Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe

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This is the easiest old-fashioned sugar cookie recipe made with simple ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen!

Old Fashioned sugar cookie recipes are so simple, use the plainest ingredients, and make the best sugar cookies!

They are perfectly SOFT, chewy sugar cookies, that are quick to make, required no chill time, and everyone loves them!

I'm also sharing variations on this classic sugar cookie recipe for quick chocolate or pecan sugar cookie recipes!

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe - Old Fashioned Recipe (without milk) (2)

Making these old-fashioned sugar cookies and giving them away to friends and family is one of my family's favorite Christmas traditions that we do every Christmas season. This recipe entertains kids for hours! They love rolling out cookie dough, cutting shapes, and decorating sugar cookies!

How To Make Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe Without Baking Soda or Milk

This easy sugar cookie recipe is so easy that you just need one bowl. I use a stand mixer (KitchenAid) but you can also just use a hand mixer and a big mixing bowl. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe - Old Fashioned Recipe (without milk) (3)

Simple Ingredients

Just a handful of simple ingredients make these soft chewy sugar cookies!

Softened butter
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Pure vanilla extract
All purpose flour
Baking powder
Salt

That's it! Simple ingredients that you provably already have on hand make this recipe fast and easy to whip up!

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe - Old Fashioned Recipe (without milk) (4)

Optional - Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up!

On a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll cookie dough to ¼ inch thick and cookie cutters to cut out shapes! Keep adding flour to the surface and rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking.

Place uncooked cookie shapes on a large prepared baking sheet. Make sure to give them at least a half inch between cookies, so they have enough space to grow as they cook without sticking together.

To make perfectly round cookies, use a cookie scoop and roll into perfect balls of dough, then place dough on the baking sheet!

Variations

Chocolate Sugar Cookie Recipe

This is the same recipe in just one bowl with one minor addition for chocolate sugar cookies. I use a stand mixer (KitchenAid) but you can also just use a hand mixer and a big mixing bowl. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the following to your large mixing bowl:

1 ½ cup softened butter (or 3 sticks of softened butter)
2 cups of granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla (vanilla is optional but adds a great depth of flavor that you can't get any other way.)
5 ½ cups flour (I use unbleached, use your favorite)
½ cup Hershey's cocoa powder
Then 1 teaspoon baking powder.
2 teaspoons salt
*optional - 2 cups mini chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together till all incorporated (about 2 minutes with a cookie paddle).

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe - Old Fashioned Recipe (without milk) (6)

I rolled these into 1 inch balls and flattened them to ½ inch. Then baked for 10 minutes at 350.

Let cookies cool, then top with a peppermint Hershey's Kiss and dust with powdered sugar!

Pecan Sugar Cookie Recipe

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe - Old Fashioned Recipe (without milk) (7)

This is the same old-fashioned easy sugar cookies with the addition of pecans. Follow the original recipe directions as above and add 2 cups of chopped pecans!

I love to use maple buttercream frosting on these pecan perfect sugar cookies.

Add the following to your large mixing bowl:

1 ½ cup softened butter (or 3 sticks of softened butter)
2 cups of granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla (vanilla is optional but adds a great depth of flavor that you can't get any other way.)
5 ½ cups flour (I use unbleached, use your favorite)
2 cups chopped pecans (I like a lot of nuts in my cookies!)
Then, add 1 teaspoon baking powder.
2 teaspoons salt

Mix all ingredients together till flour mixture and wet ingredients are all incorporated (about 2 minutes with a cookie paddle).

On a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll cookie dough to ¼ inch thick and cut out shapes!

Buttercream Frosting for Sugar Cookies

This is a very buttery frosting. I love the simplicity and flavor! In a large mixing bowl combine:

2 cubes (1 cup) softened butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons milk (any kind of milk will work)

Using a hand beater or stand mixer, slowly mix the powdered sugar into the softened butter. Blend till smooth and enjoy! You can separate into separate bowls and add food coloring for decorating if desired.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

To make chocolate buttercream frosting, just add ¼ cup Hershey cocoa powder, and follow the directions above.

Maple Buttercream Frosting

To Make Maple Buttercream Frosting just add maple extract instead of vanilla, and follow the directions above! (This is my favorite on pecan sugar cookies!)

Recipe Card

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe

Yield: 5 dozen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

This easy sugar cookie recipe comes together in minutes and cooks just as fast! Made of simple pantry staples, and fun for all ages, these easy sugar cookies are a tradition in the making!

Ingredients

1 ½ cup softened butter (or 3 sticks of softened salted or unsalted butter)
2 cups of granulated white sugar (brown sugar will make the texture different.)
4 eggs
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (vanilla is optional but adds a great depth of flavor that you can't get any other way. You can also use almond extract if you like that flavor better.)
5 ½ cups all purpose flour (I use unbleached, use your favorite)
1 teaspoon baking powder. (This recipe does not use baking soda as a leavening agent)
2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together till all incorporated (about 2 minutes with a cookie paddle).
On a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll cookie dough to ¼ inch thick and cookie cutters to cut out shapes! Keep adding flour to the surface and rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking.
Optional - Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up!
Place uncooked cookie shapes on a large prepared baking sheet. Make sure to give them at least a half inch between cookies, so they have enough space to grow as they cook without sticking together.
To make perfectly round cookies, use a cookie scoop and roll into perfect balls of dough, then place dough on the baking sheet!
Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. (Baking time will differ with ovens, but do not cook till golden brown, or they will be hard. I prefer to bake at 6 minutes because I do not like dry cookies.
Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes on a wire rack.
Remove and decorate with colored (or uncolored) buttercream frosting and sprinkles!
Enjoy with a glass of milk!

Notes

Let sugar cookies cool for 10 minutes so they can stiffen up before removing form cookie sheet.

Did you make this recipe?

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How To Store Or Gift Sugar Cookies

Place decorated (or undecorated cookies) on a paper plate and wrap with plastic wrap. These cookies will dry out if they are left uncovered. To store leftovers, place them in an airtight container and keep them on the counter (or refrigerator) for up to 4 days.

More Christmas Cookie Recipes

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Date-Coconut Snow Ball Cookies

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Coconut Macaroons

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe - Old Fashioned Recipe (without milk) (2024)

FAQs

What will milk do to cookies? ›

The moisture contributed by the milk will also increase spread and hydrate more of the starches in the flour. These hydrated (gelatinized) starches support the structure of the air pocket wall, keeping the cookies from collapsing once cooled. By holding more water, they also help keep the cookies softer over time.

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How do you make hard sugar cookies soft? ›

Bread Buddy: Place a slice of bread in the cookie jar or with the cookies. The moisture from the bread will transfer to the cookies, making them softer. Apple Accomplice: Similar to the bread trick, you can use a slice of apple. It works wonders in reviving the chewiness.

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What makes a cookie fluffy instead of flat? ›

Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.

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Can I use water instead of milk in cookies? ›

In a pinch, you can get away with subbing in water for milk, especially if a recipe only calls for a small amount (think a quarter cup or less). To make up for the lack of richness, add in a tablespoon of butter for every cup of water you're adding.

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What are the 4 basic dry ingredients that are mainly used when baking cookies? ›

Cookie doughs are made with basic ingredients including sugar, fat, flour, eggs, and other leavening agents including baking powder or baking soda.

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What are the 4 main ingredient in baking cookies? ›

While there may be countless variations, each cookie at the core has four ingredients – butter, sugar, flour & eggs. The proportions of ingredients and the methods of mixing are what define our cookies. Dough spreads – Inside the hot oven, the butter starts to melt and the dough gradually starts to spread out.

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What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

If you enjoy your cookies soft and chewy, chances are likely the recipe contains a common ingredient that serves a very specific purpose. No, it's not granulated sugar, nor the butter. It's not the egg, all-purpose flour, or even the vanilla extract. The simple, yet oh-so-necessary component is cornstarch.

What makes cookies chewy vs crunchy? ›

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

What makes sugar cookies too hard? ›

Working the dough too much.

bad habit of mixing in the dry ingredients until they were completely incorporated. And then mixing the dough even more, for no good reason. Thankfully I was eventually steered in the right direction. Over-working the dough yields a tough cookie, which is not at all what you want.

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

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Why did my sugar cookies come out cakey? ›

Using too much flour will make your cookies too cakey, so try reducing the flour amount by two tablespoons. Avoid using cake flour instead; try a mix of all-purpose flour and bread flour for a more dense and chewy texture. Using too much baking powder.

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Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda? ›

Baking powder: Baking powder can be used to replace baking soda, though not at a 1-to-1 ratio. Because the former is not as strong as the latter, it's important to use three times the amount of baking powder as baking soda. Be aware, a slightly bitter, off-putting taste might result from using that much baking powder.

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Does milk make cookies better? ›

The creaminess of fresh dairy complements the sweetness of the cookie. The milk also softens the cookies, which creates an even more enjoyable texture. The crunchiness of the cookie will slowly meld in with the thickness of the milk, producing a harmonious union that melts in your mouth.

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Does milk make cookies taste better? ›

And because flavor is made up of both taste and aroma, dunking your cookies in milk can improve the flavor by helping the fresh-baked scent reach your nasal passages more quickly. This is especially true if the milk is warm, as wet, hot aromas travel faster.

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Do cookies taste better with milk? ›

Though your tongue can pick up the full-bodied taste of the cookie eventually, the milk quickens this process, and makes sure your tongue receives an even cookie coating. Without it, the cookie may be a little more gritty. Milk also helps mellow out the vigor of the sweet cookie flavor.

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Why are cookies better with milk? ›

Milk calms down the intense sweetness from the chocolate, according to Harting, and the emulsifiers “help to smooth out the chocolate as you're eating it,” giving you the perfect creaminess-to-cookie flavor ratio. Otherwise, it could taste too gritty and crunchy. Inspired to bake some delicious cookies now?

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