The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
Hands down, this is the Best Sugar Cookie Recipe we’ve ever tested! Learn How to Make Sugar Cookies that everyone will love. These little guys are light, pillowy, and packed with flavor.
Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
We’ve got a theme going on this week… Called The Best.
I’m sharing tried-and-true recipes I’ve made dozens (even hundreds) of times, because I’ve never tasted anything better. Monday I posted the absolute best yeast roll recipe I’ve ever made, and today I’m sharing The BEST Sugar Cookie Recipe.
Learn how to make the BEST Sugar Cookies with this fun recipe!
This is the end-all of sugar cookies, friends.
Better than your mom’s.
Better than your grandma’s, may she rest in peace.
Better than that fancy bakery down the street.
And sure as heck, better than any grocery store sugar cookies you’ve ever tasted.
World’s Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe is ultra light, ever so crispy around the edges, glistening with sugar crystals, and packed with a sweet vanilla-wheat flavor.
These cookies put all other sugar cookies to shame.
There’s something spectacular about a simple, yet perfect, sugar cookie. Today I’m going to show you how to make sugar cookies that will make your head spin. I bake The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe for holidays and parties regularly, and have used this recipe as a base for all sorts of sugar cookie variations.
I’ve been asked for The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe more times than I can count, always with a statement like, “These are just sugar cookies, right? OMGeeeeee. I’ve got to have the recipe.”
I found the base-recipe at least a decade ago in an old version of Cook’s Illustrated’s Best Recipe Cookbook. Over the years, I’ve tweaked it just a tad, so that now I have the absolute best sugar cookie recipe around.
Interested?
Watch the Video & Check the Recipe Card to Learn How to Make the Best Sugar Cookies!
How To Make Sugar Cookies from Scratch
- Perfect sugar cookies should always have equal parts butter and sugar. The butter and sugar should be creamed together (beat on high) until the butter is lighter in color and ultra fluffy. You should be able to tell that the sugar is broken down into the butter, because it will no longer look granular. This usually takes several minutes to achieve.
- For extra light and delicate sugar cookies, sift your dry ingredients. Measure first, then sift.
- You need to use a generous amount of good quality sea salt and pure vanilla extract to bring out the best flavor in the cookies.
- Do not over beat the cookie dough. Think gentle thoughts.
- Roll the dough into balls, coat in extra sugar, and press flat with the bottom of a drinking glass. This creates a crispy glistening exterior and a uniform shape.
- Do not over-bake. The moment the edges look remotely golden, take the cookies out of the oven and cool.
That’s pretty much it!
Please note, The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe is NOT a roll-out cookie recipe for cookie cutters. It’s just too darn delicate for that. If you’re looking for a roll-and-cut cookie recipe, use this one. The extra egg yolk and flour make the cookies slightly sturdier, so they can handle the abuse.
However, these sugar cookies are marvelous with glaze and sprinkles.
Looking for more of the BEST cookie recipes? Try these:
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillow Cookies
- Low-Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour measured then sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 sticks unsalted butter softened (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar + extra for rolling
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Place the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer. Cream the butter and sugar together on high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. (Don't skimp on the time here.) Then turn the mixer on low and add the eggs and vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl and beat again for 30 seconds.
- Pour some extra sugar into a bowl to coat the cookies. Scoop the dough out and roll into 1 inch balls. The dough should be soft and delicate - Don't over-handle. Shake each ball in the sugar bowl to coat, then place on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press down on each ball, until it's 1/3 - 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake each sheet of sugar cookies for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden and the centers are just barely set. Cool completely on the cookie sheets.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
BOURBON GLAZE: Once the cookies are cool, whisk 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon bourbon together. Then whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Dip the face of each cookie into the glaze. Allow the excess to dip off, then place them back on the parchment paper to dry.
I tried making Sugar cookies for Christmas 3 yrs ago. This I decided to give a try and OMG!!!! These are the BEST EVER, I only made 4 to test and ate them while still 🔥. I love the recipe the sugar and the butter balance I will make these from now on my go-to cookie recipe .
THANK YOU!!
About how many cookies does a batch makes
Perfect cookies at 9min! I added chopped pecans!
Download not working dll from http://founddll.com/ole32-dll/ page. Fix the error now!
Going to make this recipe! Can I refrigerate the dough or do I need to bake the cookies right away?
Light, easy, and delicious.
Can I make Christmas cookies with this recipe? As in making them into shapes?
My oven is wonky- often burns things, and I substituted almond extract in place of vanilla, my butter was a little cooler than I’d prefer- even with all these changes the cookies turned out incredible! Yummy and tender and chewy with crisp edges. The edges got a bit dark but that’s definitely because of my oven. Haven’t iced them yet but my kiddos might eat them all before I can get any made! Super quick to whip up and it made a big batch. Definitely keeping this recipe for an easy potluck, church, of family gathering treat.
I am out of vanilla extract and read what I could use to substitute it with and it said Maple or Pancake syrup! I was wondering if it would still taste the same and should it equal the same amount of Vanilla? Really want to make these tonight!!
Hi Amy!
I’m not sure there really is a good substitute for vanilla extract. I would just run out and grab some. :)
What is cream? Heavy cream?
Hi Marianne!
Yes, for the bourbon glaze use heavy cream. Happy Baking!
Can I use sugar sprinkles instead of granulated sugar to roll them in?
Hi Staci,
Absolutely. Sprinkle away!! :)
You were right, these cookies are wonderful! A new family favorite! Thanks so much for sharing!
These are definitely sugar cookie perfection! This recipe turns out perfect cookies every single time I make it.
These cookies were great! They came out very light and airy, just the right ratio of sugar to butter. Thanks for the recipe!
Just made my first batch and my family loves them. I was thinking about adding a teaspoon of cream of tartar to my next batch. I miss the flavor it adds. Any thoughts?
Hi Mary,
That sound delicious… They would have a bit of a snickerdoodle flavor that way. :)
Excellent! Even better the next day. Definitely a keeper. Thank you for the recipe.
I followed directions and it is the best recipe for sugar cookies I have made.
Pingback: King Annual Cookie Party - We Five Kings