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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
These cookies taste fantastic! My only problem is that they turned out more puffy, not like your pictures as I was hoping for? It seems I have had this problem with sugar cookies before… do you know what the cause could be?
It could be any number of things probably but I moved last year and noticed something similar with the oven in our new house. I tried the air bake cookie sheets and it worked perfectly. It could just be your oven. Maybe try those baking sheets.
when me and my friend where baking this there was still cookie dough on the bottom that was not baked and we went like 10 min over what you said
This recipe is amazing!! Would I be able to add sprinkles to these?
Yes, I actually did that here – https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/sprinkle-sugar-cookies/
Have you ever used oat flour instead of all-purpose flour in this recipe? If you, or anyone has, what was the ratio or measurement?
I have eaten these made by someone else, DELICIOUS, and now I am excited to make them myself!!
I have ever tried oat flour. Glad you enjoyed them!
Hello, can I use a sugar substitute?
I can’t recommend it but you could try it.
Wow!! An excellent, soft sugar cookie!
So glad you enjoyed them!
This recipe is like pie crust not cookie dough — I am quite precise with measurements and bake a bunch so not sure how I could have too much flour — a total waste of ingredients as they aren’t even bake-able 🙁 Try a diff sugar cookie recipe!!
Did you use a food scale? Even if you think you’ve been accurate, the only way to know for sure is a food scale. Given that this is my most widely used cookie recipe – both by myself and others – I do know that it works.
same thing happened to me. they still taste great. The next time I made them I used 2 1/2 cups of flour and they were perfect
I substituted surgar for splenda stevia to knock down carbs and calories and they still come out really good. Mine don’t rise or fall like the picture but they do go flat and are moist
Great recipe, tastes delicious
As far as taste goes, these cookies were amazing! I am very pleased with this, but for some reason my cookies never became as flat as yours- they stayed very puffy. Do you know what might have happened?
It’s hard to say for sure. It could have been that something was mis-measured, typically the flour. The other possibility is actually your oven. They all bake a little differently and when I tested these in another oven once, they did the same thing.
I think this cookie is delicious I changed the flour to 2 1/2 cups, thanks to Gwen said they were so dry. Thanks Gwen for giving me heads up. I had it all mixed except the flour. I baked the first 12 in the oven longer than 7 minutes and I felt it was still to doughy and backed the next 12 till they were golden. Love the cookie. I put them in the refrigerator for an hour before I rolled them in balls and sugar. I would make this cookie again
Used this recipe to make a vanilla latte chocolate chip cookie I envisioned. Did not mess with your flour, sugars and butter ratios though. It came out perfect. You truly nailed the perfect texture and chew. Thank you!
I’ve made this one several times now. If you don’t weigh the flour, it will probably appear a bit dry from what you might be used to. The second time, I just used 2 eggs and it was perfect. Adding water will just extend the bake time and change the texture. Never tried shorting the flour as that can be troublesome also. If you don’t have a scale or would rather not weigh, this is the easiest solution.
I’m just baking them for our neighbors
What if I use salted butter?
Just leave out the added salt.
I followed the recipe to a T and got the driest cookie dough I’ve ever made. Added 1 tbsp of water so it would come together. I measured all ingredients with a scale and measured exactly 1-1/2 tbsp of dough for the balls and only got 32 cookies. Had to press them down as they didn’t spread at all. They taste good but aren’t as moist as I’d hoped and are very cakey.
I’m sorry to hear that that was your experience. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but if you used a food scale and still had dry cookie dough, you might need to check the food scale or something. I have made these so many times using a food scale and the recipe is super reliable.
Hi there, I’d like to try this recipe to make cinnamon roll cookies. Can the dough be chilled and rolled into a log?
I have never tried that. I’m not sure how you’d go about it, but you could try it. It’d have to be fairly cold in order to roll it.
This is my go-to sugar cookie recipe! One question I have is if I make ahead and need to refrigerate the dough, how long does it stay fresh in the fridge?
It should be fine in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Love the recipe! Made them for the first time and loved them. My only question was that my dough came out VERY sticky and I measured with a scale perfectly down to the last gram. Did I do something wrong that the dough was super sticky?