Soft Cutout Sugar Cookies

4.97 from 79 votes

The only sugar cookie recipe you'll ever need! These easy bakery-style treats are soft, thick, and perfect for decorating.

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword Best Sugar Cookie Recipe, cut out sugar cookie recipe, Cut Out Sugar Cookies, cutout sugar cookies, Easy Sugar Cookies

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Servings cookies (in various sizes and shapes)

Calories 94kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

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).

Video

Notes

*This recipe yields a small batch of dough. I can get up to 36 small cookies out of a batch, but that includes a lot of very little cookie cutters (and re-rolling the scraps). If you want to be sure to have enough cookies, I recommend doubling the ingredients.

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.

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