These are the best cut-out sugar cookies that are easy to make and come out perfect every time! The dough comes together fast, doesn't need to chill, and doesn't spread at all while baking, so you're cookies will always look picture-perfect!
We're less than 10 days until Christmas and as far as holiday traditions go, making and decorating homemade Christmas cookies is one that is pretty hard to beat! And if you're looking for a recipe for cut-out sugar cookies you can rely on, this one is about to become your new favorite!
Ingredients for Cut-Out Sugar Cookies:
- All-purpose flour: Flour provides structure and helps the cookies hold their shape when baking. Be sure to measure correctly. The best way to measure flour is to fluff it up in the bag with a spoon or a fork, then lightly spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
- Cornstarch: A little cornstarch in the dough is my secret weapon that promises these cookies will not spread whatsoever!
- Salt: Crucial for flavor. Make sure you're using unsalted butter or the cookies will taste too salty. If all you have is salted butter then reduce the salt to ¼ tsp.
- Butter: Unsalted and softened to room temperature. You will need to leave the butter out at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or you can speed up softening by cutting the butter into small pieces.
- Granulated sugar: A 1:1 ratio of sugar to butter is perfect for sugar cookies. Creaming sugar with butter whips air into the butter and helps make the cookies soft.
- Egg: One large egg, room temperature. Leave the egg out at room temperature for 1 hour or place it in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for about 5 minutes.
- Vanilla extract: You can also try substituting almond extract, both are delicious!
How to Make Cut-Out Sugar Cookies:
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter and the sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the room temperature egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. The dough will be thick and slightly crumbly.
- Preheat your oven to 350° and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (don't grease).
- Form the dough into a large ball and divide it in half or quarters (optional, makes rolling out easier). Lightly flour a clean surface and your rolling pin and roll the dough out to about ¼" thick.
- Cut out the cookie shapes and arrange them on the prepared pan. Gather up the dough scraps, re-roll, and repeat until all of the dough is used. Sprinkle the dough and your rolling pin with more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn light golden brown. Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a plate or a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Sugar Cookie Icing:
This sugar cookie icing is easy to make and perfect for decorating. It spreads on the cookies easily and hardens quickly with a beautiful shiny finish. To make it just whisk together powdered sugar, light corn syrup, milk, salt, and (clear) vanilla extract until smooth. Divide the icing into separate bowls and add a few drops of gel food coloring, if desired.
How to Decorate Cookies:
Let the cookies cool completely before decorating. Add the icing to a piping bag with a small round piping tip or to a plastic baggie with a small hole cut out. Pipe an outline of icing around the outer edge of the cookie and then fill the outline in. If adding sprinkles or candy be sure to add it before the icing sets.
Enjoy!
More Cookie Recipes:
- Soft Sugar Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Edible Cookie Dough
📖 RECIPE
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
These are the best cut-out sugar cookies that are easy to make and come out perfect every time! The dough comes together fast, doesn't need to chill, and doesn't spread at all while baking, so you're cookies will always look picture-perfect!
Print Pin RateServings: 30 cookies
Equipment
- Cookie cutters
Ingredients
- 2 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sugar Cookie Icing:
- 2 and ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoon whole milk
- ½ teaspoon (clear) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- gel food coloring, optional
- sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, cornstarch, salt, and set aside.
- Use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the room temperature egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the dry ingredients and mix until evenly combined. The dough will be very thick.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (Do not grease)
- Form the dough into a large ball and divide it in half or quarters (optional, makes rolling out easier). Lightly flour a clean surface and your rolling pin and roll the dough out to about ¼” thick.
- Cut out the cookie shapes and arrange them on the prepared pan. Gather up the dough scraps, re-roll, and repeat until all of the dough is used. Sprinkle the dough and your rolling pin with more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until just starting to lightly brown on the bottom. The cookies will set and harden as they cool. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the pan and then transfer to a plate or a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the icing: In a large bowl whisk the powdered sugar, light corn syrup, milk, clear vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Decorate the cookies as desired once they've completely cooled. If adding sprinkles or candy make sure you add them before the icing sets.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie (frosted) | Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3.8g | Saturated Fat: 3.8g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 17.3g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
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