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This Cut Out Sugar Cookie recipe is my family’s annual Christmas tradition! They’re easy to make, hold their shape, and are a thick, soft sugar cookie! I’ve been making this recipe for over 20 years and it comes out perfect EVERY time.
BEST Powdered Sugar Cookie Recipe
My daughter is really big on traditions. Things at holidays happened once when she was little and now that’s the way they’re supposed to happen. This means we have to do three things: have Christmas Eve at her Aunt’s house, have monkey bread for breakfast, and make cut-out sugar cookies on Christmas Eve with my parents.
This is the only sugar cookie recipe I’ve used for more than 20 years….so you know it has to be the best recipe in the world. They are SOFT and you can make them as thick as you want.
The Best Cut Out Sugar Cookies with powdered sugar are great ALL year, not just for Christmas! I love making these for every holiday – cookie cutters come in all shapes! They are my favorite cookie, after all.
Important Ingredients
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter, but you can substitute salted by reducing added salt in the recipe. Make sure the butter is softened.
- Powdered sugar – instead of using granulated sugar, this is a powdered sugar cookie recipe. Powdered sugar has a teeny bit of cornstarch in it to keep it from clumping and that plus the powdery consistency of confectioners sugar keeps the cookies soft and tender.
- Cream of Tartar – in addition to baking soda keeps these from spreading AND keeps them soft. You don’t need to use baking powder because of the cream of tartar.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is best for cookies. Be sure to measure it correctly so you don’t use too much or too little!
- Extract – I always use pure vanilla extract in my cut out cookies. Sometimes I add a teaspoon almond extract for some extra flavor.
- Food coloring – I prefer gel food coloring for the frosting, or you can use regular grocery store food coloring (or leave the frosting white).
How to make Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Cream together butter and powdered sugar until nice and fluffy.
- Add egg, baking soda, cream of tartar, and vanilla, then mix until smooth.
- Add flour and mix until cookie dough forms. It will be slightly sticky.
- Divide the dough in half.
- I always roll my sugar cookie dough before I chill it! Roll it between sheets of parchment paper or wax paper so you don’t need to add extra flour, then chill.
- Once the dough is hard, cut shapes using cookie cutters.
- Chill again before baking!
Rolling Hack
Much like I roll out my pie dough, I roll out my cookie dough between two sheets of wax paper, right after I’ve mixed it up. Just place the dough between two sheets of wax paper and press it into a disk, then roll flat.
While I’m rolling, I’ll occasionally (carefully) lift up the wax paper on the top, put it back down, flip, and do the same on the bottom. That’s because the force of the rolling can cause the wax paper to crinkle.
Using room temperature just-made dough makes rolling out easy. No elbow grease is needed, like when you chill the dough first.
Using two sheets of wax paper makes less mess and eliminates the need for extra flour, which makes a more tender cookie.
How to Freeze Cut Out Cookies
How to freeze unfrosted cookies: Stack similarly shaped cookies in airtight containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Freeze prepared frosting in an airtight container. Thaw both on the counter.
Because of the powdered sugar, these soft easy cut out cookies are delicate, so be careful when freezing them!
How to freeze frosted sugar cookies: Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and cover them with plastic wrap. Freeze until solid then stack in airtight containers between layers of parchment or wax paper. Separate stacks before thawing.
How to make sugar cookies ahead of time: Roll the dough as directed before chilling. Stack the dough (between sheets of wax or parchment) on cookie sheets and wrap with plastic. Chill up to 24 hours before cutting and baking.
Expert Tips
- DO NOT SKIP CHILLING! If you do, the cookies will spread.
- You don’t have to roll before you chill but it’ll make life easier, I promise.
FAQ
Chilled dough means your cookies stay in the shapes you cut them in. I love that about this recipe – the cookies always stay in shape. No bloated men or round hearts here – a candy cane stays a candy cane and a tree stays a tree! It sounds like a lot of chilling but in the time it takes the oven to preheat your cookies will be ready.
Chilling it once it’s already rolled flat makes the dough chill so much faster – you can cut out your cookies after as little as 30 minutes.
Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Cookie:
- 2 ½ cups (304g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups (141g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter , softened
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Frosting:
- 4 cups (452g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter , softened
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk regular, low- or non-fat are all fine (or use heavy cream)
- Food color and/or sprinkles if desired
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer). Mix on low, scraping the bowl occasionally, until the mixture forms a cookie dough. Be sure to start on low or the dry ingredients will fly everywhere!
- Divide the dough in half. Place a large sheet of waxed paper on a large cutting board or flat surface. Place the cookie dough on the wax paper. Place another large sheet of wax paper on top of the cookie dough. Press down into a flat disk with the palm of your hand, then roll out the dough between the two pieces of wax paper. After each 3-4 rolls, carefully lift the top sheet of wax paper off the dough, then replace it, flip the dough over, and carefully peel the other wax paper sheet, replace it, then continue rolling until the dough is about 1/4” thick. Place the dough, still between the wax paper sheets, on another cutting board or cookie sheet.
- Repeat with second half of dough. Place both rolled out cookie dough sheets in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or wrap them well with plastic wrap and chill overnight).
- When ready to cut cookies, preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cut cookies in desired shapes and place them on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Save the scraps of dough and re-roll them as needed. Note: once you re-roll the dough, you may want to chill those cutouts for about 10 minutes before baking them so they’ll keep their shape.
- Bake cookies for 6-10 minutes depending on the size. I take them out as soon as the bottoms start to brown because we like them softer. If you want crunchy cookies, let them cook longer. Cool completely before frosting and decorating.
- To make frosting, beat butter until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, then vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until the frosting is the consistency you desire. Tint the frosting if you want it a color.
- Frost cookies, decorating them with sprinkles. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- If using salted butter, reduce added salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Do not skip the chilling steps if you want your cookies to hold their shape. Roll then chill and cut, then chill again. This is important!
- Feel free to use pastry bags and tips or just a knife to frost the cookies.
- These are great in any shape!
- How to freeze unfrosted cookies: Stack similarly shaped cookies in airtight containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Freeze prepared frosting in an airtight container. Thaw both on the counter.
- How to freeze frosted sugar cookies: Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and cover them with plastic wrap. Freeze until solid then stack in airtight containers between layers of parchment or wax paper. Separate stacks before thawing.
- How to make sugar cookies ahead of time: Roll the dough as directed before chilling. Stack the dough (between sheets of wax or parchment) on cookie sheets and wrap with plastic. Chill up to 24 hours before cutting and baking.
Recipe Nutrition
Some of my other favorite cookie recipes:
- Gingerbread Cut Outs are another Christmas favorite.
- Chewy Soft Sugar Cookies when you don’t feel like rolling out dough.
- Sprinkle Cookies for a colorful cookie!
- Shortbread Cookies are another classic.
- Cake Mix Sugar Cookies when you want to use a mix!
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe is my all time favorite recipe.
I just made these cookies and the dough came out hard and crumbling as I was trying to make the cookie shapes had to re roll them .I followed the recipe as it was written they also took only 5 minutes to bake . I’m trying to figure out why this happened. If anyone has an idea please let me no. Thank You
Did you use regular butter or a substitute or accidentally pack your flour? Possibly they needed to be mixed longer as well. The bake time depends on the thickness and size of the cookies too.
I was very excited to try your recipe I did follow it as per you said. When I went to take it out of fridge I thought this was going to be much easier but I found that the dough was crumbling and kinda hard. So I had to peel it off the wax paper re roll it and warm it up with my hands. I found it very hard to work with. Then when it came to baking them I found that 5 minutes was enough we like them soft. I’m trying to figure out what went wrong. Mabey someone can figure this out and respond. I hope the frosting goes smooth.Thank You
These look great! Did you mean to write powdered sugar for the cookie ingredients? I’ve always heard of granulated sugar for the cookie. Thanks!
I know, it’s strange right? But it is correct – powdered sugar in the dough! It makes them perfectly soft yet rollable. I’m not a crunchy cookie fan, so these are perfect!
Does the icing harden? also great recipe i enjoy doing cutouts right now with my kids being so little and with school parties they are a major hit gonna try out this recipe today for sure
It doesn’t harden like royal icing, but it does harden enough that you can stack them without too much transfer. Enjoy!
These look delicious. I’ll be trying your recipe out with my little gals today. Thanks for sharing <3
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