Celebrate the season with a tried-and-tested recipe for The Best Cutout Sugar Cookies that are buttery, soft and hold their shape after baking. Grab your favorite cookie cutters, crank up the Christmas music, and don’t forget the icing for some festive decorating fun!
Table of Contents
What better way to kick off Christmas cookie season than with cutout sugar cookies? This recipe has become my go-to during the holidays because it yields consistently soft, chewy and perfectly flavored sugar cookies. Best of all, you can cut the dough into any shape or size imaginable and it’ll stay that exact same shape, even after a hot date with the oven.
Why You’ll Love ‘Em
- Soft, thick and chewy. Just like my viral Christmas pinwheel cookies, these homemade sugar cookies have soft centers that taper into perfectly crisp edges.
- Rich, buttery and vanilla-y. Love chocolate more than vanilla? Try my chocolate sugar cookies instead!
- They maintain their shape. Just be sure to follow all of my tips and tricks to guarantee success with every batch.
- They stay soft for days.
- Not just for Christmas! Grab your favorite cookie cutter shapes, from hearts to ghosts, for soft sugar cookies any time of year.
- Perfect for decorating. Whether you prefer royal icing or chocolate buttercream frosting, these cookies provide the ideal canvas for you to be creative.
- Baking these cookies can be a fun family activity. Get everyone involved in rolling, cutting and decorating. It’s a fantastic way to create lasting memories while enjoying delicious treats together.
- Freezer-friendly. Not only can the dough be frozen but the undecorated baked cookies can be frozen, too! This handy trick means you can get a jump start on your holiday baking.
- All-purpose flour: This is what gives structure to your cookies. To avoid dense cookies, check out my simple video tutorial for how to accurately measure flour without using a scale. And just like my recipe for candy cane cookies, I recommend sifting the dry ingredients together. This adds pockets of air, which means you’ll have a lighter, fluffier cookie.
- Baking powder: Helps cookies rise and stay light. Test freshness by adding ½ teaspoon to a bowl and pouring a bit of white vinegar or water over it. If it fizzes right away, it’s fresh; if not, replace it with a new batch.
- Salt: Use fine-grain salt, and don’t skip it; even a small amount can make a significant difference.
- Unsalted butter: Ensure your butter is softened but not melted for the ideal cookie texture.
- Sugar: You’ll cream it with the butter for about 3 minutes until the mixture turns light and fluffy. This guarantees your cookies have that perfectly soft and tender texture.
- Eggs: Adds moisture and structure to the dough. Use fresh, room-temperature eggs for the best baking results.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. Or try using homemade vanilla extract, which also makes a great holiday gift!
If you’ve ever made any butter-centric cookie, like slice-and-bake butter cookies, you’ll know the dough needs to chill in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting into your shapes. But here’s a time-saving tip: The dough can be stashed in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for up to 3 months. See below for all of my make-ahead tips!
- Make the sugar cookie dough. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy for about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating between each, then add the vanilla extract. Turn off the mixer, add the flour mixture, and beat just until combined.
- Chill the dough. Remove the dough, shape it into a disk about 6 inches wide and wrap it securely in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it in half. Roll half the dough between two pieces of wax paper until it’s about 1/4-inch-thick. Check out my video tutorial for a handy trick for how to evenly roll out cookie dough.
- Cut into shapes. I love using a variety of Christmas-themed cookie cutters, but any shape or size works!
- Refrigerate the cut-out cookie dough. Without chilling, these cookie cutter sugar cookies won’t hold their shape.
- Bake and cool before decorating. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, depending on their size. When in doubt, remove the cookies from the oven just before they turn pale golden. Transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
How to Make Cookies That Keep Their Shape
There are a two key tips that will lead to cutout cookies that will keep their shape:
- Chill the Dough: Because of the amount of butter in this dough, it’s important to refrigerate it so that the fat has a chance to re-solidify.
- Chill the Unbaked Cookies: The chill fest continues as you then refrigerate (or even freeze) the cutout cookies for 15 minutes prior to baking them. This guarantees that the butter will not melt too quickly, which causes the cookie to spread. Spread-out cookies = shapeless cookies… and we don’t want those!
Before you make this recipe, here are a few more tips to follow for perfect sugar cookies:
- Roll out the dough between sheets of parchment paper. This not only prevents sticking but also eliminates the need for excess flour, ensuring the cookies maintain their intended texture.
- Dip the cutters in flour between each use to prevent sticking.
- Rotate the baking sheets. If you have two baking sheets in the oven at once, be sure to rotate them halfway through baking for even browning.
- If your cookies are spreading during baking, place the baking sheet with cutout cookies in the refrigerator between batches. This simple step helps ensure your cookies maintain their shapes.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating to ensure the icing sets properly.
- If the edges are cracking, this may be because the cookies are hanging out in the oven too long. Reduce the baking time slightly and, when in doubt, pull them out before they turn pale golden.
To keep your sugar cookies fresh and delicious, store them in an airtight container at room temp for 7-10 days. I recommend placing parchment paper between layers of cookies to avoid sticking and preserve their shapes.
If you’re baking sugar cookies for the holidays, a time-saving tip is to freeze the baked cookies before decorating. Store them in airtight, freezer-friendly containers or ziplock bags, separating layers with parchment or wax paper. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
When ready to enjoy, thaw the frozen cookies at room temperature inside the container to prevent condensation.
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- Slice-and-Bake Butter Cookies
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Store-bought or homemade frosting
- Assorted sprinkles
Equipment:
- Assorted cookie cutters
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, then add the vanilla.
- Turn the mixer off. Add the flour and then beat just until combined.
- Remove the dough, shape it into a disk about 6 inches wide and wrap it securely in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 1 hour. (See Kelly’s Notes.)
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it in half. Roll half the dough between two pieces of wax paper until it’s about 1/4-inch-thick. Using cookie cutters, cut out your desired shapes and place them roughly 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining dough. (Leftover scraps can be re-rolled.)
- Refrigerate the cut-out cookies for 15 minutes. (This helps them keep their shape when baking.)
- Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes until pale golden, and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Frost and decorate as desired.
Kelly’s Notes
- The dough can be refrigerated overnight, however when you remove it from the fridge, you will likely need to let it rest at room temperature for some time before it’s soft enough to roll.
- When in doubt, remove the cookies from the oven just prior to them turning pale golden. The cookies will crisp slightly as they cool, so removing them while slightly underbaked guarantees your cookies will remain soft. For crispier sugar cookies, bake them the full time.
- Store them in an airtight container at room temp for 7-10 days. I recommend placing parchment paper between layers of cookies to avoid sticking and preserve their shapes.
- Freeze the baked cookies before decorating. Store them in airtight, freezer-friendly containers or ziplock bags, separating layers with parchment or wax paper. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
Calories: 521kcal, Carbohydrates: 69g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 165mg, Potassium: 97mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 33g, Vitamin A: 770IU, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 2.4mg
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Recipe adapted from Gale Gand.
Hi are these the same ones on tik tok were you share the frosting recipe
Hi Jayshree! I think you may be looking for my recipe for The Best Cooking Icing. Search for “icing” in the search bar and it’ll pop up!
Love this recipe. Do you have an egg free version for school allergies????
Hi Josephine! I don’t have a cutout cookie that doesn’t have eggs, but I have many other egg-free recipes. Feel free to email me (kelly@justataste.com) and I’ll send you them!
Can I use “salted” butter instead of “unsalted?”
Yes but just omit the other salt!
How long can they be refrigerated before rolling out and baking?
Hi Kellie – The dough will last a few days in the fridge. I’ve never tried freezing it so I can’t say for certain what the results would be. Let me know if you give it a shot!
This is our favorite sugar cookie recipe! We use this recipe at least 3-4x a year.
This is what I love to read, Brittany! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
Can the cookies be made a day or so ahead of frosting and decorating them?
Absolutely, Josephine!
HI there Mrs. Kelly…I have been trying to find alphabet cookie cutters that are reasonably sized, like yours for “HO HO HO”. Do you have a brand you can recommend? Most are too small to have an impact. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Hi Ceil! I used a separate “H” and “O” shape from an alphabet cookie set.
Do you use butter or margarine?
Butter! :)
Do you mix with the butter softened or cold?
Either works but I prefer softened!
Do you have a frosting recipe to go with these? They look delicious!
Hi Tiera! Here’s the link to my royal icing recipe that you might enjoy: https://www.justataste.com/cookies-with-friends/ :)
Dumb question – you indicate the serving size is 8. Can you tell me approx how many cookies per serving? Thanks
Hi Susan – It all depends on how big you make your cookies. :)
I don’t have a stand mixer. May I make these with a hand mixer?
Absolutely, Angie!
Hi,
Is it okay to store these in an airtight container at room temp or should they go in the fridge?
Also, how long will they stay good for?
Thanks!
Hi there! Yes, you can store the cookies in an airtight container at room temp. They’ll last up to a week. :)
Made these this Christmas. Very yummy. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
You are so welcome, Elizabeth! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the cookies!