Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
This is the BEST Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe you will ever try! These cookies are easy to make, delicious, and turn out incredibly soft every single time.
*Post & pictures updated December 2020*
Several years ago I shared this delicious cut out sugar cookie recipe and it’s become a huge hit with so many of you during the holidays! I decided it was time to finally update this recipe with more step pictures and tips to ensure that these cookies turn out perfect for you every time you make them.
One of the things that I love about this cookie dough is that it’s incredibly easy to throw together. I can usually mix up the dough in about 10 minutes. These cookies bake up perfect every single time, they don’t spread, and hold their shape.
If you’ve ever felt intimated when it comes to creating beautiful cookies, I guarantee this easy cut out sugar cookie recipe will change your mind!
Recipe Ingredients
First things first, let’s discuss the ingredients that you will need to make this soft cut out sugar cookie recipe:
- All-Purpose Flour: This provides the structure for your cookies so that they hold their shape. It’s crucial to measuring your flour correctly with the spoon and level method. Too much flour can lead to a crumbly cookie dough that won’t roll out properly.
- Baking Powder & Salt: The baking powder provides a little lift and the salt enhances all of the flavors.
- Shortening: If you want a cookie that will hold it’s shape without any dough chilling, then shortening is the way to go! I prefer to use Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening because it has a neutral flavor. Feel free to use their butter flavored version if you prefer though. Make sure your shortening is at room temperature too.
- Granulated Sugar: While I love adding brown sugar whenever possible to my cookies, we’re sticking with just granulated sugar here.
- Vanilla Extract & Egg: The vanilla flavors the dough and the egg helps bind everything together. Make sure to use a room temperature egg so that it disperses evenly throughout the cookie dough.
- Milk: This is a thick cookie dough, so there’s some milk to add moisture and help it come together. I typically use whole milk, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand – 2%, 1%, skim, or even almond milk will work here!
How To Make Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Whisk together dry ingredients: I prefer to mix up the dry ingredients first and whisk them together until well combined. This will ensure that your baking powder and salt are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
- Cream the shortening and sugar together: You only need to mix them together until they’re well combined, which should take 1 to 2 minutes.
- Mix in the egg, vanilla, and milk: The mixture will be nice and creamy like the picture above on the right. Feel free to stop and scrape down the sides of your bowl as needed.
- Mix in the dry ingredients: Keep in mind that the mixture will be a little bit crumbly at first, but keep mixing and it will come together just fine. Once the dough comes together, I like to work it together with my hands into a ball.
- Divide the dough in half and roll it out: This is a lot of cookie dough, so I suggest dividing the dough in half and rolling out each half. I find that it’s easier to roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper. 1/4-inch is the perfect thickness for these cookies.
- Cut out shapes & bake: This cookie dough also doesn’t require any dough chilling, but if you run into any issues with cutting out the dough then chilling it can help. See my section below for tips on rolling out and cutting your dough. The baking time will vary some depending on the size of your cookie cutters too, but I typically use 2.5-3-inch cookie cutters and they take about 9 to 12 minutes at 350°F (177°C).
- Ice the cookies: I love to use my easy sugar cookie icing or royal icing to decorate these cookies.
Tips For Rolling Out & Cutting The Cookie Dough
I’ve had quite a few comments over the years with readers experiencing some issues with either rolling out the dough, cutting it, or transferring the dough to a baking sheet. Here are my tips to make this process as easy as possible:
- Roll each half of dough between two pieces of parchment paper: This will prevent it from sticking to your rolling pin and just make it easier! Make sure to lightly flour the parchment paper before adding the dough, then add a little flour on top of your dough before rolling it out.
- Use dowel rods: I like to place a 1/4-inch dowel rod on each side of the dough, then roll it out. This ensures that all of the dough is rolled to the correct thickness.
- Chill the dough: While this dough doesn’t technically have to be chilled, chilling it can make it easier to cut out more intricate shapes and transfer them to your baking sheet too. Once you’ve rolled each half of the dough out between parchment paper, stack them on top of each other (keep them between the parchment paper!), place them on a baking sheet, and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the dough is firm and easier to work with.
- Flour your cookie cutters: This will prevent the dough from sticking as you’re cutting out your shapes.
- Use a thin spatula to transfer the cookies to a baking sheet: I prefer to lightly flour a thin spatula, slide it under the cut out cookie dough, then transfer them to a baking sheet. They slide easily off the spatula too as long as you continue to keep it floured.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Once your cookies have cooled completely, you can stack them and store them in an airtight container. If you ice the cookies, make sure to let the icing harden completely before stacking them. Cookies with or without icing can be stored at room temperature for up to one week.
To freeze the cookie dough
Divide the dough in two, flatten into two discs about ½-inch thick, wrap each one tightly with plastic wrap, and store in a freezer-safe storage container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to make the cookies, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the discs from the refrigerator, let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 45 minutes, roll each disc out between two pieces of parchment paper. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper, cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and bake as directed.
To freeze the baked cookies
Once the cookies have cooled completely, store them in a freezer-friendly storage container or storage bag for up to 3 months. I recommend placing parchment paper between the layers of cookies so that they don’t stick together. If you are freezing iced cookies, make sure to let the icing fully harden before freezing them. When you’re ready to enjoy the cookies, let them sit at room temperature for several hours to thaw completely.
Baking Tips
- When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it out of the container with the measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- I suggest using one Crisco baking stick for this recipe since it will give you the exact amount that you need. If you’re measuring out 1 cup of Crisco, make sure to fully pack it into your measuring cup.
- The dough will be a little crumbly at first, but keep mixing and it will come together just fine. Feel free to stop once the mixture comes together and work it together into a ball with your hands.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes To Try!
- Chocolate Turtle Cookies
- Snowball Cookies
- Soft Molasses Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
For the cut-out sugar cookies:
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (190 grams) shortening
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Optional: easy sugar cookie icing or royal icing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream the shortening and sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined. Mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. The mixture will be a little crumbly at first but it will come together as you continue mixing it. Once the dough comes together, use your hands to form it into a ball.
- Divide the dough in half. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper, add half of the dough, top with another piece of parchment paper, and roll the dough out ¼-inch thick between both pieces of parchment paper. Repeat with the other half of the dough between two separate pieces of parchment paper. This dough doesn't require any dough chilling, but if you prefer colder dough so that it's easier to work with you can place both pieces of rolled out dough between the parchment paper on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.
- Peel off the top layer of parchment paper. Using 2.5 to 3 inch cookie cutters, cut the cookie dough into shapes and place them onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave a little room between each one. If needed, flour a thin spatula and use that to transfer the cut out cookies to the baking sheet. Re-roll any scrap pieces of dough between the parchment paper and continue cutting out shapes. Repeat with the other sheet of cookie dough.
- Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are set the bottom edges are lightly browned.
- Cool on the baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Loved the flavor of the cookies but they were not soft. After they cooled they were somewhat hard. I baked a pan at 10 minutes (those turned out really hard (crunchy) and then I baked the rest right at 8 minutes (they weren’t even browned) but as they cooled they got pretty crunchy instead of staying soft. Any thoughts?
Hi Kristle! If the cookies weren’t soft it’s likely that they were just overbaked. This could be due to a few reasons – the cookie cutters you used may have been smaller, your oven was too warm, or the dough was rolled thinner. If you bake the cookies again and use the same cookie cutters, you could try baking them for less time. Another option would be to reduce your oven temperature 25°F or use a light-colored baking sheet to see if that helps. In the meantime, if you ice the cookies you just baked and let them sit for a day or two that will soften them. You can also add a slice of bread to the container with the cookies and that will soften them too. I hope that helps!
Do you think it would be ok to make the frosty, keep in fridge & use a couple days later?
I think that would be fine. I would probably store it in an airtight container and let it come to room temperature before using it.
These truly are the best soft sugar cookies ever! I made them for Valentine’s Day the first time and they turned out perfect. I’ve taken Christmas cookies to meetings and parties. Lots of people ask for the recipe which I’ve shared through your website. I have a question. Can this recipe be doubled or do you recommend making 2 separate batches?
You could probably double the recipe, just keep in kind it will make a lot of cookie dough so it may be kind of hard to get it fully mixed together.
Great cookie recipe–now I know why my mom always used Crisco. I wonder about the frosting proportions. I had to use a whole 3rd cup of powdered sugar to get it to not be so runny–and only 3 tbsp of milk. Not sure what that’s about. But they taste great!
The frosting will be a little thin, but if you lift your whisk/fork and let it drizzle you should see some “ribbons” for a few seconds in it. I’m glad they turned out great for you!
I’ve tried a ton of different sugar cookie recipes but this one has become my favorite by far. It’s so so easy and the cookies shapes stay perfect too. My family literally devours these with or without icing lol
Do you think I could make the dough the night before and roll, cut, and bake the next morning?
That would be fine. If the dough is too cold and firm to roll out, just let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so and that should help.
This is my first time ever baking Christmas cookies. I found that the dough was hard to work with, but I didn’t give up and they came out great. They’re beautiful and the icing is delicious. I would give 5 stars for taste, but only 4 stars because the dough is pretty frustrating. The end result was great!
Sorry you had some trouble with the dough, Kim. Happy to try to help you figure out what may have caused that to happen. Was it too dry/sticky/or something else? I’m glad they still turned out great for you!
I was not a fan of sugar cookies before I found your blog. I have tried all your cookie recipes and let me tell you if it’s not your blog I will not try it. All my cookies ,cakes etc have been popular with my family and friends. Thank you so much!
Thank you, Kelli! So happy to hear that the recipes have turned out great for you!
Hi! These look so wonderful! I was wondering what kind/brand of food coloring do you use to get such vibrant colors?!
I always use McCormick liquid food coloring.
I followed the recipe exactly and my cookies came out exactly the way I had hoped. I used the butter Crisco sticks. The dough does seem crumbly at first, but I pressed it down into the bowl and let it stand for a couple of minutes and it came together well. One thing that might help some of you whose cookies are coming out too well done – if you’re using a dark nonstick cookie sheet, adjust the oven temp down to 325 and check the cookies after 10 minutes. I did not have parchment paper but I did have one nonstick cookie sheet and this temp adjustment was the ticket. Also, the thickness of your cut cookies makes a difference in how well-done they get, so keep an eye on the color along the bottom edges of the cookies while they are getting closer to being done. I like mine to barely have a very light-golden color on the bottom. After the icing hardened and cookies cooled, I stored them in airtight Rubbermaid (or Tupperware), and within a couple of hours the cookies were the perfect softness and tasted just like the ones we used to get from the bakeries. Good luck!
Can i make the dough ahead of time and freeze it and make the cookies later?
I think that would be fine. You’ll probably want to thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before you roll it.
Do these freeze well? I want to make them ahead of time, freeze, and give as gifts during the holiday season. Also, do you suggest anything other than vegetable shortening? Maybe very cold butter? I worry about trans fats.
They will freeze just fine! I’ve tried using butter, but the cookies don’t maintain their shape as well.
How does the icing get hard without meringue powder. Is it the corn syrup that makes it hard.
Meringue powder just helps it harden faster. Powdered sugar, milk, and a little vanilla will harden up too (just not as fast). The corn syrup just makes the icing shinier.
Hello, thank you for such a great recipe! I am wanting to make these a week in advance. Would they keep in the fridge?
That should be fine! I would just make sure to set them out a couple of hours ahead of time so they can come to room temperature.
This is my go-to sugar cookie recipe. The dough is easy to work with (it’s not so sticky and messy like other dough freezing recipes I’ve tried), bakes perfectly, and the finished cookie tastes delicious. This is now my fourth time using it so I figured it was about time I announced how much I appreciate and love it!
Thank you so much for replying, I will try out the recipe today! I want them for Saturday
Hi!
I want to try this recipe and would like to make them a couple days in advanced, how long do they stay fresh? Do I have to put them in the fridge or can I leave them out?
Thank you!
Hi, Sam! They will keep for 3-4 days just fine at room temperature. I leave them in an airtight container at room temperature, but you can certainly refrigerate them if you prefer. If you do that, I would set them out ahead of time before serving them so they’re not so cold.
Have you ever tried it with the butter flavored Crisco?
I haven’t, but I think it would be fine to use it!
These cookies are delicious! Mine bubbled on the top, though. Any idea why? I wasn’t able.to decorate them as I had hoped since the tops were so uneven.
I’m not quite sure what would cause that to happen. Did you make any adjustments to the recipe? And did you make sure to use baking powder?
These are perfect. Not generally a sugar cookie fan, but they are good! Made Easter cookie cut outs.
They are great i give 5 stars baked a little under i like mine soft in the middle. Thank you
After you flood the icing should it dry before you pipe on decorations
You don’t have to let it dry completely, but I would let it dry for 30 minutes or until the very top layer is kind of dry before you pipe on more decorations.
Cookies came out P E R F E C T following your directions! Now it’s time for icing!!
So glad the cookies turned out great for you, Robyn!
Absolutely perfect! I will never use another sugar cookie recipe..this is now my go to cookie recipe! Thank you for sharing!!
My dough never came together ? it stayed crumbly. What did I do wrong?
Sorry to hear that, Nicole. Did you make sure to spoon and level your flour? And did you make sure to use one full cup of shortening?
Hello my name is Lily.I am the oldest of four, and everyone in my family likes for me to bake. Do you have to use Pillsbury Best or can you just use any kind of flour?And also,do you have to use Crisco?
You can use another brand of all-purpose flour. I do suggest using Crisco because it has a neutral flavor, but another shortening should be okay to use.
My cookies turned out too hard, any thoughts? I might have baked them a little longer, could that have been it?
It’s likely that they baked a little too long. If you top them with some icing, it should help to kind of soften them a little after a day or two.
My cookies turned out great! Tasty too! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
So glad the cookies turned out great for you, Tina!
The dough remained very crumbly and didn’t stick well. I was able to man-handle the dough and the taste was good. Icing is perfect! Any thoughts on the dough? I used Crisco sticks and followed everything perfectly. We live in MN and our weather can effect baking and candies.n
The dough is a little crumbly at first, just make sure to keep mixing it until it comes together really well. Glad you liked the taste of the cookies and icing!
My dough remained very crumbly and dry. I followed it to the T. I’m an avid baker and have been baking for over over 30 years. Never had such a difficult time before. Thankfully I only made 1 batch. Because after trying and trying, the dough just was unusable. The one plus, they had a decent taste. I personally feel there was too much flour in the recipe.
Sorry you had trouble with the cookie dough, Melinda. The dough is a little crumbly at first, but it does come together as you continue mixing it or work it together with your hands. You mentioned that you thought it had too much flour, did you make sure to spoon and level the flour too?
I had the same problem. Followed the recipe exactly and it’s too crumbly to make into dough
The dough will be crumbly at first, if you continue mixing it then it will come together.
Just made these today. The dough appears a bit crumbly, but as you keep mixing, it comes into a ball, and you should be able to work it together by hand from there. I rarely spoon my flour into measuring cups, but took your caution and did so today. I think just a little extra flour could cause the issues noted above. Used 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 almond, nice flavor. They kept their shapes well, baking time was about 11 minutes. Will be decorating them tonight…or tomorrow!
I’m in sunny Central California. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Janet! I’m glad they turned out great for you!
I worry about transfats in Crisco. Would lard work?
I haven’t tried it. It may be okay but it might affect the taste of the cookies.
This is a wonderful recipe! I confess I used HALF butter and found it a great compromise. It’s worth it for the taste especially on holidays, a real treat. I would call this a “never-fail” recipe. Also, I used anise instead of vanilla at Christmas. Thank you for sharing!
This recipe worked great for me! But I was wondering if the dough will be as great of I refrigerate it for 2 days prior to baking.
It would be fine to refrigerate the dough, but it may be harder to roll if it’s cold. If so, just let it sit at room temperature for a little bit and that should help.
Making your sugar cookies can I just add orange zest to make these
That would be fine!