Sugar Cookie Recipe for Cut-Out Cookies (Soft, No-Spread)

This sugar cookie recipe makes soft, vanilla cut-out cookies that hold their shape in the oven, with flat tops that are easy to decorate. The dough uses butter, sugar, one egg and no cream cheese or shortening. Below you will find exact measurements in cups and grams, a chilling and rolling guide, icing options and fixes for the most common problems.

Recipe Overview

• Yield: about 24 cookies, 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide, rolled ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Chill time: 1 hour (rolled dough) + 10 minutes (cut shapes)
• Bake time: 9–11 minutes per tray
• Oven: 350°F (175°C), rack in the center
• Total time: about 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

Flour is measured by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off (about 125 g per cup). A kitchen scale gives the most consistent dough.

• 2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour, plus about 2 tablespoons (16 g) for rolling if needed
• 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
• 1 cup (226 g / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool (about 65°F / 18°C)
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg (about 50 g without shell), at room temperature
• 1½ teaspoons (7 ml) pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) almond extract (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl for 20 seconds so the leavening is evenly spread.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth. Add the sugar and beat 2 minutes more, until pale and creamy. Do not beat longer than 3 minutes: extra air makes cut-outs puff and lose sharp edges.
3. Add the egg and flavorings. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl.
4. Add the flour. On low speed, add the dry ingredients in two additions and mix just until no dry streaks remain. The dough should be soft but not sticky; if it sticks to a clean finger, mix in 1 tablespoon (8 g) more flour.
5. Roll before chilling. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half between two sheets of parchment to ¼ inch (6 mm) thick (see the rolling guide below). Stack the sheets on a tray and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until firm.
6. Heat the oven. Preheat to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
7. Cut the shapes. Peel off the top parchment, cut shapes with a floured cutter and move them to the lined sheets 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Gather the scraps, re-roll between parchment and chill again for 15 minutes before cutting.
8. Chill the cut shapes. Put the tray in the freezer for 10 minutes (or the fridge for 20). Cold shapes go into the oven firm and keep their edges.
9. Bake. Bake one tray at a time for 9–11 minutes, until the tops look dry and the edges are just starting to turn light golden. The centers should stay pale.
10. Cool. Let the cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Cool completely (about 30 minutes) before icing.

Chilling and Rolling Guide

Rolling the dough while it is still soft, then chilling it flat, is faster and cleaner than chilling a block and fighting it with a rolling pin. You also need little or no extra flour, so the cookies stay tender.

• Even thickness: use rolling-pin guide rings or two ¼-inch wooden dowels on either side of the dough so every cookie bakes in the same time.
• Chill time: rolled sheets need at least 1 hour in the fridge; they keep up to 3 days well wrapped, or 3 months frozen.
• If the dough softens while you cut, slide the sheet back into the freezer for 5 minutes.
• Re-roll scraps only once or twice. Each re-roll works the gluten and adds flour, making later cookies tougher.

How to Ice Sugar Cookies

For a simple glaze that sets with a soft shine, use our powdered sugar icing recipe. A quick version for one batch of these cookies:

• 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 3–4 tablespoons (45–60 ml) milk
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) light corn syrup (optional, for shine)
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract and gel food coloring as needed

Start with 3 tablespoons of milk. For outlining, the icing should hold a ribbon for about 10 seconds before it sinks. For flooding, add milk ½ teaspoon at a time until a ribbon disappears in 4–5 seconds. Let iced cookies dry uncovered at room temperature for 6–8 hours (overnight for stacking).

Troubleshooting

• Cookies spread or lost their shape: the butter was too warm, the dough was not chilled, or flour was under-measured. Weigh the flour and chill the cut shapes before baking.
• Cookies puffed and domed: the butter and sugar were creamed too long. Keep creaming to about 2 minutes and do not add extra baking powder.
• Dough cracks when rolling: it is too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes and try again.
• Cookies are dry or hard: they were over-baked or rolled with too much flour. Pull them when the edges are barely golden and roll between parchment.
• Edges brown before centers set: the oven runs hot or the tray is dark. Check with an oven thermometer and use a light-colored sheet.
• Icing bleeds or stays sticky: it is too thin or the room is humid. Add powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and allow a longer drying time.

Storage and Make-Ahead

• Room temperature: plain or fully dried iced cookies keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days, with parchment between layers.
• Dough: rolled sheets keep 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw frozen sheets in the fridge for 1 hour before cutting.
• Bake from frozen: cut shapes can be frozen on a tray, bagged, and baked straight from the freezer; add 1–2 minutes.
• Freezing baked cookies: freeze plain cookies up to 3 months; iced cookies freeze best in a single layer once the icing is completely dry. Thaw in the closed container so condensation forms on the box, not the icing.

More Cookie Recipes

Building a holiday cookie tray? Pair these with 3-ingredient shortbread cookies, fudgy chocolate crinkle cookies and jam-filled thumbprint cookies.

FAQs

Can I skip chilling the dough?

Not for cut-outs. Warm dough spreads and the shapes blur. If you are short on time, roll the dough between parchment and freeze the sheets for 20 minutes instead of chilling for an hour.

Can I use salted butter?

Yes. Reduce the added salt to ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g).

How do I know when sugar cookies are done?

The tops look dry and matte, and the bottom edges are just turning light golden. The centers will still feel soft but firm up as they cool on the tray.

Can I make this dough without baking powder?

Yes. Without it the cookies are slightly denser and crisper, with even sharper edges. Bake time stays the same.

Can I make these sugar cookies gluten-free?

Use the same weight (344 g) of a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour that contains xanthan gum. The dough is more fragile, so roll it between parchment and keep it well chilled before cutting.