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,
I’ve made these cookies for a few years now and the taste never disappoints! I do have a question for you though. If I make a bigger batch and they don’t all fit in the oven at the same time, the dough that sits out longer has a different texture. It’s not bad, but a little puffier and not quite as soft. Any thoughts on how to keep them consistent??
This recipe is amazing! Made loads of cookies and friends loved them. I recommend adding chocolate chips.
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Hmm, that seems odd. I might try to refrigerate half of the batch (or more, if needed) and bring it back to room temperature as you’re ready to use it. I’m glad you enjoy them!
Idk if I messed it up or what, but mine were not near done in the 7-8minutes! Haha I had to nearly go like 20. Really hoping they won’t be super crispy now 😬 I have 4 cookies that didn’t make the original bake time, I will try doing those for just the 7-8min and see how they turn out. But still delicious cookies!
That’s what I am experiencing! They are likely a bit bigger than noted, but def not done in the middle. They cooked more like13-14 minutes. The next batch I made much smaller, upped temp to 360 and still took about 12 minutes. They spread a bit, but got puffier vs spreading (likely didn’t measure baking powder/soda correctly?). I learned to SCOOP my flour into the measuring cup and use a knife to level. You have to get this right when baking! I also experienced the dough being bit sticky, so sprinkled a bit more flour over it until it came together nicely into the ball (better than too much flour). I then refrigerated the dough in between batches, which also helped. All in all, a truly easy cookie recipe as home made cookies go and I still had soft, slightly chewy cookie even after all that. Don’t skip the brown sugar, it adds a bit of something to the recipe. Edits: If you have wicked sweet tooth, don’t be afraid to increase the sugar a bit. Even with me rolling them into the sugar, I sprinkled more on top after removing from oven while hot 🙂 Hope this helps someones as I really value reading the comments. Thanks for a sold base recipe!
okay, 24 hours later and the cookies softness and chewiness are holding up. Matter fact, may be even better. I’ve got to up my rating to 5 because the ultimate test is if the teens com back for seconds!
These are the best sugar cookies I’ve ever made. I even skipped the step at the end where you add the additional sugar. They can’t it perfectly chewy and soft!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I made these cookies today and they were a hit! They were chewy, but crunchy at the same time. I may be making a batch to give out to some kids I know. I was craving something sweet but also something not too extreme and these checked all the boxes! Thank you so much!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them!
I love this recipe! So incredibly delicious & more importantly, easy! I baked mine for 8mins. I tested 2 cookies at 7mins & I just felt more comfortable at 8. These will def be in my rotation especially at Christmas!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These cookies are FABULOUS!!
Could you suggest a bake time for a 3 tbsp scoop?
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I honestly haven’t made them that big, so I’m not sure. I’d guess around 10-12 minutes.
Can I replace regular flour for almond?
You wouldn’t get the same results.
I have always been buying the ready to bake sugar cookies for my son before I found this recipe. Perfect! Moist chewy sugar cookies!!!
Awesome! So glad you enjoy them!
I haven’t made these just yet (but they look delicious) but I wanted to ask if I use gluten free flour, is the amount the same?also will it turn out the same?
If you’re using all purpose gluten free flour, it would be the same amount. I’m not sure about another type of gluten free flour. I haven’t tested it myself, but I do think they’d turn out fairly similar with all purpose gluten free flour.
This recipe came out great. I’ve had so many hit and miss drop sugar cookies that I had given up. This will most definitely be the one I use from now on. It came together quickly and easy. Crisp, soft, and chewy. Hitting all the notes you want in a good sugar cookie!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them!
These were truly delicious and so soft and chewy! After scooping out balls of dough with a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, I flattened each with a floured fork, sprinkled with colored sugar and baked for 10 minutes. My oven might be off, but that’s how long it took for mine to be done. They were still nice and soft. I’ll definitely be making these often. They were so good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Could you use this recipe for stamped sugar cookies?
These cookies spread, so they aren’t really ideal. I’d use this cut out cookie recipe.
Omg! I love this recipe, I was happy to find a sugar cookie without cream of tartar since I don’t have any at home and this one was so good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I just made these and this is one of the better recipes I have used to make sugar cookies. They just didn’t spread that much. Not sure what I did wrong because I used a scale, but the flavor of the cookies is the best that I’ve had.
I rarely make cookies. I made this recipe and the cookies are delicious. I love the texture. I rolled them in Easter sprinkles.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them!
This recipe is excellant. Truly the best sugar cookie recipe there is. Made them for Easter. Soft, chewy center & ever so lightly crispy around the edges . Spread nicely with the cracks in top. Perfect & just what I was searching for!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!