Classic Sugar Cookies

Name: Classic Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 24 cookies
Cuisine: Baking
Ingredients: 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour; 1 large egg; 2 tsp vanilla extract; ¾ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp fine salt

Soft-centred, buttery cut-out cookies that hold their shape.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

Yield24 cookies

Before You Start

These are the sugar cookies you decorate: they keep crisp edges and a soft middle, and the dough does not spread into blobs. The trick is not creaming too much air into the butter and giving the cut shapes a short rest in the fridge before they bake.

Instructions

1
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
2
Beat the butter and sugar for about 1 to 2 minutes, just until combined and smooth. You do not want it pale and fluffy here, or the cookies will spread.
3
Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mix and stir on low until a soft dough comes together.
4
Split the dough in two, press into discs and roll each between two sheets of baking paper to about 5 mm thick. Chill the flat sheets for 30 minutes.
5
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and line two trays. Cut out shapes and lay them on the trays, chilling any dough that gets soft.
6
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then move to a rack before icing.

Ingredients

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine salt

Baker's Tip

For the most reliable results, weigh your ingredients with a digital scale. Measuring flour by cups can overpack it and dry out your bake. Tap any ingredient above to convert it.

🛒 Our baking picks

Tools for foolproof bakes

Weighing beats scooping every time. These inexpensive tools make every recipe more reliable.

Digital kitchen scale Weigh to the gram, the single most accurate way to bake. Shop on Amazon → Measuring cups & spoons A solid stainless set for when a recipe calls for cups. Shop on Amazon → Glass measuring jug Read millilitres and cups at a glance for liquids. Shop on Amazon →

As an Amazon Associate, GramCups earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

💡 Baker's tips

Roll the dough first, then chill it flat. Cold, firm dough gives clean edges that keep their shape.
Take them out while the tops still look pale. They firm up as they cool and stay soft.

🔀 Make it your own

Add the zest of a lemon or orange to the sugar for a citrus version.
Once cool, ice with a simple glaze of 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tbsp milk.

📦 Storing & freezing

Airtight at room temperature for 5 days. Undecorated cookies freeze well for 2 months, as does the raw dough.

❓ Frequently asked

Why did my sugar cookies spread?

Usually the butter was over-creamed or too warm, or the dough was not chilled. Beat the butter and sugar only until combined and chill the cut shapes before baking.

How many grams in a cup of flour for these cookies?

About 125 g per US cup, so 2¾ cups is roughly 344 g. Weigh it with the all-purpose flour converter for the most reliable dough.

Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.