thought I goofed bt decreasing butter by 2 Tbsp because that was all I had. Read reviews and added to the bake time and at 14 min, perfect. I did 2 minutes at a time because I hate over baked cookies. I added a little nutmeg.
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
These turned out AMAZING! Best sugar cookies I’ve made by far. Even at high altitude the recipe turned out perfect. Will definitely make again!
5 stars for sure!
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Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These were perfect! Pillowy soft with a tiny bit of crunch! I did chill my dough, and I must have made larger balls because they took longer to bake and the yield was smaller. I rolled the balls in sugar then flattened them with a glass dipped in sugar. I’ve found my sugar cookie recipe! 😋
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Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Wow, your oven must run WAY hotter than mine. I had to put these in for ten minutes or else they would be truly raw in the middle! I used my cushion air cookie sheets though. I wonder if that made a difference? Anyway, they came out fine in the end after a bit of experimentation.
Sounds like there is a big difference. I’ve never heard of those sheets before. Glad they turned out OK in the end!
Thanks for the reply! An update–they did stay soft, just as you said! They also got eaten way too quickly to make it a fair test. So I just had to make a second batch. 😉
How’s this for a compliment? My daughter says these cookies taste the way Christmas smells! Thanks again for sharing this simple but wonderful gem of a recipe. It’s definitely a keeper.
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad they turned out well and everyone enjoyed them!
THANK YOU SOO MUCH!!! I just made these and my entire family loves them. I have tried so many recipes and end up making sweet biscuits. This recipe I followed while on thr phone it was so easy and they are PERFECT!!!
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I’m so glad to hear that! Glad they were a hit!
These are delicious! The ratio of sugars to flour to vanilla is spot on. We have several food allergies in our family so I had to substitute King Arthur Gluten Free 1 to 1 Flour, a flax egg for the actual egg and Country Crock Plant Butter sticks in place of the dairy butter. They came out wonderfully crisp on the outside and Chewy in the middle.
I love this recipe, I have made them a couple of times and I wanted to say to listen when she says dont over mix the dough. Had to use my hand mixer today while making them and over mixed them, still good but a bit biscuity. This is an amazing recipe though!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Yes, a hand mixer is a little trickier I think. It’s harder to control the speed with them than on a stand mixer.
I don’t have baking soda. Is there a way I can substitute it in this recipe ?
Not with the same result. You could potentially use some baking powder, but it definitely gives the cookie a very different texture.
Great recipe!! I think some people are using 1 stick of butter not one cup (2 sticks). Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Great recipe! I had little hands helping with flour measurements and such and these still turned out wonderfully! We added sprinkles and such to the delight of a 5 year old and her sisters. Thanks so much! Hugs!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed them!
My cookies took about 8 minutes more to bake at 350 should I be worried about that?
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So that’s basically about double the baking time. Did you make larger cookies? I know I specify one and a half tablespoons per cookie, but if you make them bigger they will take longer to bake. You could also check your oven temperature with a thermometer and see if it’s accurate. To me it seems like if they bake that long and everything was as the recipe specifies, they would be way over baked.
This recipe is so good and yes ma’am the cookies are soft. My kids gobble these up!! 🙂
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I’m so glad to hear it!
Yummy recipe, thank you for sharing it!
Made a few subs because of wanting to make cookies with what i had in the pantry and not go to the store 😉 weighed a mix of spelt and whole wheat pastry flour (when subbing for heavier flours than recipe calls for i think weighing always turns out better), coconut oil instead of butter, coconut sugar+a lil maple syrup instead of the brown sugar and vanilla. They turned out great! I slightly flattened the balls down with my palm and they spread into perfectly round slightly puffed circles in the oven and then flattened nicely once cooled.
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mine didn’t bake
I had a sugar cookie craving this afternoon and this looked like a great recipe so I gave it a try – delicious cookies! They did take a bit longer to bake than the recipe stated – they were still raw at 7-8 minutes and had barely spread. I did use a scale to weigh ingredients as I do with most recipes to ensure accuracy and used exactly 1 1/2 tbsp of dough per cookie (yielded 30 cookies) so I’m not sure why they weren’t done. But after I flattened them a tiny bit with my fingers and baked for another 5 minutes or so (about 13-14 min total) they were done! They were still very very soft, but after a few minutes of cooling they were the perfect texture – soft, chewy, and absolutely delicious! My husband is devouring them as I speak. Great recipe after a little tinkering on my end – may have just been my oven causing the issue. Will definitely make these again, thank you!
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I’m glad you enjoyed them! There can definitely be variation between ovens. Some run hotter than others.
Mine took a little while to cook too, but I did the same and kept them in the oven for a little longer, and was super pleased with the results!
I’m a high school student who’s just learning to cook/ bake on her own, especially cooking for other people, and I was interested in baking something simple but enjoyable for a family get together. After looking online, I found this recipe that seemed easy to make, but also got plenty of good feedback, I decided I would give it a go, and had so much fun making it! It was the first time I was making a dish on my own and serving it for other people, and i found the recipe super easy to understand, with very clear instructions that left me with no questions. Not only that, but they turned out amazing! People loved the way that they turned out soft in the middle, and had just the right amount of crisp on the sides. I will definitely be making them again spoon, and they are by far one of my new favorite recipes!
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!
I’m not sure why people are complaining about It not turning out right or being too dry.. mine came out perfect! Such good flavor, nice and soft, and they spread out nicely. They’re addicting! I got 36 on the dot. I used a knife to level my flour, not sure if that made the difference but that’s always how I do It for correct measurement! Thank you for posting!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!
I followed the directions including weighing my flour and sugar and these turned out perfectly! I may have made my cookies larger than recommended so I left them in the oven an extra minute or two.
I used salted butter as that’s what I buy and omitted the salt and the taste is wonderful. Soft, buttery, delicious!
★★★★★
Wonderful! I’m so glad you were happy with them!
Great recipe. My wife said “the best cookies you’ve ever made” which is saying something.
Alteration: added chocolate chips to mine
★★★★★
Wonderful! So glad to hear that!
Can you freeze these cookies for a couple of weeks and they still taste great?
Yes, they should be fine.
These look delicious! Thank you for sharing!
So Good! I made these in green and blue, rolled together to look like the Earth for my daughter’s birthday. They turned out great! I measured everything using a kitchen scale, thank you for including the grams, I prefer to bake that way. Definitely a keeper of a recipe!
★★★★★
How fun!! So glad you enjoyed them!
This recipe is amazing! I used the measurements by weight and hand mixed, and I highly suggest this. Even with an oven that has no thermometer (thusly I used an internal thermometer and 10 min for each 12-cookie tray), these cookies turned out amazingly soft and moist, and I’ve never made sugar cookies from scratch before. The recipe doesn’t specify size of the egg, but I used a large egg. I accidentally made too many cookies, but there isn’t a big difference in size, and it probably helped since my oven didn’t quite get up to 350*. Thanks for publishing this recipe!!
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!
My kids and I just made this recipe and they are DELISH! My boys keep saying “Mmmmmmmm” with every bite 🙂 We made half rolled in sugar and the other half rolled in 1/2 sugar 1/2 cinnamon. They are both unreal! So soft and perfect on the edges. Thank you!
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear everyone enjoyed them!
In no way shape or form am I bragging and I am a much better baker than this, but I was making this recipe while I was talking on the phone. I know worst decision possible. I was just dumping things in, no mixing wet or dry, no butter with sugar, just all together. About half wY through, I realized what I had done. Good heavens! I didn’t want to waste the ingredients so I just stuck it on my mixer and mixed it for two minutes and popped the cookies in the oven. They turned out great! I am not saying that this is the way to do it at all, but luck was with me. It may say something about luck or the sturdiness of the recipe. In any case, good cookie! Thanks
I’m glad they still turned out well for you!
I love trying new recipes. I have thousands of pinned recipes waiting in the wings for a bored moment. I bake at least three times a week. I’ve tried at least 3 dozen different sugar cookie recipes over the last 10 years trying to find that perfect color/texture/taste combo. My husband *lives* for sugar cookies and it’s a personal challenge for me to make him groan and say “Wow!” when he tries something I’ve made for the first time. THIS RECIPE IS THE HOLY GRAIL! It truly is perfect.
I followed the recipe to the letter (measured by volume, not weight) with one exception: I baked 2” dough balls at 340° for 13-15 minutes. I did this because my oven is a stubborn, moody heifer and I have to convince her that things are done on her terms…also, the bigger the cookie, the less I can say I ate and that’s how I rationalize eating 3 at a time lol.
I’ve printed this and stuck it on my fridge. I also saved a link in my notes and took a screenshot of the print screen on my phone…and backed that up to the cloud because I can never be without this set of instructions for pure perfection. Thank you so much for sharing, I look forward to trying many more of your recipes in the near future.
★★★★★
Aww yay! I’m so glad to hear that! And I love how you describe your oven LOL! Too funny!
These cookies turned out PERFECT! I baked them for my toddler to decorate, but I keep eating them! Based on some of the comments, I was worried that I wouldn’t measure the flour correctly, but everything worked out because they’re DELICIOUS! Thank you!
★★★★★
Wonderful! I’m so glad you’re happy with them!
I haven’t tried making these cookies yet. I plan to today! If I plan to make the dough today and bake cookies tomorrow, would it turn out differently if I refrigerate the dough over night?
It should be fine if you refrigerate it overnight.
Can you freeze the dough?
That should be fine. I would just thaw in the fridge when you’re ready.
I followed the recipe to a T, but they never did spread. They were still balls and I had to cook them much longer than the 7-8 minutes. They still taste fine, but they are much thicker. Not at all thin and chewy.
★★
If they didn’t spread properly, then an ingredient was not measured properly. It’s typically the flour, but it’s possible it was another ingredient. The most accurate way is a food scale. You can get by with little differences in some things, but cookies are very sensitive to small ingredient changes. Even a tablespoon or two difference in the flour really affects how it spreads.
I never leave comments on recipes but for this one I just had to! These cookies are absolutely amazing, I will definitely be using this recipe again. I weighed the flour as suggested and baked for about 8-9 minutes, and they turned out perfect! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Wonderful! So glad to hear that!
Just so you know, your ingredients list call for baking powder, but the directions say baking soda. Which is correct?
Never mind, I answered my own question!
The recipe calls for both baking soda and baking powder and they are both listed in the instructions as well. Is there another place where you are seeing that, because I don’t see what you are referring to?
Could you make this dough and then use cookie cutters to cut into the dough and decorate them with icing on top as well?
These cookies spread in the oven, so I don’t think they’re best for cut out cookies. I do have a cut out sugar cookie recipe you could try though. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/cutout-sugar-cookies/
Do these come out soft and chewy to?
The cutout cookie recipe?
Cut out cookies typically aren’t as soft because they are made to not spread. But I would say that for cutout cookies these are soft and very nice.
These turned out great. However, I used stick butter and when I combined the flour it did not mix well. The batter was very dry. I had to melt another stick of butter, a little more sugar, and vanilla. With that, the cookies turners out wonderfully, and were delicious. I am not sure what I did wrong but the extra butter helped
These are lovely and very simple to make. They were well received by my family. I made a couple of modifications. I found they didn’t spread so I just pressed a knife down on the balls to flatten them a little and create a cookie shape. I found in my oven they needed a longer cooking time to reach the consistency desired.
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I usually don’t follow other people’s recipe, only for reference, but then make changes to what I like. I followed your recipe and they turned out amazing! I have rehearsal at my house weekly with our band and worship team, and I usually like to bake treats. I’ve been looking for a sugar cookie that would have the same effect as “WOW, these are amazing!” That’s exactly what I heard as each person were talking with cookie crumbs spilling out of their mouths. I made 32 cookies and had 6 left by the end of the night. This I believe because they were being polite not to clean me out. In the morning there were 4 (hubby)😊 and so I finished them off. 😬. Thanks again
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so glad you loved them!
How many tablespoon sugar balls should I make if I don’t have a cookie scoop? Because in the video you used a tablespoon and then split some balls in half but didn’t say? Just curious because I want to use a tablespoon
Well the recipe makes about 30 cookies and you need about 1 1/2 tablespoons per cookie, so that’d be about 45 tablespoons.
This recipe did not work out very well though i fallowed it to the T. the cookies came out soft but once they cooled they became crunchy and little to no softness….
Used this recipe with cookie cutters(even thought other comments said not too) and they worked out good! The dough was a little sticky to roll out with a pin so I did it by hand then cut with cutters. Tasty and simple!
★★★★★
So glad they worked out well!
Amazing cookies! Perfect! I didn’t have brown sugar so I replaced it with a tsp of organic maple syrup! Fantastic!
Thanks so much! My family loved them!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Made these tonight and they are absolutely delicious!! Thank you for the recipe!
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed them!
The flavor and texture of the cookies were very good but I honestly have to agree with many of the commenters. They did not spread well at all and I had to resort to manually flattening them after baking. Also – it took about 15 minutes to bake rather than 8. I used less flour than called for too. I think altitude and oven can make a difference. With a few tweaks this recipe turned out quite nice. I added a little Orange zest and it was great.
★★★★
These cookies look scrumptious!! My family is partial to lemon flavoring. I have both True Lemon powder and lemon extract. Could I use either one of those and if so .. which one.and how much. Also, I love the baking hints you gave. I see them working on other cookie recipes .
Thank you!!!
I’ve never used True Lemon, so I don’t know how strong they are and how to suggest. You could use lemon extract, although sometimes people think that tastes a little like soap, LOL. If you were going to use the extract, I might suggest 1/2 a teaspoon. But it kind of depends. Honestly, if I were to suggest what I think might be best, it’d probably be some fresh lemon zest. You can add a tablespoon or two, depending on how much lemon flavor you want. I hope that helps!
Hi there! Big fan of this recipe. Is it possible to add coconut extract instead of vanilla to these cookies ?
★★★★★
Definitely! Just swap it out.
I have a hard time finding unsalted butter. Can I use regular salted butter and omit adding salt to the mix? Thank you!
Yes, you can.
Hi I just tried the recipe and it must be the old version because the cookies did not spread out. I cannot find the updated version from May 2019. Would you be able to share with me so I can alter the recipe as well? Thanks so much.
★★★★★
If you followed the recipe on my site, it should be the correct one. The only change that was made was reducing the flour a bit. If your cookies did not spread properly then you probably added a little bit too much flour. It’s very common when using measuring cups for it to be measured differently between different people. The best way to make sure it’s accurate is with a food scale. If you try them again, perhaps just remove a tablespoon or two of flour from what you measure and your cookies will spread a little more.
Wonderful! The perfect sugar cookie
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These cookies are delicious! We used them as Christmas cookies to frost and decorate. We did have to bake them longer (about 13 minutes) and they didn’t spread like in the picture at first but I just flattened them myself. Perhaps we used too much flour, but the dough wasn’t crumbly and formed perfect balls. Still great!
★★★★★
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I had the same issue as others with the cookies not spreading. I followed all directions minus the scale because I don’t have one so I’m not sure if my flour measurements were off or what the problem was. However I was able to work-around the issue and save these cookies! I baked for ten minutes, removed the cookies and gently flattened with a spatula and then baked an additional 4-5 minutes. The result was delicious and chewy cookies with a nice crackle affect that really set them over the top!
★★★★
I’m glad you enjoyed them! More than likely the flour measurement was a little off, because I have 100% confidence in this recipe. Cookies can be really tricky because even the smallest difference in ingredients can make a big difference in the way they bake.
Just made these and they are BAD!! Bad because I can’t stop eating them, great recipe!
★★★★★
Lol! Glad you enjoyed them!
I like this recipe, but, Mine came out a little too sweet and a bit underdone.
I baked them for 7 minutes ….
So next time ill use 2 Tbsp less sugar and bake for 8 minutes
Just keep in mind that reducing the sugar doesn’t just change the sweetness. Sugar also adds moisture so if you reduce it, your cookies may not spread as much or be a soft.
Thank you Lindsay…. i
Hi, I’m 9 years old and when I get older I hope to be a professional baker. Today I made these cookies with my mom and they were fantastic!!! We followed the recipe exactly including weighing the flour with a scale.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed them!
Do you include the 1/4 cup sugar at the bottom or is that for rolling?
The fourth cup of sugar listed at the bottom of the ingredients is for rolling, as indicated in the parentheses. The sugar listed higher up in the ingredients goes in the cookies.
What is the size of the finished cookie (diameter)? I’m trying to decide if these are large enough for a second grade class to decorate or if they are too small.
I’d say they are between two and 3 inches wide.
Outstanding sugar cookie recipe! I ran out of vanilla at 1.5 teaspoons so used 0.5 teaspoons of almond extract, really tasty and not overwhelming almond. Stayed soft and the brown sugar gives them a lovely depth of flavor. Rolled in colored sugars, jimmies, etc., for holiday and so easy and pretty. Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Lindsay, I had my doubts but these sugar cookies are the best sugar cookies I haver had. My play niece and I made them along with traditional sugar cookies and chocolate chip with M&Ms, I kept eating these. They didn’t spread out that well but i didn’t read the part that said stir the flour and then measure it. I’ll try it again but these are a winner my friend!!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Is there anyway you can make a video making this recipe?
★★★★★
I have one on YouTube actually. You can find it here – https://youtu.be/txw2zaUW9UA
I baked these cookies for the first time. They came out so delicious! I added some white chocolate morsels which just complimented the cookie. I am baking a batch today for a Christmas party. Don’t think you can just eat one 😀
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! The white chocolate chips sound great!
Tried twice with no success. I think we are missing milk.
Nope! There is not any milk needed in this recipe. If your dough was dry it is because you added too much flour or not enough of something else.
i’m confused. I followed the recipe to the letter and still ended up with sticky dough at the end. I even got rid of my first batch thinking I did It wrong, tried again and ended up with the same result.
tastes good though, I just don’t understand how I screwed up an extremely straightforward recipe.
It’s hard for me to see if you actually did something wrong or not. The dough can be a little bit sticky so it may have been OK.
Today I baked these cookies for the first time. The granbabes are2 1/2 & 4 out. To save time and messy clean up I peeped all of ingredients. Yummy & fun
★★★★★
Could you please tell he how much 1 cup of butter is in grams.
Thank you
224g
So glad you’re enjoying this recipe Lindsay! Your husband is lucky to have a wife who preps extra for him
★★★★★
I’ve just made this recipe and i have a couple of suggestions. First, these cookies are amazingly wonderful. Could you perhaps say what size grade the egg you use is? For example, i used a jumbo egg (thought i picked up some medium sized ones but alas). Perhaps that accounts for some difference in recipe results. For example i had to use about a tbsp more flour to make the right dough texture. Also, i wasn’t sure at first how large to make the raw cookie balls before baking. One place says 1.5 tbsp and one place says 1.5 inches. I have never really been good at sizing the raw cookie but i think those are vastly different measurements. My first batch was 4 cookies that are huge and took about 15 minutes to bake…though they did work fine other than that. The second batch i used a bit more than half the raw dough per cookie and those seem to be sized correctly, though i did still bake them about 9 minutes. I love the shimmery sugared surface and the delightful texture. I also added 1 tsp cinnamon, 2/3 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp ground cloves, and its amazing. Enjoy and thanks so much.
★★★★★
I’m sorry, I thought egg size was in there but I’ve updated it. It should be a large egg, which is pretty standard.
Number 7 says 1.5 tablespoons, which is the correct size. Where do you see 1.5 inches?
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I just made these the other day & for some reason my cookies came out very flat which made them bake too close to each other . They tasted great , they were just flat as paper. Do you know why they came out flat ? I followed the recipe
★★★★★
It’s really hard to say. It could be not enough flour or too much butter, etc. If you made the cookie balls larger than 1.5 tablespoons they can also spread too much. It’s hard to say for sure without seeing everything but hopefully that helps.
Can you use self-rising flour with this recipe? If you don’t have plain flour? Also I only have salted butter? I want to make these now. Please telling me how?
You can use salted butter, you will just want to leave out the additional salt. But self raising flour would give you a different result. I’m not exactly sure how much leavener is in the flour so it would be hard to tell you how to adjust for it.
This recipe looks delicious. I am planning on making a spiraled cooking for Christmas (with plain, green, a red “layers”). I usually use a recipe for cutout sugar cookies when I do this, but I love the idea of the cookies being softer and chewier. Do you think this recipe would work for that, or do you think the extra working in of the food coloring and rolling out the layers would make it too tough? Thanks!
Gosh, hard to say. I’m not sure that the cookies would work as well. Because you slice and bake a spiral cookie like that, they may spread a good bit more. I’m just not sure without trying it.
These cookies are amazing! I did have the sane problem with mine nit spreading but I didn’t weigh my flour, but I didn’t mind, easy fix to flatten them. I will make these again my family LOVED these cookies.
I followed the recipe exactly and I can’t roll dough into balls very very very sticky now I don’t know what to do I don’t want to waste it cuz I don’t have anymore sugar
Hi! I need to make an extra batch! Can I put dough into fridge for the night and then bake in the morning?
Yes, I would just let the cookie dough come to room temperature before baking so that they spread properly.
I’ve never made a sugar cookie before (from Australia, they’re not a big thing here) but these were delicious and perfect, exactly how I hoped they’d be.
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that!
Good morning and Happy Holidays!! I’m the cook and baker in my house. Can this recipe be used for Christmas Cookies? I’m sure it can. I would just have to roll out the dough and use the cookie cutter molds. Just wondering!!
I haven’t tried it as cut outs before. I would think they would spread a little too much. But some people have said that they tried it and it worked well.
Mine didn’t spread enough and they came out a little almost too crumbly. Great flavor and taste though! Any recommendations?
★★★★★
I would just check your ingredient measurements and use a food scale if you can. Cookies are really susceptible to little changes in ingredients. The flour is most commonly the issue – just give your flour a good stir to loosen it up, then scoop it into your measuring cup.
Girl these cookies are amazing! I don’t even have to adjust for altitude. They stay moist and chewy for days after too. Nomnomnomnom.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Awesome recipe. They turned out perfect, soft, chewy and perfectly sweet. Thank you for sharing this great recipe ❤️
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Amazing! The first time I made these my husband begged for me to make more. Unfortunately, the second time I made them I accidentally put to much flour in and the dough became crumbly, didn’t spread out much and tasted like a whole different kind of cookie. My fault and I will make sure to be careful about the flour next time. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you for sharing it!
★★★★★
Just made these and AMAZING! Followed recipe and cooking instructions exactly and they came out exactly like your picture! I got thumbs up from the husband and son! Thank you for this recipe!!Pinning this one! x
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Yum!
★★★★★
Mine remained balls as well. i did use a food scale so I’ll what happened. Everything else was great. When I noted they didn’t spread with the fist batch in I pressed them don myself. Still a great tasting cookie.
is this 2 cups + 3/4s of a cup? or TWO 3/4’s ?
It is two cups plus 3/4 of a cup.
Mine turned out great! I absolutely love recipes that include a weight measurement. Thanks for that! Because of the mixed reviews I decided to make a half batch, and even weighed my egg so I’d have exactly half! Maybe not necessary since egg weights vary so much but I did anyway. The dough was somewhat crumbly but still rolled into balls nicely. Warm from the oven they’re quite tasty and I’m sure as they cool that chewiness will come through. Super easy.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!