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I love this simple sugar cookie recipe, especially when I want to do some spur-of-the-moment baking. The cookie dough doesn’t need to be chilled and the finished cookies stay wonderfully 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 drop sugar cookies are perfect year-round.
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. But finally, I found the perfect sugar cookie recipe. Everything about these cookies is just right.
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.
- No need to chill the dough! That’s right – there is no need for chilling the cookie dough or even pressing the balls flat. They spread perfectly on their own.
- 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’ll want to eat them all in one sitting.
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 Decorate Them?
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!
Helpful Tips
- 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.
How to Store and Freeze
- 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 the Video Tutorial
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 easy recipe.
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
This recipe will be saved for when i want sugar cookies again. turned out perfect. i did have to leave mine in oven for about four more minutes than instructed bc i have an old one lol. but still turned out just the way i wanted. thanks!
I am a vegan and I made this recipe with egg replacement and Earth balance butter and they came out FANTASTIC!!! Super soft and no one in my family could tell they were vegan. I’ll definitely make this again!
I am anxious to use this recipe for Volunteer week. Our Women’s Hospital Association is packing these up for all Volunteers working at the Vaccine clinic.
After reading many of the comments, I am thankful I do have a scale …. My question is … Can I add lemon extract to them? If so what should my lemon to vanilla pure extract be?
I wouldn’t normally recommend lemon extract because it can have kind of a weird artificial taste to it. But if you want to use it, I might just use half to 1 teaspoon, depending on how strong you want it.
Thank you, everyone said they were perfect! This is a great recipe. Saving this for all future cookie making!!!
I was wanting to make a larger sugar cookie, 5-6 inches with sprinkles as teachers gifts. How would I do that with this recipe?
I haven’t tried it, so it’s hard to say.
Best sugar cookies ive ever made/had
I did not like this recipe. We can’t even eat them. Way to much butter. The butter flavor is too overpowering
I tried this recipe three times. Finally, it turned out as it should the third time. I am not sure what is the reason. but if you do it right and follow the recipe, it should turn out awesome.
I just got the cookies out of the oven! They look amazing and I cannot wait to taste them! The dough was too flour-y so if yours is like mine I suggest using a little bit of milk or water to fully combine them! As a young amatur baker and cooker this was easy to do and follow! I rated 4 stars because of the flour-y situation. I would suggest to any baker of any level to try these amazing cookies out!
Mine turned out great! I think some people are confused that weighing ingredients versus using a measuring cup is not the same. I don’t have a scale, so I used a measuring cup. I started with 2 cups of flour and added a little more with a tablespoon until it was the desired consistency. I think I used a total of 2 1/4 cup. It was a little dry so I added a teaspoon of milk. Once I started rolling them into balls with my hands they softened up a ton. They cooked perfect and are amazing! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
I love a soft sugar cookie and these were delish. I weighed the ingredients and ended up with 3 cookie sheets worth of doughballs. I put the first two sheets in at the same time and flipped them around halfway thru baking and that batch ended up underdone. The last cookie sheet, cooked all on its own for 8-9 minutes, was the winner. Deliciously crisp on the bottom and edge but still soft in the middle and top. Threw that tray’s cookies in a gallon bag in the freezer – they were quick to thaw and texture was great.
I weighed the first 1.5 Tbsp doughball (it was 30g) and used that weight to make the balls at the end rather than messing around with tablespoon measures.
These cookies saved my life, lol. I was down in the dumps and didn’t know what to do and then I saw this recipe and tried it and it instantly lifted my spirits. This recipe must have fallen from Heaven. Thank you!
Can this recipe be used to make sugar cookie cups or is it to soft?
Sugar cookies are my son-in-law’s favorite sweet treat. He says these are the best he’s ever had! I baked the cookies at least 10 minutes.
I made these. As suggested, I measured the flour using my kitchen scale. I added an extra egg, and ran just a little short of vanilla (those bottles are so small).
The extra egg added a little more liquid, so I had no trouble with these being dry or crumbly. the texture was just right.
Baked 1 sheet at 7 minutes, the others at 8. In my oven, 8 minutes gave just a little brown along the edge and across the bottom, which helped the cookies hold their shape and boosted the flavor.
I did not bother with icing. A good sugar cookie is perfectly delicious on its own and these certainly pass that test.
Maybe not quite as good as my mother’s recipe, but close–and a whole lot faster and easier (no chilling, no rolling, no cutting). I will be making these again.
Can I use gf flore
Need to know if can use Gluten-free flour
I haven’t ever tried it.
Not sure, I haven’t tried it.