Sugar Cookie Recipe: Easy Cut-Out Cookies That Hold Shape

Last updated: November 6, 2026 · By Claire Dawson

A reliable sugar cookie recipe for cut-out cookies starts with softened butter, granulated sugar, one egg, vanilla, flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream the butter and sugar, mix in the egg and extract, add the dry ingredients, chill the dough, then roll, cut, and bake at 350°F for about 8 to 11 minutes. Those steps produce cookies that hold their shape and stay sturdy enough for decorating.

This guide covers the full process: the tools, the dough ratios, the rolling and chilling steps, and the fixes for common problems such as spreading and tough edges. It also explains how much added sugar these cookies contain, how to make royal icing that dries hard, and how to store leftovers.

Key Takeaways

Chill cut-out dough for at least 1 hour so the shapes hold their edges in the oven.
Roll the dough to 1/4 inch for sturdy cookies, or to 1/8 inch if you want a crisper bite.
A batch made with 1 cup of granulated sugar (about 200 g) spread across roughly 36 cookies contains about 5.5 g of added sugar per cookie, or about 11% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Royal icing typically dries to the touch in 1 to 2 hours and hard enough to stack in 4 to 8 hours.
Undecorated sugar cookies can be frozen for up to three months when wrapped airtight.

A classic cut-out sugar cookie recipe uses butter, sugar, one egg, vanilla, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Each ingredient has a job: butter and sugar create structure and tenderness, the egg binds the dough, and baking powder gives a light lift. The table below lists the amounts for one batch of about 36 cookies.

Ingredient	Amount	Role in the cookie
Unsalted butter, softened	1 cup (2 sticks)	Adds rich flavor and a tender texture
Granulated sugar	1 cup (about 200 g)	Sweetens the dough and helps it brown
Large egg, room temperature	1	Binds the dough and adds structure
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon	Adds the classic sugar cookie flavor
Almond extract (optional)	1/2 teaspoon	Adds a bakery-style note
All-purpose flour	3 cups (about 375 g, spooned and leveled)	Provides the main structure
Baking powder	1 teaspoon	Gives a light rise without much spread
Salt	1/2 teaspoon	Balances sweetness and enhances flavor

Use unsalted butter so you control the salt. If you only have salted butter, omit the added salt or reduce it to about 1/4 teaspoon. Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, because scooping directly from the bag can pack in up to 20% more flour and produce dry, crumbly dough.

What Tools Do You Need for Cut-Out Sugar Cookies?

You need a rolling pin, parchment paper, at least two baking sheets, cookie cutters, and a thin spatula to make cut-out cookies. Having two sheets lets you bake one batch while the next one is being cut. The checklist below covers the essentials.

Two heavy-gauge baking sheets, so one can cool while the other bakes
Parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking
A rolling pin, with rings or guides if you want even thickness
Metal or plastic cookie cutters in the shapes you want
A thin offset spatula for lifting cut shapes without stretching them
A wire cooling rack for cookies after they come off the sheet
Piping bags and small tips if you plan to decorate with royal icing

Heavy baking sheets conduct heat evenly and resist warping, which reduces the chance of uneven browning on the bottom of the cookies. Avoid thin, dark-coated sheets for cut-outs because they often brown the bottoms before the centers are set.

To make cut-out sugar cookies, cream the butter and sugar, beat in the egg and extracts, mix in the dry ingredients, chill the dough, roll it, cut it, and bake until the edges are just golden. The full process takes about 1 hour of active work plus chilling time. Follow these steps in order.

Beat 1 cup of softened butter and 1 cup of sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract until fully combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low speed, mixing only until no dry streaks remain.
Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disk, wrap them, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
Roll one disk between two sheets of parchment or on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick.
Cut shapes, dipping the cutter in flour between cuts, and move them to the baking sheet with a spatula.
Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the edges are light golden.
Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then move the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Why Does Chilling Cut-Out Dough Matter?

Chilling firms the butter so the dough holds its shape in the oven. Warm dough softens quickly, which causes edges to spread and lose detail. If the dough becomes too firm to roll, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.

Roll cut-out dough to 1/4 inch for cookies that stay soft in the center and keep sharp edges. A thinner dough of about 1/8 inch produces a crisper cookie, and you can read more about that texture in our guide to thin and crispy sugar cookies. Roll to an even thickness and turn the dough a quarter turn between passes to keep the shape consistent.

How Much Sugar Is in Sugar Cookies?

A standard sugar cookie contains about 5 to 6 grams of added sugar, based on a batch made with 1 cup of granulated sugar divided into about 36 cookies. The FDA uses 50 grams of added sugar as the reference Daily Value for adults, so one cookie provides roughly 11% of that amount. Check the FDA’s guidance on Daily Value for how the percentages work on labels.

The FDA considers a food low in a nutrient when it provides 5% DV or less per serving. By that measure, a single cut-out cookie is not low in added sugar, so treat these as a dessert rather than a snack you can eat in quantity. Packaged foods list added sugars in grams and as a percentage of Daily Value on the FDA’s added sugars label guidance, which makes it easy to compare a homemade cookie against store-bought options.

Context matters here. An FDA analysis of added sugars found that Americans get more than 13% of their daily calories from added sugars on average, with the heaviest intake among children, adolescents, and young adults. Portion size is the simplest lever you control when baking at home.

How Do You Make Royal Icing for Sugar Cookies?

Royal icing is a stiff, fast-drying icing made from powdered sugar, meringue powder or egg white, and water. To make it, beat 4 cups of powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons of meringue powder and about 6 tablespoons of water on low speed, then increase to high until the icing forms stiff peaks. Thin portions of this icing for flooding, and keep stiffer portions for outlines.

What Consistency Should Royal Icing Be?

Outline icing should be thick enough to hold a sharp line, while flood icing should flow smoothly and settle within about 10 to 15 seconds. Add water a few drops at a time to thin the icing. Keep the bowl covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming.

How Long Does Royal Icing Take to Dry?

Royal icing is dry to the touch in about 1 to 2 hours and hard enough to stack or transport after 4 to 8 hours at room temperature. Let the base layer dry before adding details to prevent colors from bleeding. Dry the cookies uncovered in a low-humidity room for the best results.

Gel food coloring gives vivid color without thinning the icing, so it is a better choice than liquid coloring for most designs. Pipe details with a small round tip, and let each color set before adding the next.

What Causes Common Sugar Cookie Problems?

Most cut-out cookie problems come from warm dough, too much flour, uneven thickness, or an oven that is not at the right temperature. The table below lists the most common issues and their fixes.

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Cookies spread and lose shape	Dough was warm or the butter was too soft	Chill the dough for at least 1 hour and chill shaped cookies for 10 minutes before baking
Dough is dry and cracks when rolled	Too much flour was added	Measure flour by spooning and leveling, and add flour one tablespoon at a time if needed
Edges brown before centers set	Oven runs hot or pan is too dark	Check the oven temperature with a thermometer and use light-colored pans
Cookies are tough	Dough was overmixed after adding flour	Mix the dry ingredients only until no streaks remain
Dough sticks to the cutter	Dough is too soft or the cutter is not floured	Chill the dough again and dip the cutter in flour between cuts

You can swap some ingredients in a sugar cookie recipe, but substitutions change texture, spread, and flavor. Butter and extract swaps are the most common, and they work best when you adjust the other ingredients to match. For a lighter option, see our guide to making cookies without baking soda, which explains how leavening works in these recipes.

What Can You Use Instead of Butter?

Shortening can replace butter at a 1:1 ratio, but cookies will spread more and taste less rich. Margarine works in equal amounts, though the texture can be softer. Vegan butter sticks work well for dairy-free cookies, though flavor and texture vary by brand.

Can You Replace Granulated Sugar With Brown Sugar?

You can replace some granulated sugar with brown sugar, which makes cookies softer and more moist but also darker. Brown sugar will change the color of the dough and the cookie’s flavor, so it suits cookies you plan to leave unfrosted. If you want to skip brown sugar entirely, our post on easy cookies made without brown sugar covers simple swaps that keep the sweetness balanced.

Which Flavor Extracts Can You Swap?

You can replace vanilla with almond extract in equal amounts, though the flavor becomes more pronounced. Lemon or orange extract adds brightness, and about 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract is enough because it is much stronger than vanilla. Use food-grade extracts only, because essential oils can be too concentrated for baking.

How Long Do Sugar Cookies Last and Can You Freeze Them?

Decorated sugar cookies last about one week in an airtight container at room temperature, and undecorated cookies can be frozen for up to three months. Let cookies cool completely before storing them, because warm cookies trap moisture and turn soft or sticky. Royal icing sets hard once dry, so decorated cookies stack well in a single layer or with parchment between layers.

To freeze baked cookies, place them in a single layer in an airtight container with parchment between layers. Thaw them at room temperature for a few hours before decorating or serving. You can also freeze the dough: wrap it tightly, store it in a resealable bag, and thaw it in the refrigerator before rolling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can refrigerate sugar cookie dough for up to three days or freeze it for up to three months. Wrap the dough tightly so it does not dry out or absorb odors. Let refrigerated dough sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling so it is easier to handle.

Chilling is strongly recommended for cut-out cookies because it keeps the shapes sharp and reduces spreading. You can skip chilling if you are making drop cookies, but cut-outs almost always need it. A minimum of 1 hour in the refrigerator gives the best results.

Why Did My Sugar Cookies Spread?

Sugar cookies usually spread because the dough was warm, the butter was too soft, or the dough had too little flour. Chill the dough thoroughly, measure flour by spooning and leveling, and place cut shapes on a cool baking sheet. Baking on a sheet that is still warm from a previous batch can also cause spreading.

How Long Does Royal Icing Take to Dry on Cookies?

Royal icing is dry to the touch in 1 to 2 hours and fully hard in 4 to 8 hours. Thicker layers or humid kitchens take longer, so allow extra time before stacking or packing. An overnight rest is the safest option for detailed designs.

A sugar cookie typically contains egg and a small amount of leavening, which gives it a softer, more cake-like bite. Shortbread has a higher butter ratio and usually no egg, which makes it denser and crumblier. Read our comparison of shortbread and sugar cookies for a side-by-side breakdown.

Can You Use Salted Butter in Sugar Cookies?

Yes, you can use salted butter, but you should omit or reduce the added salt in the recipe. Start by leaving out the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and taste the dough before adding more. The baked cookies will be slightly saltier with salted butter, so use a brand you already know.

Conclusion

A successful sugar cookie recipe depends on cold, well-measured dough, an even 1/4 inch thickness, and a short bake at 350°F. Once the cookies are cool, royal icing turns them into decorated treats that dry hard enough to stack and transport. Keep portions in mind, since each cookie carries a meaningful share of the daily added sugar limit, and enjoy the process of making your own cut-out cookies.