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Classic Sugar Cookies

December 20, 2021 by Julie - The Recipe Life Leave a Comment

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These classic sugar cookies make a cut-out cookie that is light and buttery without being too sweet. They are perfectly soft and flaky with just a hint of vanilla. Yummy with a sweet buttercream icing or left plain, this sugar cookie recipe is perfect for any occasion, holiday, or birthday party.

A variety platter of classic sugar cookies all decorated for Christmas and ready for a holiday party!

This is my go-to sugar cookie recipe for that all-around classic sugar cookie. This light vanilla sugar cookie dough is not too sticky and easy to handle and the cookie bakes without losing its shape. Plus, this no-fuss cookie recipe doesn’t take tons of time away from the real fun of sugar cookies: decorating!!

How to make the Perfect Sugar Cookie

This easy sugar cookie recipe is basically adding ingredients then mixing and adding and mixing! Chill for a few hours, roll out, bake, and done. So easy. Let’s get started!

Making Sugar Cookie Dough and Chilling

First, gather your ingredients. Make sure your butter is softened but not melted. I allow my butter to soften on the counter by taking it out of the refrigerator the day before. Melted butter will result in sticky dough.

All the ingredients to make Classic Christmas Sugar Cookies.

Next, in a stand mixer(or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), cream together your butter and sugar. Then add the eggs(slightly beaten) and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.

  • Butter and sugar in a mixer ready to be cream together.
  • Creamed together butter and sugar in a stand mixer.

Then add the salt and baking soda. Mix until combined. Then gradually add in the 6 cups of flour scraping the sides to make sure all is incorporated.

  • Sugar cookie dough mixing in a stand mixer.
  • Classic sugar cookie dough ready to be chilled.

Once everything is mixed, lay out a 2-3 foot sheet of plastic wrap. Scoop out the dough on the middle of the wrap and then close it up on all sides to form a ball. The dough will be sticky at this point which is OK. Chill the sugar cookie dough for at least 2 hours up to 5 days.

The best sugar cookie dough wrapped into a ball by plastic wrap ready to be chilled.

Rolling Out and Baking Sugar Cookies

After the dough has chilled sprinkle your counter with a good dusting of flour and uncover and place the dough in the center of the floured surface. Sprinkle more flour on top of the dough. Taking a rolling pin, roll out the dough into 1/4-inch thickness, and then use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Keep the shapes close together so you don’t waste dough and save all scraps for the second round of rolling and cutting. Transfer the cut out cookie dough shapes to a non-stick cookie baking sheet.

  • Cookie dough sitting on a dusting of flour and sprinkled with more flour on top.
  • Rolled out sugar cookie dough.
  • Cut out sugar cookies on a baking sheet ready for the oven.

Bake these sugar cookies in a preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 8-10 minutes. Once the edges are turning golden brown remove the cookies from the oven, let the cookies cool for at least 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer them to a cooling rack.

The perfect sugar cookies cooling on a rack.

Decorating Classic Sugar Cookies

Because of their subtle vanilla flavor, these classic sugar cookies pair well with any icing. While royal icing seems to be a go-to sugar cookie icing, we especially love to use this yummy buttercream icing recipe. It’s light and airy complementing sugar cookies perfectly! Simply color the icing with gel food coloring and place the icing into piping bags and you are set for the next holiday cookie decorating party!

Tips for the Perfect Sugar Cookie

  • I am going to say it again, soften your butter, do not melt it. I always soften mine on our counter by simply setting it out the day before on the counter. However, if your house is too cold, try using your bread-proof button on your oven and place it in there for a few minutes up to 5 minutes. You should be able to dent your butter with your finger.
  • When placing the dough on the plastic wrap, the dough will be sticky. The ball forms mainly once you pull up all the sides of the wrap. Placing the dough in plastic wrap saves you time and muscle from trying to get formed hard cookie dough out of a bowl later. Unwrapping it is so much easier!
  • Chilling the dough is key. It keeps the dough from getting too sticky and helps the cookies keep their shape while baking. If the dough is getting sticky, chill it. If your shapes are spreading, chill your cut out cookie shapes on the sheets before baking them too.
  • Also, try rolling your dough thinner(1/8th thickness) if your shapes are still spreading.
  • To roll out the second round of dough, chill the dough in between sets if you have time and add more flour to the counter and top of the dough when rolling.
  • You are adding flour to every round of rolling out the cookie dough so make sure your shapes a spaced close together as to not waste any dough.
  • If the dough is not releasing from the cookie cutter, try dipping the bottom edges of the cookie cutter in flour first before cutting out the dough shapes.
  • Try to bake cookies that are all the same size in each batch. Otherwise smaller cookies could burn while you are waiting on large cookies to bake.
  • Iced Christmas tree sugar cookie with gold ornaments.
  • A classic candy cane sugar cookie iced.
  • A classic Christmas tree sugar cookie with red ornaments and a yellow star.

More Delicious Cookies

Want to try out a unique but insanely yummy sugar cookie? Try these today! A soft and flaky sugar cookie with just the right amount of lemon flavor is this Sugar Cookie recipe with Lemon Extract. The sweet secret ingredient of lemon extract makes a refreshing and light sugar cookie that’s perfect by itself or glazed with any icing!

Who doesn’t love sprinkles? Switch out the rainbow sprinkles for Christmas ones and have an easy Christmas cookie recipe that everyone loves! Sprinkles make them fun and the cake batter keeps them fluffy and sweet. This Simple Cake Cookies Recipe is easy to execute so you can have a great cookie anytime!

Half traditional warm and sweet chocolate chip cookie and half fudgy brownie makes this deliciously addicting Easy Brookie Cookie! Featuring premade store-bought cookie dough and box brownie mix, this recipe is perfectly easy to execute, saving you time and energy.

These look adorable! Sweet and salty Christmas Pretzel M&M Hugs are the combination of Hershey’s Hugs softened on square pretzels with an M&M on top is decorative and delicious!

A candy cane, Christmas tree and gingerbread man sugar cookie iced with buttercream icing and ready for a holiday party.
A variety platter of classic sugar cookies all decorated for Christmas and ready for a holiday party!

Classic Sugar Cookies

These classic sugar cookies make a cut-out cookie that is light and buttery without being too sweet. They are perfectly soft and flaky with just a hint of vanilla. Yummy with a sweet buttercream icing or left plain, this sugar cookie recipe is perfect for any occasion, holiday, or birthday party.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Chill Time 2 hrs
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 36 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups butter(4 sticks) softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs slightly beaten
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 6 cups baking flour

Instructions
 

  • In a stand mixer(or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), cream together your butter and sugar. Then add the eggs(slightly beaten) and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
  • Then add the salt and baking soda. Mix until combined. Then gradually add in the 6 cups of flour scraping the sides to make sure all is incorporated.
  • Once everything is mixed, lay out a 2-3 foot sheet of plastic wrap. Scoop out the dough on the middle of the wrap and then close it up on all sides to form a ball. The dough will be sticky at this point which is OK. Chill the sugar cookie dough for at least 2 hours up to 5 days.
  • After the dough has chilled sprinkle your counter with a good dusting of flour and uncover and place the dough in the center of the floured surface. Sprinkle more flour on top of the dough. Taking a rolling pin, roll out the dough into 1/4-inch thickness, and then use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Keep the shapes close together so you don’t waste dough and save all scraps for the second round of rolling and cutting. Transfer the cut out cookie dough shapes to a non-stick cookie baking sheet.
  • Bake these sugar cookies in a preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 8-10 minutes. Once the edges are turning golden brown remove the cookies from the oven, let the cookies cool for at least 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer them to a cooling rack.
  • Once cooled enjoy these sugar cookies plain or ice them with your favorite icing. We can't get enough of this simple buttercream icing and put it on everything. It's light and fluffy and the perfect addition to these cookies.

Notes

Tips for the Perfect Sugar Cookie:
  • I am going to say it again, soften your butter, do not melt it. I always soften mine on our counter by simply setting it out the day before on the counter. However, if your house is too cold, try using your bread-proof button on your oven and place it in there for a few minutes up to 5 minutes. You should be able to dent your butter with your finger.
  • When placing the dough on the plastic wrap, the dough will be sticky. The ball forms mainly once you pull up all the sides of the wrap. Placing the dough in plastic wrap saves you time and muscle from trying to get formed hard cookie dough out of a bowl later. Unwrapping it is so much easier!
  • Chilling the dough is key. It keeps the dough from getting too sticky and helps the cookies keep their shape while baking. If the dough is getting sticky, chill it. If your shapes are spreading, chill your cut out cookie shapes on the sheets before baking them too.
  • Also, try rolling your dough thinner(1/8th thickness) if your shapes are still spreading.
  • To roll out the second round of dough, chill the dough in between sets if you have time and add more flour to the counter and top of the dough when rolling.
    You are adding flour to every round of rolling out the cookie dough so make sure your shapes a spaced close together as to not waste any dough.
  • If the dough is not releasing from the cookie cutter, try dipping the bottom edges of the cookie cutter in flour first before cutting out the dough shapes.
  • Try to bake cookies that are all the same size in each batch. Otherwise smaller cookies could burn while you are waiting on large cookies to bake.
Keyword Classic Sugar Cookie

Filed Under: Desserts, Food & Recipes Tagged With: cookies, delicious dessert, kid-friendly

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