I love this easy sugar cookies recipe, especially when I want to do some spur-of-the-moment baking. The cookie dough doesn’t need to be chilled, and the finished cookies stay wonderfully chewy for DAYS.
If you love soft sugar cookies, try my copycat Lofthouse cookies for a frosted, bakery-style treat.
Next to a good snickerdoodle, chewy sugar cookies are a total favorite of mine any day of the week. And unlike, say, cut-out sugar cookies, which are definitely a Christmas staple, I feel like this easy drop sugar cookies recipe is perfect for year-round baking.
I tested SO many versions of these homemade sugar cookies. I’m pretty sure my mother-in-law (who watches the twins while I work) thought I was losing my mind. I’d be all, “Just one more version!” and then a week later there’d still be new batches on the counter. But finally, I found the perfect sugar cookie recipe. Everything about these buttery cookies is just right.
So Many Reasons To Love This Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe
- These cookies are the perfect thickness to have crisp, golden edges without losing their soft centers.
- They’re chewy, buttery sugar cookies without being cakey.
- There’s no need to chill the dough, cut out the cookies, or even press the balls flat. They spread perfectly on their own.
- I’m happy to say these homemade cookies stay soft and chewy for days when stored properly.
- These are delicious baked as-is, rolled in sugar for a crunchy finish, and they’re great for decorating with sugar cookie icing or sprinkles.
- They’re easily adaptable for holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Valentine’s Day. See my favorites in the Variations section later on.
Ingredients Needed
Let’s talk about the key ingredients you’ll need to make chewy classic sugar cookies. See the recipe card for the full recipe with exact measurements.
- Flour – Use a kitchen scale or spoon and level the flour to avoid overmeasuring. See how to measure flour correctly so you don’t end up with too much flour in the dough.
- Baking soda and baking powder – In all my testing, I found that my favorite sugar cookies used a combination of baking soda and baking powder. Cookies made with only baking soda are chewy but thinner (see my coconut sugar cookies). Meanwhile, just baking powder yields a thicker, more cakey cookie. The combination of the two was just right for these bakery-style sugar cookies.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter. Bring the butter to room temperature before you start. If you forget, microwave it for 5 seconds at a time, turning a quarter turn after each interval, just until it’s softened but not melted. You can also slice the butter into thin slices and it’ll come to room temperature much more quickly.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar – Brown sugar has more moisture than white granulated sugar because it contains molasses. I swapped out two tablespoons of white sugar for brown sugar in this sugar cookie recipe, and the results were fantastic. It makes a much softer and chewier cookie that stays fresh longer. It also adds a touch of extra flavor.
- Egg – Also at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Please use pure vanilla extract for your homemade sugar cookies, and not imitation vanilla. You’ll taste the difference.
How to Make Chewy Sugar Cookies
Follow along to make the best soft sugar cookies from scratch. Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350ºF and line your baking sheets, either with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients and mix to form a thick dough.
Portion the dough into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls. Roll the dough balls in sugar.
Bake the cookies at 350ºF for 7-8 minutes, until they’re just set in the centers.
The cookies will look a bit puffed up when they leave the oven…
… And they’ll settle as they cool on the baking sheet.
How Long to Bake Sugar Cookies
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. Don’t worry if the centers of the cookies are still quite soft; they will firm up as they cool.
Variations and Decorating Ideas
These make great holiday sugar cookies, but they’re also wonderful for everyday baking. Here are some of the many ways I’ve adapted this sugar cookie recipe over the years.
- Frosting: You can make simple decorated sugar cookies with royal icing or use vanilla buttercream frosting to follow my tutorial for rosette cookies.
- Sprinkles: 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. See my Christmas sprinkle cookies. Use any color you like!
- Christmas: Make peppermint sugar cookies or turn these into Grinch cookies with green food coloring and red heart sprinkles.
- More flavors: Try my chocolate sugar cookies, strawberry sprinkle cookies, and lemon sugar cookies for fun flavor variations.
Tips for Chewy Sugar Cookies
- Make sure your butter is at 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 still too cold.
- 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!
- Avoid overmeasuring. Measure the flour correctly using the spoon-and-level method or a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. Don’t scoop directly from the bag. You’ll end up adding too much, which makes the cookies dry.
- Don’t over-mix the dough after you add the flour. It can over-develop the gluten and cause the cookies not to spread as nicely or to be tough.
- Make sure your cookie dough balls are 1 ½ tablespoons each, or you’ll want to adjust the baking time. I also found this size to be just right for a perfect spread.
How to Store and Freeze
- Counter: Store these cookies on the counter in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Fridge: If you want to extend their shelf life, you can pop the container in the fridge. The cookies will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: These cookies freeze nicely too! Just let the baked cookies come to room temperature, then pack them in a Ziploc bag and freeze them. Thaw them in the fridge or on the counter when you’re ready to eat them.
More Classic Cookie Recipes
Easy Sugar Cookies
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Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups (358g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (233g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (28g) light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (52g) granulated sugar (additional for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
- Add the egg and mix until well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- 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.
- Create 1 ½ 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.
- 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.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Categories:
Christmas, Cookies, Easter, Holidays, Recipes, Recipes with video, Sweets and Treats, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day,
Will this dough hold up for cookie cutters?
This cookie dough is meant to spread. I’d recommend one of my cutout cookie recipes – I have this one and this one.
This recipe will be my to go to for sugar cookies. My husband and my neighbors just love them. This recipe is a keeper.
So glad you enjoyed them!
All I have to say is WOW!!!!! First of all, I absolutely hate baking (I’m more of a cook) and I have looked high and low for the perfect soft and sweet sugar cookie. Oddly, all the recipes I’ve found online have so bland – not sweet whatsoever, or they weren’t soft. THIS is the perfect recipe. I originally wanted to frost them but they don’t need it. Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s a keeper!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These cookies were a hit with everyone! Making more tonight right now.
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
I love this recipe and always make for my family!! I was wondering if I could add candy corn to the batter and make candy corn sugar cookies for Halloween?
Any experience or do you know if you could freeze the dough balls in an airtight container to bake later?
Well I haven’t actually done it myself, I do think that would be fine.
Hi Lindsay
I made these today, they’re fabulous!!! My family loved them ❤️
I’m so glad they were a hit!
This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe EVER! Thank you so much:)
So glad you enjoy them!
In the beginning detail, you say you subtract 2T white sugar for the brown sugar but in the recipe you added 2 Y white sugar and 2 T brown sugar . Which is correct?
I’m a little confused by the question. The recipe uses one cup plus an additional 2 tablespoons of white granulated sugar. It also uses 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. I hope that clears up any confusion.
Are you able to add food coloring to this cookie dough? It’s my favorite recipe but need them a different color for the holidays!
Yes, you can.
This is my go-to holiday cookie recipe because it’s so EASY and delicious. I roll the cookie dough balls in different colors of granulated sugar, depending on the occasion. I may try food coloring now 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoy them!
I tried making these cookies today. But when mixing the wet and dry ingredients the mixture didn’t form it’s a doughie consistency. It didn’t like like the video at all. I still put them in the oven so hopefully it comes out.
It may very well be that an ingredient wasn’t measured accurately. If the dough was dry and crumbly, you may have added too much flour.
I tried this recipe and it turned out really good. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad you enjoyed them!
These are exactly what I was looking for. That soft and tasty cookie that feels professional
So glad you enjoyed them!
i have yet to make the cookies, but i’m going according to the weight measurements and i’m so confused. it calles for 1 cup butter, which should be two sticks, but one stick butter is 50g according to my scale? also, flour is 2 3/4 cups, 358g – which ended up being like 4 cups IMO. i’m not an experienced baker – what am i doing wrong? my scale is accurate.
It’s hard for me to say what you’re doing without being there. But use two sticks of butter. And if you weigh the flour correctly, it’ll be the right amount. If you compared it to scooping it and with scoops got 4 cups, then that’s exactly why weighing is more accurate.
These are the best. Easy recipe. Hubby loves them. I have made with adding lemon juice for little different taste as I make these weekly.
So glad you enjoy them!
I love this recipe!! Will it work with a butter substitute?
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I haven’t ever tested them with a butter substitute to be able to say.
Cookies themselves taste good, but following directions they were still a wet mess even after I let them cool on the pan for 10 minutes. I measured exactly one and a half tablespoons for the cookie sizes so I went down to one tablespoon of dough rolled into a ball, turned the heat up to 360° and baked for 11 minutes, cooled on pan for 5 minutes and they were great. Maybe my climate/altitude/whatever is just way different.