This Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe is going to be your new go to Christmas cookie. They are easy to make, soft, delicious, and hold their shape every single time.
This is a family favorite recipe that you are going to love and keep for years to come! Make some of the best vanilla buttercream frosting to decorate them!
I’m so excited about sharing this soft cut out sugar cookie recipe with you guys today! It’s the recipe that my mom always used for cut sugar cookies at Christmas time, that she passed down to me. Whenever I make the dough, I take a taste of it, and I am immediately seven years old in my parents’ kitchen stealing scraps as we make cookies as a family, Christmas music playing in the background.
Every year, I use this recipe to make Christmas sugar cookies with my own kids. It’s one of my very favorite Christmas traditions. You can find us, just about every Christmas Eve, decorating these cookies to put out a plate for Santa.
I love this recipe. The cookies turned out perfectly. My 16 yr old says they are the best cookie I have made so far. Thanks Lisa!
What Makes This the Best Sugar Cookie Recipe in the World
- The taste! The taste of these cookies is perfection. They are just the right amount of sweet and buttery.
- They hold their shape! Cut out cookies that hold their shape is a must at Christmas. These guys don’t spread, and they hold their cut out shape just right.
- These soft sugar cookies truly are soft. They have a tiny bit of a crisp outer edge with the most delicious soft center.
How to Make Sugar Cookies
As with any baking recipe, I suggest that you read through the recipe fully before you get going. Proper measuring and temperature of ingredients are what will ensure success.
This is a brief overview of the recipe. Please make sure to get the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Whisk together dry ingredients. Whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Sift them, and set aside.
- Cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar. Beat the sugar with the shortening and butter incorporating air into them. The mixture should look light and fluffy at the end and take about 3 to 6 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Add it all at once. Then mix on low just until it is combined enough the flour won’t fly out of the bowl. Turn up the mixer to high for just a few seconds until it’s fully combined.
- Chill the dough. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Roll the dough. Roll out the dough on a well floured counter top (sometimes I use powdered sugar instead!), and cut out the shapes. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Bake the cut out cookies.
- Frost and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks for this Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Completely read through the instructions before starting. This is a great tip for all baking recipes. It will give you a sense of all the steps and how long they will take.
- Properly measure your flour. This is the first tip I always give when talking about a baking recipe. It is so important that I have a whole section on it below.
- Use room temperature butter and shortening. You should be able to easily dent them with your finger, but not push all the way through. Keep in mind that room temperature butter will still feel cold to the touch.
- Use fresh baking powder. Test it by dropping some in some water. It should bubble immediately. It typically needs to be replaced every six months.
- Chill your dough. Read below on how and why.
- Preheat your oven. This sounds simple, but it really is an important step. For these to bake properly, you don’t want to put them in a cold oven.
- Use quality baking sheets. You can do everything right and the use old baking sheets only to have your cookies burn. I love these.
Measuring Flour
Measuring flour is the key to making baking recipes turn out perfectly. Following these steps will ensure that you have the correct amount of flour in the recipe. They will help you avoid packing your flour which will lead to dry and crumbly cookies. For more detailed instructions read: How to Measure Flour.
- Whisk the flour in the container you store it in.
- Spoon it into a dry measuring cup. Do not scoop with the measuring cup. This can pack the flour and result in too much. (Read more about dry measuring cups below.
- Level off the flour with the flat edge of a spatula handle.
How to Measure Flour
Sifting Dry Ingredients
I really like sifting the dry ingredients in this recipe because it helps distribute the baking powder and salt fully in the flour. It’s one extra step that ensures that this recipe turns out perfect. That being said, if it will keep you from making these, skip it.
Chilling the Dough
After making the sugar cookie dough, you do need to chill it for 2 hours before rolling. This ensures that the cookies will hold their shape when you bake them. This is an important step, so please don’t skip it.
I typically cover my mixing bowl in plastic wrap and then put it in the refrigerator. Whatever you chill your dough in, make sure that it is an airtight container so that the dough does not dry out.
Making Dough in Advance
If you would like to make this dough further in advance you can do that too. Keep the dough refrigerated for up to 2 days. If you wrap the dough tightly, you can freeze it for up to 1 month.
Freezing this Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
This cut out sugar cookie recipe is great for freezing. I often make these a few months in advance as the days leading up to Christmas are so busy. But frosting sugar cookies on Christmas Eve is a sweet family tradition we are all committed to.
To freeze ahead of time, flash freeze the freshly baked but cooled cookies in a single layer. I like to do this on a wax paper or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze them for at least two hours. Then move the cookies to an airtight container and return them to the freezer. They can be frozen for up to three months.
Thaw the cookies before frosting. When spread out in a single layer they will thaw in about thirty minutes at room temperature.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Frosting for Sugar Cookies
You can’t have frosted sugar cookies my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. It is the perfect delicious compliment to this recipe.
If you would like to decorate the cookies as you see here, you will need:
- To double the vanilla frosting recipe. If you are just spreading frosting on the cookies, a single batch should work.
- Grab a frosting tip set. I really like this one. It comes with reusable bags and lots of tips at a reasonable price. It’s perfect for decorating gingerbread houses too.
- Add in some food coloring. Gel food coloring is a great way to get vibrant colors in this frosting recipe.
Affordable Cookie Decorating Set
FAQ
These sugar cookies will stay soft and delicious, if stored in an air tight container, for at least two weeks.
If you would like to make them further out than that for decorating later, I suggest freezing them. There are instructions for how to do that above in the post.
Yes! These freeze very well, and they are a great recipe to make far in advance (about three months at the most). Read above for more detailed instructions.
A balance of butter and shortening! Vegetable shortening (like Crisco) will help the cookies hold their shape, while butter gives it a delicious flavor. Just like in my pie crust recipe, you need both.
When they just begin to brown around the edges, they are ready to come out of the oven. Allow them to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before using a spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
Unfortunately, these cookies haven’t been tested with gluten free flour. If you wanted to test these gluten free, I recommend using a flour that is meant to replace all purpose flour one for one, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour.
Other Great Christmas Cookies
If you make these great sugar cookies or any of my other Christmas Cookies, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour read important tips about measuring flour here (240 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt see note
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature (8 tablespoons or 113 grams)
- 1/4 cup shortening room temperature (46 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (198 grams)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift and set aside. (Read about sifting and if you can skip it here.)2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the shortening, butter, and sugar until fluffy. About three minutes.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup shortening, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, until just combined.2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour to the wet ingredients. Mix in on low just long enough that the flour is somewhat incorporated so you can turn it on high for a few seconds to fully incorporate.
- Refrigerate the dough, covered, for at least two hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, working with a small amount of dough, use a rolling pin to roll it out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheets. Put the scraps of dough back in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes before rolling out again.
- Refrigerate the cut dough on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes.
- Take the trays out of the refrigerator and bake until the edges of the cookies are just golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pans for two minutes before placing on wire cooling racks to cool completely. Read here about frosting them.
Notes
Ayesha says
Can you use butter again in this recipe instead of the shortening?
Nope, it is the combo of butter and shortening together that makes them taste great without spreading too much.
Terry says
I weigh almost everything (tsp. tbsp. etc I measure). For the flour, although not listed this way, you want, sifted 197g flour. It yields more flour this way, and this is correct? If sifted was after, we would sift then measure, or in my case, weigh. My soft sugar cookie recipe has sour cream in it, however, I didn’t realize I had shortening and purchased another, so I’m looking for recipes…*wink wink*. I still make the chocolate chip cookies I made at 12, which are made with shortening. They are the best chocolate chip, nothing, imho, can compare….that’s a lot of years making and eating! 😉
Holly says
Has anyone tried this using gluten free flour? My granddaughter is gluten intolerant. Trying to find a recipe that will work.
I would try this with a gluten free flour mix that is meant to replace all purpose four 1 to 1.
Cheryl Smith says
I love this recipe. The cookies turned out perfectly. My 16 yr old says they are the best cookie I have made so far. Thanks Lisa!
I’m so glad to hear this! Thank you for letting me know Cheryl!
Janet says
I was wondering if you had any Diabetic meal plans, I am struggling with this right now. Janet
I’m so sorry, Janet. At this moment I don’t have a diabetic/low carb section (though I’m working on it). I do have a few recipes in that category you can find here: https://www.simplejoy.com/tag/low-carb/
A. Scavarda says
These cookies turned out great. They kept well when stored in an airtight container with the frosting bags which made it super easy for our decorate-it-yourself dessert.
What a fun idea! I’m so glad that you enjoyed them!
Amber Ferda says
Very good, but time consuming. They are worth it for special occasions! Every recipe I have made from simple joy I have made has been delicious!
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Cheryl says
Thank you! This is just the cookie recipe we were looking for. My granddaughters and I loved making and eating them. Thank you
I’m so glad to hear that!
Trenee says
How many cookies does this recipe make?
That’s hard to answer because it absolutely depends on the size and shape of the cookie cutters you use, but we typically get 3 dozen.
Donna Raymond says
I prefer not to use shortening so just wondering if using margarine would be an ok replacement?
Shortening is what keeps these cookies from spreading. And I totally hear you. I have a total of I think two recipes that call for shortening with this being one. That being said, you can’t taste the shortening at all. Margarine will not be a good replacement to do what shortening does here.