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Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

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4.83 from 17 votes

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No dough chilling necessary for these soft cut-out sugar cookies that are perfect for decorating with simple sugar cookie icing and/or sprinkles. Crisp edges, soft centers, and completely customizable in flavor and shape!

cut out sugar cookies in the shapes of stars with yellow sprinkles

This is the Best Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

Here’s the thing– I don’t normally give my recipe titles adjectives or superlatives because obviously I would never bring you “the worst” or “the least lackluster” recipe of any kind. It’s just kind of assumed I’m bringing you the best of the best.

That being said, the fact that I titled this recipe easy sugar cookies should help you realize how much I want to emphasize the ease of this recipe. To help you understand that these are the best sugar cookies. That this is, in fact, a recipe for cookies that work with cookie cutters (not all of them do!).

It took me a long time to develop a recipe for cut-out sugar cookies that I could stand behind 100%. And I tried so many.

cut-out sugar cookies with icing and nonpareil sprinkles

There were plenty of recipes that made cookies that had great taste, but too many of the doughs were a mess to roll out, a lot of cookies spread too much in the oven, and overall, most were just too finicky to share with my readers who have come to expect simple, straightforward recipes from me.

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Why you’ll love these Easy Cut Out Sugar Cookies

So that’s what I’m sharing with you here. And I’m super excited about this recipe for sugar cookie cut-outs for several reasons:

•The recipe is simple. There are no fancy ingredients, and nothing weird or special. Just honest-to-goodness ingredients.
•The recipe is completely customizable. I prefer my sugar cookies with a combination of almond and vanilla extracts, but you can certainly use whatever kind of extract you prefer.
•These cookies hardly spread in the oven, producing clean, sharp edges. I’ll go a little more into detail about how to preserve that perfect cookie cutout characteristic in the recipe.
•My favorite favorite favorite part about this recipe: the dough DOES NOT NEED TO BE CHILLED.

cut-out cookies in the shape of stars

I hope that you are as excited as I am about these cookies! Over the years I have actually had people call this the best cut out sugar cookie recipe in the world. I meannn, if that doesn’t convince you to make them, perhaps my step-by-step photos and simple instructions will help!

Let’s get rolling!

Sugar Cookie Recipe Cut Out ingredients

  • all-purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • egg
  • vanilla extract
  • almond extract
  • unsalted butter
  • powdered sugar

How to make Cut Out Sugar Cookies

STEP 1. First, start by tossing together 2 and ½ cups of flour, some baking powder, and some salt. The recipe calls for up to 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons of flour, but do not start with this much (we’ll talk about why). Once that’s all mixed, set it aside.

STEP 2. In a measuring cup or small bowl with a spout, beat the egg and flavoring/extract of your choosing. I like vanilla extract and almond extract, but the combination is totally up to you. If you want to change it up, I still suggest using that 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to set a base flavor. Set this mixture aside.

STEP 3. Next, cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. We’re using powdered sugar because it keeps things drier than using granulated sugar.

creamed butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl

STEP 4. Add the egg mixture to the creamed butter and powdered sugar and beat on high until completely incorporated, scraping down sides as necessary.

STEP 5. With your mixer set to low, add the flour mixture to wet ingredients little by little, allowing dough to come together after each addition.

STEP 6. After you have added all 2 and ½ cups of flour (plus baking powder and salt) to the bowl, most of the dough should stick to your beaters or paddle.

cut-out sugar cookie dough on the paddle of a mixer

Test dough consistency by touching it with your fingers. It should be slightly tacky, but not sticky. It should remind you of Play-Doh.

If it is too sticky, add ¼ cup of flour at a time until you reach 3 total cups of flour (two additions). Occasionally, I will need a tad more flour, but do not exceed 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons flour. Too much flour yields denser cookies that are likely to spread, and we want these to stay soft.

cut-out sugar cookie dough in a bowl

STEP 7. When your dough is the right consistency, gather it into a ball and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

STEP 8. While it is resting, preheat the oven with plenty of time for it to come to temperature. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

STEP 9. Prepare a rolling surface by dusting it lightly with powdered sugar (working too much flour into dough can result in harder, crunchier cookies with a less sweet taste). If you would like, use two wooden dowels, sized at ¼” thickness, on either side of your dough while rolling it out to keep cookies a uniform thickness.

cut-out sugar cookie dough rolled out and cut with cookie cutters

STEP 10. When your dough is ready to roll, break off a workable size of dough. I usually break it into 4 pieces. Roll dough with a floured rolling pin and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

I like to dip my cookie cutter into powdered sugar every few cuts to keep my cookie edges clean.

STEP 11. Transfer cut dough onto baking sheets. It is best to keep cookies that are the same size and shape together on baking sheets so as to uniformly bake all of your cookies.

transferring cut-out cookies from the rolling surface with a spatula

STEP 12. Re-roll and cut your sugar cookie dough as needed until all of the dough is used up. At this point, you may decorate cut cookies with sprinkles or just leave them plain and decorate them with icing later.

STEP 13. When it comes to bake the cookies, the time is very short.

I’m talking only 4-6 minutes for medium (2″ or so) size cookies.

My medium circles (2″) take 6 minutes. Stars (2″) take 5 minutes.

circle cut-out sugar cookies on a plate

Mini circles (1″) take 4 minutes.

Bake until cookies are slightly puffed and are no longer shiny. Edges may start to brown, and that’s ok, just work quickly to remove them from the oven. I prefer to remove my sugar cookies before they start to brown.

STEP 14. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. I prefer to decorate day-old cookies, as they are sturdier, but this is personal preference and only a suggestion.

How to decorate this Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

If you don’t already have one, here is my super easy royal icing recipe. It’s made without meringue powder, so it truly is easy (again, not fibbing here at FAF!)

To decorate, start with completely cooled cookies (I prefer day-old).

cut-out sugar cookies ready to decorate

Fill a piping bag, condiment squeeze bottle, or zip top bag with an end snipped off with cookie icing. Squeeze evenly over surface of cookie. If you would like to make an outline in a different color, make your line first, allow to harden a bit, and move onto this step.

a hand squeezing royal icing onto a cut-out sugar cookie
flooding a cookie with royal icing

You have now “flooded” your cookie.

Using a toothpick or an offset spatula, spread liquid icing around to fill holes.

a toothpick spreading royal icing around on a sugar cookie
using a toothpick to spread royal icing out onto a sugar cookie

Once all of your holes are filled, carefully pick the cookie up and tap it on your work surface to make sure everything is distributed evenly and to get any air bubbles out.

While icing is still wet, decorate with sprinkles, or simply leave plain.

sprinkling non-pareils onto a cut-out sugar cookie with royal icing on it
non-pareil sprinkles on a cut-out sugar cookie

TA-DA!

As far as decorating these cookies goes, they can be decorated however you like. This chewy sugar cookie recipe is ideal for pairing with a colored icing recipe, and I’ve included my favorite easy royal icing (with a video!) in the recipe.

I actually really love authentic royal icing, but it can be so finicky. Once I found a way to make easy royal icing without meringue powder, my life was forever changed! It’s perfect for gingerbread people and gingerbread houses.

You may color your icing, leave it white and decorate with sprinkles, or just simply dust your cookies with sprinkles before you bake them. The sprinkles will bake right into the tops of the cookies in the oven.

Or… Dip your sugar cookies in melted chocolate. Also a wonderful idea.

mini cut-out sugar cookie dipped in chocolate and non-pareil sprinkles
pouring sprinkles onto cut-out sugar cookies
cut-out sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles

Sugar Cookie Cut Out Recipe tips

Why is my cut out sugar cookie dough crumbly?

If your cut-out cookie dough is crumbly, there’s a good chance your butter is not worked into the dough enough. Use your hands or a mixer to work the dough together a bit more.

What is the best thickness for cut out sugar cookies?

I find that 1/4” thickness for cut-out sugar cookies works best. In order to keep the dough thickness uniform through all of the cookies, I tape two 1/4” dowels onto my surface and roll the dough between them. That way, my rolling pin is always rolling the dough 1/4” thick.

How do you keep sugar cookie cutouts from spreading?

Keeping cut-outs from spreading can be tricky if your kitchen is especially warm, but this recipe is written to create edges that do not spread very much at all. If you are having trouble, you can always cut out the dough and chill the baking sheet in the refrigerator for a bit to stiffen up the butter. If you are still having trouble, you can always use the cookie cutter to “stamp out” baked cookies after they come out of the oven. I almost never have to use this method, but I also prefer to make cut-out sugar cookies in cooler weather for this reason, too.

Other versions of this Sugar Cookie Cut Out Recipe

This is typically my standard Christmas sugar cookie recipe, but because I think it’s really important as a baker to have a recipe for sugar cookies as your go-to for all the holidays, here you can find all of the other versions of these buttery cut out sugar cookies so that you have a flavored cut out cookie recipe for any occasion!

Funfetti cut-out sugar cookies for any party
Peppermint cut-out sugar cookies to make Christmas sugar cookies
Pumpkin spice cut-out sugar cookies for Halloween and fall

funfetti cut-out sugar cookies
pumpkin spice cut-out sugar cookies
peppermint cut-out sugar cookies

See my spiced gingerbread cut-out cookies and chocolate cut-out sugar cookies for some sugar cookie variations.

spiced gingerbread cut-out cookies
chocolate cut-out sugar cookies

And, just for good measure, if you’re looking for the best sugar cookie recipe that isn’t a cut-out, definitely check out my vanilla bean sugar cookies next. They’re like soft sugar cookie pillows.

Favorite ways to serve Easy Cut Out Sugar Cookies

This is my favorite recipe to use for Christmas cookies as well as cookies for my kids’ birthday parties. I have used this recipe to make cookies as favors as well as for cookie decorating parties. Decorate them with my included easy royal icing recipe, vanilla buttercream, or chocolate buttercream. You can decorate them with sprinkles, too!

vanilla bean sugar cookies in a cookie tin

How to store Cut Out Sugar Cookies

How long do cut out sugar cookies stay fresh?

These sugar cookies will stay fresh at room temperature for about a week. They freeze really well, too, up to 3 months.

Sugar Cookie Recipe Cut Out FAQs

Should you chill cut out cookies before baking?

Some recipes are designed to be chilled before baking, but this recipe is not. If you feel like your cut outs are spreading too much for your liking, you can chill the dough. This is unlikely to happen unless you are in an especially warm or humid environment.

What is the difference between drop and cutout sugar cookies?

Drop cookies are exactly what they sound like– cookies that you can drop onto the baking sheet and bake (see my vanilla cookies recipe). Cut-out cookies are always rolled out and cut into shapes.

Is it better to cut cookies before or after baking?

Cookies are cut before baking, but I have on occasion used the cookie cutter to fine-tune the edges on my shapes. In fact, here is a Reel on Instagram to show you exactly how that method works!

Should you let sugar cookie dough rest?

I always allow my cookie dough to rest before rolling it out which allows the flour to absorb any necessary moisture and for the dough to stiffen just a bit before it gets rolled out.

How do you soften cut out cookie dough?

If your cookie dough is too firm, allow it to sit out at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes in order to loosen up the butter.

Think you’re all set? I mean… I do! So happy cookie-cuttering!

a hand squeezing royal icing onto a cut-out sugar cookie
4.83 from 17 votes
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Easy Sugar Cookie Cut Out Recipe

No dough chilling necessary for these soft cut-out sugar cookies that are perfect for decorating with simple sugar cookie icing and/or sprinkles. Crisp edges, soft centers, and completely customizable in flavor and shape!
Prep Time20 minutes
Bake Time6 minutes
Total Time26 minutes
Recipe Author Lynn April
Servings: 2 dozen (2″) cookies

Ingredients

CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIES

  • 2 and ½ to 3 cups (300-360g) all-purpose flour1 be sure to measure properly
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg room temperature2
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract3
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract3
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 and ¾ cup (210g) powdered sugar

COOKIE ICING

  • 1 and ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons (30mL) warm water
  • ½ Tablespoon (10g) light corn syrup
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Instructions

CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIES

  • In a medium sized bowl, toss together 2 and ½ cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a measuring cup or small bowl with a spout, beat the egg and flavoring/extract of your choosing. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg mixture to creamed butter and sugar and beat on high until completely incorporated, scraping down sides as necessary.
  • With mixer on low, add flour mixture to wet ingredients little by little, allowing dough to come together after each addition. After you have added all 2 and ½ cups of flour (plus baking powder and salt) to the bowl, most of the dough should stick to your beaters or paddle.
  • Test dough consistency by touching it with your fingers. It should be slightly tacky, but not sticky. It should remind you of Play-Doh. If it is too sticky, add ¼ cup of flour at a time until you reach 3 total cups of flour (two additions). Occasionally, I will need a tad more flour, but do not exceed 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons flour. Too much flour yields denser cookies, and we want these to stay soft.
  • When your dough is the right consistency, gather it into a ball and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. While it is resting, preheat your oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  • Prepare your rolling surface by dusting it lightly with powdered sugar. If you would like, use two wooden dowels, sized at ¼" thickness, on either side of your dough while rolling it out to keep cookies a uniform thickness.
  • When your dough is ready to roll, break off a workable size of dough. I usually break it into 4 pieces. Roll dough with a powdered sugared rolling pin and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. I like to dip my cookie cutter into powdered sugar every few cuts to keep my cookie edges clean.
  • Transfer cut dough onto baking sheets. It is best to keep cookies that are the same size and shape together on baking sheets so as to uniformly bake all of your cookies. Re-roll and cut dough as needed until all of the dough is used up. At this point, you may decorate cut cookies with sprinkles or just leave them plain and decorate them with icing later.
  • Bake cookies for 4-6 minutes. My medium circles (2") take 6 minutes. Stars take 5 minutes. Mini circles (1") take 4 minutes. Bake until cookies are slightly puffed and are no longer shiny. Edges may start to brown, and that's ok, just work quickly to remove them from the oven. I prefer to remove mine before they start to brown. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. I prefer to decorate day-old cookies, as they are sturdier, but this is personal preference and only a suggestion. Undecorated cookies freeze extremely well (I actually like to eat them frozen!), up to 3 months. Do not freeze decorated cookies. Thaw overnight before decorating previously frozen cookies.

COOKIE ICING*

  • When you’re ready to decorate your cookies, place powdered sugar in a medium bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, combine warm water, light corn syrup, and extract. Stir until corn syrup is dissolved.
  • Add sugar water to powdered sugar and stir until completely combined. Mixture will be thick. The consistency you’re looking for is a slowly dripping icing that disappears into the bowl within about 15 seconds. Add water by drop if you think it’s too thick. If it becomes too thin, add more powdered sugar by the teaspoon. Use immediately. If you need to wait to use your icing, cover tightly, and use within 1 day. You will need to stir it up again and possibly add more water before using. Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature well over a week.

Notes

  1. Flour: start with 2 and ½ cups of flour and work your way up to 3 cups as needed. Do not exceed 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons.
  2. Room temperature egg: this is preferred. It is always a good idea to use a room temperature egg when using room temperature butter, which allows for better incorporation into dough.
  3. Flavoring: you may use any flavoring you like. Total flavoring 2-3 teaspoons depending on your preference.
 
*See my detailed easy royal icing recipe for a video of exactly how to make this icing and what the drizzle test looks like.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @freshaprilflours on Instagram or tag #freshaprilflours!

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

Hi, I'm Lynn! I'm a mom, a self-taught baker, a biscotti lover, and a sprinkle enthusiast. My goal in this instant gratification, fast-paced world is to help you discover that scratch baking is absolutely something you can do. Recipes for beginners and experts alike!

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60 Comments

  1. This is an amazing post! I was just thinking about making some cut out cookies for Easter but I hate, hate, hate having to wait for the dough to chill. I want cookies now! I love the sharp edges this recipe produces, and the tips for baking are a wonderful reminder. I think I need to find my bunny rabbit and Easter basket cookie cutters and get to work!

    Reply

    1. Amy, I have always had terrible luck with chilling roll-out dough… Except my gingerbread dough! I’m not sure why that is, but I just had such an aversion to tackling this recipe until I decided to give it one more go around. I’m so happy I did, because I will never go back to the chilled kind, even if it claims to be “easy!”

  6. Lynn, I’m not sure if I measured wrong or what. But my sugar cookies tasted a bit too flour-y (sp?) I wondered if I added more sugar or less flour if the cookies would still be fine?

    Thank you!!!

    Reply

    1. Hi, Christina! I’m sorry to hear your cookies didn’t come out the way you planned. Did you start with 2 and 1/2 cups, measured properly? If you don’t measure your flour properly, there’s a very good chance you’ll wind up with way more than you need and what could be the cause of flour-y cookies. I’ve made these cookies dozens of times and I always get great reviews from tasters. If you’re not sure about how to measure properly, check out my post about it here: https://freshaprilflours.com/2014/06/16/the-importance-of-measuring-ingredients/

  8. 5 stars
    These cookies turned out great! The second batch I rolled out a bit thicker as the first try the cookies were too fragile to transfer onto the cookie sheet. I didn’t have enough vanilla and almond extract so I used Macadamia Nut syrup (used for flavoring coffee) instead. Delicious! I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thanks!

    Reply

  9. This recipe looks great. I just have one question about the icing, does it harden like royal icing or stays soft but doesn’t loose it’s shape? I don’t like the fact that royal icing has raw egg (I don;t easily find meringue powder where I live) and so I would love to try this icing but I need it to harden like royal icing.

    Thanks.

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    I tried this recipe of yours tonight for the first time, I must admit that I was skeptical at first since there was no chilling time, but I am happy to report these turned out beautifully! I love that they didn’t spread into one another. I have always used the Wilton sugar cookie recipe, but it required chilling and the cookies always lost their shape. Thank you for perfecting this recipe & sharing it with us!!

    Reply

    1. I assume you are talking about step 3 where I stated “baking soda” in the parenthetical phrase. It is baking powder, as listed in the ingredients and in step 1. I will make the correction!

  14. 5 stars
    HI Lynn! I’ve just made these cookies and they are DELICIOUS‼️ They taste so good that I had to make myself stop eating them, (even great without icing), so I could decorate them–lol
    This will always be my ‘go to’ recipe for sugar cookies!
    Thanks, Terri

    Reply

    1. Hi Terri– thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I agree, it’s hard to stop eating these cookies, even the naked ones!

  15. Will these turn out the same if the dough is refrigerated? I know that these do not need to be, but I am planning on rolling them out, cutting, baking, decorating with my grandson. I think that will be enough for him. With that in mind, I thought I would make the dough today and refrigerate until we do this the next day. Will that work? Thank you. I LOVE your recipes 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Gail– that is a great question, and I should probably add a note about that in the recipe. You most certainly can chill this dough, and I have in the past if it’s been a really hot day or if, like you, I won’t need it quite right away. Cover tightly or wrap in plastic wrap. I wouldn’t let it chill much longer than 2 days, though. So yes, it sounds like your plan should work just fine. I would allow the dough to come to room temperature, still covered so it doesn’t dry out, and proceed with the recipe.

  16. 5 stars
    This truly was easy! I have no idea how much I wasted trying to find the right recipe for SOFT sugar cookies that didn’t spread! Thank you thank you thank you! This will be used many times!

    Reply

  17. I noticed that your recipe doesn’t call for eggs. I just wanted to confirm before I make them, because I’ve never seen a cookie recipe without eggs. Thank you so much

    Reply

  18. Oh my gosh! I’m must be getting old 😬
    Just re read the recipe and saw the egg!
    Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly! 😁

    Reply

    1. Without being there with you, I couldn’t possibly tell you what went wrong! Spreading cookies is typically a result of too-warm butter OR too much flour, but that’s all I can really offer as a suggestion.

  20. 5 stars
    hi Lynn
    just came across your sugar cookie recipe on pinterest and I LOVE IT, I’ve been looking for a really good no chill sugar cookie recipe and this is it. thank you for sharing

    Reply