Soft, buttery, chewy, melt in your mouth, cut-out sugar cookies decorated with simple icing. These are sure to be a hit this Christmas!
If you're looking for other Christmas Cookie recipes check out my gingerbread cookies, Christmas kitchen sink cookies, chocolate thumbprint cookies, chocolate peppermint blossoms, chewy peanut butter cookies, brownie cookies, peppermint bark Christmas crack or chocolate dipped peppermint sugar cookies!
This post is sponsored by Minerva Dairy. Thank you for supporting the brands that make In Bloom Bakery possible!
Why You'll Love These Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
They're fun to make. They do require a little extra work, like rolling out and cutting the dough, but making them is half the fun! They're a great activity to do with loved ones this Christmas.
They require only a few ingredients. You probably already have everything you need at home to make them!
They're super delicious. Call me basic, but sugar cookies are my absolute favorite kind of cookies. These sugar cookies are buttery, soft and chewy. They melt in your mouth and have just the best bite to them.
Ingredients for Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Flour- all purpose flour gives these cookies the best bite
- Sugar- granulated sugar of course is the base of these cookies and powdered sugar is used in the royal icing for decorating them
- Butter- make sure it’s softened, we're using Minerva Dairy!
- Vanilla- I recommend vanilla bean paste for the best flavor
- Egg- one egg binds the cookie dough together
- Salt- brings out all the flavors
- Baking powder- just a tiny bit helps them rise ever so slightly
- Milk- used in the royal icing
- Sprinkles- for decorating of course!
Step by Step Instructions
Please see recipe card below for the complete recipe, including measurements and baking times!
STEP ONE: Cream butter and sugar together.
STEP TWO: Add in egg and vanilla and combine.
STEP THREE: Then add in flour, salt and baking powder and combine.
STEP FOUR: Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic warp and let it chill.
STEP FIVE: Roll dough out and cut cookies out with cookie cutters.
STEP SIX: Bake the cookies and let them cool.
STEP SEVEN: Mix powdered sugar and milk together to make a simple icing.
STEP EIGHT: Decorate the cookies with icing and sprinkles.
Please see recipe card below for the complete recipe, including measurements and baking times!
FAQs
Do I really have to chill the dough twice? Well, yes. If you don't chill the dough the first time, it will be hard to work with because it's soft, and if not the second time, the cookies will spread too much in the oven.
How do I store these cookies? Store them in an airtight container for up to four days.
Can I make the dough beforehand? You can make the dough and keep it in the fridge for up to three days before baking the cookies. You will want to leave the dough out of the fridge for about 30 minutes until it's soft enough to roll out. You can also freeze the dough for up to two weeks before using. Just make sure it's wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and then put in a plastic baggie or container so that it is completely airtight!
Pro Tips
Measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. (Trust me, I've learned the hard way that I need to measure properly!) Instead, sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams.
Make sure to beat the egg into the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale in color and fluffy, not just until it's combined. Doing this will help give you perfectly textured cookies.
If you make these cookies please leave a star review!
Tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas.
Other Recipes to Try:
Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Sugar Cookies
📖 Recipe
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 227 g
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled (please see notes) 344 g
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
For the Icing
- 4-5 tablespoon milk 60-75 ml
- 3 cups powdered sugar 390 g
- Sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
For the Sugar Cookies
- Add butter and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Cream together until fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until pale in color and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Then add in the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix until combined.
- Form the dough into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a well floured surface roll the dough out until it's ¼ inch thick. (If the dough is too cold and difficult to work with, let it sit for 10-20 minutes then roll it out.)
- Cut out cookies using cookie cutters.
- Transfer the cut cookies to the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Chill the cut cookies for at least 1 hour, or until ready to bake. (You can chill the cookies together on one or two baking sheets, and then separate them out when ready to bake.)
- When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (Line another baking sheet with parchment paper if the cookies are together on one sheet.)
- Arrange the chilled cookie cutouts about 2 inches apart from each other.
- Bake regular sized cookies, that are roughly 3 ½ inches for 10-12 minutes. Bake mini cookies, that are roughly 2 inches for 6-8 minutes. Watch them closely to make sure the edges don't get too browned. They should be a light golden color.
For the Icing
- Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl.
- Add in 4 tablespoon of milk and combine. If the icing is too thick add in the remaining tablespoon of milk.
- Add icing to a piping bag fitted with a very small circular tip, or just cut a tiny bit off the end of the piping bag.
- Decorate the cookies as you wish. Let the icing dry, then serve!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days for the best taste.
Absolutely delicious!! You can never go wrong with this classic sugar cookie! So tender and wonderful!!
I love the 'why' explained in the recipe. It helps me value the instructions more. I actually followed this one without deviating which is saying something. I ended up with plenty of extra frosting, but if it were the kids doing the frosting I'm sure it'd be perfect. They were delicious! (past tense because they are all gone)
My grandson is lactose-intolerent so I used Almond milk and the cookies were great.
Ginny!
Am I able to chill the dough overnight before cutting them into shapes? I’ve made so many of your recipes and love them all! 🙂
Hi Lisa! Yes you can chill the dough overnight! You will just need to let it sit at room temperature until soft enough to roll out 🙂
Absolutely the best sugar cookies !!