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.
Hi Blair and Happy Holidays!! Sugar cookies are my most fa favorite cookie especially when their soft and chewy. I am trying your recipe for the first time and so far my dough has turned out good. I have it chilling now. Be back with an update of how they turned out!
Hope they were a success, Samantha. Merry Christmas!
Delicious! Soft, flavorful cookie. Keeps its shape and puffs up slightly. Fabulous with icing and sprinkles!
Thank you, Megan!
Perfect recipe. Soft. Good flavor. Holds icing well. Absolutely delicious!
Thank you, Aurora! Merry Christmas!
We Love these cookies.. !
Thank you, Dee!
So yummy! Turned out perfectly!
Thank you, Kelly! We’re glad you enjoyed the cookies!
Delicious. We had been using my great grandma’s cutout recipe for DECADES, and when I found this one, we replaced the old recipe with this one! It’s delicious and so easy. Thank you! Now I make cookies for every holiday, just for an excuse to eat them! lol
Thank you so much, Bethany!
These came out perfect!
Amazing! We’re so happy to hear it, Tulsa!
She’s not exaggerating when she says this is the perfect soft sugar cookie recipe. If you follow the directions exactly they’ll come out perfect. What I loved is that the cookie itself isn’t too sweet so that when you put the frosting on it’s not overpoweringly sweet. I omitted the almond extract and they still came out wonderful. I really appreciate the tips about freezing the cookies before and after baking because I was easily able to divide this project into 3 parts to do whenever it was easy for you. You totally don’t have to do this start to finish in one day. When you roll it out the first time you may not think it’ll make enough cookies but trust me they will! As you roll it out again and again you’ll have a healthy amount of cookies you’ll be able to share with friends. I’ll have to save this to make it every year. I won’t do any other recipe.
Wow! Thank you so much, Amber!
Hello! I have a question about how you flooded your candy cane cookie. How much time did you need between flooding the red and white? I imagine one was done before the other to create the definition and distinction between colors but if you did them wet on wet, that’s helpful to know!
Hi, Kathleen! I did them both separately, but I didn’t wait too long in between each application (just long enough to switch colors). I find that “framing” each section with an outline of the color before “flooding” the inside keeps everything in its proper place. I did not put one color on top of the other, though — I just applied them side-by-side. I hope that makes sense! 🙂
i’ve finally found my sugar cookie recipe!!! i love soft cookies, and i timed it for 10minutes like the recipe called for. the edges were brown when i took it out to rest, but the middle wasn’t as soft as i expected. i will have to watch the cookies bake next time and take it out even if the edges aren’t brown to rest. i will have to rely on my instincts on this one, but such a delicious cookie. it’s such an easy recipe to boot! thanks.
Yay! So glad to hear that, Mikaela!❤️
I haven’t tried these yet because I planned on storing them. The thing is that I was wondering if the icing will harden and if it’s ok to stack them on top of each other but I didn’t know because I don’t know how the icing is yet and didn’t want to be disappointed that the icing/ decoration comes off.
Hi, Lucia! Yes, the icing will harden once it has time to set. That said, there’s always the chance that they get a little bit damaged when frozen. If you want them to look perfect, I would suggest freezing them without icing and then waiting to decorate them until they’re thawed. If you choose to decorate them before freezing, just package them really carefully with parchment or wax paper in between each layer. Hope you enjoy!
Can I just chill the cut out pieces rather than the discs to use most of the dough? Anyone tried that?
That should work, Anne! Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try.
Absolutely delicious, the grandchildren were beyond thrilled.
We’re so happy to hear this, Mary! Thank you for trying it out.
So, I just made a double batch of these cookies and they are a dream to work with. Not only is the cookie delicious enough to hold up on its own without any decorations at all but the dough rolls and bakes like a dream. I am glad to see you encouraged people to chill the dough both before and after rolling. That is what makes the difference in keeping the shapes crisp and stops the spreading in the oven. One other piece I’d like to mention is when using cookie cutters, never twist the cutters when pressing. This can cause them to rise awkwardly as they bake and make your cutouts misshapen. Don’t know where I learned it but it definitely works for me.
I also love that you can double or triple the recipe and it does all the conversions for you. Thank you so much for this recipe. I will be making these a part of my Christmas cookie gift baskets from now on. Happy Baking!
Thank you for such thorough feedback! We’re so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe. That’s very kind of you to give gift baskets!
Can I use self rising flour for the sugar cookie recipe?
Hi Patricia! We haven’t tested this recipe with self-rising flour but think it would turn out okay. Just remember that self-rising flour already includes the salt and leavener.
The best tasting sugar cookie I’ve made in a long time! Perfect for decorating but so good without icing. I didn’t have almond extract so I just used extra vanilla.
Thank you, Marsha! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
Love em so much they are the best
Thanks, Dora!
I made this recipe tonight and was very disappointed. The cookies came out hard not soft and chewy. I used high grade ingredients and doubled the batch. Needless to say it turned out to be a waste
These are easy to make. They taste wonderful. The shapes remained consistent throughout the baking process. Wilton sells a premade icing. I used that because I’m baking with my 2 yr old grandson. Short attention span!
Sounds like a lovely day! We’re so glad you’re enjoying the recipe.
I’ve made these twice and they are so good! They bake up perfectly and don’t spread. The flavor is wonderful, delicious, sweet but not too sweet. I didn’t have almond flavoring and I’m not a fan of it so just omitted it. Perhaps next time I’ll add the 1/4 tsp. just to try it. I’m so thankful I found this recipe. I’ve tried many recipes for sugar cookies and I believe this will be my “go to” recipe. Thank you for sharing. Just finished baking a batch today, rolled them fairly thick and I still got 45 cookies out of one batch of dough and they weren’t small cookies.
Thank you for such kind feedback, Rita! We’re so happy to hear you are enjoying the recipe!