Best Sugar Cookie Recipe (No Spread)
As a professional cake decorator for many years, I know that perfect sugar cookies start with the right dough. They should be wonderfully light and airy, hold their shape beautifully without spreading to much so that every frosted cookie looks flawless and tastes incredible. This is it!
This recipe holds its shape beautifully, with no spreading, thanks to my tried-and-tested method. It has taken me years to perfect this recipe, but it’s never let me down—and I know you’ll love it too!
As a professional cake decorator for many years, I’ve learned that the foundation of any beautifully decorated cookie starts with the right sugar cookie dough. It needs to be the right thickness and the right texture. Too much leavening can cause the cookies to spread, but no leavening can make them dense.
After years of testing and baking oh so many cookies I can tell you that this recipe produces just the right cookie —one that doesn’t spread in the oven, holds its shape flawlessly, and delivers a deliciously tender texture every single time. I am a huge fan of fondant decorated cookies so using the same cookie cutter to cut the cookies then top them with the same shape in fondant always gave me the perfect frosted cookies that everyone always envied.
Whether I’m creating simple frosted cookies or intricate designs, this dough has never failed me. It’s reliable, easy to work with, and ensures my cookies are always as stunning as they are tasty. If you’ve been searching for that fail-proof sugar cookie recipe, this one will quickly become your go-to!
These are incredibly versatile and can be shaped into any form you desire. Whether you use cookie cutters to make fun shapes or simply roll them into balls and flatten them with a fork, the possibilities are endless.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No spread, clean edges for decorating.
- No chill option if you’re in a rush.
- Chocolate sugar cookie variation included.
- Easy pantry ingredients.
- Great for royal icing or fondant.
- Freezer-friendly for holiday prep.
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 fine-grain sugar that will cream faster. And, if you have to use coarse grain sugar, pulse it in the food processor a couple of times before using. However, if you do not cream the butter and sugar cookies well, the cookies will be flaky.
- Cocoa powder – (For chocolate sugar cookies) I have used Dutch-processed cocoa powder that works best for baking. I highly recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Vanilla extract – You can use vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste or vanilla sugar.
Step-by-step: Best Sugar Cookies Recipe (No Chill, No Spread)
- Dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Set aside. Or use a whisk to combine.
- Creaming – In a large bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Pro tip: This is what gives the cookies that light and airy texture without leavening, so don’t skip. - Wet ingredients – Add the vanilla extract, followed by the eggs one at a time, making sure each is well incorporated.
- Wet to dry – Next, add the flour mixture. Combine well but do not over-mix at this time.
- Chill – Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide the dough into two discs. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until firm enough to roll. About 30 minutes to an hour at least.
Pro tip – you can keep the dough chilled in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can even freeze the dough for up to two months in the freezer.
- Roll – Once the dough is chilled; roll the dough on a lightly floured surface evenly.
Pro tip – I roll my cookies to about 1/4-inch or 6 mm thickness using a rolling pin with spacers. Read – 10 Tips – how to roll and cut sugar cookies - Cut – Using your favorite cookie cutter cut out desired shaped cookies and place them on a cookie sheet one inch apart lined with parchment paper. I’ve used some 3-inch round and square cookie cutters for these cookies.
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 177°C/ Gas Mark 4
- Bake – Transfer the chilled cookies to the oven and bake on the middle rack for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cookies.
- Cool – When baked, let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Then, transfer to an airtight container.
The Best Sugar Cookies Recipe
Vanilla sugar cookies are a classic treat loved for their simplicity and delicious flavor. These cookies are made with basic ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, and vanilla extract, resulting in a sweet and buttery cookie with a hint of vanilla. They're perfect for any occasion and can be decorated with icing, sprinkles, or enjoyed plain.
Video
Ingredients
- 470 g (3¾ cups) All-purpose flour
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 226 g (1 c) Unsalted butter room temperature
- 200 g (1 cup) White sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 420 g (3⅓ cups) All purpose flour
- 50 g (½ cups) Cocoa powder
- 226 g (1 cups) Unsalted butter room temperature
- 200 g (1 cups) White sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Coffee powder
Method
- Dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Set aside.Note: If making chocolate sugar cookies, add the cocoa powder and coffee too.470 g All-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- Creaming – In a large bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.226 g Unsalted butter, 200 g White sugar
- Wet ingredients – Add the vanilla extract followed by the eggs one at a time making sure each is well incorporated.2 large Eggs, 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- Wet to dry – Next, add the flour mixture. Combine well, but do not over-mix at this time.
- Chill – Transfer the dough onto a work surface and divide the dough into two discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until firm enough to roll About 30 minutes to an hour at least.
- Roll – Once the dough is chilled, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface evenly. Pro tip – I roll my cookies to about 1/4-inch or 6 mm thickness using a rolling pin with spacers. Read – 10 Tips – how to roll and cut sugar cookies
- Cut – Using your favorite cookie cutter cut out desired shaped cookies and place them on a cookie sheet one inch apart. I've used some 3-inch round and square cookie cutters for these cookies.
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 177°C/ Gas Mark 4
- Bake – Transfer the chilled cookies to the oven and bake on the middle rack for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cookies.
- Cool – When baked, let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Then transfer to an airtight container.
Notes
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter, eggs, and any other dairy ingredients are at room temperature. This helps them incorporate better into the dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugar Thoroughly: Creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the flour mixture, mix the dough just until everything is combined. Overmixing can result in tough cookies.
- Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough for at least an hour (or overnight) helps solidify the fats in the dough, which can prevent spreading and result in a better texture.
- Roll Dough Evenly: When rolling out the dough, try to keep it an even thickness to ensure even baking. Using spacers or rolling guides can help achieve this.
- Use Parchment Paper: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and to make cleanup easier.
- Preheat Your Oven: Make sure your oven is fully preheated before baking the cookies to ensure they bake evenly and at the right temperature.
- Rotate Baking Sheets: If you’re baking multiple trays of cookies at once, rotate the trays halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.
- Cool Baking Sheets: Allow baking sheets to cool completely between batches to prevent the dough from spreading too much.
- Decorate with Care: If decorating with icing or frosting, make sure the cookies are completely cool before decorating to prevent the icing from melting.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!Can I make sugar cookies without chilling the dough?
Yes, but chilling helps prevent spreading and keeps edges clean. If in a rush, bake immediately and watch closely.
Can I make this a chocolate sugar cookie dough?
Absolutely, to make this a Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Replace 1/2 cup (60 g) flour with 1/2 cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Add 1/2 tsp instant coffee (optional).
- Follow the same steps for no-spread, perfectly shaped chocolate sugar cookies.
10 Tips for the best sugar cookies
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter, eggs, and any other dairy ingredients are at room temperature. This helps them incorporate better into the dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugar Thoroughly: Creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the flour mixture, mix the dough just until everything is combined. Overmixing can result in tough cookies.
- Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough for at least an hour (or overnight) helps solidify the fats in the dough, which can prevent spreading and result in a better texture.
- Roll Dough Evenly: When rolling out the dough, try to keep it an even thickness to ensure even baking. Using spacers or rolling guides can help achieve this.
- Use Parchment Paper: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and to make cleanup easier.
- Preheat Your Oven: Make sure your oven is fully preheated before baking the cookies to ensure even baking and the right temperature. Cooler oven will make the butter in the cookies spread
- Rotate Baking Sheets: If you’re baking multiple trays of cookies at once, rotate the trays halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.
- Cool Baking Sheets: Allow baking sheets to cool completely between batches to prevent the dough from spreading too much.
- Decorate with Care: If decorating with icing or frosting, make sure the cookies are completely cool before decorating to prevent the icing from melting.
Troubleshooting Sugar Cookies
| Problem | Likely Cause | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies spread and turn flat | Too much butter or sugar, dough too warm, or cookies rolled too thin | Measure ingredients accurately, avoid adding extra butter or sugar, and don’t roll the dough too thin. Chill the dough before rolling and again after cutting. |
| Cookies spread in hot or humid weather | Butter softens too quickly in warm, humid conditions | Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, chill before rolling, and chill again after cutting the cookies. Always bake from cold dough. |
| Cookies lose their shape when cutting | Dough is too warm and soft | Cut cookies from well-chilled dough. Cold dough gives cleaner cuts and is easier to transfer to the baking tray. |
| Cookies are too brown on the edges | Oven temperature too high or cookies baked too long | Bake at around 180°C (350°F) as a starting point, but adjust for your oven. If cookies brown too fast, lower the temperature slightly. Consider checking oven calibration if this happens often. |
| Cookies are hard once cooled | Cookies were overbaked | Remove cookies when the edges are just beginning to color. They continue to set as they cool, so avoid baking until fully golden. |
Frequently asked questions
Sugar cookies for decorating need to be crisp, not soft. And with a flat, not puffy top. Also, you want sharply defined edges, not round edges. This recipe gives you just that, crips, flat and well-defined sugar cookies. As a result, these will make the most beautiful decorated sugar cookies.
Yes, you can make sugar cookie dough ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it. You can also bake the cookies ahead of time and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for several days or freeze them for longer storage.
Yes, sugar cookie dough freezes well for up to 2 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Warm dough, over-creaming butter, or low oven temperature can cause spreading. Chill dough and bake at 350°F for best results.
Margarine has more water, causing spreading. Butter is recommended for best results.
Yes, you can add various flavorings to sugar cookies, such as almond extract, lemon zest, or cinnamon, to customize the flavor.
Store sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can also freeze them for longer storage.
Yes, royal icing is commonly used to decorate sugar cookies. It dries hard and is perfect for intricate designs.
Yes, you can make eggless sugar cookies using substitutes like applesauce, mashed banana, or commercial egg replacers. The texture may be slightly different, but they will still be delicious.
Yes, you can use intricate cookie cutters for sugar cookies, but make sure the dough is well-chilled and the cutter is floured to prevent sticking.
I usually chill my cookies for about 30 to 45 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.
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 cookies for decorating.
Replace 1/2 cup flour with cocoa powder. Follow the same steps for delicious chocolate sugar cookies.
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I’ve made this recipe once and it turned out quite well but some of my biscuits had bubbles in them which I put down to not rolling it out enough. I’m just wondering if I made a double batch in advance and chilled it overnight how long do you have to leave it out to reach room temperature roughly? Would I be better to roll it out between layers of baking paper and then refrigerate over night? Or if I froze the cooked biscuits what is the best way to do this?
Tia. There is no leavening agent so I presume the bubbles were excess whipping of the butter and sugar. You do want to cream it well but not overwhip it. The cookie dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight until it is cold than on the counter between 10 to 20 minutes depending on the weather you live in. If the dough is too soft you can roll between two parchment paper but I do think that rolling and cutting chilled dough is the way to go with these cookies.
Hi, I have followed your recipe rolling out to the same thickness but mine seem to be much thinner and not as sharp and uniformed as yours. They are also baked to just browning on the edges but they are soft in the middle and crisp on the edge. Any tips? Thanks
I’m sorry to hear that Becky. Use spacers to ensure you have the right thickness. Chill the dough after rolling, this will cut sharp uniform edges. Chill the cookies before you bake this will ensure they do not spread.
Hello
it says to siv the flour and salt but do you mean just whisk together like your doing in video or do we need to put flour through a siv first?
Thanks
Yes, Amanda. You can use the whisk to combine the flour and salt too. Thanks
Hi Veena
Happy Hanukkah to you and your family ❤️
Hope you are well and keeping safe in these trying times ? Sending you lots of positive vibes .
I have tried your sugar cookie recipe many times and I must say it’s actually the best recipe ever !!! Wanted to ask if I could use this for a sugar cookie house and if I can add different condiments like ground cinnamon to it? Looking forward to your advise ??
Thank you
Hey Dolly. Thank you. Wish you a happy Hanuka and happy holidays too. yes, you can use this for a sugar cookie house. Perhaps add 1/4 cup more flour for stability to this batch of dough. It will hold better. You can definitely add spices to this cookie it is very versatile.
Thank you so much for all the help and the very prompt answer as always ❤️ Stay Blessed
The sugar cookie house came out beautiful with sharp edges and was very sturdy when assembled thank you for the great recipe ?
Thank you, Dolly. So, happy to hear that.
356 F, that’s some BS right there. My oven goes by fives.
Thanks for your feedback, Ian. 356 Farenhite is just the exact conversion of the celcius I used. But you can definitely round it out the closest. Wish happy holidays
Can I use this recipe for a large number cookie cake? If so would I have to change the time it needs to be in the oven.
Yes, Elina. You can use these. Depending on the size and thickness I’d say they would take about 12 to 15 minutes. I’d say keep a close eye after 12 minutes when you see some color on the edges you want to check on them. They will cook on the baking tray after you take them out so let them cool on the tray for 10 minutes to prevent them breaking.
Ok thank you! I tried this cookie recipe before and it was so good so I really wanted to use it for a giant number cake.
Thanks, Elina
These are the best! So simple and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Jessica.
Hi Veena,
I have been using your sugar cookie recipe for over a year and absolutely love it! The are perfect warm from the over, plain or the perfect balance to use with fondant.
Lately I have been having a lot of issues with the cookies spreading and puffing up which I have never had before.
I am using the same method as always, I weigh my ingredients and once the cookies are cut I place them in the freezer until they are really cold before baking which is what I’ve always done. I’m careful not to over mix once the flour is added, the only thing I do differently is add extra vanilla which I’ve always done.
I’m not sure what could be causing this, any help would be greatly appreciated as it is becoming a little hard to decorate crisp looking fondant cookies with the spreading and puffing.
Thank you!
Hey Kelsey. Sorry to hear about that. This recipe has not changed so not sure why the sudden change in results for you. Can you add a few more tablespoons of flour and see if it helps?
Thanks for the reply, I will give that a go next time and see how it goes. Is it possible I could be over beating the butter and sugar? I know it says in the recipe to make sure it is lite and fluffy but can you over mix it and incorporate too much air?
Yes, actually overmixing the butter and sugar does lead to spreading. Are you overdoing it? It needs to be light and fluffy but don’t beat it too long. Try and let me know how it goes
Hi there! I absolutely love using this recipe for regular vanilla sugar cookies, I was just wondering if I could use gluten free flour instead of regular flour?
Thanks!
Hey Toni, happy you enjoyed these cookies. I have not tried using gluten-free flour for these cookies so not sure if they will work. I do have a gluten-free sugar cookie made with rice flour if you would like to try.
Yum cookies. Such detailed notes have been a huge help. Dough was sticky when brought together but was beautiful to work with once chilled.
I’m now wondering whether the dough can be frozen please
Thank you, Christina. Yes, the dough freezes beautifully. It can be frozen for up to a month.
This is the best sugar cookie recipe I have found. I have tried several and this one is by far the best! My kids love them too.
Thank you, Lacey, Happy you enjoyed these. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
Hello Veena i was just wondering whether you can freeze baked cookies as well..or only dough. In the text you are saying it can be frozen up to 3 months where in someones question only up to1 month.. can you please answer me which is the longest i can freeze because im making a batch of 200 for February or March and want to be ahead. Thank you very much
Nicoletta. Yes, you can freeze the baked cookies for up to three months. Make sure to wrap them well in parchment, then plastic to keep them from drying out. You can also freeze the cookie dough for about a month.
I hope this helps