Last Updated on February 7, 2023 by Kathryn Donangelo
Easy Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are chewy, thick, and perfect for decorating. These cookies hold their shape and can be customized for any holiday or occasion. The cookie dough is easy to work with and doesn’t require a ton of chilling time. This is the only cut-out sugar cookie recipe you’ll ever need!
If you enjoy sugar cookies, try my Soft Sugar Cookies, Sugar Cookie Bars, and Sugar Cookie Truffles!
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These Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are one of our top favorite cookies. I make these the most out of any other cookie recipe on my blog and bake them year-round, for any occasion. I decided to make Valentine’s Day cookies by using a heart-shaped cookie cutter but you can use any shape.
I used to sell these decorated cookies on Etsy and ship them all over the United States a few years ago and I still get requests to make them. So now, you can make your own! I promise, these are the best roll-out sugar cookies and you’ll understand why once you make them.
I’m sharing my recipe with you because it’s too good and too easy. Plus, everyone needs a simple go-to sugar cookie recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- Butter: I use salted butter- it adds just the right amount of salt that’s needed.
- Sugar: the main ingredient.
- Egg: one large, whole egg at room temperature.
- Vanilla and almond extract: gives the cookie dough the ultimate “sugar cookie” flavor.
- Flour: all-purpose is preferred although you could make these with whole wheat flour however, it will change the flavor.
- Baking powder: makes these cookies rise just a bit.
HOW TO MAKE CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIES
You can make these into large or smaller cookie shapes, just note the baking time will vary a bit.
I’ve perfected this recipe for years and made this recipe hundreds of times so it’s exactly what I want in a cut-out sugar cookie. Before this recipe, my dough would also spread and it was difficult to decorate. You don’t have to worry about that with these cookies!
I’ve learned letting the cut-out cookie dough freeze is the trick and it works every single time. The best part is you only need to freeze the cookies for 20-30 minutes for perfeclty shaped cookies.
HOW TO MAKE SUGAR COOKIE ICING
There are many different ways you can ice or frost these sugar cookies. You can either go with a classic icing that’s thinner and lighter. If you wanted a thicker frosting, a classic buttercream will work perfectly. If you are wanting to use a flooding method for extensive decorating, I highly recommend using royal icing that has meringue powder.
For the classic icing I used, simply whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and extracts until smooth. If the icing seems to be too thick, add more milk. If it seems to be too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Add food coloring gel if you want your icing to be colored.
You can add your icing to a ziplock bag, snip off a corner, and squeeze onto the cookie. Alternatively, you can use a spoon or butter knife to spread the icing on the cookie as well.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
Funfetti Sugar Cookies: Add sprinkles to the cookie dough.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies: Add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to the cookie dough and top the cookies with melted chocolate or a chocolate frosting.
Chocolate chip sugar cookies: add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to the cookies dough. Be careful not to add too any otherwise they will melt.
Lemon Sugar Cookies: add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest to the cookie dough and swap the almond extract for lemon extract. You could also use fresh lemon juice. Check out these drop Lemon Sugar Cookies.
Flavored Icing or frosting: you can use any frosting or icing that you prefer. You can use different flavored frosting such as strawberry, chocolate, white chocolate, vanilla, funfetti, coffee, etc.
Royal icing: used for flood technique decorating if you are wanted a more decorated look.
Unfrosted sugar cookies: this is my husband’s favorite way to eat these cookies. These cookies are just as delicious without the frosting, and you really get to enjoy the flavor of the sugar cookie without the extra sweetness from the icing or frosting.
HOW TO DECORATE SUGAR COOKIES
You can decorate these cookies any way you prefer. These are the perfect cookies for any holiday or occasion since you could use different cookie cutter shapes, icing, and sprinkles.
I love using either a simple icing, buttercream frosting, or a use royal icing depending on how decorated I want the cookies.
I always outline my cookies with the icing so it will hold the rest of the icing I fill the cookie with and it helps maintain the shape. Top the cookie with sprinkles immediately and let them dry for at least 20 minutes to harden.
TIPS
- Dip the cookie cutter in flour before each use. This will prevent the cookie cutter from sticking to the dough.
- Make sure to roll out the cookie dough 1/8-1/4 inch thick. You don’t want the dough to be thinner than that, otherwise, they can burn and end up crunchy.
- If you’re not sure what shape to make these cookies, you can just make them a round cookie and use a biscuit cutter or the back of a cup to cut them out.
- Add the icing to a piping bag or ziplock bag and snip a corner off so you can easily ice your cookies to create a heart shape.
- Freezing the cutout cookie dough is essential. You must do this otherwise your cookie may lose its shape and spread.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- You can use any type of cookie cutter and icing so these cookies are perfect year-round.
- They are thick, chewy, and soft– everything you want in a sugar cookie.
- Kids can help make these cookies by cutting out the dough, icing them, or adding the sprinkles.
- This cookie dough won’t spread like most cut-out sugar cookies.
- Unfrosted baked cookies freeze very well, for up to 3 months so you can always have cookies ready to be frosted. This is always super handy and a great idea (especially if you have kids).
LEFTOVERS + STORAGE
When I used to sell these cookies, we had a super tiny kitchen at the time so the only way that I would be able to make these with ease is to make batches a few days ahead and freeze the baked unfrosted cooked cookies. These cookies freeze very well when they are unfrosted. It also saves you time if you don’t want to go through the whole process of making the cookies.
Store any iced or frosted cookies in an airtight container on the counter of a cool area for up to 1 week.
To freeze, make sure the unfrosted cookies are completely cool. Place them in a large ziplock container, you can carefully stack them or place parchment paper in between each layer. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to frost and decorate the cookies, remove the cookies from the freezer and let them thaw for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
LOOKING FOR OTHER EASY VALENTINE’S DAY DESSERTS? TRY THESE!
- Valentine’s Cake Mix Cookie
- Strawberry Nice Cream
- Sweetheart Brownies
- Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Cheesecake Sprinkle Cookies
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Romantic Cheese Board for Two
- 25+ Healthy Valentine’s Day Treats
CAN’T GET ENOUGH?
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Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup salted butter; softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Sugar Cookie Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
To make sugar cookies
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer or kitchen stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in egg and extracts.
- Slowly mix in flour and baking powder, 1 cup at a time until cookie dough has formed.
- Divide the dough into 2 balls. Roll out each dough ball into a 12-inch circle with a rolling pin on a floured surface. Cut out cookies, at least 1/8 inch thick and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
- Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake cookies in the center rack for 8-11 minutes, or just until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat until all of your cookies are baked.
To make icing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the icing ingredients until the icing is smooth. If the icing is too thick, add more milk. if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
How to ice the cookies
- Transfer the icing to a large ziplock bag and snip off a corner. Pipe the icing on the cookie evenly. You could also ice the cookies with a spoon or butter knife. Add sprinkles if desired and let the icing harden for at least 20 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
I need to make some of these for the grandkids. They will love to decorate them. Perfect for Valentine’s Day.
I hope you do, they will love them as all kids do! 🙂
These were absolutely perfect! I don’t eat egg so I used egg replacer instead but they were still so delicious! I can’t wait to have fun decorating them!
So glad that worked out for you! 🙂
Sugar cookies aren’t just for Christmas! These heart sugar cookie cutouts are the perfect Valentine’s Day treat.
I agree! I love these all year round 🙂
Love love love and good sugar cookie. Soft and buttery, could make them for everyday, Valentines, Easter.. anytime you can think of.
Sugar cookies are one of. my favorites just for that reason 🙂
I used this recipe with a stencil rolling pin and it worked perfectly.
Because the recipe uses baking powder instead of baking soda, the leavening effect is delayed by freezing. However, I must add one minute to the usual baking time for dough at room temperature.
I highly recommend the lemon zest variation. Just a tiny 1/2 tsp
I made these cookies for Valentine’s. I’ll decorate them on Sunday morning before the Super Bowl, but I wanted to let you know they are simply delicious. I love that you added almond extract to the dough!
I love how you made these for the Super Bowl! Such a great idea, enjoy!
I totally love this dish and perfect for this coming Valentine’s day. The icing and the sprinkle added some enticing and tempting to these cookies.
Thank you and yes, these cookies are so perfect, especially for Valentine’s Day! 🙂
Sure could use one of those cookies now. They are too cute. This is a great re ipe for a family to do together. Also souch fun munching on after!
Well done. Love sugar cookies
Thank you so much!
These sugar cookies are perfection! We usually make them for Christmas, but the kids love them so much we just. made a batch for Valentine’s Day too!
Love that! I make these year round!
These were so beautiful, my daughter begged me to make them. The sprinkles really drew her in, lol. They came out perfectly, our new go to cookie!
Yay!!I love that your daughter loved them too! 🙂
I can’t stop telling myself how pretty these look! I am super excited to make these today and I know my kids would love to help. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to make them!
Thank you so much, Ramona! I hope you all love them as much as we did!
These are so pretty and I much prefer this style to the hard, crisp sugar cookies.
Me too, thank you!
Loved this recipe, very easy to follow and appreciate all the photos. My daughter and I had fun decorating them!
I am so glad you found the photos to be helpful. Thank you!
These are always fun to make with my niece! She loves to add tons of sprinkles and frosting. Great recipe!
I love that your niece loves them too, so fun for kids to decorate!
I love that these taste as good as they look! So pretty and impressive!
Thank you!
These cut out cookies look so fun! They look perfect with icing and all the sprinkles.
Thank you so much!
How long can the cutout dough be frozen? I’d like to make several dozen ahead of time for a shower, and then bake a few days before.
Can you make the dough ahead of time and freeze until you are ready to bake? If so, how long ahead of time?
Hi Denise, you definitely can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it up to 3 months. Make sure to tightly wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap then I recommend placing the wrapped dough ball in a heavy duty freezer bag. Leave the cookie dough on the counter to defrost until softened (a few hours) or overnight in the refrigerator. You can also freeze unfrosted cookies that are already cut out and baked. Make sure they are completely cool then place them in a large ziplock bag or air tight container. You can stack them and place parchment paper in between each layer. When you are ready to frost and decorate the cookies, remove the cookies from the freezer and let them thaw for 30 minutes to 1 hour. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I’m happy to help 🙂
Thank you
I used this recipe with a stencil rolling pin and it worked perfectly.
Because the recipe uses baking powder instead of baking soda, the leavening effect is delayed by freezing. However, I must add one minute to the usual baking time for dough at room temperature.
I highly recommend the lemon zest variation. Just a tiny 1/2 tsp
I’m trying to think how to freeze the cut out cookies, my freezer isn’t large enough for a cookie sheet. Any ideas??
Hi Deb, you can also put the cut out cookies onto several plates instead of one large cookie sheet. You can also put them in the refrigerator- just be sure to double the time. I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love these cookies- they are my favorite!
If I add cocoa powder to make chocolate sugar cookies, should I be using unsweetened cocoa powder?
Hi Hannah, yes use unsweetened cocoa powder that way the cookies aren’t overly sweet. I hope you love this sugar cookie recipe! 🙂 Please let me know you have any other questions.
On my phone I can’t see amounts of your ingredients. Wish I could!
Hi Denia, please look towards the end of the blog post for the recipe box. You could also scroll all the way to the top and click to “Jump to Recipe” button. I hope this helps!