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,
OMG absolutely stunning I cannot believe my eyes and taste glands. this recipe is both easy and delicious I just had one question, is it ok if I don’t use brown sugar? will it still come out good? thanks a lot!!
I’m so glad you’re happy with them! As for the brown sugar, I personally would keep it as is. Small changes make a big difference with cookies and if I remember correctly, substituting the brown sugar made a difference when I was testing these. Brown sugar has more moisture than regular sugar so your cookies may not spread quite as well without it.
Which brown sugar is recommended for this recepie. Dark or light?
Light
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!
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 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.
Yum!
I love this recipe so much, I’ve used it in the past for small parties. I’am trying to double the recipe for my daughter’s birthday, I am trying to make a large sugar cookie the size of a pizza. How should i go about doing 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!
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
Hi I got alittle confused and just want to make sure, to have the cookie chewy , do I include the 1 Cup and 2 tbsp of granulated sugar with the 2 Tbsp of brown sugar ?
Or just 1 cup of granulated white sugar with 2 Tbsp of brown sugar ?
It’s one cup and 2 tbsp of sugar AND 2 tbsp of brown sugar.
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