These no-chill sugar cookies recipe is a must-have on hand cookie dough for anyone who loves baking cookies. Soft, chewy vanilla sugar cookies made with just four main ingredients. The best part is you do not need to chill the dough before rolling or chill the cookies before baking. And these cookies do not spread when baking so they are the perfect sugar cookie for decorating.
Have you ever needed to make sugar cookies urgently? Well, happens to me sometimes. I have on occasion been really late to make the dough and then realize - oh no... I forgot about the cookies.
The truth is that I am very passionate about my recipe for vanilla sugar Cookies. Honestly, I think they are the world's best sugar cookie recipe. It took me a long time to perfect that cookie recipe and it has become a base for many of my other cookies as well. Including this and my no spread sugar cookies recipe.
I'm not a cookie decorator but being a cake decorator gets people to automatically imply that cookies are ok too. So often, I get the job of bringing cookies to the kids bake sale or such events. I love doing it but being a working mom juggling thru it all can really be hard sometimes.
About these cookies
This is undoubtedly derived from my sugar cookie recipe. The best part is you do not need to chill the dough before you roll these, nor do you need to chill the cookies before you bake these. A big bonus is that they do not spread when baking too. So, no chill, no spread, sugar cookies.
I have made these many times and they turn out perfectly every single time. Love that they have a nice fair color despite the vanilla extract. I think you are going to love these cookies.
I also used this cookie recipe to make my Marbled Sugar Cookies when I made my Valentine Heart Cookies
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 just omit the salt in the recipe.
- All-purpose flour - I always use all-purpose flour with great success. You do not need any other flour.
- Powdered sugar - Also known as confectioners sugar or icing sugar. When looking for powder sugar always buy one made from cane sugar, not beet sugar. You will find the buttercream made from cane sugar does not have a grainy consistency.
- 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 dough just add clear vanilla extract or rose essence. Having said that always use a good quality vanilla extract. I know it's expensive which is why I make my own vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste as well as vanilla sugar.
- Cornstarch - also known as cornflour - I never miss an opportunity to add a starch corn flour, rice flour, semolina. These add a nice crumbly melt in the mouthfeel. It lightens the cookie as well.
Step by step instructions
Prepare dough
- Preheat the oven at 180C /360 F.
- Make sure the butter and eggs are room temperature.
- Sift together the flour and salt.
- Cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla followed by eggs one at a time, mixing each well until incorporated.
- When both the eggs are added, continue to mix for a minute more.
- Next, add the cornstarch - combine well.
- Followed by the flour (and cocoa powder). Do not over mix once the flour is incorporated.
- Bring the dough together and divide into two discs.
Roll, cut-out, and bake
- Transfer to a lightly floured surface.
- Dust the rolling pin and surface of the dough lightly with more as needed.
- I roll my cookies a minimum ⅛ inch or 3 mm thick using a rolling pin with spacers.
( I often do ¼ inch thick as well as you can see in the images below) - Cut out desired shaped cookies and place them on a cookie sheet one inch apart.
- Bake cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the cookies.
- When baked let cool on the tray for 7 to 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool further.
- 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 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.
How to make the best chocolate no-chill sugar cookies
It is very easy to make these your best no-spread cookies too. Just replace some all-purpose flour with cocoa powder - Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Easy peasy. Detail recipe below
Frequently asked questions
It is always a good practice to chill cookies while the oven is preheating. Chilling cookie dough helps solidify the butter in the cookies which helps when baking preventing the cookie from spreading as chilled dough takes longer to melt compared to room temperature fat.
However, in these no chill sugar cookies, the starch added is a bit more than regular sugar cookies so that prevents the cookie from spreading too much.
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. You can even 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.
No, baked sugar cookies should not be refrigerated after they are baked. They can last for two weeks at room temperature if kept well in a cookie jar. Never leave cookies out for long as they tend to get soft.
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.
Nope! You do not need to chill these and they do not spread when baking. Unlike other no chill sugar cookies which tend to be dense and hard, these are wonderfully light but soft and chewy. I used the fluted cookie cutter just so you can see.. they do not spread or lose shape when baking.
Save this recipe no chill no spread sugar cookies on Pinterest for later.
You can also find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
No Chill Sugar Cookies Recipe
Print Pin Rate VeenaazmanovDescription
Ingredients
No-Chill Vanilla Sugar Cookies
- 2 ½ cup (2.56 cups) All-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch (cornflour)
- 8 oz (1 cups) Butter (2 sticks) unsalted, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (1.56 cups) Powdered sugar confectioners sugar/icing sugar
- 2 Eggs large
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
No-Chill Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- 2 ½ cup (310 g) All-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) Cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 8 oz (226 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup (210 g) Powdered sugar confectioners sugar/icing sugar
- 2 Eggs large
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare Dough
- Preheat the oven at 180C /356 F.
- Make sure the butter and eggs are room temperature.
- Sift together the flour and salt.
- Cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla followed by eggs one at a time, mixing each well until incorporated.
- When both the eggs are added, continue to mix for a minute more.
- Next, add the cornstarch - combine well.
- Followed by the flour (and cocoa powder). Do not over mix once the flour is incorporated.
- Bring the dough together and divide into two discs.
Roll, cut-out, and Bake
- Transfer to a lightly floured surface
- Dust the rolling pin and surface of the dough lightly with more as needed.
- I roll my cookies a minimum ⅛ inch or 3 mm thick using a rolling pin with spacers.
- ( I often do ¼ inch thick as well as you can see in the images below)
- Cut out desired shaped cookies and place them on a cookie sheet one inch apart.
- Bake cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the cookies.
- When baked let cool on the tray for 7 to 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool further.
- You can eat these cookies as is or decorate them with royal icing or fondant.
Recipe Notes
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 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.
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
