Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe

Not to boast, but everyone who has tasted or made this sugar cookie recipe has said it became their instant favorite!! It took weeks of testing to get it just right.

These Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies require NO CHILLING and are incredibly easy to bake up.

This recipe is perfect for your Christmas cookie boxes or just enjoying with a glass of milk. If it’s a warmer time of year, it also makes a great base for ice cream sandwiches!

This recipe is actually featured in my cookbook, The Ultimate Cookie Handbook, which has sold out multiple times!! It makes me so glad to see you guys adore cookie baking as much as I do.

Originally, I had created a sugar cookie recipe with cream cheese that was ultra-soft. However, I found that it would become claggy, and each bite would get stuck to the roof of your mouth. I happened to grab a sugar cookie at a bakery one random day and instantly became inspired by its texture.

It was simultaneously soft and chewy. Each bite was so incredibly satisfying! I knew I had to recreate that texture for my cookbook sugar cookie recipe. I’m SO happy with the results… mostly because this recipe turned out to be so easy to make, and they taste utterly delicious.

People will think you went to an expensive bakery when you show up with a box of these cookies. Especially if you stock up on some cute homemade cookie gift packaging.

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

My go-to recipe, these Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies are perfectly tender and soft with just the right amount of chewiness. They take just minutes to make with ingredients you may already have in your kitchen!

Prep: 15min

Total: 25min

Yield: 16

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups (318 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter, (at cool room temperature)
• 1¼ cups (250 grams) granulated sugar, (plus ¼ cup (50 grams) for rolling)
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine.
3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed to beat the butter and 1¼ cups sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Slowly beat in the flour mixture.
4. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a shallow dish. Using a large (3-tablespoon) spring-loaded scoop, divide the dough into balls, then roll in sugar to coat evenly. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly with the bottom of a measuring cup.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies set and begin to brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe

This soft sugar cookie recipe tastes just like the ones from the store, but better. You will love how soft and chewy they are and the frosting is amazing!

Prep: 15min

Total: 26min

Yield: 16

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 468 kcal, Carbohydrate 77 g, Protein 5 g, Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 10 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Sodium 296 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 55 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 1/4 cup butter (softened)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 to 1½ pounds powdered sugar
• Candy sprinkles (optional)

Instruction:

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Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe

These incredibly soft and chewy sugar cookies are rich, buttery, and insanely delicious.

Prep: 15min

Total: 27min

Yield: 24

Ingredients:

• 2 1/8 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks/227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (85g) powdered sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, for rolling

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar on medium-low speed for 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract just until combined. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Do not overmix.
4. Place ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into balls, the size of 1.5 tablespoons each (I use this ice cream scoop for that), then roll them in the sugar and place on the cookie sheets, spacing them 2-inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes until cookies just begin to brown at the edges, but the center is still soft (you don’t want to overbake them). Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

Soft Sugar Cookies

These drop cookies are so easy and require no chilling. They are slightly crunchy around the outside and chewy in the middle.

Prep: 15min

Total: 25min

Yield: 36

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 141 kcal, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 14 mg, Sodium 81 mg, Sugar 8 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 c. butter (softened)
• 1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 1 minutes. Add in egg and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
3. Next, add in the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined. Gradually add flour mixing as you go. Make sure to scrape the side of the bowl every once in a while.
4. If you want you can roll the dough into 1” balls and roll into granulated sugar, place about 2” apart on prepared baking sheet. Your other option is to drop tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheet about 2” apart if you don’t want sugar on them.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes or until just set. You don’t want to over bake them or they won’t be chewy and soft!
6. Remove from oven and cool.
7. After they cool frosting them with my favorite homemade frosting or enjoy plain!

Easy Homemade Lofthouse Cookies

FAQ

What is the secret to making cookies soft?

How do you make cookies soft and not hard?

Why aren t my sugar cookies soft?

Does white sugar or brown sugar make cookies softer?