Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
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If you like soft and chewy sugar cookies, then this is the recipe for you! Just thick enough, with a buttery richness and plenty of vanilla flavor. These will be your new favorite!
*This soft and chewy sugar cookie recipe originally published on August 25, 2016. I thought it was about time it was updated. So, I've added some additional info and answers to a few frequently asked questions. Hopefully, you'll enjoy these sugar cookies as much as my family and I do!*
I've had soft and chewy sugar cookies on the brain for the last few weeks, I've tested and re-tested, and I'm finally ready to share this recipe!
And I really think the timing couldn't be better. The temps are starting to cool, and soon the kiddos will be back to school.
I love to treat my kids to freshly baked cookies and milk as an after-school treat. It's a nice tradition and such a great way to reconnect after they've been gone all day.
ABOUT THIS SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
I have quite a few sugar cookie recipes on this site, but this one is definitely the easiest and most fuss-free to make. They are a simple drop cookie that is SOFT and CHEWY.
- The dough is really easy to make, with simple, basic ingredients you probably already have on hand.
- It's a no-chill dough, so you don't have to wait a long time to get your cookie fix.
- They're easy to form (just drop them onto the baking sheet with a cookie scoop).
- They're not too thick, not too thin. Just exactly how a cookie should be.
- The texture is soft and chewy, and they stay that way!
- The flavor is rich and buttery, with plenty of sweet vanilla flavor.
- They're simple- but sometimes simple is best, and that's definitely the case when it comes to sugar cookies!
If, however, you want:
- a sturdier cookie for decorating that has more of a tender-crisp, shortbread-like texture, go here: Sugar Cookies that Don't Spread in the Oven.
- a cookie that is also soft but can be rolled with a rolling pin and cut into shapes, go here: Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies.
- something with a little more flavor than your standard sugar cookie, go here: Chocolate Sugar Cookies OR Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies.
- something a bit more eye-catching, go here: Red Velvet Sugar Cookies.
HOW TO MAKE SOFT & CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES
These cookies are simple and straightforward, but when you're talking about a simple recipe with not a lot of ingredients, you know it's all about the technique!
MAKING THE DOUGH
Start with soft butter, and beat it with the sugar until it's REALLY pale and REALLY fluffy. You want to get a lot of air into it. This will help your cookies to be soft and tender, and it will also help them to spread properly. Give it at least 3 to 5 minutes with the mixer on medium-high speed.
Next, work in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. The extra yolk will provide even more moisture to these chewy sugar cookies.
Once those are well incorporated, it's time for the dry ingredients. In addition to flour, add a little bit of cornstarch. This will add structure to the cookies without causing them to be tough. Make sure you're using cornstarch, and not cornmeal. Cornstarch is a flavorless white powder, and cornmeal is gritty, yellow, and tastes like corn chips.
You are also going to add a little bit of baking soda for leavening. This will help your cookies to puff and spread as they bake. Measure this carefully, because too much or too little will impact the shape of your final cookie. For info on how to properly measure ingredients, click here: How to Measure Ingredients for Baking.
Once the dry ingredients go in, you want to mix until just barely combined. Overmixing the dough will cause things to become tight, and your cookies may not spread properly and could become tough and hard.
BAKING THE COOKIES
Now just drop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with a 1.5-tablespoon scoop. Keep in mind that different kinds of baking sheets can yield different results (ie: light baking sheets vs. dark baking sheets, or thin baking sheets vs. insulated ones). Here is a link to the kind of baking sheet I like to use: Baker's Half Sheet Pan.
These will bake in a preheated oven for around 10 minutes, but you want to keep an eye on them to know for sure when they're done. You're looking for edges that are just barely beginning to turn golden. The centers might still look a little bit undercooked, but that's ok because they will continue to bake as they cool. This is what's known as "carry-over cooking."
GLUTEN-FREE SUGAR COOKIES
These cookies can be made gluten-free just be swapping out the flour for a gluten-free blend. Look for one that subs 1:1 for regular flour. Here are a few good options:
HOW TO DECORATE SUGAR COOKIES
I've kept things pretty simple for the pics you see here, but there are lots of ways you can jazz these babies up!
SPRINKLES
Before the cookies go into the oven, hit them with a pinch of colorful sprinkles or sanding sugar. I really like this white sanding sugar, it's so sparkly!
ICING
Royal icing is made with just 3 ingredients and it's traditional for sugar cookies, especially if you like to create fancy artwork on your cookies. It's got a consistency almost like a glaze, and it dries hard. You can find the recipe here: Royal Icing.
FROSTING
I absolutely ADORE a thick layer of fluffy buttercream frosting on my sugar cookies! Here are a few of my favorites:
HOW TO STORE SOFT & CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES
Once these cookies are fully cooled, just slip them into an airtight container or zip-top bag. They will keep at room temperature for a week or two, or in the refrigerator for up to a month.
CAN THE DOUGH BE MADE AHEAD?
You can definitely make this dough ahead, but if you do, it's a good idea to use a little bit less flour. As it sits, it tends to become drier, so this will compensate for that.
Form it into a log shape, and wrap it tightly with parchment paper, and it will keep in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
One of my favorite things is to make and scoop the dough into balls, then freeze it on a baking sheet. Once it's frozen solid, transfer it to a zip-top bag and stash it in the freezer. It will keep for around 2 months, and every time you want freshly baked cookies you can just take out what you need. I love having warm cookies, fresh from the oven, whenever the craving strikes!
TROUBLESHOOTING
If you are having difficulty getting the result you're after, here are some tips to help you get the most perfect sugar cookies possible!
IF YOUR SUGAR COOKIES DIDN'T SPREAD
This is a common problem and I get asked about it often. Here are a few of my best tips for cookies that spread properly:
- Make sure the butter is softened. It should be room temperature, slightly cool but not cold.
- Really whip the butter and sugar together until very pale and fluffy. It should look nearly white. This takes a minimum of 5 minutes on medium-high speed. Seven minutes is even better!
- Measure the ingredients carefully and accurately. You don't want to pack flour into the measuring cup, and you don't want to be stingy with the baking soda. Here's a guide for how to measure ingredients properly: How to Measure Ingredients for Baking.
- Once the flour's gone in, be careful not to overwork the dough. Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined, then turn the mixer off. Overmixing will develop glutens that may cause the cookies to tighten up and not spread.
- Scoop the balls of dough to 1 ½ tablespoons. Any larger than that, and they may spread too much. Any smaller, they may not spread at all.
- Bake the cookies off right away. Don't chill the dough and don't let it sit too long, or it will dry out, tighten up, and the cookies won't spread.
- If all else fails, try upping the baking soda by ⅛ teaspoon.
IF YOUR SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH WAS TOO CRUMBLY
This is usually the result of letting the dough sit around too long before scooping and baking. If you know you won't be able to finish making them right away, use a little less flour. Or you can moisten the dough back up my mixing in a few tablespoons of cream.
IF YOUR SUGAR COOKIES ARE HARD
While overmixing the dough after the flour's gone in will definitely contribute to a tougher cookie, most times hard cookies are a result of overbaking. Pull your cookies from the oven a minute or two sooner next time, remembering that they will continue to bake and set up as they cool down.
If you really want to learn how to bake the BEST cookies, think about signing up for my free email series "5 Secrets for Baking Impossibly Soft Cookies." There's tons of great info here!
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter, (1 ½ sticks), softened
- 1 ⅓ cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (281.25 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (32 g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy (about 3 to 5 minutes).
- Add the egg, and beat on medium-high speed until incorporated.
- Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir together until incorporated.
- Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to drop balls of cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets, allowing two inches in between for spreading.
- Flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand.
- Bake the cookies (one sheet at a time) in the center rack of the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and just barely beginning to turn golden. (Take care not to over-bake, or the cookies will not be as soft.)
- Cool on the baking sheet and transfer to an airtight container for storage.
Can I use regular salt instead of kosher?
Hey Jojo! If you do, you'll probably want to decrease the amount a bit. Iodized table salt tends to be a lot saltier tasting, plus the grains are much smaller. Hope that helps!
do we need one egg only or two?
One whole egg plus one yolk, Alyssa! Enjoy!
No offense intended, but these turned out horrible! The scoops stayed in a scoop form, when I rolled and cut out the second batch, they didn't spread, and the taste is bland like shortbread. I read and read that recipe, and I followed it EXACTLY! Incredibly frustrated that I spent so much time and money. This was definitely not a recipe for "soft and chewy" cookies. Yuck
Hey Kim, I'm so sorry you weren't happy with them! I'm a little confused by your comment though, because these aren't meant to be rolled and cut. They're a drop cookie. If you had issues with spreading it may have been because the dough was overworked. Once the flour is mixed in you don't want to keep mixing, just go ahead and start scooping balls onto the baking sheet. Also, be mindful of the size scoop you use- anything smaller than 1.5 tablespoons will affect the spread of the finished cookie.
Quick question... is the dough good for making Christmas cookies? I'm seeing reference to "roll out cookies", but I'm unsure what that means. We're having a bunch of kids over tomorrow for Christmas cookie decorating, and this recipe caught my eye the most. =)
Thanks in advance (and sorry so last minute). Hopefully you're able to see this message soon.
Hey April! Could you just clarify for me what exactly you mean by "Christmas cookies?" To me, a Christmas cookie is any kind of cookie that's enjoyed around the Christmas holiday, but I have a feeling you're after something more specific. The roll-out cookies I mention are the kind of cookie you roll out with a rolling pin and then cut into shapes to decorate. But these could be decorated too, they just wouldn't be suitable for use with a cookie cutter because the dough is much softer.
Oh gosh! Thank you for your quick response!! Yes. You're correct. The kids are wanting to use the cookie cutters on them. Do you have a second option for that kind of recipe? A link was added in an above comment (by Angela), but it came up with Page Not Found.
No worries at all! I think this is the recipe you are looking for: https://bakingamoment.com/how-to-bake-cutout-cookies-with-neat-edges/. There are also links at the bottom of that post for a chocolate version, a gingerbread version, and the royal icing recipe I like to use for decorating. Good luck and have fun!
I'm so sorry! I'm fiddling around with the url here, after noticing the Page Not Found error. THIS is the correct link: https://bakingamoment.com/how-to-bake-easy-and-delicious-cutout-cookies-with-neat-edges/.
I overworked mine too, but they were delicious! I kind of like them puffy!
I'm so glad you liked the taste! Hope you'll make them again sometime soon. Have a great afternoon Pam!
My cookies came out puffy and didn't spread much. When cooled, they didn't fall. Did I overwork the flour, not soften the butter enough, or not mix the butter/sugar enough?
Hey Shauna! So sorry you had trouble! Your instincts are good though, it could have been overworked or maybe the butter was too cool. It also may have been because the cookies were too small. I use a 1.5-tablespoon scoop. I would pay attention to all those details next time, I think you'll have better luck!
Wonderful recipe! I subbed vegan spread for the butter (son with a dairy allergy). I also didn't have any vanilla on hand so I used orange blossom water. SO delicious. Thanks! 🙂
Ooh I love that! Orange blossom water is one of my favorites. Sounds delicious, and I'm so glad it worked well with vegan spread. Thanks so much for letting us know!
Can I put the pans all in at the same time? As long as it's in the center rack?
I usually do them one at a time, but honestly I doubt it would make that much of a difference. Give it a try, if your oven is good and there aren't any hot spots, you should be ok. Good luck and thanks for reading, Kim!
I love Sugar Cookies, so I decided to give these a try! I was not disappointed! Thank you so much! Great recipe.
I'm so happy you liked it Michael! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback!
I love how creative you are Allie.
Thank you so much Shalah! 😀
Can the dough be frozen? I just made these (tripled the recipe) and separated them into 3 bags. I put in food dye and am going to roll them out, stack them, then roll them up and slice like a jelly roll. It makes them look like pinwheels. But I have to chill the dough to make it manageable. Wish me luck!! If it works, I'm going to make some and freeze it to use at Christmas.
Hey Angela! I love your creativity! I have never tried doing anything like that with this particular recipe however. It's definitely worth trying, but as it's a much softer dough I think it's more suited to drop cookies. If you're looking for a great recipe for roll-out cookies, I'd definitely recommend this one: https://bakingamoment.com/how-to-bake-easy-and-delicious-cutout-cookies-with-neat-edges/. Hope that helps! Good luck and enjoy!
Thank you! I will give that roll-out cookie recipe a try! I did make these cookies, and they were so delicious! The pinwheels worked ok, and they are so good, my son probably won't even care that they did look a little wonky because of the spread. Thank you! Love your site!
Oh I'm so glad it worked out! That's great to know. I wouldn't have thought! Thank you so much for the feedback Angela and for the sweet compliments too!
Perfect! They turned out great!
Oh yay! I'm so glad! Thanks so much for the great feedback Noel!
I love these Allie!
Awesome- thanks so much Matt!
Summer has been great, but right now, I am finally over it. I will miss the fresh produce, but I long for cooler days. Still not in the 80s for me yet though. Sugar cookies are my favorite, and these look incredible!
It's been up and down here too. One day a little cooler, then two more that I can barely stand. Lol! Well, it'll cool off soon enough and I will miss the fresh produce too. So happy you like these cookies Amanda! Thanks so much for the comment.
Baking soda? My cookie came out puffy ?
Yes the baking soda is a leavener so it will make the cookies a little lighter and cause them to puff up a bit. They should de-puff as they cool 🙂
These turned out great! After using the cookie scoop I rolled just the outside in colored sprinkles. I did find that the cookies had a better shape if I slightly flattened before baking. Mine baked perfectly at 12 mins. Thanks for the recipe!
Hooray! I'm so happy you liked it Laura! I love your idea of rolling them in colored sprinkles. How fun!
How big are these cookies? I'm looking to do cookies about 4" in diameter to be close to the size of a music CD (theme is music). Thank you.
Hi Linda! I used a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop for these, so they are not as big as a CD. You could scoop them bigger if you'd like, just be aware that a) you won't get as many cookies out of a batch, and b) the bake time may need to be adjusted. Pull them from the oven when they're starting to look a little golden around the edges. Good luck!
My cookies turned out REALLY bad. The middles were sunken in and they were really greasy. I did everything the instructions said and yet they still turned out wrong. Help?
Crystal, I'm so sorry you had trouble! But I'm pretty sure I can tell you exactly what the problem was: either your butter was melted (rather than softened) or your oven wasn't preheated fully to temp when the cookies went in. When I make cookies that call for softened butter, I either leave the butter out at room temp for 2 hours or so, or I nuke it for literally 10 seconds (no more!) on 30 percent power. The consistency should be solid, but just soft enough that when you press your finger into it, it makes an imprint. A little more firm than play doh. Also, make sure your oven is all the way up at 350 when the cookies go in, so that way they immediately start to set up. If the temperature isn't quite there yet, all the butter will just melt out before the other ingredients have a chance to be activated by the heat and do their thing. If you don't have the kind of oven that beeps when it's done preheating, you can get a little oven thermometer that hangs on the oven rack for like 10 bucks at the grocery store. They're really handy to have! I hope that helps! Better luck next time.
OMG when I made my cookies I did exactly what you said about making the tops a little flat before putting in the over. I did so and when I took them out it turned into ONE giant cookie. How exactly do I do this?
I'm so sorry Calvin! It sounds like you may have placed them a little too close together. They puff up as they bake, so it's a good idea to allow 3 or 4 inches in between each cookie. Hope you have better luck next time!
Your ad for direct tv is annoying...can't get recipe on an iPad
Let me look into this right away! I will check on my son's iPad and see what's going on. So sorry! Here's just the standalone recipe for you without the head notes, pics, or anything else: https://bakingamoment.com/soft-and-chewy-sugar-cookies/print/
Hi, I made today for a valentines party. And before baking them I rolled the cookies in pink red white non perils! They came out so cute:) thxs for the recipe, I can't wait for more !
That sounds totally adorable Simi! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I'm so glad it worked out well for you!
these cookies are sooooo good! I love sugar cookies. I didn't have vanilla so I decided to flavor them with lemon flavored extract and they turned out very good!
Ooh, nice idea Bogey! I'm so glad you were happy with them. Thanks for the great feedback!