Easy Sugar Cookies Recipe • 5★

Updated September 25, 2024

Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

For perfectly tender, highly addictive sugar cookies, use the most flavorful salted butter that you can find and good quality vanilla extract. For the freshest, most delicious cookies, only bake as many cookies as you plan on eating in a day. To store extra dough, scoop it and roll it into balls and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Bake them from frozen, rolling in sugar just beforehand.

SaveLog in or sign up to save this recipe.

GiveSubscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyoneAs a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.SubscribeLog In

Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

Share this recipeCopy linkEmailPinterestFacebookXWhatsAppReddit

Print this recipeInclude recipe photoPrint RecipeLog in or sign up to print this recipe.

2 cups/256 grams all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

12 tablespoons/170 grams salted butter (1 ½ sticks), at room temperature

1 cup/200 grams plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Step 1Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Step 2In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the egg and egg yolk until creamy, then add the vanilla, again scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the egg and egg yolk until creamy, then add the vanilla, again scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined.

Step 3In a small bowl, place the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Roll the dough into golf-ball-size balls (about 2 tablespoons each), then roll each one in the sugar.

In a small bowl, place the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Roll the dough into golf-ball-size balls (about 2 tablespoons each), then roll each one in the sugar.

Step 4Transfer the dough to parchment-lined baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies until just set and dry in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer each sheet to a rack to cool for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely.

Transfer the dough to parchment-lined baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies until just set and dry in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer each sheet to a rack to cool for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely.

This recipe is bonkers good. I used salted Amish butter and it was completely worth it- I’m not sure it would be without a good quality butter. My cookies took 14 minutes to bake and were the perfect texture- soft and chewy like promised. I rolled mine in Sugar in the Raw before baking (rather than regular granulated sugar) which lended a nice crunch and color. A

This recipe is a historical event. I’ve never eaten let alone made a better sugar cookie. I couldn’t find high-quality butter that was salted, only unsalted, so I just doubled the salt in the flour mixture. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Perfection.

I made these with monk fruit sweetener, vegan butter, and organic, whole wheat flour. I was nervous to substitute all that. But, my god, they are delicious and a fraction of the calories, I believe. I made 8 and froze the rest. I’m also a terrible baker, but these came out absolutely top notch.

Absolutely delicious, but the cookies are huge! Next time, I will make them smaller.

These cookies are SO GOOD! But I made one change that somehow made them 10x better; I added the zest of one lemon to the two tablespoons of sugar for coating. It cuts the sweetness perfectly, but isn’t overwhelming or too lemony. It makes all the difference!

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025780-soft-and-chewy-sugar-cookies