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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!
Loved the cookies! Easy to make and came out just like the pictures. I used 1/2 tsp of almond extract and reduced the vanilla to 1 1/2 tsp simply because I like almond in sugar cookies. I didn’t roll in sugar because I wanted to put some frosting on them. Plan on giving then away so wanted to make them a little more decorative. Thank u for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed them!
Excellent recipe! They didn’t fall very much but the flavor and texture was perfect. I’m glad I took your advice and spooned the flour – makes a world of difference.
So glad you enjoyed them!
I had some similar issues as others. My cookies didn’t spread much and took longer than 7-8 mins to cook. They took about 11 minutes to bake through, and that made the bottoms more well done than I would’ve liked.
Ovens really can vary. I’ve had several and have seen the differences. If the cookies didn’t spread and remained thick, that could be why they took longer to bake. As far as not spreading, it could be your oven or it could be that an ingredient wasn’t measured properly, typically it’s the flour. You could check out my post on how to properly measure flour or (if you don’t think that’s the issue), you could try these cookie sheets. They do a great job and help with spread. I hope that helps!
I’ve never had the bakery sugar cookies because I’m allergic to wheat, so I had to adjust the recipe to uses gf flour and they turned out tasty. I had to play around with the flour quantity. I used the full amount of gf flour by weight suggested for wheat flour and added 40g of almond flour. I can see tweaking it a little more next time I bake, but these were tasty as it. I used Cup4Cup gf flour blend, I would imagine a different blend would need adapting as well. Good luck. Thanks for the recipe. I still look at wheat ones, I often find that wheat recipes that are adapted better than gf ones.
The worst sugar cookie recipe known to man. 8 minutes is nowhere near long enough to bake the cookies. They were absolutely raw and mushy.
That seems a bit dramatic. This recipe has hundreds of amazing reviews. It sounds like you simply needed to bake the cookies a touch longer, which happens since ovens can vary.
You are aware that the baking times in ANY recipe may vary based on your oven, altitude, etc. and YOU as the baker should use common sense to know if they need a little longer before taking them out….?! Seriously
These cookies are so soft and delicious. Taking them to work tomorrow and I. Sure they’ll be gobbled up%
Glad you enjoyed them!
Hello, I am wanting to try out this recipe. For the flour do you recommend spoon and level? Thank you in advance.
I actually have a post about measuring flour. I prefer using a food scale, because it’s most accurate. But without a food scale, spoon and level is best.
Delish! This will be my new go-to recipe for soft sugar cookies. I had some leftover butter buttercream frosting from a cake I made so I skipped the rolling them in sugar and frosted them instead. SOOOO GOOOOD
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
My dough is really crumbly and dry… can I save it?
You could try adding a touch of milk.
They came out amazing! This is about my tenth time using this recipe and it comes out great every time. This recipe is so easy to follow.
Awesome! So glad you enjoy them!
Love it
I’m intending to decorate sugar cookies, but I just genuinely prefer soft and chewy sugar cookies. Could I roll the dough out and use shaped cutters like with harder sugar cookies?
These cookies spread in the oven, so they aren’t ideal for cutouts. I do have a soft cut out cookie recipe, if you’d like to check that out.
Been using this recipe for a while now!! A really perfect base recipe for lots of cookies. I add an extra half stick of butter to make them soft and use cinnamon, ginger, and a tiny bit of cayenne throughout to make what I call “ginger-doodles”.
I’m so glad you enjoy them!
OMG! I needed a sugar cookie recipe for my son’s birthday party this weekend. He has a friend with a peanut allergy. I chilled the dough overnight so I could bake before the party, which I think because of this, it took over 10 mins. But my other said, “why did you make sugar cookies? No one eats sugar cookies.” After they came out of the oven and cooled, he tried them and ate 2 of them and said, “these are the best cookies you have ever made.” They ended up being a huge hit at the party! So soft and so chewy! Thanks! The whole batch was eaten and it’s been requested that I make more!
Wonderful! So glad to hear that!
This is the only sugar cookie recipe I use I absolutely LOVEE this recipe
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
Just made these with my daughters and realized we added too much flour. Thought the recipe meant 2 cups plus 3/4 cup. But I’m assuming it means 1.5 cups (3/4 +3/4). Very confusing.
No, it’s 2 cups plus 3/4 cup. It’s standard to write 2 3/4 cups, just like math and fractions. It wouldn’t make sense to write two 3/4 cups and make people do the math.
Since you thought you added too much flour but really didn’t, how did the cookies turn out