This Super Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe is the perfect cookie to make this holiday season.
With a light, buttery texture, and fluffy vanilla frosting, this cookie recipe is one that you’ll come back to time and time again. They’re somewhere between the texture of lofthouse cookies you can get at the grocery store and those crispy cookies filled with chocolate chips.
Soft frosted sugar cookies are a favorite for gatherings during the holiday season, because you can easily decorate them for any special occasion – just change up the sprinkles! There are no secret ingredients here, just simple pantry stapes and easy steps to follow.
We like to make simple circles (no cookie cutters necessary!), but you can also use this easy sugar cookies recipe for classic Christmas cookies with your favorite cookie cutters.
Recipe Ingredients:
- Butter: use your favorite softened unsalted butter
- Sugar: you will need both granulated white sugar and powdered sugar
- Eggs: use large eggs at room temperature
- Extract: use vanilla extract or even almond extract
- Salt: kosher salt will work great for this recipe
- Leavening agent: baking powder is the powerhouse to rise these cookies
- Flour: you will need to use all-purpose flour
- Milk: use whatever milk you have on hand for when making the frosting
How to make super soft sugar cookies:
- Combine. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
- Mix. Mix in eggs and vanilla until combined.
- Add in dry ingredients. Add flour, baking powder and salt, and mix until well incorporated.
- Rest. Cover dough bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.
- Preheat. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Roll cookies. Roll cookies into 1-inch balls, place them on the prepared baking sheet, and flatten with the bottom of a drinking glass until 1/4-inch thick.
- Bake. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown on the bottom.
- Cool. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- Make frosting. In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat together powdered sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in vanilla and milk until smooth.
- Frost cookies. Frost cooled cookies with frosting and top with sprinkles, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions for making chewy sugar cookies
Do not overwork the dough. The more you work the dough, the tougher the cookies will get. Also, use room temperature butter so that the butter can permeate the flour to make for the best results.
After the cookies are no longer wet looking, have begun to puff up a little, and just as the edges begin to start to golden brown.
Generally, this would mean that there either wasn’t enough butter in the dough or too much flour.
If the cookies were dry after cooking, there wasn’t enough butter, the cookies were cooked too long, or possibly the dough was rolled too thin with the rolling pin (aim for cookies that are 1/4-inch thick before baking).
Yes, they can. Check out these great articles for the best tips before you start making our easy sugar cookie recipe.
Baking at High Altitudes
Baking and Cooking at High Altitudes
Expert Tips
- Use a sheet of parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper use a silicone baking mat.
- Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for at least an hour before baking the sugar cookies. This will make the cookie dough easier to work with, and will produce a chewier, tastier cookie.
- Pull cookies from the cookie sheet after taking them out of the oven to stop the baking process. Use a cooling rack for the most even cooling, or you can place them on a tea towel in a pinch.
- If you want pure white frosting you might want to consider getting clear vanilla flavor extract as the regular vanilla extract will tint the color of the frosting.
Storage Instructions:
Freezer: Place these cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container and store them for up to 2 months. Just pull them out and let them thaw 12 hours in advance.
Counter: Store the completed chewy cookies in an airtight container and store them for up to 4-5 days.
Other dessert recipes:
Super Soft Sugar Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, (softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Frosting:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla until combined.
- Add salt, baking powder and flour and mix until well incorporated.
- Cover dough bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Roll cookies into 1-inch balls and flatten with the bottom of a drinking glass until ¼-inch thick.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown on the bottom.
- Let cool completely.
- In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat together powdered sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in vanilla and milk until smooth.
- Frost cooled cookies with frosting and top with sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
- Use food coloring to add to the frosting if you want to! Then frost the cooled sugar cookies with frosting and top with sprinkles of your choice if you desire it.
- If the frosting is not thick enough, add a little more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick add in a little more milk.
- For an extra creamy frosting, add in a few tablespoons of shortening. (It’s so delicious!)
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
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