No chill, soft, and melt-in-your-mouth. The reviews don't lie---this is the best sugar cookie recipe! Bakery-style sugar cookies that turn out perfectly every time.
You might also like our buttermilk sugar cookies, copycat Lofthouse sugar cookies, or lemon sugar cookies!
Every family has a favorite sugar cookie recipe. This one is ours! Soft, nicely shaped, cooked through, and not brown or crispy on the edges. If you like these sugar cookies, you'll love our sugar cookie bars! Same recipe---different technique.
This recipe is a combination of my best sugar cookie recipes all rolled into one. We've been making this version for over a decade! The shortening helps the cookies keep their nicely shaped edges. The butter gives them amazing flavor, and the cornstarch makes them melt in your mouth.
Why I Like This Recipe
- No chill. There's no need to chill the cookie dough for these sugar cookies! They keep their shape beautifully when baked.
- Amazing flavor. Butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract give these cookies amazing flavor. You can change the extract flavorings to suit your taste.
- Easy to roll out. The dough is soft and easy to roll out like Play-Doh. You can roll it out, cut, then roll again without worrying about overworking the dough or having it dry out.
What Others Are Saying
I’ve made these a few times now and they are fantastic. I love that I don’t have to chill the dough! Thank you!
I was testing recipes for the perfect sugar cookie. Found this and it is GREAT. Taste good and hold its shape.
This is the BEST cut-out cookie recipe I’ve ever tried! My son is a Chef and he said it’s hands down, the best cut-out cookie he’s ever tasted. They melt in your mouth… seriously!
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Tips and Tricks
- Bake on cold baking sheets. It's best to put uncooked cookies on cold baking sheets before baking to keep the dough firm. I like to roll out and cut all of my cookies and place them on baking sheets in the refrigerator while the other batches cook. This keeps the pans and dough chilled instead of waiting on the counter (at room temperature) to be cooked.
- Do not overbake the cookies. Ovens vary, so use my baking time in the recipe as a guide. The cookies are ready when the edges are set and the tops are no longer glossy.
- Easy decorating tips. I have an entire collection of sugar cookie decorating tutorials for bakers of all ages! My ultimate guide to decorating Christmas sugar cookies shows how to make six cookies using basic frosting techniques. My Halloween sugar cookie decorating tutorial shows how to decorate darling ghost cookies using tulip-shaped sugar cookies (many cookie cutter shapes have multiple uses!)
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- Butter and Shortening: I use a combination of butter and shortening for the best texture and flavor. If you don't want to use shortening you can use all butter, but I highly recommend trying the recipe as written first.
- Sugar: There are only two types of cookies that I don't use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar for: sugar cookies and snickerdoodles. White sugar is best for sugar cookies. It gives them great flavor and texture.
- Egg: For richness and texture.
- Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract: Extracts are where you can get creative when making cookies. Vanilla and almond are my favorites to use and are a wonderful flavor combination.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is a great option for baking cookies.
- Cornstarch: This recipe requires a substantial amount of cornstarch. Trust me, it makes a soft and tender cookie.
- Baking powder: Baking powder gives sugar cookies life and a light texture.
Easy Buttercream Frosting
My favorite buttercream frosting holds sprinkles well and sets up enough to prevent smudging, but I wouldn't recommend stacking these cookies more than two high. If you want icing that dries and creates a hard shell, try royal icing.
- Butter: For the best flavor and texture, always use butter in your frosting.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar gives the frosting a fluffy and smooth texture.
- Milk or Heavy Cream: A bit of milk or cream helps thin the frosting out to a spreadable consistency.
- Vanilla: For flavoring.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make The Best Sugar Cookies
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer*), combine butter, shortening, and sugar. Beat until fluffy.
Step 2: Turn the electric mixer to a low speed and add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Add baking powder. Stir in the flour and cornstarch, and mix until a soft dough forms.
Step 3: Lightly flour your working surface and shape dough into a large ball.
Step 4: Roll the dough out to the desired thickness using a rolling pin (I usually do ¼- ⅜") and cut into shapes. Add flour to the dough if it feels too sticky, but a nice, soft dough is what you want.
Step 5: Carefully transfer cut out cookie shapes with a spatula to a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Cookies will be soft. Let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully moving to a cooling rack.
Step 6: Beat frosting ingredients together. Spread or pipe onto cooled cookies.
* I make these using my KitchenAid mixer and keep it on the entire time (on the 2nd to lowest setting). If you don't have a stand mixer, just make sure to beat everything until fluffy before adding the flour.
Cutout Sugar Cookie FAQs
Some recipes call for refrigeration, but this one doesn't. If you'd like to make it ahead of time you can wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and then use it later, but this is a great last-minute recipe because refrigeration is not necessary.
Corn starch softens the dough making it feel like a cloud. It also makes for a softer sugar cookie.
Shortening gives the cookies a soft texture and helps them retain their shape during the baking process. Butter gives the cookies a delicious flavor and a rich texture.
These will stay fresh for about 3 days, but you can freeze them for months.
All of these cookies were made using this cutout sugar cookie recipe. It's simply the best!
More Cutout Cookies To Make
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Bakery Style Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 cup flour
- ½ cup corn starch
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 Tbsp. milk
Instructions
Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl combine butter, shortening and sugar. Beat until fluffy. Turn mixer down and add egg, vanilla and almond extract. Add baking powder. Add flour* and cornstarch and mix thoroughly. *Start with 3 ½ cups of flour, and if the dough seems too soft add the last ½ cup of flour. If it seems too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water.
- Lightly flour your working surface and shape dough into a large ball.
- No refrigeration necessary.
- Roll dough out to desired thickness using a rolling pin (I usually do ¼- ⅜″) and cut into shapes. Add flour to dough if it feels too sticky but a nice soft dough is what you want. Carefully transfer cut out cookie shapes with a spatula to a baking sheet.
- Bake on baking sheets at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Cookies will be soft. Let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully moving to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
- Whisk frosting ingredients and spread over cookies. Refrigerate any leftover frosting
Sue says
These are the BEST sugar cookie I have ever!!! They are perfectly crunchy.
Brandy says
I'm so glad to hear this!
Shelley says
I made these today- delicious!! What was the name of bakery you liked in Yuba City? It’s where I’m from!
Brandy says
Small world! It was The Cookie Tree. Their cookies were SO good!
Diana Pearce says
I was so pleased with how this recipe turned out. I forgot to get shortening, so I used coconut oil and they turned out great. I was a little leery of using that much almond extract, so I cut back on the amount a little. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Brandy says
I'm so glad you liked it! Merry Christmas!
Rinda says
On the floor----are you using self-serving or all-purpose flour? I plan on making this week!
Brandy says
All purpose flour.
Brandy says
Hi Abi! The dough should be soft like play doh once you knead it. I haven't ever had the problem of it being too dry, but I have had other readers mention their dough ended up a bit dry a time or two. Next time decrease the flour by 1/2 cup and see what happens! I'm not sure what makes the difference from kitchen to kitchen. Maybe the size of the eggs or humidity in the air?
Cindal says
My new favorite sugar cookie recipe!! We did have to add a little water to the dough cause it was too dry and cracking a lot but they are absolutely delicious. We made an icing out of a tiny bit of cherry juice concentrate with water to dilute, powdered sugar, and whipping cream. Soo yummy!
Brandy says
Oh, I'm so glad! That cherry frosting sounds delicious!
Polly Meaut says
I was testing recipes for the perfect sugar cookie. Found this and it is GREAT.Taste good and holds its shape .
Brandy says
Yay! I'm go glad that you liked them!
Lisa says
The BEST ever!!
Brandy says
I'm so glad you like them!
Karen says
Can this recipe be adapted to gluten free
Brandy says
Hi Karen! I don't know anything about gluten-free cooking. I'm sorry!
angie the freckled rose says
Oh yum! Looks super delicious 🙂
Amy says
Do you think I could substitute the fats for margarine or is the shortening vital to the taste/texture?
Brandy says
Hi Amy! The shortening helps them keep their shape and I always use butter in baking so I can't say how they'd turn out with margarine, but I would think they would still taste delicious.
Dee P. says
For getting a nice icing so they don't stick together even after they totally dry, would you substitute water for the milk?
Brandy says
I would think that might work! Honestly, I haven't tried it with this icing before. I use water in royal icing and it helps the icing dry nice and hard.
Rebecca says
Used this recipe for Christmas cookies this year. For the past handful of years I've mixed up multiple store bought mixes to make usually about 200 cut out cookies. This year, I decided to make 1 batch of homemade and that's all.
My cookies are a little thinner than yours, but I got 103 cookies from the 1 batch! They all look great and bake up nicely!
Brandy says
Awesome! This is definitely my go-to recipe!
Bianca Cardenas says
Is it unsalted butter I use for sugar cookies
Brandy says
I use salted butter. You can use unsalted as well and add 1/2 tsp. salt to the recipe.
Sarah says
Does this icing recipe set up enough to stack these cookies when done? If so how long after they are iced should they be stacked? Also do these cookies need to be refrigerated after being iced?
Brandy says
Hi Sarah! The icing does set up after about 20 minutes. I usually just lay the cookies on a platter laying them against each other and they do just fine, but if you are going to be stacking these on top of each other a safe bet would be a royal icing recipe with meringue powder in it. I've never refrigerated them because they are eaten fairly quickly (within 24 hours). Hope that helps! 🙂