Best Soft Sugar Cookies
These are truly the best soft sugar cookies and are so easy to make. You only need six ingredients and the dough does not have to be chilled. I have included a recipe for my delicious butter cream frosting that is the perfect way to top off your cookies. These cookies are great for any holiday and can be cut into any desired shape. They can be made into big round cookies as well which is the easiest method. Simply measure 1/4 cup of dough, roll into a ball and smash them with the bottom of a glass. There is nothing like a big, soft, frosted sugar cookie!
Ingredients needed to make the best soft sugar cookies:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
For the butter cream frosting:
- 3/4 cups salted butter, softened
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2-5 tbsp milk or half and half, or to desired consistency
- food coloring, optional
How to make the best soft sugar cookies:
For the sugar cookies:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare two cookie sheets by spraying with cooking spray, lining with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
- Whisk the flour and baking soda together in a medium mixing bowl.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts to creamed mixture and mix well.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Don’t overmix the dough.
How to roll out and shape cookies:
- Roll out or shape the cookies as desired.
To make cut out cookies:
- Roll out the dough using a lightly floured surface such as a countertop, silicone baking mat or pastry mat. Break off 1/3 of dough at a time and roll the cookies to 1/4 ” thickness with a lightly floured rolling pin. Try to use just enough flour to prevent sticking. Cut out desired shapes with a cookie cutter and repeat with the rest of the dough. Brush excess flour off top of the cookies. You can re-roll any excess dough.
To make round unrolled cookies (Crumbl type):
- The cookies can also be shaped by measuring dough into 1/4 cup portions and placing them on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place six balls of dough on the baking sheet and smash using the bottom of a glass. This makes big round cookies.
- Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes. For large cookies you should bake about six cookies per pan. Cookie centers should no longer be glossy and the center of cookies should be puffed up. Do not overbake.
- Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- While cookies are cooling make frosting.
For the butter cream frosting:
- In medium mixing bowl cream the butter with a hand or stand mixer until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar to the butter very slowly, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add vanilla and almond extracts and the milk a tablespoon at a time and mix until frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Add food coloring a drop or two at a time until the frosting is desired shade, making sure it is evenly colored.
- When cookies are cooled completely add a generous amount of frosting to center of cookie and spread almost to edge of cookie. Leave a little space around the edges.
Notes:
- You can decorate your cookies with sprinkles or candies before icing is set.
- If you want to use more than one color of frosting, separate the frosting into separate bowls before adding the food coloring.
- Cookies can be made ahead of time and stored in a zip lock bag or covered container and frosted later.
- If you want a Crumbl type cookie, make the round cookies and store in the refrigerator, then serve them chilled.
- You can freeze unfrosted or frosted cookies in a freezer safe container. If freezing frosted cookies let frosting completely set up before freezing. Place waxed paper between layers of cookies.
- Number of servings will vary depending on size and shape of your cookies. If you make large cookies you can get about 16 cookies from a batch.
Other yummy cookie recipes to try:
Best Soft Sugar Cookies
My best soft sugar cookies are great for any holiday and only require six ingredients. Easy to make and the dough does not need chilling.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
Butter Cream Frosting:
- 3/4 cup salted butter, softened
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2-5 tbsp milk, half and half or heavy cream, or to desired consistency
- food coloring, optional
Instructions
For the sugar cookies:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare two cookie sheets by spraying with cooking spray, lining with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
- Whisk the flour and baking soda together in a medium mixing bowl.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts to creamed mixture and mix well.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Don't overmix the dough.
- Roll out or shape the cookies as desired.
How to roll out cookies:
- If rolling out the dough use a lightly floured surface such as a countertop, silicone baking mat or pastry mat. Break off 1/3 of dough at a time and roll the cookies to 1/4 " thickness with a lightly floured rolling pin. Try to use just enough flour to prevent sticking. Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutter and repeat with the rest of the dough. Brush excess flour off top of the cookies. You can re-roll any excess dough.
How to shape cookies into rounds (easy method):
- The cookies can also be shaped by measuring dough into 1/4 cup portions and placing them on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place six balls of dough on the baking sheet and smash using the bottom of a glass. This makes big round cookies.
- Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes. For large cookies you should bake about six cookies per pan. Cookie centers should no longer be glossy and the center of cookies should be puffed up. Do not overbake.
- Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- While cookies are cooling make frosting.
For the butter cream frosting:
- In medium mixing bowl cream the butter with a hand or stand mixer until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar to the butter very slowly, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add vanilla and almond extracts and the milk a tablespoon at a time and mix until frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Add food coloring a drop or two at a time until the frosting is desired shade, making sure it is evenly colored.
- When cookies are cooled completely add a generous amount of frosting to center of cookie and spread almost to edge of cookie. Leave a little space around the edges.
- Notes: *You can decorate your cookies with sprinkles or candies before icing is set. *If you want to use more than one color of frosting, separate the frosting into separate bowls before adding the food coloring. *Cookies can be made ahead of time and stored in a zip lock bag or covered container and frosted later. *If you want a Crumbl type cookie, make the round cookies and store in the refrigerator, then serve them chilled. *You can freeze unfrosted or frosted cookies in a freezer safe container. If freezing frosted cookies let frosting completely set up before freezing. Place waxed paper between layers of cookies. *Number of servings will vary depending on size and shape of your cookies. If you make large cookies you can get about 16 cookies from a batch.