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,
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
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.
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/
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?
These were so good and a huge hit with my friends! Really great flavor and texture.
One of my friends was asking if I could make cookies like this but turn them into a peanut butter cookie. Do you have any recommendations for a peanut butter cookie recipe that is similar?
I’m so glad they were a hit! I don’t actually have a peanut butter cookie recipe at the moment. But I need to make one!
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.
Can you freeze the dough?
That should be fine. I would just thaw in the fridge when you’re ready.
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.
In addition to the 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar already do I add another 2 tablespoons when I omit the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar?
I would not omit the 2 tablespoons of regular sugar and add two more tablespoons of brown sugar. The cookies may spread more that way.
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 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!
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!
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!
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!
I just made these for the second year in a row and they do not disappoint!!! I ran out of real butter so I used Gold N Soft margarine and it worked just the same. Stuck with the 10 min in the oven and they are delicious. Still no mixer so it’s a bit of workout to “cream” the butter, but the ol’ smash it with a fork method works fine. Just tedious haha.
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!
These look delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Can you freeze these cookies for a couple of weeks and they still taste great?
Yes, they should be fine.
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!