Cut Out Sugar Cookies
If you have ever dreamed of baking a batch of perfectly shaped, impossibly soft cut out sugar cookies, this recipe is exactly what you need. These cookies come together with just a handful of pantry staples, hold their shape beautifully in the oven, and provide the ideal canvas for royal icing, buttercream, or even a simple glaze. The secret lies in the right ratio of butter to flour, a proper chill time, and keeping your dough cold as you roll and cut. Perfect for holidays, birthdays, and special celebrations.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer with a paddle attachment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment paper
- Cookie cutters of your choice
- Rimmed baking sheets
- Thin metal spatula or bench scraper
- Plastic wrap or airtight container
- Piping bags and tips - for decorating
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour - 345g, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder - 5g
- 1/2 teaspoon salt - 3g
- 1 cup unsalted butter - 226g / 2 sticks, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar - 150g
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - 5ml
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract - 2.5ml
For the Royal Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar - 360g, sifted
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder - 10g
- 5 to 6 tablespoons warm water - 75 to 90ml
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract - 5ml
- gel food coloring - optional
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Cream the room temperature butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients in two additions on low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Divide the dough into two discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out one dough disc on a lightly floured surface or between parchment to 1/4 inch thick. Keep dough cold; re-chill if needed.
- Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-2 inches apart. Re-chill cutouts 10-15 minutes if desired.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are just set and tops are matte. Cool on the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add warm water and extract; beat until smooth and glossy. Adjust consistency and add gel food coloring as desired.
- Pipe borders, flood centers with thinned icing, and add decorations while wet. Allow decorated cookies to dry 6-8 hours or overnight.
Notes
- Chill the dough for at least 2 hours (or overnight) — this is the key to no-spread, sharp-edged cookies.
- Keep dough and cutouts cold during rolling and cutting; return to the refrigerator as needed if it softens.
- Measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling off to avoid a dry dough.
- Do not overmix the dough once flour is incorporated to keep cookies tender.
- Underbake slightly so cookies remain soft; they firm up as they cool.
- Royal icing dries hard and glossy, perfect for stacking and gifting once fully set.
- Store undecorated cookies up to 1 week at room temperature or freeze up to 3 months.
- Decorated cookies (fully dry) last 5-7 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freeze dough discs up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Try variations like lemon zest, brown butter, or spices for different flavors while keeping the same reliable structure.