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These Cut Out Sugar Cookies are soft, thick, sinfully buttery and taste amazing whether they are decorated or not! Make easy sugar cookie cut outs that keep their shape & edges. Great for decorating with royal icing or sprinkles. This is a no-chill recipe!
(this post has been updated on 11/6/20)
Making perfect cut out cookies was never an easy task for me. I always had trouble with them.
The worst thing about most cut out sugar cookie recipes is, going through all the work making a batch and pulling them from the oven to find that they spread!
I can assure you, that this recipe has always given me consistent results. Since they don't spread, they maintain crisp, well defined edges which makes them perfect for decorating with royal icing.
I get RAVE reviews on these cookies all the time. They have a pillowy, soft texture and are supremely buttery. They are proof that cut out sugar cookies do not need to be hard and crunchy to hold their shape.
This is a no chill cut out sugar cookie recipe
Having a recipe that is no-chill is very important to me. It's rare you'll find any 'have to chill' recipes on my blog...I'm extremely impatient. 🙂 Especially when it comes to cookies!
You do not need to chill these sugar cookies before sending them off into the oven.
I do however, have to caveat that if the weather is 98 degrees and 90% humidity you might want to consider cooling your dough off in the fridge for a while.
When it comes to high heat and high humidity, butter will react the only way butter knows how (melting into a mess and causing your dough to spread!) Some days, are just not good baking days. The recipe itself can only work so much magic!
Why do Sugar Cookies Cut Outs Spread?
The primary reasons cookies spread are because the oven is too hot and the butter to flour ratio is off.
This recipe bakes at a low & steady 325 degrees, therefore the dough is not blasted with high heat to cause a quick meltdown.
There is a lot of butter in this recipe but also enough flour to hold together the fat from the butter.
If your cookies are spreading, be sure that the oven temp is correct and the flour was properly measured (spooned and leveled in the measuring cup).
Tips for Perfect Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Tip #1: The butter needs to be at proper room temp
The foundation of perfect cut out cookies starts with the butter. If it's too cold, the butter will not mix well and if it's too warm or the butter melted, you'll end up with a dough that's way too soft. The butter needs to be perfectly soft for this recipe or else it's going to give you trouble.
I recommend letting the butter sit on the counter for as least 2 hours. Avoid microwaving butter for this recipe.
You should be able to press into it with your finger easily and it should hold the shape of the indentation. The butter should be look and feel soft but show no signs of melting.
Tip #2: Be sure to scrape down the bowl often when mixing
Make sure that you mix the dough properly and mix it well.
Scrape your bowl several times as your mixing the dough, after each ingredient addition. Small pockets of unmixed sugar and butter like to hide so you want to make sure the dough is thoroughly mixed!
Tip #3: Roll the cookie dough evenly
Rolling the dough evenly is very important. If some spots are thicker and some spots are thinner, this will affect bake time and then you end up with a tray of some underdone cookies and some burnt cookies. ACK!
The key to rolling dough is to have steady control of the rolling pin. I generally only roll using a forward motion and apply light pressure.
When I'm bringing the rolling pin back towards me, I still glide it on top of the dough but I don't use as much force. It's harder to control the pressure going in reverse.
You also want to be sure to always alternate the direction you roll in. If you only roll the dough in one direction, it's much more likely that it will come out uneven.
I find it's easiest to get perfectly rolled out dough by frequently switching up the sides I roll from. You can see more of this in my video at the bottom of this post.
This dough is really nice to work with. It's not sticky or tough by any means. It's soft yet easy enough to roll out. Adding just a bit of flour to your surface and rolling pin ensures a perfect roll.
Still having trouble getting cookie dough to roll evenly?
Even when I'm being careful, it's hard to get dough perfectly even!
I recommend checking out the best rolling pin (pictured below).
It's the perfect solution to making cut out cookies. The pin itself is longer than average and the edges are notched to the perfect ¼" depth that makes wonderfully, thick cookies.
There's zero guesswork with this awesome tool, and you'll never again worry if the dough is perfectly even or not.
How thick should I roll the dough and how do I measure the thickness
I've also always preferred a thick sugar cookie, so I roll the dough out to about ¼ inch in thickness.
You can roll it thinner if you'd like to, but I do recommend a thicker cookie if you plan on doing royal icing. It just makes it a lot easier.
Thin cookies + flood royal icing = drips & droops of icing over the sides.
Measuring the thickness of the dough is easy (skip if you're using the best rolling pin). I like to keep a clear ruler in my baking pantry to measure the thickness of the dough. I like this one because it has no edge meaning, you can measure right from the surface.
Most rulers have a little extra space before the actual measuring starts, but any ruler will do you just fine! Just be sure to account for the extra space in case your ruler has that.
Tip #4: Do not overbake
My last secret for perfect cookies is to not overbake them.
To ensure these cookies come out perfectly soft, bake until you just start to see a light golden brown color on the edge.
Decorating Perfect Sugar Cookie Cut Outs
I grew up with sprinkles on my sugar cookies, and it wasn't until the past year where I started experimenting with Royal Icing. I've been practicing a lot and really enjoy the art of cookie decorating!
My royal icing is quite famous among friends and family. It is easy to make, has amazing flavor and dries softer than other royal icings. I’m always getting compliments whenever I use this to decorate my sugar cookies!!
Sprinkles also work great for these cookies! Be sure to add them before baking off the cookies.
Can Sugar Cookies be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze these cut out sugar cookies and they freeze VERY well. You can freeze the dough, you can freeze un-decorated, baked cookies and you can even freeze decorated cookies with royal icing!
I love making these ahead of time! I like to make a bunch of different shapes so I always have cookies on hand to practice my royal icing skills.
- Baked cookies: Bare, baked cookies can be stacked and frozen in a zip lock freezer bag. Thaw on the counter for at least 1 hour before use.
- Raw Dough: Freeze the raw dough in a large ball, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Thaw in the fridge 24 hours before use, then leave on the counter until it comes up to room temperature and the dough is pliable again.
I also have an easy Gluten-Free version of this recipe! Click here to check it out!!
The Best Sugar Cookie Cut Outs
These Cut Out Sugar Cookies are soft, thick, sinfully buttery and taste amazing whether they are decorated or not! Make easy sugar cookie cut outs that keep their shape & edges. Great for decorating with royal icing or sprinkles. This is a no-chill recipe!
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 35 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 2 ½ sticks butter (or, 1c & 4tbsp butter, softened at room temp. Salted or unsalted can be used. If you're sensitive to salt and using salted butter, consider reducing the amount of added salt by ¼ tsp)
- 1 c granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 c all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter & sugar and light and fluffy using a hand mixer.
- Add in the egg, egg yolk & vanilla. Beat until well combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder & salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and gently mix on low speed. Once the flour is about absorbed, add the remainder of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix and be sure to thoroughly scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl every so often while mixing.
- To roll out the dough, start with about ¼ of the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface (ensuring your rolling pin is also lightly floured).
- Roll to a ¼ inch thickness. Cut using your desired cookie cutters. Use an offset spatula to lift the cookies off the surface and place the cookies on the prepared tray. If you are decorating with sprinkles, this is when you would sprinkle your cookies.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes. Since all ovens vary, I suggest starting your timer with 10 minutes and see how they look. These cookies are done when they are barely golden brown on the edges.
- Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes and transfer to a baking rack to finish cooling. Decorate as desired.
Equipment
The Best Rolling Pin for Cut Out Cookies
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KitchenAid Hand Mixer 9 Speed with Soft Start
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Recipe by Owlbbaking.com
This recipe will yield about 35, 3-4" cookies.
One key to making cookies that hold their shape is to make sure your butter is properly at room temp before mixing. If it’s too cold it won’t mix well and if it’s too warm or melted, you’ll end up with a dough that’s way too soft. You should leave the butter to sit at room temp for at least 2 hours. You should be able to press into it with your finger easily and it should hold the shape of the indentation.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 122
Keywords: Cut Out Sugar Cookies, Royal Icing, Decorated Cookies
Debbie
How many cookies does it make? I need to make 200. So how many batches do I need?
Liz
Hi Debbie - it depends on the size of the cookie cutter(s) you're using. This recipe will make about 24-27 cookies using a 2.5-3" cookie cutter. So I would do 9 batches to be safe.
Allie Roth
Love love love this recipe! So good!
I am planning to double the recipe, and either freeze some of the dough, or keep in fridge until I need it later. What would you recommend for storing this and how long would it be good for?
Thank you!
Brianna
I found out that since I used regular butter (not stick) the dough was too sticky the last time. But I used stick butter and softened it, the dough was perfect.
The butter in a tub us pre-softened, which I didn't know.
Brianna
This recipe taste amazing but unfortunately when I make it in the summer my house is too hot for the dough to work with me. I didn't warm up the butter in the microwave and it still turned sticky. When I make this recipe in the winter everything turns out great. Thank you.
Shana Winter
Hi, love this recipe. Made several times before how long do these keep in the freezer whether they are naked or iced?
Korina
Delicious! Combined with her icing recipe, these were a hit. Also super easy to follow and execute.
Maria
How long will these cookies last? 1 week? 2 weeks? Or just a few days?
Liz
They will last about 1 week. They can be frozen for longer storage!
Anna
Okay, this is a great recipe. I’ve searched everywhere for a base, you name it. The base is great. The flavors are awesome. But the spread, this may be because of the climate but cornstarch kept it all together. I did have to play with the recipe a bit. The only adjustment I would recommend is 1/4 cup cornstarch/cornflour. Also give the dough some time to chill. It needs the butter and flour to bind. Hope this helps. Thanks for the recipe.
Gina
Are you using cold eggs?
Liz
No, I also have the eggs at room temp with the butter. I'll adjust the recipe to note that!
Gina
Thanks for responding Liz. Your cookie recipe is now my go to for sugar cookies. My husband loved the flavor. I thank the cookie God's for finding you!! 🍪
Liz
Thank you SO much for the kind words Gina!! You made my day! 🙂
TinaParker
Hello Liz
This flavor is SO Yummy; but I am having some trouble with my edges crumbling? I am rolling them 10 mm / 3/8 in thick. I am using perforated baking mats? Would a bot more flour help ? Any ideas/suggestions?
Liz
Oh interesting! Hmm, it sounds like perhaps the edges are maybe taking on too much flour during rolling? Are you using guides to roll the dough evenly all the way through?
jada
Hello! I e been using this recipe for years now!! But was wondering how it might work for a drop cookie instead of rollout?
Liz
I haven't tried it, but let me know if you do and how it works out!! 🙂
Karina Wai
Hi there, I love this recipe and it has been go-to for years! Quick question and apologies if it was covered. Is it a simple swap for salted and unsalted butter? Thanks!
Liz
Thanks for the feedback!! Love to hear it! 🙂
Yes, you can swap the butters. 1 stick or 8 Tbsp of salted butter contains about 1/4 tsp of salt, so it can be adapted using that measurement (add or remove salt accordingly)
Karen
This recipe is the best ever. Usually my cut out cookies would swell up and be kind of out of shape and hard to tell what they. I made heart-shaped sugar cookies for a Valentine’s Day party at my daughters daycare. These cookies freeze well so shortly before the party, I will take them out and frost them with royal icing. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love it!
I want to post a picture, but I don’t see where to do that.
ANN BLICKENSTAFF
Best sugar cookie ever!
Jane
So I made this recipe but my cookies aren’t to sweet if anything they taste a little salty n they did spread.
Idk what I did wrong. I use salted butter so I don’t I is if that’s the problem.
Kamilla
Just responding to help. It may have been salter due to the butter. If you Tru it again, use unsalted butter. Most baking recipes will call for unsalted butter.
Kelsey
Hi, I have used this recipe a few times now and love it! This time I only made a few and stuck the dough in the fridge. My question is how long do you think it’s good left in fridge for?
Thank you!
Deborah
This is my first time making sugar cookies in many, many years. I took sugar cookies off of my Christmas cookie list because they were always dry and flavorless. Well, let me tell you they are back on the list! These cookies are so good and came out perfect! I made two batches for my cookie decorating party tomorrow. They are delightful. Thank you for this keeper recipe.
Nathalie
Hi Liz,
Thanks for this recipe. I am no expert in the kitchen but because of so few ingredients, im going to try this one! My sister is vegan. Any idea if we can sub eggs for a flax egg or vegan butter for regular?? Thanks again! cant wait to try this
Justina
My dough came out very sticky, but I also left my butter out over night. Trying to figure out if that was the problem?
Liz
Hey Justina! I think so, I've seen some other comments saying their dough felt wet which is likely due to the butter being WAY too soft. Just a few hours on the counter should do it!
Erin
I've been using this recipe for years and I love it! I had someone ask me if I could make cookies with orange flavoring. Just wondering how much orange extract you may suggest? In a typical recipe I do 1 typical vanilla and 1 tsp of almond..
Liz
Hey Erin! I'm so thrilled you're still using this recipe!! 🙂 An orange version sounds so yummy! I haven't worked with orange extract before but I know with some of the fruit flavored ones the extracts tend to be a bit on the strong side. I'd recommend cutting it to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Sonya
Hi Liz, thanks for the great recipe. I have a baby shower coming up and would like to bake your cookies. How do you think they would hold up being individually packaged in cellophane? Being that they are a softer cookie would the crumble?
Liz
Hi Sonya! I love packaging these cookies up in individual cellophane bags. To ensure they don't crumble, be gentle when placing them into the bag and sealing the bag. Store and carry cookies flat on a cookie tray. Avoid stacking them, and they should transfer perfectly!! 🙂
Nancy
I made your recipe for my niece's bridal shower and they were a hit!
Have you ever tried lemon extract in these? I think a lemon sugar cookie with hint of lemon in the royal icing would be amazing.
Liz
Hi Nancy! I haven't, but I love the idea!
Stacey
I am so excited to try this recipe! Is there a way I can print it without all the ads? Even when I click no images some of the ads still show to be printed.
Thanks!
Liz
Hi Stacey! I don't believe there is a way to print without the ads using the print button, I apologize for the inconvenience. But I do have a trick! In the recipe card area, highlight all the text you want to print, right click to select 'copy' and paste text only into a Word document. From there, you can print without the ads. 🙂 Hope that helps!
Rebecca
I love your recipe as it has the yummiest buttery taste, and I receive so many compliments on how soft and delicious the cookies turn out. I have one question: I’d like to make them a bit firmer by adding some cornstarch. Do you have a recommendation as to how much I should add?
Liz
I'm so glad you love the recipe!! Unfortunately, I have not experimented with adding cornstarch so I'm not sure how it would impact the recipe.
Molly D
Hi there! I just made your recipe and I found my dough to be super wet, and when I baked my cookies did not hold their shape! They puffed out like marshmallows. Any ideas where I could have gone wrong? I followed your directions.
Liz
Hi Molly! Thanks for reaching out, I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble! Did you watch the accompanying video for this recipe? I would recommend going back and seeing at which point you notice a difference compared to your experience. I've heard that some folks have issues with some butter brands as well. I've had good success with Land O' Lakes or Kirkland (Costco Brand).
Amy
I love these cookies so much! We have a friend who is deathly allergic to dairy and would love these! Is there a dairy free alternative? I'm sure there are other recipes elsewhere, but we love these so much!
Liz
Hi Amy! Thank you for the comment! You could try using a dairy free butter although I'm not sure how that would work since I've never tried it before. Let me know if you do though!
Jacquline
Could I make the dough ahead of time and pop it in the refrigerator until ready to rollout? It would roughly be 2 days in advance. Can’t wait to try them!!
Liz
Sorry for the delay in reply! Yes, that's totally fine! 🙂
Carol
Love this recipe, this was my first time to ever bake sugar cookies and to cut out and decorate was very time consuming to me, but I was up for the challenge and my 4 Grand babies Loved them. I did have to place in the refrigerator for a bit as it’s actually been warmer weather here than normal for this time of year, and I had to bake them longer that 10 minutes it was more like 20 + but they were still delicious. as for decreasing them that was a real challenge I didn’t have all the essential tools I need 😂!
I now have everything I need so 2 of my grand babies are going to bake up a batch of theses delicious cookies today and the other 2 grand babies next week in time for Christmas.
Thank You again.
Liz
What a lovely treat for your grandkids! I'm so glad you enjoy the recipe, and great tips! Happy Baking! 🙂
Jess
Hello!
Love the recipe! Cookies are delicious! Just wondering how much or if I could add cocoa powder to make chocolate sugar cookies?
Thanks.
Liz
Hi Jess! So glad you love the recipe! I actually haven't experimented with making a chocolate version (yet!) but you could probably test it out by swapping 1/4c cocoa powder for 1/4c flour. That's usually a good place to begin!
Jess
I will for sure try that. Thanks! And can I double the batch with no issue to get more cookies?
And is it ok to freeze these cooked but not baked?
Liz
I personally avoid double batching and usually go the safer route of making 2 batches in separate bowls (leavening ingredients can get funky when scaling up!) Yup! You can freeze the dough! Just defrost in the fridge. 🙂
Katlyn
The dough was so soft, too soft to cut out... I followed the recipe and didn't over mix I thought. I had to chill the dough for at least 45 minutes just to get it stuff enough. They took about 30 minutes to bake... Way longer than expected. I'm so sad these didn't turn out!
Liz
Hi Katlyn, I'm so sorry you had trouble with this recipe! Is the weather still warm where you are? If the weather is really hot or humid, this can impact the dough making it too soft. Or, if you happened to microwave the butter to soften it, that could contribute to that problem as well.
Betsy
Love this recipe!!! The icing recipe too. Thank you for sharing.
Jennifer
Hi there! I know this is a silly question but is there a reason why you specifically mention using a hand mixer and not a stand mixer? Can a stand mixer be used if we make sure we just don’t over mix the dough? Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you!
Liz
Hi Jennifer! Great question! I mention using a hand mixer because it allows you the most control over mixing. A stand mixer can still be used. 🙂 As you mentioned, as long as you're careful not to overmix once the dry ingredients are added, you'll be fine!
Jennifer
I’m a beginner and made the cookies last night. They are so tasty! I’m looking forward to trying out the royal icing recipe. Thank you so much for the detailed instructions and the video clips. I know it must’ve taken a long time to document this! Perfect directions! I also appreciate all of your responses to questions posted here. Everything has been extremely helpful!
Liz
Hi Jennifer! Thank you SO much for the kind words!! I can't tell you how much it means to me - you made my day! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe - it is a blog favorite and I make them all the time! 🙂 Happy Baking!
Brittany
What should the oven be at?350?
Liz
Hi Brittany! The temp to bake these at is 325.
Kristin
These cookies are AMAZING and every time I make them, they are gone almost instantly!! I do have a question…. Typically I try to make these the day before an event so they are nice and fresh. How long would you say these cookies stay fresh for? I want to make these a little more than a day or two ahead of an event (like 3 or 4 days before) but want to be sure they will still be fresh.
Liz
Hi Kristin! Thanks so much for sharing, I'm so glad you love the recipe!! I usually make mine 2 days before in order to have time to let royal icing dry, so they should definitely be fine for 3 days in advance. You can also freeze them if you want to make them even earlier! They freeze great!
Cynthia Edelen
I have made these before for Christmas time for our kiddos to decorate and they held their shape so perfect! Are these good to freeze after baked? Didn’t know how long they may be good for in the freezer. I am doing Valentine’s Day cookies for my kiddos and would love to get a head start on baking them all 😂
Liz
Hi Cynthia! So glad you loved the recipe! Yes, you can freeze them after baking for up to 3 months. They'll stay perfect for Valentine's Day! 🙂
Sarah Nowlan
This dough was so sticky when done mixing that I had to chill it. I know I measured everything exactly as instructed and read all the tips prior to starting. Others have given this rave reviews so it's frustrating it didn't work out for me. I even though about the weather since it is summer her but we've had a couple of cool days and the house is nice and cool as well.Will look for a different receipe the next time I need to make sugar cookies.
Liz
Sorry it didn't work out, Sarah!
Sonita
hello, I wish I had a great report like so many others. I graduated chefs school in 2000 and although I am not a baker I do know my way around a kitchen.. I tried this recipe because it claimed to have perfect edges and not puff up, making it great for decorating with royal icing. I was in a hurry, I had a last minute order for some baby shower cookies that looked like little onsies - they puffed up so much they ended up looking like oversized acorns with very rounded edges. So much for saving time not having to chill the dough. Back to Granny's recipe! oh well, My husband loved the taste and texture so someone was happy. Thanks anyhow!
Liz
I'm sorry the recipe didn't work out for you, Sonita! I know how frustrating that can be. It sounds like the eggs and butter may have been over-mixed as this commonly results in puffy cookies.
Music
I’ve always hated making sugars cookies, because they’re usually frustrating, but these are wonderful! They taste amazing & actually hold their shape. They were super soft which was great when eating them, but they broke easily when I was trying to decorate them. Should I bake them longer or make them thicker? They were fully cooked, but maybe a longer bake time would make them less soft so they won’t break as easily?
Liz
I'm so glad you love the recipe!! Correct, I would increase the bake time for a firmer cookie that is less prone to breaking. 🙂
Ruth
I just tried your recipe for the No Chill Cutout Cookies and let me tell you they turned out great!!!!!! My daughter tried the cookie itself and she said it reminded her of the Girl Scout Cookie that she loved as a child. This will be my go to recipe from now on!!!!
Liz
Thank you so much Ruth!! I really appreciate the kind words!! 🙂
Brittany
Made these last night and they were great!! However, was wondering if you had trialed around with the sugar content at all? They definitely seem more flour tasting and not sweet like other sugar cookies I’ve had in the past
Liz
Hi Brittany! Good question. I haven't experimented with adding more sugar. Whenever I make these I pair it with my royal icing which adds a layer of extra sweetness! If you're not using icing, I also like to use sugar sprinkles which helps add some sweetness too!
Diane
What a great tasting dough! Wanted to practice before the holidays, Using royal icing. I thought if it turns out tasting OK it’s just for practice and I didn’t have to chill it, well my other recipe was thrown away and this is the new one now from this Christmas forward!
Liz
Thank you so much for the kind words!!!
MJ
Hi! Ive been using this recipe for a while and love it, I just have a bit of an issue. The first batches of cookies come perfectly shaped but the next ones keep on shrinking and loosing shape. Could the oven temp be an issue or the rolling??
Liz
Hi MJ! Oh no! Yeah, I think you're on the right track. It's possible that the subsequent batches/dough might be getting too warm before baking. I'm thinking your oven might be warming up the ambient room temp of your kitchen after being on for some time. Do you roll out cookies in an area close to the oven? If it's continuing to happen, I would just place the dough you're not working with in the fridge until it's ready to use. This recipe has always worked as a no chill recipe for me but there's naturally a point that butter will do it's thing and get too soft! I hope that helps! 🙂
Tailor
I had been looking for a no chill sugar cookie for awhile when I ran across your recipe. They came out perfect! They held their shape and they taste wonderful as well! I also made your royal icing recipe and it was so easy to make and use on the cookies!
Liz
Hi Tailor! I'm so glad you enjoyed both of the recipes!! 🙂 I really appreciate the comment!
Michelle
Such a great recipe!!! My cookies did not spread one bit!! Amazing!!! Absolutely my new go to!!
Liz
Thank you so much for the kind words, Michelle!! I'm so glad you love this recipe just as much as I do! 🙂
Brittany B
Love this recipe. I constantly fight to keep my dough cool enough. This works wonders. Saves so much time! I get rave reviews on the taste. It’s not in-your-face buttery but more of a subtle butter-vanilla. I decorate with royal icing & it works great! This is my new go-to!
Liz
Hi Brittany! YAYYY! I'm so glad you're loving this recipe and it works for you!! It is truly the best!!
Kellie Miller
LOVE THE EASE & THE PERFECTION of every cookie ! Thank you so much Owlbaking!
Liz
Thank youu Kellie!! 🙂 Happy Baking!
Kendra
Hi! How long would the dough last in the fridge? I mixed it about a week ago.
Liz
Hi Kendra! I always err on the side of caution with food safety. As per what I've seen, homemade cookie dough stays fresh for 1-2 days in the fridge. For longer storage, I'd freeze it! https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18754#:~:text=Homemade%20cookie%20dough%20may%20be,bag%20or%20airtight%20freezer%20container.
Coryn
I’ve been using this recipe for 2 years now. It’s the only recipe I can find where the cookies truly don’t spread and keep their perfect shape. They aren’t super sweet like a regular sugar cookie, but honestly I prefer that since I always decorate with cookie icing or chocolate on top. I did notice however, do not use cheap imperial butter!! It gives almost a play dough-type taste and becomes too greasy. This time I used unsalted land of lakes butter and it was the best batch I’ve ever made. Anyone who has trouble with this recipe, either did not follow the exact instructions or needs to change their ingredients. Thank you for such an awesome recipe!!
Liz
Thank you SOOOO much for the kind words and feedback, Coryn!! I can't tell you how much it means to me! I'm really glad you mentioned the issue with that butter. It's a great reminder that quality ingredients matter! 🙂
Nancy Young
I LOVE this recipe and I've made it many times as it's my go-to for sugar cut-outs. Question....can I double this recipe?
Liz
Hi Nancy! Yay! I'm so glad you love it! I know sometimes it can be tricky to scale recipes when baking powder or baking soda is involved, so I would actually recommend mixing the batches in separate bowls. 🙂
Lili
Can u use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar
Liz
Hi Lili! Brown sugar will give these cookies a different texture and flavor, and would likely affect how it bakes. I would stick with granulated sugar for this recipe! 🙂
SHERRIE JONES
I have used this recipe many times. Comes out great each time. my question is how can I substitute to make Red Velvet cookies that doesn't spread?
Liz
Thanks so much for the feedback, Sherrie! Hmmm, that is a great question, I wish I had a recipe for you! I've seen some other folks dye the dough different colors before, but as far as making them true Red Velvet, I don't have a variation. 🙁 Keep me posted if you experiment with it!
Kelly Franklin
Hi Sherrie, I found a Red Velvet Emulsion from Lorann Oils that I add to my cookies in place of vanilla extract and they came out beautifully.
Julieta
Hello, I loved this recipe. But I would like to know if it works also with fondant decoration instead of royal icing?
Thanks a lot.
Liz
Hi Julieta! Sure! I haven't tried it before but I think that would be fine!
Julieta
Hello! I was wondering if this recipe works with fondant decoration too (instead of royal icing)?
Thanks a lot for your comments...
Kim
These cookies are great. The taste of the cookie is not too sweet like some sugar cookies. It allows the sweet frosting to make the cookies perfectly sweet.
The hardest part of this recipe is mixing the butter and sugar then adding the flour to the mix. The batter gets stuck in the beaters. I probably need a better mixer anyway. My cookies spread a little. I think I will try putting them in the fridge for a little bit then rolling. Although I tried, they weren’t 1/4” thick. They were a little thinner so we had to be careful decorating or they broke. Most stayed together. I might try to find a better rolling pin to measure the thickness.. I made two batches of cookies but only cooked 1/3 of the second batch. I will freeze the dough for later
Overall everyone loved them and I will definitely make again
Liz
Thank you so much for sharing your experience making these, Kim!! I'm so glad you liked the recipe!!
Angela
These cookies are decent but could definitely have a sweeter flavor and be more soft and fluffy. They are the best without icing. The flavor just wasn’t sweet enough and I have made much softer sugar cookies.
Liz
Thanks for the feedback!
Allison
The cookies came out great! We have a dairy allergy in my house, so I had to use dairy-free margarine (the kind made with vegetable oil) instead. The dough was way too gooey to cut out the cookies, but chilling it overnight did the trick. I also put the cookies in the fridge for a bit before baking them, and they came out wonderful and barely spread at all! Definitely saving this recipe!
Liz
Thank you so much for sharing!! I'm glad the recipe worked great for you, even with the butter swap! 🙂
Emily
I used Imperial and maybe I need to use real butter. Mine also came out gooey and greasy, so I added more flour until I could cut them out. They are pretty hard now that they cooked after baking. Next time I’ll try refrigerating the dough - I wondered if that’s what I needed to do, but o was being impatient 😉
Amity
These are delicious! Turned out perfectly including the icing❄️
Liz
I'm so glad you love the recipe!! 🙂 Thank you!
Nick
“No chill”
Yeah right. These needed to chill for at least 3 hours before the were able to be rolled out. I fall for this nonsense every year.
Anne
Hi,
Any chance you could mix these with a stand mixer instead of a hand mixer?
Liz
Hi Anne! Absolutely! Just be sure to not overmix 🙂
Helena Trujillo
I used a stand blender and the came out delicious. I was worried that I over mixed it, but everybody loved them.
Liz
Thank you so much for sharing!! 🙂
Sarah
Thank you so much for this. I paired these cookies with your royal icing recipe. My husband wanted sugar cookies from his childhood. Nailed it! Thank you again so much!
Liz
Thank you, Sarah!! 🙂 I'm so glad this recipe brought back some great memories!!
Kat
This is the best sugar cookie recipe! My kids ate them before I could frost any! Thank you so much for sharing.
Liz
Thanks, Kat!! Hahah they tend to disappear quickly! 😉
Jenn
This is my first time making these cookies! The shapes held up nice and the texture of the cookie is soft but not crumbly! I’ve been searching for the perfect cutout sugar cookie recipe and this is by far the best one I have found! I might try an almond extract in a batch of the dough in the future. I haven’t made the frosting yet but these are awesome thus far! Can’t wait to try them with the frosting! Thank you!
Liz
Thank you SO much Jenn!! I'm glad you love the recipe!! 🙂
Amy Sanford
This is the BEST sugar cookie recipe.ever and it's the ONLY one I use. I do add a bit of almond extract paired with American homemade buttercream. They're AMAZING!
Liz
Thank you so much Amy!!! 🙂 The added almond is a nice touch!!
Kate
These are incredible, Thank you for sharing this recipe. The icing is a perfect compliment too.
Liz
I'm so glad you love both of the recipes!! 🙂
Laura
Not super impressed. The cookies were somewhat flavorless. Once baked I don’t think they’re very good. Not very sweet at all. My 14 year old and I bake sugar cookies every year at Christmas and always trying new recipes. (Her grandmother has the best recipe and will not share it) we thought these tasted lifeless. Hopefully once they’re iced they’ll be better. But I think they need more sugar and less butter.
Liz
Hi Laura, Thank you for your feedback! You can always try adding more vanilla extract and extra salt to bring out the flavor and sweetness. Icing will definitely add a lot more flavor too.
Krystal
These cookies were absolutely amazing!! My daughter and I made them today. They were so moist and soft! This will be the only recipe I’ll be using thank you so much. 😊 I also used your icing it tasted amazing not too sweet it was perfect. I’m not an artist lol so it was hard for me to see pipe so I just dipped them it came out so good still. ☺️
Liz
Thank you for your kind words & for sharing!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipes!!
Julia
Hi! I love this recipe, but found my cookies did spread a little bit. My butter was definitely room temperature, but I forgot to pull my eggs out to come to room temperature. Could cold eggs have made my cookies spread? Over mixing? Overall, delicious and turned out great! Just a learning curve for me. Thank you so much for sharing 😊
Liz
Hi Julia! Thank you for the kind words! Oh no! It sounds like the eggs should have been fine (I forget to pull them out sometimes too!) I wonder if your oven runs a tad hot. Try dropping the temp slightly less than 325 and bake off one cookie as a test first to see how it goes. Did the dough feel & appear to be the proper consistency? Sometimes if the dough is too soft, it can impact spread as well.
Maria
I know this is a no chill recipe, but will they still turn out if I leave the dough in the fridge overnight? I want to prep today to bake them tomorrow.
Thanks!
Liz
Hi Maria! Great question - yes, definitely! 🙂 The dough may take more than an hour to come up to room temp so be sure to leave in some time for that.
Chelsea Vigil-Ballew
Totally weird but my cookie dough came out super fluffy????? It looks like the middle of a Milkyway???? I think the reason for this is I substituted the butter for plant butter. It is made from avocados. It made it impossible to roll out and cut. I added some extra flour and then I realized I didn't allow for my butter to come to room temperature properly! Darn it! I am sure they would have turned out if I would have done it the way you said! I will try again. Instead we treated them like drop cookies and they still tasted fantastic!
Liz
Hey Chelsea! Definitely appreciate you sharing your experience using plant butter for this recipe! Glad you still got to enjoy them, no matter the shape!! 🙂
Erin
Just wondering if you've ever used Almond extract with this recipe?! If so how much would you use? Would it replace vanilla altogether? Thanks!!
Liz
Hi Erin! I haven't. I would say blending the almond together with vanilla would be the way to go (try going half & half), unless you want these to be purely almond flavor. I would use a little less, maybe 1 1/2 tsp of almond extract.
Nancy
I made these last night and they turned out wonderful. I love this recipe. The flavor is amazing. Thank you for your guidance and instruction. This was my first attempt at cut outs. I'll be using this recipe at Christmas for a cookie decorating event with my nieces.
Liz
Thank you so much for the kind words, Nancy!! That means so much to me! I'm sure your nieces are going to have a blast decorating! 🙂
Sarah Agouridis
Mine turned out good, but the dough kept sticking to the rolling pin..
Liz
Oh no! Flouring the pin every so often while rolling will help prevent this. 🙂
Jill Peck
Love this recipe!! Thabk you for the detailed instructions and the video. Very helpful! The taste and texture of these cookies are just as you said!! Very excited to make these again. My grandson loved the dough and the final product!!
Liz
Thank you so much for the comment and for sharing!!! I'm so glad!!
Ari
I made a batch today and they out awesome! Thank you for the recipe.
One thing, can you freeze these cookies decorated with royal icing?
Thanks,
Liz
Hi Ari! Yay! I'm so glad you like the recipe! 🙂 Yes, I have frozen decorated cookies before and it works great! Be sure that the icing is fully dry before freezing. What I do is, lay all the cookies flat on a baking sheet on top of a layer of paper towel. Cover them with plastic wrap tightly, then aluminum foil and freeze. When you're ready to defrost them, take them out of the freezer and immediately remove the foil & plastic wrap. Do not let them thaw while covered because condensation will form on the tops of the cookies and ruin the icing. The paper towel on the bottom will help absorb any surrounding, excess moisture. It should only take an hour or so to defrost them on the counter. Hope that helps!! 🙂
Ariane
Thank you Liz 💕
staci
I made this recipe and they were so yummy!! I'm new to baking sugar cookies so this is probably a silly question but are these peanut free? I know there are no peanuts in the recipe, but do you ever have to worry about any of the ingredients being manufactured in a facility with peanuts? Thanks!
Liz
Hi Staci! I'm so glad you liked the recipe! Hmm, I would imagine it is peanut free because none of the ingredients are processed (like other processed foods are that may cross contaminate), although I can't say for sure as I haven't checked all the labels of my ingredients. Best bet is to check the labels! 🙂
Lauren
Have you ever tried this recipe with gluten free flour? I can't have regular flour, but would love a great cookie recipe!
Liz
Hi Lauren! Yes I have actually! 🙂 It worked very well! I do have a post on making these GF. Here is the link! https://owlbbaking.com/gluten-free-sugar-cookie-cut-outs/
Cam
Can you tell me about how many dozen this recipe makes?
Liz
Hi Cam! It will depend on the size of your cookie cutter(s). I can usually get at least 30 cookies using a 3-4" size cutter.
Erin
Hi!!
I LOVE this recipe!! But once in a while when I bite into a cookie I will get this very bitter taste leaving me dry mouthed and extremely thirsty. Doing some research I think it might be the baking powder? Any suggestions on how I can fix this? Thanks!!
Liz
Hey Erin! Thanks so much for the kind words! Hmm, do you whisk together the dry ingredients in a second bowl before adding them to the wet ingredients? That should help eliminate any possibility of any unexpected pockets of baking powder in the dough. Also, sometimes I've had issues with baking soda, where it comes out of the container a little clumpy, so I'll use my finger to remove all the clumps before adding it into whatever I'm making. I've never had that issue with baking powder though, but I thought it might be worth mentioning! Hope that helps!!
Erin
I do whisk the dry ingredients before.. but maybe I'll spend a little more time to make sure its mixed. Thanks for the advice!!
Karen
Have you tried sifting everything first and then whisking it? That usually helps me 🙂
Nancy Hillman
I always sift the baking powder and baking soda in all recipes... before adding to flour! This ensures no clumps! I have a mini wire mesh strainer that does the trick!
Delilah
Hi i mixed everything well I’m not sure if it was because of the butter maybe being too cold but that the end it was not thick it’s still kind of running . Could I add more flour ?
Liz
Hi Delilah! Hmm, that's odd. At what point was the dough runny? If the butter was too cold, it wouldn't incorporate all the way - did you notice any clumps of butter? Note, I do have a Masterclass on this recipe in the members area! Watching it might be helpful to see at which stage your dough started to look different.
Alex Mitch
Hi! I've been having trouble with my cookies spreading, which is what led me to your recipe. I'm planning to try it this week, but I have a quick [maybe dumb] question! I bought a ton of butter from Costco, and I noticed that it's "sweet cream butter." Is that the same as regular butter? Just want to make sure I get it all right!
Thank you!!
Liz
No such thing as dumb questions! 🙂 Yup! It's the same as regular butter. I actually buy the exact same thing (loooovvve Coscto!). Note, if you bought salted butter you may want to reduce the amount of added salt in the recipe (as I have noted in the instructions). Also, I have a masterclass on this recipe in the Members area - feel free to check that out as well! If you sign up to become a member (free!) you'll get access to the page with the masterclass video and PDF guide for this recipe!
Alayna Brater
Hello! Will margarine work the same, or is butter necessary?
Liz
Hi Alayna! With margarine, the cookies will likely spread. I would stick to butter for this one!
Lupita
Hello! I am so excited to try this recipe since my grand daughter is having a party and her mom put me in charge of the Candy Bar. I just want them to be proud of my baking. I have only one question, Since it’s the first time I will be making cut out cookies (I had always been afraid to have my cookies all spread out after baking, losing their shape.). My question is: how long is the perfect time to mix, or what kind of consistency should I look for?
Thank you so much.
Liz
Hi Lupita! That's sounds so fun!! You'll want to mix the butter and sugar for a couple of minutes until very light and fluffy. Once you add the egg and yolk, mix again for another minute. When you add the dry ingredients, you want to avoid over mixing so I stop once the flour is absorbed. The final feel of the dough should be soft but not stick to your hands. I have a Masterclass available for this recipe on my Members page - I recommend you sign up (it's totally free, you can find the link in the main menu) and check out the video. I go into this recipe in depth and talk about all my tips!
Traci Goudy
I’ve always had problems making sugar cookies but your recipe and instructions worked so perfect! I followed you step by step in your YouTube video and they turned out great. I am definitely going to get one of those rolling pins that you showed so that my dough is more even. I ended up having uneven dough (novice;) but that actually turned out to be a good thing so that I could see the difference. The quarter inch is perfect. 2 cm either way definitely makes a difference. Thanks for your recipe! You are an EXCELLENT teacher too. All the tips made a big difference to me. I wasn’t just following a recipe. I was learning HOW AND WHY it should be this or that way. That helps me remember so much better vs memorizing but not knowing why. Thank you again. Now I have “cookie confidence” for the holiday season!
Liz
Traci!! You are the sweetest, thank you so much for all the kind words!! <3 I'm so glad that you enjoyed this recipe and the tips! You made my day!! I know you already watched the YouTube video, but just so you know, I do have a Masterclass on this recipe along with additional resources on my members page as well! 🙂
Rose Linhares
HI there! How long will these be good in the freezer for? I'm interested in freezing both baked cookies and dough!
Liz
Hi Rose! I've frozen these cookies for up to 3 months. If you wrap them REALLY well, they'll stay perfect! To defrost, allow them to sit at room temp for at least an hour uncovered.
Nora
Can we double this recipe?
Liz
Hi Nora! I don't recommend doubling recipes that contain baking soda or baking powder as they don't always work when you scale up. I would recommend making two batches but in separate bowls.
Katie
Thank you so much for this blog post!! It gave me confidence enough to dive into sugar cookies & decorating. I followed your recipe as close as possible and was careful not to overmix or handle, but my cookie still spread. I popped them in the fridge before baking. My dough was a bit sticky as I was rolling, which is why I let them chill. Is there something I may have missed that would have cause the spreading so I can do better next time?
Liz
Hi Katie! Thanks so much for reaching out. Sorry to hear there was a bit of trouble with the consistency of the dough. How soft was your butter? I find that if the butter is TOO warm it could affect the dough. Also, if working in a hot kitchen it could soften the dough as well.
Kate
Can i used poweder sugar instead or granulated sugar
Liz
Hi Kate! I don't think that would work as powdered sugar would give this cookie a whole different consistency.
Deanna
I made these yesterday. My daughter says they tase good but are a little dry. My dough was more sticky than it should have been so I had to put down more flour so I’m not sure if that is the problem or something else. The icing was perfect & Devine. Suggestions?
Liz
Hi Deanna! Thanks so much for sharing! If your dough was on the stickier side, the butter may have been too soft. Not sure what the weather has been like by you but I know if it is especially hot and humid, it is best to pop the dough in the fridge a bit before rolling. While this dough is meant to be no-chill, there's only so much butter can handle! 🙂 I do offer a Masterclass for this recipe on my Members Page. If you sign up (it's all free btw!) I walk you through each step of this recipe and it may be easier to see why you had a slightly different result. Glad you liked the icing too!! Hope that helps!
Daniela
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Liz
Hey Daniela! Good question - it varies depending on the size of your cookie cutter, but generally this will make about 30, 3" cookies.
Tori
Is it one full egg and an additional egg yolk? Or just one full egg with the yolk?
Liz
Hi Tori! It's one full egg AND an additional yolk!
Ieva
Hey,
How many grams of butter do you need? We dont have a butter sticks here, only a bars of 180-200 grams.
Liz
Hi Leva! I did a quick Google search and the conversion said you'll need a total of 283g of butter. Hope that helps!
Em
The flavour and baked texture in the final cookie is one of my favourites! I also found the dough to be extremely soft after mixing, but that could possibly be just because I've only made them in the summer when my kitchen is already warm. I just popped it in the fridge for 20 minutes or so before rolling, and if I'm doing finnicky shapes, I'll roll, chill the rolled dough on my rolling mat for 5 min in the freezer, then cut so my shapes don't warp from the soft dough. I tested both rolling and baking straight away, as well as chilling in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking and while they both turned out great, chilling the extra 10 minutes gave me baked shapes that looked EXACTLY like my cutter. Like, straight-arsed 90 degree angles on my edges. Definitely saving this as my new go-to cutout recipe. You don't HAVE to chill it, but the results if you do are so worth the extra few minutes.
Liz
Hey Em!! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing!! I really appreciate it and I know everyone else here will enjoy these tips too! That makes perfect sense, I've had great results with popping the cookies right into the oven but it's definitely wise to be cautious when the butter is softer than expected (like in the summer!) Chilling them for a few minutes was great intuition! Thank you again, I'm so glad you love the recipe!!! 🙂
Aisha
How long can I leave these in a container or plastic wrap? Can I bake these in advance without having to freeze them?
Liz
Hi Aisha! You can leave these in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.
Nicole
Hey Liz... so I tried this recipe out and my cookies spread when I baked them! What did I do wrong??
Liz
Hi Nicole! Oh nooo! I'm sorry to hear that! It could be the heat, I know the weather has been bad where I am and it's been impacting my baking a lot. While this recipe is technically no chill, there's only so much butter can withstand. I would recommend chilling the cookies before baking. I also recently posted a masterclass for this recipe for OBB Members. Feel free to sign up here and check it out to watch how I make these cookies. I hope that helps!!
Alison
Great recipe and I have tried several lately! How long will cookies last Undecorated And Decorated if they are in an airtight container? I need them for a birthday party in 2 weeks but want them to still taste fresh! Thank you
Liz
Hi Allison! I'm so glad you like the recipe!! These cookies will stay fresh for 5-6 days in an airtight container. 2 weeks would be a bit too long and I would recommend freezing them instead (these cookies hold up VERY well in the freezer, decorated or undecorated). They will defrost in about 1-2 hours left out at room temp.
Jess
I love this dough. This is my first time freezing dough to make cookies at a later time. I put it in the fridge yesterday morning. It’s still hard as a rock. Any ideas? Hoping I don’t have to start over.
Liz
Hi Jess! Great question! No need to start over! 🙂 You will need to take the dough out and leave it on the counter for a couple of hours before you can use it. I've refrigerated this dough before and it won't get soft in the fridge. It was the right move to transfer it from the freezer to the fridge, but in order for it to become soft and easy to work with, it will need to come up to room temp!
Karen
These are the perfect sugar/cut out cookies!! The dough is so easy to work with. Texture and flavor is so good. They take frosting well, but are just as good without it to go with a cup of morning coffee. Follow recipe as written and you’ll have no trouble. Thanks Owlbaking.
Liz
Thank you so much for the kind words, Karen!!! 🙂
Sydney
Hey! If I wanted to add a little lemon extract, should I do 1 tsp of vanilla and 1/2 tsp lemon? Or should I do 1/2 tsp of each?
Liz
Hey Sydney! I would go with 1 tsp vanilla AND 1/2 tsp lemon. I think that would taste great!
Jackie Nansen
hello Liz! ☺️ I attempted to make this recipe twice and the dough came out wet both times. I did exactly what you said to do and watched your youtube video several times.. I feel like after adding in the eggs and vanilla extract, it's no longer fluffy anymore.. can that be the problem? is it one or 2 eggs? i really am trying to get your recipe down..
Liz
Hey Jackie! Oh no! I'm so sorry you had trouble with the recipe! So, the recipe actually calls for 1 egg and 1 yolk. It has come to my attention that the video is a little confusing about the eggs since I show two, but I intended to demonstrate that both eggs were just regular size and you need a whole egg and 1 yolk. What is the consistency of the butter like as you start the recipe? If it's too soft, it could be making the dough seem too wet! Let me know if you have any more questions, happy to help any way I can!! 🙂
Jackie
3RD TIMES A CHARM!!!!
So i tried it again, and this time, i used 1 egg and 1 yolk. IT CAME OUT PERFECT!! lol i couldn't believe how much of a difference the yolk made. But the wet ingredients stayed fluffy from the beginning all the way until adding the flour mix. The cookies are sooooo delicious!!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Liz
YAYY!!! I'm so glad! Thank you so much for giving it one final try. This recipe has never failed me so it really stinks to hear when some folks have trouble with it! So glad you love it!
Cathy
I haven’t made this yet but do you know how vegan butter will work?
Liz
Hey Cathy! I'm not sure, I've never worked with vegan butter before. Sorry that's not more helpful!!
Marina
I’ve made this with vegan butter and it worked out great. I had to refrigerate the dough, though to get it to not be too soft.
Liz
Thanks so much for the tip!! That's great to know it worked well!!
Cathy
That is soo good to know, thank you! Can I ask what vegan butter you used?
Rae
The best recipe and I’ve tried lots. I don’t need to try any others I’m sticking with this and the royal icing. I’ve made them twice now and both times 2 different groups of tasters loved them!
Thanks for sharing!!!