Name: Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 19 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter (room temp); ½ cup powdered sugar; ½ cup granulated white sugar; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon vanilla; 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt

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This is the absolute best homemade sugar cookie recipe. It is perfect for cut out sugar cookies because they hold their shape perfectly! They are soft, chewy and great for decorating!

Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or even the 4th of July, this sugar cookie recipe has got you covered!

This recipe makes the most delicious sugar cookies and best of all, they are so versatile that you can make them for just about any celebration.

I love to make homemade icing along with my homemade sugar cookies! It gives them a much better flavor. Below, I have included the ingredients and instructions for making both the cookies and the icing!

The main recipe for these sugar cookies won’t change, however depending on what event you are making them for, the decorations and toppings you will need for finishing them off might change.

1 cup butter room temp
½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup granulated white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

How to Make Homemade Sugar Cookies

Step 1: In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until creamy. Then add egg and vanilla, mix until smooth.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients and gradually add to the wet ingredients, a third at a time. Mix until the dough starts to come together.

Step 3: Cover and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.

Step 4: Take half the dough and turn out onto a clean and well-floured surface.

Step 5: Roll dough out to be ¼ inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes. Place cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Step 6: Bake for 8-9 minutes at 375.

Step 7: When cookies are done, let sit for 1-2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting and decorating.

This is a common question when it comes to making sugar cookies. So let’s settle it once and for all… YES! This is an essential step to making sure your sugar cookies turn out just right.

Skipping this step can cause the dough to be sticky and it will be extremely hard to get good shapes out of it.

Definitely! Sometimes I will make my dough a day or two ahead of time and leave it in the fridge until I am ready to bake and decorate. That’s another thing I love about this recipe!

Homemade Icing Recipe

Ingredients to make your own Icing

4 cups of powdered sugar
3 tablespoons of meringue powder
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
¾ cups of water
Food coloring, different colors will be needed depending on which holiday you’re baking for! (I prefer to use gel food coloring. The colors come out way more vibrant and won’t affect the consistency of the icing.)

How to Make Homemade Icing

Step 1: In a stand mixer that’s fitted with a whisk attachment, combine powdered sugar and meringue powder.

Step 2: Add vanilla and turn the mixer on low. Slowly add water and mix on low until all of the powdered sugar has mixed into the water. Then turn on high and beat until the frosting starts to thicken and increase in size.

Step 3: Turn off the mixer and lift the whisk out of the frosting. The frosting should flow like ribbons back down into the bowl. If it’s too stiff, add more water.

Step 4: Divide the frosting into separate bowls and color each of them a different color, depending on which occasion you are making the cookies for.

Step 5: When the cookies have cooled, decorate them using the frosting and other decorating materials. (If the frosting has thickened from sitting, just add a little more water, a teaspoon at a time).

Step 6: Once all the cookies have been decorated, let sit until dry.

How Long Will Decorated Sugar Cookies Stay Fresh

Of course, the cookies are best when they are freshly baked, but you can store them in an airtight container and they will keep for about 2 weeks. Just be sure to not expose them to air.

You can freeze them for up to 2 months. Just make sure you have them in an airtight container or wrapped up really good!

Recipes Using Sugar Cookies

5 from 3 votes

Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves —

This is the absolute best homemade cut out sugar cookie recipe. Soft, chewy, and hold their shape without spreading -- ideal for decorating cut-outs!

Print Rate Pin Save

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 9

Chill 30

Total Time 19

Ingredients

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients and gradually add to the wet ingredients, a third at a time. Mix until the dough starts to come together.
Cover and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
Take half the dough and turn out onto a clean and well-floured surface.
Roll dough out to be ¼ inch thick. Use a large round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Place cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 8-9 minutes at 375.
When cookies are done, let sit for 1-2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting and decorating.

Nutrition Info

These are my all-time favorite sugar cookies. Topping them off with the homemade icing makes for the most delicious (and beautiful) sugar cookies of all time! They are the perfect treat for any occasion!