No-Fail Easy Sugar Cookies (Perfect Shapes Every Time!)

If you're looking for a simple, NO CHILL, NO SPREAD Sugar Cookie Recipe that stays soft and chewy.. You've officially found it! Made by literal MILLIONS every single year, this Sugar Cookie has it all.

Prep time: PT15M

Cook time: PT10M

Total time: PT25M

Rating

4.77 stars (452 reviews)

Keywords

sugar cookie recipes, sugar cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (222g) butter room temperature
1 cup (230g) granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3 cups (456g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 batch Sugar Cookie Frosting

Steps

Preheat oven to 350°F. (180°C)
Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer for a full 2 minutes.
Scrape sides and add in vanilla and egg. Mix until combined.
Add flour and baking powder to the bowl. Mix slowly at first gradually getting faster until the dough comes together. The texture should be like Playdoh. Add a little flour or water if needed to get it to a soft, pliable consistency.
Use a rolling pin and roll the dough onto a floured surface until 1/4-1/2 inch thick, depending on the size of your cookie cutter. (The cookies will not rise while baking, they will not get thinner while baking. Roll out to your desired FINISHED thickness.)
Use cookie cutters and cut out desired shapes. Transfer the cookies to an un-greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 7-11 minutes or until the centers are puffy and no longer glossy. Pull the cookies out of the oven BEFORE they start turning brown. If they turn brown, the cookie will be dry and 'crackery' instead of soft and chewy.
Frost with your favorite Sugar Cookie Frosting and Enjoy!

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 107 kcal
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Protein: 1 g
Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 18 mg
Sodium: 47 mg
Sugar: 6 g

Reviews

Krista Provost on 2026-02-27 (4 stars):
Can you add sprinkles to this recipe?
Liz Hernandez on 2026-02-19 (5 stars):
I had never made cookies before, and I was assigned the task at the last minute at work. My patients were thrilled! Your recipe was a lifesaver and received the most praise. They turned out delicious—crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I shared your blog with everyone! You're the best!
Colleen Kowalchuk on 2026-02-14 (5 stars):
These cookies were delicious and the icing recipe was equally amazing! Made them with my grand. They turned out great!!
KJ on 2026-02-13 (5 stars):
I've never been able to make sugar cookies until I tried this recipe. I have now made them over a dozen times since November! We love them. I do have to add a little bit of milk when I use Gold 🥇 flour. The cookies still taste amazing. I also use your buttercream frosting recipe. I cannot decorate worth 2 cents, but it's fun. My friends enjoy being my guinea pigs for taste testing. Thanks for always sharing your great recipes.
lindsay k on 2026-02-12 (5 stars):
I made these at Christmas with my son after trying a more complicated recipe that failed - these worked perfectly! We are going to make some today for Valentine's Day. Thanks for sharing this recipe:)
Valerie on 2026-01-20 (5 stars):
Hi! Do you use salted or unsalted butter? Thanks!
Caroline Egginton on 2026-01-16 (5 stars):
I adore this recipe it really is the best.I was wondering if you can freeze the cookie dough and defrost to cut cookies later?
Melissa Dillon on 2026-01-11 (5 stars):
FINALLY! a soft, yummy sugar cookie that does NOT spread. I can be a grandma that makes sugar cookies now!
Priscilla on 2026-01-10 (5 stars):
This is my second time making these cookies in the past two and a half weeks, and they are a big hit because they are delicious, soft, keep their shape and very easy to make. I'm visiting my daughter in another state and I didn't have any of my cookie recipes with me to make cut out cookies for Christmas until I found this recipe, and it is a keeper! My three year old grandson helped me make them and we had so much fun because the dough is very easy to work with. I saved this recipe because I will be making them again. Thank you Karli!