Description
These classic sugar cookies are perfectly soft, chewy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, making them ideal for any occasion—from holidays to everyday snacking. With simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, you’ll achieve bakery-quality cookies right from your kitchen every time.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Sugar Cookie Dough
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to ensure the cookies don’t stick and bake evenly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium speed until light, fluffy, and pale in color—about 2–3 minutes. This step is crucial for soft, tender cookies.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
- Shape the Cookies: Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them into balls. Roll each ball in the extra sugar until fully coated. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden and the centers look slightly underbaked. They will firm up as they cool.
- Cool: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy plain, or decorate as desired!
Notes
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes if you want thicker cookies or find it too sticky to handle.
- For a fun twist, add citrus zest, sprinkles, or almond extract to the dough before baking.
- The cookies can be decorated with frosting or royal icing after cooling completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze dough balls for later baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 60mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
