The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe. Perfect for cut out cookies, this dough does not require refrigeration before rolling out or before baking. And the dough doesn’t spread when baking either!
It snowed last night, today and is going to again this week so these snowflake sugar cookies pretty much sum up the week. I always hesitate before calling a recipe “the best” of anything. Because 1. its based on personal taste 2. everyone has their favorite recipe 3. who am I to say something is the best? But if you love to make sugar cookies like I do. If you love to make the dough and get right to work with your roller and cookie cutters without refrigerating the dough first. If you don’t like having to refrigerate your cookies before baking and if you don’t want your cutouts to spread when they bake…. Then this is The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe out there. Its inspired by the Fancy Flours recipe and its a winner. I came upon this recipe quite a few years ago and haven’t strayed since.
For these cookies I used a snowflake cookie cutter. Royal icing, one of my favorites!! And I fell in love with these winter color inspired sprinkles by Wilton. But you can use what ever cookie cutter strikes your fancy and of course if royal icing isn’t your thing you can never go wrong with buttercream!
I hope you find that The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe is your favorite to! Happy baking and decorating!
Enjoy!
Stacey
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The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- COOKIE:
- 3 cups flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter room temp but not too soft/melty, see Notes
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- ROYAL ICING:
- 2 Tbsp Wilton color flow mix
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Have cookie cutter(s) ready.
- COOKIES:
- In medium bowl add the flour, salt and baking powder, stir to combine, set aside.
- In bowl of mixer start whipping the butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the sugar and mix to combine.
- Add in the egg, vanilla and vanilla bean. Mix well to combine.
- Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until cookie dough forms and all is combined.
- Divide dough into two portions.
- Place dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll out, cut out cookies and place on tray.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes.
- Repeat until all cookies are baked.
- Let cool completely.
- ROYAL ICING:
- Combine all ingredients into mixer and mix until all combine and royal icing forms, about 5 minutes.
- Pour into piping bag with a small round tip, I used Wilton tip #3.
- DECORATING:
- Lay cookies flat on cookie sheets.
- Outline the snowflakes with royal icing.
- Let set for at least 10 minutes. This outline will be like a fence and will keep the royal icing from running over the sides when its time to fill.
- Next fill each cookie with royal icing, using the tip or a toothpick to move it around so it covers evenly.
- Sprinkle immediately with sprinkles while icing is wet.
- Let set to dry completely, at least 4 hours but over night is preferable.
Notes
These are BEAUTIFUL Stacey! I know, I am also hesitant to call something “the best”, but sometimes it really is 😉
Thanks Katherine! I just love a good sugar cookie! Take care.
These are so pretty! Everything you want in a sugar cookie! I am willing to bet these are the best! 🙂
Thanks Annie! Agreed, everything 😉 . Take care.
These look so beautiful and festive, Stacey. Perfect cookies for the holidays 🙂
Hi Ashika! Thank you! I love a good sugar cookie for the holidays! Take care.
The Best Sugar Cookies are also the prettiest sugar cookies I have seen this holiday season! And not only do they look delicious, but they would also make gorgeous ornaments on a Christmas tree! Happy Holidays, Stacey!
Hi Thao! Thank you! I would love to put these on a tree but between my daughter, niece and nephew (and ok myself included), they would be gone in a week 😉 Take care.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe! =)
Hi Barb! You are more than welcome! Enjoy!
I love your pictures Stacey!! Some of them are just so beautiful! I have made sugar cookies earlier..and I know how they spread and create a mess even after refrigerating..These sound perfect! Will be trying soon 🙂
Hi Deepika, thank you so much for your kind words. I have had lots of dough spread over the years and it makes me want to cry! I think you’ll like this recipe, enjoy! Take care.
I’m obsessed with how you decorated these amazing looking cookies! I’m drawn towards the color blue so blue and white winter decorations are my all-time favorite this time of year! I’m assuming this cookie dough freezes well so we can make the dough ahead of time, then bake them up this Saturday, right before the holiday. Everyone needs an amazing sugar cookie recipe in their arsenal and this recipe looks like a winner!
Hi Christina! Thanks so much! The blues, pewter and whites are what really drew me to these sprinkles as well. I wouldn’t see why you couldn’t freeze it but I have not tried it myself. It refrigerates very well for sure, just take it out ahead of time so it softens a bit. Enjoy! Take care.
I lovelovelove these gorgeous cookies! Actually, I love just about every cookie. . .but a sugar cookie that doesn’t spread when it bakes? Um. Yes please!
Thank you Kelsie! Haha, never met a cookie I didn’t like either. Take care!
These cookies are gorgeous! I love the snowflake cookie cutter! Super cute! This recipe sounds wonderful, especially the no chilling needed. That’s a huge time saver!
Thank you Kathy! I liked the snowflake to, you can use it all season. Take care.
Oh my goodness, this looks and sounds incredible!
Thank you Puja! So glad you like the cookies! Take care.
Do you soften the butter prior to whipping it, or take it straight from the refrigerator? Thanks for the recipe and input. You’re cookies really are beautiful!
Thank you Kristine! I use room temperature butter. You don’t want the butter to soft/melty or the cookies will get puffy. Thank you for the question. I just added this as a note in the recipe for others, chances are if you are asking others are to 😉 .
Thanks so much! That’s the norm for butter in recipes, but since these are no chill, I second guessed myself!
I can never appreciate your pictures enough. I love how your backgrounds are perfectly blurred and matches the crisp and clear display of the subject in focus. Oh and from eating perspective, these sugar cookies appear so yummy! Wonderful recipe.
Hi Neha! Thank you so much, your compliments truly mean a lot. Can’t ever beat a good sugar cookie 😉 . Take care.
Thank you, my dinosaurs didn’t turn into blobs!!!!
Hi Anita,
LOL, Im so glad. There is nothing more devastating than blob cookies!! Take care.