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 made this recipe exactly as written and the cookies were perfect. And now the cookies are gone! Thanks for the great recipe.
Im terrible at baking, but that’s okay 😂 these cookies were easy to make and delicious! Super soft, chewy! So so good, 8 minutes did it for me. Thanks for such an amazing recipe!
By far, the best sugar cookie recipe. Thank you so very much ❤️
These are seriously the best sugar cookies ever! I’m in love 😂🤣
Hi Lindsay! Thank you for this recipe <3 I tried it at home, it was super simple and easy to make. And boy do they taste good! I just wish that the cookies would spread out more evenly. They seem to be pretty thick in the center so I was wondering if you had any tips to improve on that? Other than its shape, it's a wonderful cookie.
I don’t really have any tips beyond the things I’ve mentioned before. It’s very difficult for me to say what happens for one person versus another. It’s very possible that anyone having issues with spread is having the issue for a different reason because it really depends on a lot of different factors. Cookies can be so finicky. It could be that an ingredient isn’t measured properly. Believe it or not, cookies are really susceptible to changes when things are measured even a little differently. If the cookie dough has been refrigerated, that can make a difference. It’s possible that different ovens make a difference. Making larger or smaller cookie dough balls also makes a difference. It’s just really difficult to say. But I’m really glad you enjoyed them. You could try flattening the cookie dough balls out a little bit next time and that would help them spread as well.
Hi! Can I add sprinkles to this so it’s like a birthday cake cookie? How much sprinkles do you think I should add? Thanks!
I haven’t done it, but I was tagged on Instagram once from someone who did and they looked great. Not sure how many sprinkles – maybe 1/4 cup or so. Just keep in mind that when you add sprinkles, you are adding more sugar to the cookies. It may cause them to spread a little bit more, so you may consider reducing the sugar in the cookies a little bit.
This recipe is SPOT ON! I can’t get over how ridiculously good these cookies are. I followed the directions exactly and baked for 8 minutes, which was just right for them to be almost underbaked. Perfect. I’m looking forward to making these again soon.
These cookies were AMAZING!!!! I can’t wait to make them again!
These are very good. I would recommend doubling the recipe if you have a family. They get goobled up quickly.
Just made these & they are Delicious! 10/10 best sugar cookie recipe I’ve tried!
So glad to hear that! Thanks Lindsey!
does anything need to change for high altitude baking? Also, have you tried making one big b-day cookie, will that work? thx
I’m not familiar with changes for high altitude, I’m sorry. As for one big cookie, I did try it. I can’t remember exactly how it turned out, but I remember wanting to come back to it and make adjustments because it wasn’t quite right.
I didn’t change a thing in the recipe but had to bake longer and they came out perfect & delish! thank you (I didn’t make one big cookie after all, maybe i’ll try next time!) thx!!
Thank you for sharing, the cookies came out great! Mine didn’t quite spread out as much, but they puffed up instead and stayed a little puffy even after cooling. They were definitely still soft and chewy in the inside. Do you know what I could have done differently?
It’s very difficult to say without being there to see it. It could be that an ingredient was measured a little off. Did you refrigerate the dough at all? Because that can make a difference. Making the cookie balls a little smaller can make them spread less. I’m sure there are other things that I’m not thinking of at the moment. Small differences can really make a difference with cookies. I’m glad you enjoyed them though!
These were the best sugar cookies I have ever made . I like that they stayed soft the next day, it something I wanted in a sugar cookie, but never achieved. The flavor was yummy and the cookie had the perfect texture. I followed your directions, without the use of a scale to measure my ingredients. I’m so glad I didn’t read the reviews before choosing your recipe I might not have made them, some people had the hardest time with it.
Thank you for your dedication to come up with the perfect Sugar Cookie, I think you did it!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Hey Lindsay, I love your recipies and hardly ever have issues. For some reason this time they came out soft and chewy the night I made them, but in the morning they were hard and crunchy. Luckily they still tasted great, but I was planning on mailing them to a friend and couldn’t. I followed the directions and let them cool. Upon cooling I stacked them in a ziplock baggie to ship. Do you have an idea of what could have gone wrong?
I’m sorry to hear that. It’s so hard to say what the problem might have been. It could have been that they were a little over baked. Maybe try reducing the bake time by about a minute?
Hi, can you use a cookie press instead of rolling the balls? Thanks!
The shapes that you get from a press will end up spreading since these cookies spread, so if you’d like to have shapes, it wouldn’t be ideal. You could try using my cutout sugar cookie recipe.
I have been on the hunt for a soft sugar cookie, and this was perfect. Sooo good!! Thank you!! I only had bread flour and smashed them with the bottom of a cup a little before baking and they are literally just what I was hoping for. Yummy, chewy and delicious.
I’m very confused how no one is commenting on how dry the batter was? These cookies are going on almost 20 minutes of baking… are you sure the receipe isn’t messed up?
I am 100% positive this recipe is excellent as written. I cannot imagine how they would need 20 minutes to bake. Some thing is clearly off.
I have to admit I tried this recipe as well. I think there was far more flour than needed. I will not be using this recipe as written again.