Light, crispy, melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies! This is the BEST sugar cookie recipe you'll ever make. In all the years I have never had any better. With or without the sprinkles 🎉, you decide.
Most of the time, I'm not really a sugar cookie person. Chocolate chip cookies are really more of my jam. But, let me tell you...THESE sugar cookies are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! In all honesty they are the world's best sugar cookies.
These soft sugar cookies are super light and crispy. They practically melt in your mouth. This recipe is my Grandma Sisson's cookie recipe but I jazzed it up a little bit with rainbow sprinkles.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- Light and delicate. Seriously, the melt in your mouth.
- Sweet vanilla flavor.
- Super fast and easy to make. These cookies are easy to make, they're a no-chill sugar cookie recipe so you can bake them as soon as you mix them up.
Recipe Notes
I make these easy sugar cookies for Christmas every single year. I don't usually use the rainbow sprinkles when I make these as Christmas sugar cookies. You can leave the sprinkles out entirely or use white or red a green sprinkles.
Sugar Cookie Ingredients
- Flour. I use all-purpose flour or this cookie recipe. Gluten-free flour works really. well in this recipe.
- Sugar. Both granulated white sugar and powdered sugar are used in this recipe. You'll need about half a cup of extra granulated sugar to roll the cookie dough in before baking.
- Butter and Oil. Make sure your butter is softened at room temperature. The oil in the recipe is one of the things that makes these cookies so light.
- Egg. Just one egg at room temperature.
- Salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
- Vanilla extract.
- Sprinkles. Totally optional. I used one bottle of rainbow nonpareils in the recipe. I was in a festive mood. You can buy nonpareils in a million different colors and they are a fun addition to this cookie recipe.
Special Equipment
- Cookie press. A cookie press is a super fun way to add a fancy top to these cookies. Nordic ware has the cutest designs.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 Combine the sugars with the butter and oil
Beat together the sugars with the butter and oil until they are light a fluffy.
Step 2 Add the vanilla and eggs, beat again
Step 3 Add the dry ingredients and mix
Step 4 Drop the cookies
These are drop sugar cookies. Drop the cookies into a bowl of sugar and then onto a cookie sheet. I like to use a cookie press to give them a fun texture.
Variations
- Make these sugar cookies with or without sprinkles.
- Roll the sugar cookie dough in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar to make snickerdoodles.
- Frost the sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Yes, these cookies come out really well with King Aurther's gluten free flour.
This cookie dough is too delicate to roll out. I don't recommend using it for cut-out sugar cookies.
This recipe is perfect for making Snickerdoodles. Traditional sugar cookies are rolled in sugar. To make Snickerdoodles add cinnamon to granulated sugar and roll the cookies in the cinnamon-sugar mixture before baking.
Yes, these cookies can be frozen before or after baking.
To freeze the cookie dough, scoop out each cookie and roll it in sugar. Place the cookie balls on a a sheet pan. Freeze the cookie dough balls and then you can store them in a freezer bag.
When you're ready to bake them simply let them thaw at room temperature. Bake according to the recipe card. You can also place a few of the frozen cookie dough balls in the fridge and let them thaw over night.
To freeze baked cookies, simply place the cookies on a baking sheet, freeze and then store in a freezer bag.
Frozen cookie dough and frozen cookies will keep several months in the freezer.
More Amazing Sugar Cookie Recipes
- The BEST Cut-out Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Soft Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies
- Gluten-free Keto Sugar Cookies
More of my Best Cookie Recipes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
- Double Dark Chocolate Chip Shortbread
- Peppermint Meringue Cookies
- The World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Extras
- sugar for rolling
- nonpareils Optional but highly recommended
Optional Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners sugar more if needed
- food coloring if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
How To Make Sugar Cookie Dough
- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar) in a medium bowl and whisk together.
- Combine the sugars, the butter, and the oil. Beat until this mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and the vanilla. Beat them into the sugar and butter mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar and mix until the flour is just incorperated. Don't overmix.
- Optional: Add Sprinkles and mix in.
- Add hald a cup of sugar to a bowl for rolling the cookies in.
- Use a cookie scoop to form cookie dough balls. Roll each ball of dough in the granulared sugar before placing them on a lined cookie sheet.
- Gently press the cookies flat. You can use your fingers or a cookie stamp.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional)
- Combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
- Using a hand mixer, on low at first, blend together until the cream cheese and sugar are relateively smooth.
- Add the milk and the vanilla. Mix until they are incorporated.
- Add a few drops of food coloring if desired, mix the food coloring in.
Lisa Hatfield
My goodness, these cookies are so good! Thanks for another great baking recipe Laura.
Laura Reigel
Thank you Lisa for the awesome review.
Seanna Borrows
These cookies are the best! Super tasty!