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Wondering how to make soft and chewy sugar cookies? Then you have to try this easy recipe. These simple sugar cookies don’t need to be chilled and stay wonderfully soft & chewy for DAYS!
Next to a good Snickerdoodle, chewy sugar cookies are a total favorite of mine any day of the week. Unlike cutout sugar cookies, which are definitely a Christmas staple, I feel like soft drop sugar cookies like these are perfect year-round.
As with any classic, simple cookie that doesn’t hide behind frosting or anything, it really needs to be just right. That’s these cookies – they’re soft and chewy for days, my friends.
I tested SO many versions of these sugar cookies, I’m pretty sure my mother-in-law (who watches the twins while I work), thought I was losing my mind. I’d be all, “Just one more version!” and then a week later there’d still be new batches on the counter.
So what makes this the best soft sugar cookie recipe? These cookies are:
- Not too thin. They are just thin enough to get golden edges without losing their soft centers.
- Not too thick. They are just thick enough to be chewy without being cakey.
- Soft and chewy. These cookies have the PERFECT texture.
- Delicious! I mean, many cookies are delicious, but these sugar cookies have the kind of flavor that makes you daydream about your next opportunity to eat one.
- And they stay good for DAYS. I’ll be honest, these cookies are usually gobbled up stat. But for the sake of testing this recipe I did purposely see how long they would last and I’m happy to say these sugar cookies stay soft and chewy for days when stored properly.
In closing, these soft sugar cookies are dangerous because you want to keep eating them all!
In addition to all of the above, these sugar cookies have another major bonus – the dough doesn’t need to be chilled!
That’s right – there is no need for chilling the cookie dough or even pressing the balls flat. They spread perfectly on their own. These two features make these cookies perfect for spur-of-the-moment baking!
Before we get into how to make this cookie recipe in particular, lets talk a bit about what makes a cookie soft and chewy in the first place. Here are the major elements:
Baking Soda + Baking Powder
Sugar cookies can easily turn out dry or too cakey. In all my testing, I found that my favorite sugar cookies were ones that used a combination of baking soda and baking powder – and just a bit more soda than powder.
There is nothing wrong with using just one or the other – I have done both in other cookies. In fact, I have an all baking soda Coconut Sugar Cookie that is delicious!
But for the straight-up vanilla bakery-style sugar cookie, the combo works best. Baking powder only = thicker and cake-y. Baking soda only = chewy and thin. A combo = just right.
White Sugar + Brown Sugar
The other big thing here is the sugar. Naturally a sugar cookie is going to use white granulated sugar. It’s just how it is. But part of what makes a cookie chewy is a high moisture content.
Brown sugar has more moisture than white sugar, because it contains a little bit of molasses. You don’t want to overdo the brown sugar here, but I swapped out two tablespoons of white sugar for brown sugar and the result was fantastic. It makes a much softer and chewier cookie that stays fresh longer.
And just a little tidbit about baking cookies – it’s amazing how much of a difference such a small change can make to a cookie. Just two tablespoons! When I used all white sugar, the cookies didn’t spread as much (less moisture). When I used just a bit of brown sugar, they spread just enough AND stayed soft for DAYS! And when I used just a bit more brown sugar, the flavor started to get a bit too off track and they spread more than I wanted, leaving me with a little thinner cookie with less defined edges. So I totally suggest sticking with it as I have it. The best!
The Right Amount of Flour
The other important part of a chewy cookie is having enough flour. You have to have enough flour to support the moisture content, but not too much to make it dry. A tight balance, but it’s well achieved here.
Mine baked just enough at 7 minutes, but keep an eye on them to see how they do in your oven. I removed mine when they had spread nicely, looked just done enough without looking undercooked, and the edges weren’t quite golden. Don’t worry if the centers of the cookies are still quite soft, they will firm up as they cool.
These sugar cookies are the perfect example of a treat that doesn’t have to be fancy to be awesome. In fact, I think something simple like this is one of the most impressive things when done well and right. And these are SO right!
Want to add a little something extra to these sugar cookies? Here are some ideas:
- Sprinkles: If you’re looking to make sugar cookies for a holiday or an event, these cookies would be great rolled in sprinkles, instead of sugar. Use any color you like!
- Frosting: If you simply can’t have a sugar cookie without it being frosted, check out my royal icing or my vanilla buttercream frosting. Even my cream cheese frosting would make a tasty addition. Any of them would be delicious!
Tips for Success
Although these soft sugar cookies are super easy to make, there are a few simple tricks you can use to make sure that your cookies come out perfectly. Here’s what I recommend:
- Make sure your butter is at the right temperature. Room temperature can be a little misleading if your house is too warm or too cool. Your butter shouldn’t be so soft that your finger goes right through it if you press on it, but it should also be able to make an imprint. If it won’t, or it barely does, it’s likely too cold still.
- Be sure to use just two tablespoons of brown sugar. It adds just enough additional moisture to the cookies to help them spread correctly and stay soft and chewy for days!
- Don’t over-mix the dough after you add the flour. It can over-develop the gluten and cause the cookies to not spread as nicely or be tough.
- Make sure your cookie dough balls are 1 1/2 tablespoons each or you’ll want to adjust the baking time. I also found that size to be just right for spreading well.
- Counter: Store these cookies on the counter in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Fridge: If you want to extend their shelf life, you can pop the container in the fridge. The cookies will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: These cookies freeze nicely too! Just let the baked cookies come to room temperature, then pack them in a ziplock bag and freeze them. Thaw them in the fridge or on the counter when you’re ready to eat them.
Watch How To Make Them
Print
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 30-32 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
If you’re wondering how to make soft and chewy sugar cookies, then you have to try this recipe. These cookies require no chilling, are easy to make, and stay wonderfully soft and chewy for DAYS!
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (358g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (233g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp (28g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sugar (additional for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
- Add the egg and mix until well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is well combined. It will be thick and shouldn’t be sticky. Do not over mix. Once it’s well combined, use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.
- Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll into a ball, then roll each ball in the additional sugar to coat. Set the balls on the baking sheet.
- Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes. The cookies will spread and the centers will look soft, but should look done. Remove just before the edges begin to turn golden. Don’t over bake. The cookies will be a little puffy when you take them out of the oven but will fall a bit as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
The sugar amounts are important for these cookies. If you chose to use all granulated sugar, rather than a little brown sugar, the cookie won’t spread quite as much and will be a little thicker and a little less soft.
Be sure to measure the flour accurately. The best way is by weight with a food scale, but if you don’t have one, give your flour a stir, then scoop it out with a measuring scoop. Do not pack it into the measuring cup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 126
- Sugar: 8.4 g
- Sodium: 79.3 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.7 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
- Cholesterol: 21.1 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
These sugar cookies look so delicious! I’ve never tried brown sugar in a sugar cookie but I love brown sugar! I can’t wait to try these cookies out. Thanks so much for sharing!
I have tried and succeeded, thank you for sharing this recipe. Very delicious and easy to make
I’m only a kid but I absolutely loved making these!!! It was really easy to make and I didn’t make a big mess my mom and my brother loved them so much. Also I recommend adding chocolate chips to some of them it gives it a really great taste. Thanks for the recipe!!!
How long can the cookies last until the don’t become as soft?
I’d say they are best for 2-3 days.
I have had trouble with sugar cookies pretty much as long as I’ve been baking. They come out too dry, or they don’t have much flavor, etc., etc. This recipe is a game-changer. The cookies are delicious, perfectly chewy, and I love love love that I didn’t have to chill the dough. Thank you so much!
These are probably the best cookies I have ever made, and I’ve been baking for 20 years. Amazingly soft. I actually subbed the 2 tsp of vanilla extract for 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp almond. It worked very well for me. Thank you for optimizing the recipe!
As I was completely this recipe, I was spectacle of the results since some of the reviews said that the cookie doesn’t flatten. But it turns out, I was worried for nothing. The final results of this sugar cookie recipe was spectacular! It was nice and sweet and was a great recipe to complete specially during this unfortunate time. Definitely recommend!! 🙂
Good recipe, but I had to bake much longer than 8 minutes for them to be done–after 11 minutes they were still raw, and they weren’t fully cooked until closer to 20 minutes. I was surprised–there’s obviously some variation with oven temperature, but this seemed a little extreme.
If you don’t pack your dry ingredients into the measuring cup, then you are measuring them incorrectly. Rather than instructing people to develop bad technical habits, perhaps calculate how much flour the recipe actually requires, hack.
This is very incorrect. You absolutely do not want to pack your flour. You will over measure every time.
Hands down the best sugar cookies I’ve ever made!! I don’t want to have to share with the kids and hubby!
I did a random search for a sugar cookie recipe. I chose yours because you described WHY each ingredient and action mattered! The cookies turned out exactly as promised and just how I wanted them! Thank you SO much for explaining how to get the right amount of spread and crinkling; softness with crunch!! I’m going to see if you have a similar recipe for chocolate chips because that’s just how I want them to turn out! Thanks so much!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! These would be my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I hope you enjoy those too!
Can you make these chocolate chip cookies without cornstarch? I don’t have that ingredient.
These cookies don’t have cornstarch in them.
These cookies are so delicious 😃 i love them so much! and my family does too!
These are by far the best cookies I’ve ever had. I absolutely love sugar cookies. I attempted to make these and completely failed because I can’t bake, but wanted to try them so badly so I asked my mom to bake them for me. They turned out perfect and barely lasted in the house, and I may have just had a few for breakfast! Thank you for the recipe and we will definitely be having these again.
Hi Lindsay, for me, these cookies didn’t spread a lot even though I squished them down a little before baking. I baked them for 14 minutes at 350. Even though they may not had look as beautiful as yours, they tasted amazing! I will definitely be using this recipe in the future.
My cookies turned out doughy with a baking time of 8 min and 30 seconds. What did I do wrong?
You may not have done anything wrong, they may have just needed a little longer to bake. There can be variation between ovens.
This is by far the best sugar cookie recipe I’ve ever made! It’s super soft and not too sugary which is perfect for my mom and grandparents to eat. These cookies stay soft in the middle which I also love. This is my new go to cookie recipe thank you so much!!💗