Vanilla sugar cookies are a favorite treat anytime. Whether you choose to decorate them or eat them just as is with a cup of tea. And, based on my butter cookie recipe, these are soft, crisp and buttery. Also, they do not spread. Thus, making them a great candidate for shaped and decorated custom cookies.
My go-to sugar cookie recipe
These are the best sugar cookies you will ever eat. They are a variation on the delicious butter cookies. And, they stay soft and crisp and delicious much longer. In fact, I make these so often because not only do my kids love them as is, I also decorate them with fondant or royal icing when I need to. And, if you place an order for cookies with me, this is what I will make for you.
Also, unlike most other recipes, I do not add any leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda. And yet, if you look at the cookies from the side, you can see they do look light and airy. In addition, I prefer that my cookies do not spread like regular cookies. That way I can use the same cookie cutter for my fondant and decorate them perfectly.
And, the big secret to success with this recipe is the way I prepare my dough. So, I highly recommend that you read the process well before you start making the dough. Also, the extra beating in the mixing of the mixture gets air into the batter making it light and airy before we add flour.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Unsalted butter - I like to use unsalted butter in all my baking so I can control the amount of salt. And yet, if you must use salted butter omit the salt in the recipe.
- All-purpose flour - I always use all-purpose flour with great success. So, you do not need any other flour.
- White granulated sugar - As a rule of thumb, whenever you need to cream sugar and butter - always use a fine grain sugar. That will cream faster. And, if you have to use a coarse grain sugar, pulse it in the food processor a couple of times, and it will be beautiful. However, if you do not cream the butter and sugar cookies well, the cookies will be flaky.
- Vanilla extract - I like using vanilla extract. But it also has the tendency to color the dough. So, if you need a white or fair mixture just add clear vanilla extract or rose essence. Having said that, always use a good quality vanilla extract. I know it's expensive. That is why I make my vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste as well as vanilla sugar.
If you see decorated cookies on this blog - almost all of them are these sugar cookies or my chocolate sugar cookies. They are the best..!! Sometimes I use an eggless version of these - and you can find my eggless vanilla or eggless chocolate sugar cookies along with all other cookies here.
Step by step instructions (pin)
Make the dough
- In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Do not skimp on this step or the cookies will be very dense.
Tip - creaming works best when the butter is at firm room temperature, not soft room temperature. - Add the eggs one at a time making sure each is well incorporated. Once the eggs are in, mix for a minute or two more.
- Next, add the vanilla. Followed by the flour. Combine well but, do not over mix at this time.
- Bring the dough together and divide into two discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 2 hours or firm enough to roll.
Roll the Cookies
- Once the dough is chilled, roll dough on a lightly floured surface evenly.
- I roll my cookies a minimum ¼ or 6 mm thick using a rolling pin with spacers.
Tip - read - 10 Tips - how to roll and cut sugar cookies - Using your favorite cookie cutter cut out desired shaped cookies and place them on a cookie sheet one inch apart.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 360 F.
Tip - I prefer to chill the cookies while the oven is preheating. This will prevent spreading - Bake cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the cookies.Â
- When baked let cool on the tray for 7 to 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool further.Â
- You can eat these cookies as is or decorate them with royal icing or fondant.
Storage
- This cookie recipe can be halved or double without any issues.
- The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days, or
- Frozen for up to three months. If frozen thaw in the refrigerator over-night before you roll out.
- The baked cookies will stay at room temperature for up to 2 weeks but best eaten within a few days.
Frequently asked questions
Sugar cookies for decorating need to be crisp, not soft. With a flat, not puffy top. You want sharply defined edges, not round edges. This recipe gives you just that, crips, flat and well-defined sugar cookies. These will make the most beautiful decorated sugar cookies.
Leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda make the cookie lighter but also puffy. The resulting cookies do not make the best canvas for sugar cookies for decorating purposes.
I usually chill my cookies for about 15 to 30 minutes. It is always a good practice to refrigerate cookies while the oven is preheating. Chilling cookie dough helps solidify the butter in the cookies which helps when baking, preventing the cookies from spreading as chilled dough takes longer to melt compared to room temperature fat.Â
Regular cookies are usually crisp on the outside and soft or chewy on the inside. Sugar cookies are softer but not soft. While they are not necessarily delicate, they can break easily.Â
If over-baked they can be brittle but still delicious to eat. Cookies become hard as they cool, so it's always a good idea to keep an eye when baking. Ideally, they should not have any brown, perhaps a light color around the edges. Leave them on the hot tray for a good 5 to 7 minutes, so they continue to cook and hold their shape
You can, but the texture and taste will be different. Brown sugar will keep the cookies soft, tender and chewy while white sugar will give them a crisp texture which is what you need in sugar cookie for decorating.
Troubleshooting
Always, follow the recipe correctly unless you know and what the outcome different. Adding extra flour will give you dry, crumbly cookies. Too much sugar or butter can make the cookies spread and lose their shape when baking. Rolling the cookies too thin will give you hard flat cookies.
Yes, hot and humid conditions can be a challenge especially with butter-based cookies.
The best way to work around this is to roll the dough between two parchment papers.
Let the dough chill before you roll the dough and
Chill again after you roll the dough.
Cut the cookies out of chilled dough. This will give clean precise cuts and handling chilled cookies are easier to transfer from work surface to baking tray.
If you bake the cookies at a very high temperature or if you bake them for too long the edges will get brown quicker. 180C is a guide I like to use but every oven is different so adjust temperature accordingly.
If you have cookies baking quicker with most recipes then perhaps its time to check if your oven temperature needs calibration.
Overbaked cookies when cool tend to be dry and hard. Which is why you need to bake them until they are just about to start getting some color on the edges. The cookies continue to cook and set as they cool too.
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The Best Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (440 g) All-purpose flour
- 8 oz (226 g) Butter (1 cup, 2 sticks) unsalted, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) White sugar (little over a cup)
- 2 Eggs large
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Do not skimp on this step or the cookies will be very dense.Tip - creaming works best when the butter is at firm room temperature, not soft room temperature.
- Add the eggs one at a time making sure each is well incorporated. Once the eggs are in, mix for a minute or two more.
- Next, add the vanilla. Followed by the flour. Combine well but, do not over mix at this time.
- Bring the dough together and divide into two discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 2 hours or firm enough to roll.
Roll the Cookies
- Once the dough is chilled; roll dough on a lightly floured surface evenly.
- I roll my cookies a minimum ¼ or 6 mm thick using a rolling pin with spacers.Tip - read - 10 Tips - how to roll and cut sugar cookies
- Using your favorite cookie cutter cut out desired shaped cookies and place them on a cookie sheet one inch apart.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 356 F.Tip - I prefer to chill the cookies while the oven is preheating. This will prevent spreading
- Bake cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the cookies.Â
- When baked let cool on the tray for 7 to 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool further.Â
- You can eat these cookies as is or decorate them with royal icing or fondant.Â
Recipe Notes
StorageÂ
- This cookie recipe can be halved or double without any issues.
- The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days, or
- Frozen for up to three months. If frozen thaw in the fridge over-night before you roll out.
- The baked cookies will stay at room temperature for up to 2 weeks but best eaten within a few days.
- Sugar cookies have a good shelf life as a dough as well as cookies. The dough, if wrapped well can usually stay in the fridge or 5 to 6 days before rolling and baking. Alternatively, you can roll the cookies and place them on a parchment-lined tray wrapped well with cling wrap for about 3 to 4 days
- Sugar cookies dough can be frozen for a month or more if wrapped well. A great dough to have on hand in the freeze during the busy festive season
- Most cookies will stay good at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days. They can last for up to 2 weeks but are at their best in the first few days of baking.
- Leaving cookies out overnight will make them soft and stale faster. A good practice would be to keep them in the cookie jar as soon as they are cooled.
- Always, follow the recipe correctly unless you know and what the outcome different. Adding extra flour will give you dry, crumbly cookies. Too much sugar or butter can make the cookies spread and lose their shape when baking. Rolling the cookies too thin will give you hard flat cookies.
- These cookies will cut and bake better when properly chilled. If you don't have enough time I highly recommend using my recipe for no-chill sugar cookies instead. You can also try my other no spread sugar cookies recipe
- If you bake the cookies at a very high temperature or if you bake them for too long the edges will get brown quicker. 180C is a guide I like to use but every oven is different so adjust temperature accordingly.
- If you have cookies baking quicker with most recipes then perhaps its time to check if your oven temperature needs calibration.
- Overbaked cookies when cool tend to be dry and hard. Which is why you need to bake them until they are just about to start getting some color on the edges. The cookies continue to cook and set as they cool too.
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
