Sugar Cookie Dough
A soft, buttery cut-out dough that rolls like a dream and bakes into pale-gold cookies with crisp edges and tender middles. Creaming the butter only until smooth — not fluffy — plus a full hour of chilling keeps the whipped-in air to a minimum, so your stars and snowflakes hold their sharp edges instead of puffing and spreading. The vanilla-almond flavor is classic bakery-case sugar cookie, sturdy enough for royal icing but delicate enough to eat plain.
Beat 225 g (1 cup) softened unsalted butter with 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar just until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes — not light and fluffy. Mix in 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, then stir in 375 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour whisked with 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt until a soft dough forms. Divide into 2 flat discs, wrap, and chill 1 hour. Roll each disc 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick on a lightly floured counter, cut shapes, and bake on parchment-lined sheets at 175°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set but not browned. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet before moving to a rack.
- Cream the butter and sugar only until smooth — whipping in extra air makes cut-outs puff, dome, and lose their shape in the oven.
- Roll a full 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick; thinner cookies bake up brittle and snap under royal icing.
- If the cut shapes feel soft or the kitchen is warm, slide the cutouts on their tray into the fridge for 10 minutes before baking for the sharpest edges.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Large and medium mixing bowls
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened, cool room temperature — it should dent, not squish
- 200 g granulated sugar
- large egg, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 2.5 ml almond extract, optional; omit for nut-free cookies
- 375 g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled if measuring by cup
- 6 g baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
For rolling
- 30 g all-purpose flour, for dusting the counter and rolling pin
Method
- STEP01
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- STEP02
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium speed just until smooth, creamy, and uniform, about 2 minutes. Stop before the mixture turns pale and fluffy — less air in the dough means cookies that keep their shape.
- STEP03
Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl once.
- STEP04
Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing on low just until no dry streaks remain. The dough will be soft and slightly tacky but should pull away from the sides of the bowl. Do not keep mixing once it comes together.
- STEP05
Divide the dough in half, pat each half into a flat disc about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick, and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 3 days. Flat discs chill faster and roll out more evenly than balls.
- STEP06
Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line two baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured counter, roll one disc to 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick, turning it a quarter turn every few passes so it doesn't stick. Cut shapes and transfer them to the sheets, spacing them 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart. Press scraps together, re-roll once, and repeat with the second disc. If the cutouts feel soft, chill the tray for 10 minutes before baking.
- STEP07
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops look dry and the edges are set but still pale — golden-brown edges mean they are overbaked and will be crunchy rather than tender.
- STEP08
Let the cookies rest on the hot sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then move them to a wire rack. Cool completely — at least 30 minutes — before icing or stacking.
Make ahead
This dough is built for working ahead. Refrigerate the wrapped discs up to 3 days, or freeze them up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. You can also roll, cut, and freeze the raw shapes flat on a tray, then bag them; bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes. Baked cookies freeze well for a month before decorating day.
Storage
Wrapped dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling if it is too firm. Baked, un-iced cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, with parchment between layers. Iced cookies keep about 5 days once the icing has fully dried.
Variations
Chocolate sugar cookie dough
Replace 45 g (1/2 cup) of the flour with 45 g (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder and add an extra tablespoon of butter. The dough handles the same way and gives you deep chocolate cut-outs that pair beautifully with white royal icing.
Dairy-free and vegan swap
Use stick-style plant butter (not tub spread, which is too soft) and replace the egg with 45 ml (3 tbsp) aquafaba or one flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2.5 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes). Chill a full 2 hours, since plant butters soften faster at room temperature.
Citrus-vanilla bean
Rub the finely grated zest of one lemon or orange into the sugar before creaming, swap the almond extract for the seeds of half a vanilla bean, and finish the baked cookies with a thin citrus glaze instead of royal icing.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Frequently asked
Why do I need to chill sugar cookie dough before rolling?
Chilling firms the butter and gives the flour time to hydrate, which does two things: the dough rolls out cleanly instead of sticking, and the shapes hold their outline in the oven instead of spreading. One hour is the minimum for this recipe; overnight is even better for flavor, though you may need to let the discs warm up for 10 minutes before they roll easily.
Why did my cookies spread and lose their shape?
The usual culprits are over-creamed butter, dough that got too warm, or too little flour from scooping cups straight into the bag. Beat the butter and sugar only until smooth, weigh the flour if you can, and chill the cut shapes for 10 minutes right on the baking sheet before they go into the oven — that last step fixes spreading in almost every warm kitchen.
Can I freeze sugar cookie dough?
Yes — sugar cookie dough freezes exceptionally well. Wrap the discs tightly, slide them into a freezer bag, and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can also freeze already-cut shapes flat on a tray and bake them from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
Is it safe to eat this sugar cookie dough raw?
Not as written, because it contains raw egg and untreated raw flour, both of which can carry bacteria. If you want a snackable version, leave out the egg and baking powder, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk, and heat-treat the flour first (spread it on a sheet pan and bake at 150°C/300°F for about 7 minutes, until it reaches 74°C/165°F).
How thick should I roll the dough for decorated cookies?
Roll to 6 mm (1/4 inch) for cookies sturdy enough to ice, stack, and package without snapping. Rolling guides or two chopstick 'rails' under the ends of your rolling pin keep the thickness even, which also means every cookie on the sheet finishes baking at the same moment.
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