These thick, bakery-style, soft cut out sugar cookies are a fun and festive addition to your Christmas cookie tray! Every mom (or grandma) should have an easy sugar cookie recipe that she can whip up in minutes.
If you love holiday baking, try a batch of soft gingerbread man cookies, chewy molasses cookies, or soft peanut butter blossoms next. You’ll also find more ideas in my Easy Christmas Desserts collection.
These were the best sugar cookies I’ve ever tasted! The almond extract really adds flavor and the cookies stayed in shape perfectly while also being soft! I’ll use this recipe from now on.
– Jessica
How to Make this Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe | 2-Minute Video
Why This Is the Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
For years, I searched for an easy sugar cookie recipe that would yield perfectly thick, soft cut-out cookies that don’t spread in the oven. Ultimately, I adapted a recipe that I found in Country Woman magazine to create these bakery-style treats that are absolutely the best!
What makes these cookies soft and tender instead of dry or crispy? It comes down to a few key things: room temperature butter creamed with sugar creates a tender crumb, just enough flour keeps the dough stable without making it tough, and chilling the rolled dough before baking prevents spreading so the cookies hold their shape perfectly.
These cookies are easy to make ahead, perfect for sharing with friends and neighbors, and always a hit with kids. My boys love decorating these fun holiday shapes, largely because they’re a vehicle to pile on as much icing, sprinkles, and candy as possible. It’s a holiday tradition that you’ll want to save and enjoy for years to come!
Before You Get Started
A few key steps will set you up for soft, perfectly shaped cookies every time:
- Roll the dough before you chill it. This is the secret to easy rolling and no-spread cookies. Roll while the dough is still soft, then chill the flat discs until firm. The cookies go into the oven cold, which helps them hold their shape beautifully.
- Use room temperature butter (not warm). Butter that’s too soft or melted will make the dough sticky and cause spreading. It should be soft enough to indent with your finger but still hold its shape.
- Roll to ¼-inch thickness for soft, bakery-style results. This is thicker than many recipes call for, but it’s the key to that puffy, tender texture. Thinner cookies will bake up crispier.
- Don’t overbake. Remove the cookies when the edges are just starting to turn golden but the centers still look slightly underdone. They’ll firm up as they cool, and you’ll get that perfect soft, chewy bite.
** A note on batch size: This recipe yields a small batch (up to 36 small cookies, depending on cutter size and how you re-roll scraps). If you’re baking for a crowd or a cookie decorating party, I recommend doubling the ingredients.
** And about the almond extract: I borrowed this trick from my friend Kelly, a professional sugar cookie baker. A touch of almond extract gives these cookies a delicious, slightly unique flavor. I use ½ teaspoon, but you can cut it back to ¼ teaspoon for something more subtle, or swap it out for extra vanilla if you prefer.
How to Keep Sugar Cookies from Spreading in the Oven
Here are a few of my best tips to prevent the cookies from spreading:
- Roll First, Then Chill. I learned this process from America’s Test Kitchen, and it’s genius! Roll out the cookie dough before chilling, while it’s still soft. After the discs of dough have hardened and chilled, you can cut out the cookie shapes and bake them immediately. Rolling the soft dough is much easier than rolling a hard ball of chilled dough, and the cookies go into the oven while they’re still very cold and firm (thus preventing spreading).
- Chill the dough for at least 1-2 hours. It’s very important that you chill the rolled dough before cutting. If you re-roll the scraps and cut out additional cookies, chill again just before baking to make sure that the dough is nice and cool.
- Use enough flour. The total amount of flour required for this dough can vary (often by the humidity in the house, the season, and the way that you scoop and measure the flour). If you don’t have enough flour in your dough, the cookies are more likely to spread. While rolling, add small amounts of additional flour as necessary to make sure that your dough doesn’t stick to your hands, parchment paper, or rolling pin.
- Don’t overmix. Whipping the wet ingredients too much or overmixing can add excessive air to the dough, causing the cookies to collapse and spread in the oven.
- Line the baking sheets. Spraying the baking sheets with cooking spray or greasing with butter creates a slippery surface that causes cookies to spread. Instead, line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for “grip.”
- Use cool baking sheets. Never place cookie dough on warm baking sheets.
How to Make Cutout Sugar Cookies
This easy and delicious cookie dough comes together in just minutes! You’ll need to be patient while it chills in the fridge, but the end result is well worth the wait. Find the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview:
Step 1: Mix the Dough
Cream together the butter and sugar with a stand mixer or hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until combined. Finally, mix in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. The texture should be very similar to Play-Doh!
Step 2: Roll It Out
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Place each portion on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or on a silicone mat, then roll to ¼-inch thickness.
Step 3: Chill Until Firm
Stack the discs of dough on a baking sheet (separated by parchment), cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour or until firm.
Step 4: Cut Out the Shapes
Once the discs of rolled out dough are nice and cold, use your favorite cookie cutters to create the desired shapes. Transfer the shapes onto lined baking sheets.
Step 5: Bake at 375°F for 8-10 Minutes
The cookies are done when the edges are just starting to brown, but they’re still fairly soft in the center. They will firm up as they cool, so be careful not to overbake them or the cookies will become hard. Cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating (see my decorating tips at the bottom of this post).
Serve and Enjoy!
How to Decorate Sugar Cookies
Decorating sugar cookies is half the fun, especially during the holidays. I include a simple powdered sugar icing made with confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, and a little corn syrup for shine. It sets in about 30 minutes, can be tinted with food coloring, and works well in piping bags or zip-top bags with the corner snipped.
For more detail, use royal icing; for a thicker frosting, try a vanilla buttercream frosting; or keep it easy with tubes of store-bought Betty Crocker cookie icing (a great mess-free option for kids).
More Fun Decorations
- Red, white and green sprinkles are always an easy, festive touch and will stick nicely to your icing before it sets.
- Red hot cinnamon candies make great buttons, ornaments, holly berries, or reindeer noses.
- Mini chocolate chips create perfect little eyeballs on reindeer, Santa shapes, or gingerbread men.
- Candy eyeballs are also a cute way to create a face.
- Cut them into hearts, add red, pink, and white sprinkles, and offer them for Valentine’s Day.
Preparation and Storage Tips
Storage: Store the cut out sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Make Ahead: Prepare the dough up to 1 day ahead, roll out the discs, and chill in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can freeze the dough discs for up to 1 month. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight and then proceed with cutting and baking.
To bake the cookies in advance, allow them to cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature before decorating.
Freezing decorated cookies: You can freeze the cookies after icing and decorating, too. Be aware, though, that the quality of the icing or decorations may not be quite as good when thawed. It can run, thin, or get smooshed.
I’ve looked for years and tried many recipes.These are the best and easiest I’ve ever made. They really do stay soft inside.
– b. scofield
Frequently Asked Questions
How thick should I roll sugar cookie dough?
For soft, bakery-style cookies, roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. This is thicker than many recipes call for, but it’s the key to getting that puffy, tender texture instead of thin, crispy cookies.
How do I keep sugar cookies from spreading?
The most important step is chilling the dough after rolling. Cold dough holds its shape much better in the oven. Also make sure your butter isn’t too warm, use enough flour, and always bake on parchment-lined (not greased) baking sheets.
What does the almond extract do?
It adds a subtle, slightly sweet flavor that makes these cookies taste more like bakery-style treats. You can reduce it to ¼ teaspoon for a milder taste, or substitute with extra vanilla extract if you prefer.
More Holiday Cookies to Try
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Soft Cutout Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (or reduce to ¼ teaspoon for a more subtle flavor)
Icing (Optional)
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing to combine. Add vanilla extract and almond extract; mix until incorporated. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture; mix on low until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Place each portion on a piece of lightly-floured parchment paper or a lightly-floured silicone mat. With a lightly-floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about ¼ -inch thickness. Use more flour if the dough seems sticky.
- Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours (or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Carefully remove one portion of the dough from the refrigerator. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into desired shapes.
- Arrange the shapes about 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. You can re-roll the dough scraps to cut out additional cookies, but you will need to chill the cut-out dough on the baking sheets in the fridge or freezer for at least 10 minutes before baking. This will give the dough a chance to firm up again so that the cookies don’t spread in the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or just until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
To Prepare Icing (Optional):
- Combine confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl and stir until combined. If icing is too thick, add more milk, about a teaspoon at a time, until the icing is thick but spreadable. If it’s too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency. Use gel food coloring to tint the frosting, if desired. Pipe or spread onto the cooled cookies and then allow the icing to firm up and set before packaging (this may take a couple of hours).
Notes
- Roll to ¼-inch thickness for soft, puffy cookies. Thinner dough will bake up crispier.
- Chill rolled dough for at least 1-2 hours before cutting. If you re-roll scraps, chill again before baking.
- Don’t overbake. Remove cookies when edges are just starting to turn golden but centers still look slightly soft. They’ll firm up as they cool.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- To make ahead: Prepare the dough up to 1 day ahead, roll out the discs, and chill in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can freeze the dough discs for up to 1 month. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight and then proceed with cutting and baking.
- To freeze baked cookies: Allow them to cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature before decorating.
Nutrition
Originally published in November, 2020, this post was updated in December, 2025.
How much powder sugar in the icing???. it didn’t say unless u meant 2 cups. I make great xmas cookies and always willing to try a new soft cut out. Thanks, jane
Hi, Jane! There’s a full recipe at the bottom of the post, which includes all of the specific measurements for the icing. It’s 3 cups of confectioners sugar, sifted. Enjoy! 🙂
Hello! I was just wondering if the cookies are the ones in the picture 🙂 This is my first time making sugar cookies and I want them to look exactly like that
Hi, Jessica! Absolutely! Your cookies should look just like mine in the photos. Merry Christmas! 🙂
Thank you! I’ll be trying the recipe right now!
Awesome. Hope you love them!
Absolutely the best cut out cookie recipe I’ve tried! I first made 1 batch, and then it was such a hit, I had to make 6 more batch for Christmas and to bring to work! And I’m making them again for valentine’s day and every holiday from here on out! I’ve perfected it in my oven to exactly 7 minutes for the perfect cookie because my oven runs always hotterthan average. 20/10 would recommend!
This made our day! Thank you so much, Hailey!
Help? I made these and they taste like a mouth full of gritty salt! I followed the recipe, froze them, and baked the cut outs. There was still a bit of spreading, luckily I just made circles. Something about the salted butter AND large amount of salt is… yuck? Like the lingering flavor in my mouth is salt despite the sweet sugar icing! Any recommendations… like nixing the salt…
Hi, Marissa! That’s strange — I’ve never heard anyone complain that they’re salty or gritty. I’m wondering if maybe you used too much salt by accident? You can certainly play around with the measurements and see if you prefer them with less salt or with the unsalted butter, but then I would think they would be lacking flavor. Totally up to you, though!
These are delicious! I came across this recipe last year and used it for Christmas cookies.I got a new stove and had to play with the temp and time. I also roll them out on powdered sugar vs flour. Thank you for sharing!
So glad that you enjoy them, Dani! Thanks for your note!
Pros:
Limited ingredient list
Easy or directions
Flavor
Not dry or crumbly
Cons:
Did NOT rise at all
I followed the recipe to the T. Not sure what I can do differently, add MORE baking powder?
Sorry to hear this, Kathy. Was your baking powder fresh?
Loved these! Thank you so much! I’ve heard some saying they are salty but mine were PERFECT. Perhaps it’s the brand of salted butter they used and not all butter is created equal? Perhaps they can try unsalted butter? I used salted butter and also added the salt as recommended and they were perfect. Best recipe ever!!!! Thanks!!! Our family loves them too!!!
Wonderful! Thanks, Rae Lynn!
I made heart cookies and frosted them for Valentine’s Day. Every single recipient raved about them. These are sooooo delicious and simple to make. I just rolled out the dough for grandsons to make some this afternoon!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that! They’re really great for any occasion. 🙂
Curious, can I still use six eggs (3x recipe) if I just use the egg whites?
Hi Alexandra! We haven’t tested this recipe and can’t say for sure. We probably wouldn’t recommend using just egg whites as it will impact the taste and texture of the cookies. We’d love to know how it goes if you do try it out, though!
My go to recipe! But just wondering how long will they last in the fridge? I have a party coming up can I make them 5-6 days ahead ? And just leave them in the fridge ? Also Would it be better to put them in the fridge with no icing ? Or can I decorate and than store in the fridge ?
Hi, Isabel! I would freeze them undecorated, and then thaw them and ice them a day or two before you plan to serve them. That way you’ll know that they’re at their best!
Can you add other flavorings to the dough? I was thinking of adding cider powder. Would that work?
Hi, Rocio! I think that would work fine. I’ve never heard of cider powder…I’m intrigued! 🙂
Hi! I am planning on making the dough tonight and putting it in the fridge to use tmrw evening for Christmas cookies! I was wondering, can I also make the icing in advance? Do I put it in the fridge? Or should I wait and make it right before
Hi, Katelyn! Yes, you can definitely prepare the icing in advance as well. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge (or store it directly in the piping bags). Make sure that it’s air-tight so that the icing doesn’t dry out. Then allow the icing to come to room temperature before using. Hope you have a great holiday!
Hello there,I’m making these but the dough is sticky. Do I add more flour ?
Hi, Wendy! Yes, I’d add a little bit more flour. The dough should feel almost like play-dough. 🙂
If I don’t have salted butter can use unsalted and how much more salt should I add?
Hi Heather! Yes, you can make these with unsalted butter. Readers have had success adding 1/4 teaspoon salt. We hope you enjoy!
It says 3 cups
Can cake flour be substituted for all-purpose flour?
Hi, MaryBeth! You can, but it’s not recommended. Cake flour has a lower protein content and creates less gluten development, so it will yield a softer, more delicate cookie that may crumble easily.
This is my new favorite sugar cookie goto recipe!! They are delicious.
These are soooo powdery and the texture is way too dry for me. Followed the recipe exactly and am super disappointed.
I’m sorry they didn’t work for you, Tyler. It sounds like something went wrong along the way, because they definitely shouldn’t come out dry or powdery.
Looking forward to trying this! Have you had any luck doubling this recipe without any problems?
Hi, Hope! I haven’t doubled the recipe myself, but I think that should work fine. Enjoy!
Do you use bleached or unbleached flour?
Hi, Shawna! I usually buy this unbleached all-purpose flour from King Arthur Flour: https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/king-arthur-unbleached-all-purpose-flour-3-lb
This is my new favorite sugar cookie goto recipe!! They are delicious.
That’s so good to hear, Rosa. Thank you!
There’s no way this makes 36 regular sized cookies. Unless many of them are miniature sized. Disappointed when you rely on accuracy of the recipe for an event.
That’s right, Steph — the higher count includes some of the really small shapes. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.
These were the best sugar cookies I’ve ever tasted! The almond extract really adds flavor and the cookies stayed in shape perfectly while also being soft! I’ll use this recipe from now on.
Yay! So glad that you loved them, Jessica! Thanks for leaving a note to let me know. 🙂
Curious what size cookie cutter you use to get 36 cookies? I used a fairly small one(football that is 3.5” x 2”) and only got 20 cookies. They were rolled to 1/4”. The shape held great and they taste delicious; just made about half of what I was expecting :(.
Hi, Stef! I always use a variety of sizes — some larger and some very small (like the holly leaves).
I’ve looked for years and tried many recipes.These are the best and easiest I’ve ever made. They really do stay soft inside.
That’s wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know. 🙂
I have such a hard time with sugar cut out cookies and these were wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m beyond happy and their tasty too!!
So glad to hear that, Chelsea! Thank you for letting me know how much you enjoyed them. 🙂
Wanting to bake some valentines cookies with this recipe. Does the icing harden up well enough that you can stack the cookies? Also, does the icing recipe work with liquid food coloring?
Hi, Alix! Yes, as long as you don’t lay it on super-thick, the icing hardens nicely (it might take up to a few hours to set, but it will). The liquid food coloring will work, but it’s not as concentrated as gel coloring so you need more. If you’re adding more liquid to the icing, you may need to balance that out with additional powdered sugar to get it to the right consistency. Enjoy!
Good morning. I’m planning on. Making this recipe this morning. I was wondering about playing around with emulsions along with the vanilla? Have you ever tried adding this instead of the almond extract?
Ty
Hi, Trisha! No, I haven’t. Let me know if you give it a shot. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Thank you My cookies came out wonderfully. I actually like this recipe better than the one I learned in school. Lol. I will upload the other pictures by 07/24/2021.
That’s so good to hear, Shawnica! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
oct 12m 2021 can i use shortening instead as i can not have butter
Hi, Marg! Yes, I think the shortening will work. It will give the cookies a different flavor, but it should still be a 1:1 swap. Let me know if you give it a try, since I’ve never tested the recipe with anything other than butter. 🙂
I live at high altitude (5,000+ft) what changes would I need to make for these cookies?
Hi, Ann! I’m not that familiar with high altitude baking; however, I found this really helpful chart from King Arthur Flour, which outlines their recommendations: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
I would start with those tips, such as increasing the temperature by 15-25°F, cooking for a shorter amount of time, etc. I hope that they work out for you, and maybe other readers at high altitude can offer suggestions as well!
Hello! I’m excited to make these this year, but wondering if I use regular table salt or can I use the kosher salt I already have?
Hi, Stevie! I’ve always used table salt, but you can use kosher salt as well. I would use a bit more kosher salt, though, since table salt tends to be “saltier.” Hope that helps, and enjoy!
Thank you so much! Happy Holidays!
Hi! Can’t wait to make these! Salted or unsalted butter?
Hi, Leah! Salted butter. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Hi! I’m trying this recipe tomorrow and was wondering about how many cookies does one batch make? I have average sized cookie cutters. I’m also in Mexico with loads of humidity so hopefully this does not cause any trouble. Thanks for your help!
Hi, Janine! I’m not sure how the humidity may or may not impact the cookies. If it’s like biscuit-making, you might need to add a little bit of extra flour to account for more moisture in the air. I would stick with the recipe as written, and then adjust if the dough feels too wet or sticky.
I typically get about 3 dozen cookies in various sizes and shapes out of one batch. That includes some much smaller cookies, though. If you’re using a mid-size cutter for all of the cookies, you’ll like get fewer. Hope that helps, and enjoy the treats!
What would happen if I added more sugar to make them sweeter? lol
Hi, Roger! You can definitely give that a try! Granulated sugar will ultimately make the cookies more crisp, while brown sugar keeps them moist and soft. You might add a small amount of one or the other, see how you like it, and gradually work up from there.
I have a family member that is allergic to nuts. What would be a good substitute for the almond extract?
Hi, Charlotte! You can omit the almond extract and sub with additional vanilla extract. 🙂
The perfect sugar cookie!
Thank you, Brandy!
Kuddos to you! My mom made the best ever sugar and date/nut filled cookies every Christmas without fail. She chilled the dough, and the next day cookies appeared. Her biggest challenge was keeping my brother and I out of the dough. I have been trying for 45 years to make a good sugar cookie. Always, always they spread and were so thin. I’ve said so many times this is the last time. Her recipie takes 6 -7 cups of flour, yours was a smaller recipie so I decided to try it. The chilling tips made a lot of sense. Success! I dug out my mom’s recipie and again success. I am beyond thrilled to have found your tips which no doubt has made a huge difference. Why my mom didn’t have difficulties I do not know. My cookie sheets stay in the fridge in between cutting to oven, rotating trays. Thank you so much for sharing your cookie skills.
That’s amazing, Debbie! It makes me so happy to know that these ideas helped you successfully recreate your mom’s recipe. Have a merry Christmas!
Excited to see how these turn out, but is there any insight into why I had to almost double the amount of flour to get it to the right consistency? I didn’t stray from the recipe for any of the other measurements but after mixing in all the dry ingredients I was left with a very runny dough until I added almost another 2 cups of flour. Then it looked exactly like the picture! Still pushing forward anyway.
Hi, Kay! I’m not sure why you’d need quite that much extra flour. Sometimes you need to add extra if your environment is particularly humid, but other than that I don’t know. Hope they turned out well!
These turned out great! I was out of almond extract so I subbed orange extract and it added a perfect subtle hint of orange.
Oooh…good idea, Jessica! I bet that was delicious. Lemon sugar cookies are also tasty! 🙂
Best cut out cookies ever! Tu sooo much
Thank you so much!
I made these for Christmas this year and this is now my favorite sugar cookie recipe. Recipe was easy to follow and came out perfectly and they really did stay perfectly moist and delicious. This has been added to my recipe box! Thanks!
That’s great to hear, Ashley! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. Happy holidays! 🙂