Our Most Popular Holiday Cookie Recipe of All Time
You can't beat the classics.
It's officially the holiday season, and that can only mean one thing: firing up our ovens for a nonstop, month-long baking extravaganza. Whether you're attending a cookie exchange, hoping to bring a homemade host gift, or baking for friends and family, chances are you're searching for cookie recipes this time of year. If you want the best of the best, look no further than our recipe for Easy Sugar Cookies.
Why We Love This Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe
Sometimes you just can't beat the classics. That's certainly the case with this sugar cookie recipe. This style of sugar cookie is a drop cookie, not a rolled sugar cookie (like these), meaning they're as easy as cookies come. It's such a simple recipe that one reviewer even went so far as to call it "toddler-proof."
You likely have all the ingredients on hand already—flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder, and baking soda—and they come together in under 30 minutes. They are the ideal last-minute cookie to throw together, yet the final product will look and taste like they took you all day. Plus, each batch yields about 4 dozen cookies, so you can feed the holiday crowds.
How to Make Our Easy Sugar Cookies
This recipe calls for an electric mixer, either handheld or a stand mixer. This equipment is crucial for beating air into the butter-sugar mixture, which makes the batter lighter and fluffier. This creates the air pockets that become those picture-perfect cracks on top once the dough bakes and gives the cookies their signature soft and chewy texture.
Tip
To get these cookies extra chewy, carefully bang the entire tray of cookies on a flat surface when they come out of the oven. This will push excess air out of the cookie, making them even more tender and chewy.
Otherwise, it's an incredibly straightforward recipe, the kind you'll likely memorize after making a few batches. One tip from reviewers: Make sure your butter is softened before making this recipe or the dough won't come together properly. And while it's great as is, many commenters recommend adding a pinch of salt to help bring out all of the other flavors in the cookie.
This dough also freezes exceptionally well, both before and after baking. You can store baked and cooled cookies in an air-tight container or zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Alternatively, portion the dough as you normally would, roll them into balls, then freeze on a sheet tray for at least a few hours or overnight. Once they're frozen and set, transfer the cookie dough balls to an air-tight container or zip-top bag and store them for up to 2-3 months. I prefer the latter method, as it ensures you can have hot, freshly baked cookies in mere minutes, any time of day or night.
Drop cookies can be tricky to nail consistently batch after batch, but these sugar cookies are backed by 5-star rave reviews from over 6,000 Allrecipes community members.
In perhaps the most effusive review I've ever read on Allrecipes, home cook ILOVEFOOD! writes, "I know this will sound melodramatic, but I've been looking for a good sugar cookie recipe my whole life. I had accepted the fact that I would never find it when I tried this recipe. The cookies baked up crispy and buttery, just the right amount of sweetness, chewy for days."
Related: These Are the Best Cookie Tools for an Easier Holiday Cookie Tin
Ways to Customize Our Easy Sugar Cookies Recipe
The best part about this recipe is that it lends itself so well to endless iterations and flavor boosts. For one thing, you can always top these cookies with festive sprinkles, or even roll them in sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking to emulate the rainbow sprinkle cookies from childhood. You can ice these cookies with our top-rated sugar cookie frosting or a flavored icing like lemon or orange.
Our community has gotten so creative with this recipe, that it's impossible to cover all of their versions, but here are a few highlights:
User DeniseM made shortcut Snickerdoodles by rolling the dough balls in cinnamon and sugar before baking.
Several home cooks added food coloring to the dough to make it even more fun and festive. "My kids wanted to make rainbow cookies today so we used this recipe," writes himmlisch. "Worked great, thank you! I added almond extract because I love it."
Try flavorings like user Mikeyb715: "I’ve had great success with this cookie recipe as a base...I split the dough into thirds and flavor with various freeze-dried fruits (strawberries, raspberries & blueberries), leave some vanilla, and flavor another third with unsweetened cocoa powder for a Neapolitan-style sugar cookie."
Sandwich two cookies around your favorite ice cream or a simple buttercream frosting, then roll the edges in sprinkles like community member Angela.
Or dream up something totally unique like this Allrecipes member:
Get the Recipe: Easy Sugar Cookies
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