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I love these easy cookies for back-to-school! They don't break up in the lunchbox and stay fresh and chewy.
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Chewy sugar cookies taste just like your favorite childhood bakery
- So fragrant your house will smell like a pastry shop
- Great with vanilla buttercream frosting or as plain, simple sugar cookies
There's nothing like homemade sugar cookies, especially when they're soft, perfectly sweet, and take less than ten minutes of baking time.
So gather the kids, snuggle up in your cozy PJs, and get ready to have so much fun making this bakery style sugar cookie recipe—just like you did with your mom!
If you're looking for a rolled cookie try these red velvet sugar cookies! They're perfect for decorating.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter together using the paddle attachment. Add the eggs and vanilla.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the flour mixture.
- Scoop out balls of dough. Bake and enjoy the best bakery sugar cookies ever!
🥫 Storage
Soft sugar cookies last at room temperature for up to a week, but they'll definitely be gobbled up before that! Store the sugar cookies in an airtight container for best results.
"Leftover" and "cookies" are not two words you usually see together! However, if you've got 'em, you can wrap the cookies in plastic wrap or put them in freezer bags and freeze for up to three months!
📖 Variations
I have it on good authority that this is the best sugar cookie recipe out there, but here are some ways you can alter it if you'd like!
- Swap some of the vanilla extract for another flavoring. These cookies are yummy with almond extract or a hint of lemon juice if you like!
- Stir in some citrus zest for a fresh, zingy hint of flavor—lemon or orange would be delicious! Finish with a complementary chocolate drizzle!
- Before baking, sprinkle the top of each cookie with some colorful granulated sugar if you like a slightly crunchy, fun cookie top.
- Stir in some chopped nuts for more crunch and buttery flavor.
- Add butterscotch chips or M&M candies because who doesn't like M&Ms cookies?
- Make large cookies by using an ice cream scoop and portioning out heavier cookie dough balls. Increase cook time by a few minutes.
- The best sugar cookies are ones made with love! Decorate them with royal icing, buttercream, or cream cheese icing, tinted with your favorite food coloring. They make a great Christmas cookie for swaps or gifts.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Cookie recipes like this one use basic ingredients, so the quality of those ingredients makes a world of a difference! Splurge on good unsalted butter—the best one you can buy. You'll thank me, later!
- The recipe says "room temperature butter" not "soft butter" for a reason! Be careful that your butter doesn't get too melty.
- Don't be afraid to beat the creamed mixture really well. This incorporates air into the butter and sugar, creating lighter, fluffier sugar cookies—just like they're from the bakery.
- On the other hand, once you add the flour mixture, just combine it with a rubber spatula or the paddle until it all comes together. Any more than that and you'll have tough cookies.
- I like to line baking sheets with parchment paper when making classic sugar cookies so that the subtle flavors aren't affected by the patina of the pan. You can also use a silicone mat if you have one!
- If your kitchen is really warm, pop the baking sheet with sugar cookie dough balls into the fridge for a few minutes while your oven heats. Warm dough spreads more quickly in the oven, so the cookies will be a bit thicker if you chill them a little before baking.
- For a chewy, but soft cookie, bake just until they're golden brown all over. They'll continue to set up and harden a little after removing them from the oven, so don't be nervous if they seem a little bit soft at first.
- Cookie decorating bars make birthday parties so much more exciting! Bake and cool these sugar cookies, then set out frosting and lots of different sprinkles so the kids can decorate their own desserts!
- Remember, if you decorate your cookies with icing that requires refrigeration (like cream cheese frosting) you'll have to refrigerate the cookie leftovers, rather than storing them at room temperature.
👩🍳 FAQs
Good question! Put simply, bakery style sugar cookies use baking soda so that cookies spread a little, and baking powder so they puff up nicely. Though, it's a bit more complicated than that. Remember, baking is a science, so don't swap one leavening agent for the other or change the recipe, unless you're willing to take a chance on the results!
These chewy cookies puff and expand for that ideal sugar cookie bite. So, I don't recommend cutting them into shaped cookies. Save your favorite cookie cutters for this perfect sugar cookie recipe, instead.
Sure! Portion it into dough balls first, or roll dough into a log and wrap it tightly with plastic. Then, put it in another freezer-safe storage container for extra protection. Pull out the dough a few pieces at a time or thaw it in the fridge and bake all at once! Don't you just love having buttery sugar cookies ready to cook at a moment's notice?
📚 Related recipes
- With crisp edges and a center that has a slight bite to it, these spicy and chewy Cinnamon Cookies are like Snickerdoodles, but better!
- Air Fryer Sugar Cookies are less messy and faster than baked cookies. Plus, there is no guesswork—the texture is perfect every time!
- These Rolled Sugar Cookies are not only a fun family activity, but they're easy to make, so much fun to decorate, and (of course) delicious!
🍽️ Serve with...
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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📞 The last word
When it comes to old fashioned cookies are you team sugar cookie or team oatmeal cookie?
I'm solidly on team don't-make-me-choose!
We love sweet snacks around here. Another great munch is this s'mores puppy chow. SO easy to make!
And, if you love the old fashioned flavors in these sugar cookies you'll want to try these classic peanut butter cookies!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "save" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Bakery Sugar Cookies
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1-⅓ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer add the softened butter and the sugar.
- Mix until light and fluffy with the paddle attachment.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well mixed.
- In a medium bowl add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
- Blend together with a whisk, then add to the butter mixture with the mixer on low.
- Once ingredients are blended in don’t mix any more - you don’t want to over blend this dough. It develops gluten and the cookies will be tough.
- Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper then drop the dough with a cookie scoop, 2” apart. Use a bigger scoop for larger cookies.
- Bake for 8- 10 minutes, remove from oven, allow to sit for 5 minutes then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
Notes
- Cookie recipes like this one use basic ingredients, so the quality of those ingredients makes a world of a difference! Splurge on good unsalted butter—the best one you can buy. You'll thank me, later!
- The recipe says "room temperature butter" not "soft butter" for a reason! Be careful that your butter doesn't get too melty.
- Don't be afraid to beat the creamed mixture really well. This incorporates air into the butter and sugar, creating lighter, fluffier sugar cookies—just like they're from the bakery.
- On the other hand, once you add the flour mixture, just combine it with a rubber spatula or the paddle until it all comes together. Any more than that and you'll have tough cookies.
- I like to line baking sheets with parchment paper when making classic sugar cookies so that the subtle flavors aren't affected by the patina of the pan. You can also use a silicone mat if you have one!
- If your kitchen is really warm, pop the baking sheet with sugar cookie dough balls into the fridge for a few minutes while your oven heats. Warm dough spreads more quickly in the oven, so the cookies will be a bit thicker if you chill them a little before baking.
- For a chewy, but soft cookie, bake just until they're golden brown all over. They'll continue to set up and harden a little after removing them from the oven, so don't be nervous if they seem a little bit soft at first.
- Cookie decorating bars make birthday parties so much more exciting! Bake and cool these sugar cookies, then set out frosting and lots of different sprinkles so the kids can decorate their own desserts!
- Remember, if you decorate your cookies with icing that requires refrigeration (like cream cheese frosting) you'll have to refrigerate the cookie leftovers, rather than storing them at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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