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Classic Sugar Cookies are everyone’s favorite. Decorated with simple sugar, fancy glaze or sprinkles, these cookies are sure to be the hit of every party. Substantial enough to hold their shape for decorative purposes, but soft enough to satisfy a real cookie craving! Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on cookie cutter size.
UPDATE: MAKE A SUGAR COOKIE ORNAMENT!
Get instructions here.
UPDATE: UPDATE: VIDEO!! Watch How to Make Sugar Cookies!
Ingredients for Sugar Cookies:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Icing/Glaze for One Dozen Sugar Cookies:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon half n’ half (plus a few drops if needed for consistency)
few drops vanilla (or other flavoring, optional)
few drops coloring (if desired)
Other Decorations/Equipment:
sprinkles (if desired)
melted chocolate
shredded coconut
cookie cutters (for circles, a glass or cup works too)
rolling pin (a clean, smooth bottle works too)
NOTES:
Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on cookie cutter size.
Keep baked and decorated cookies fresh in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Cookie dough can be refrigerated for two weeks or frozen up to a month.
Prepare the cookie dough:
In an electric mixer cream butter and add sugar and salt. Add vanilla and egg. Add flour and mix. Dough will be sticky-ish. Like a stiff, yet sticky play-dough. Gather dough and pat smooth. Cover and allow dough to chill for 1/2 hour in the freezer or 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Make the cookies:
Lightly flour board and rolling pin. The less flour you use the more delicate your cookies will be. Place dough on board. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes. Place cookies on baking sheet. NOTE: If using colored sugars, sprinkle with sugars before baking. Bake in a preheated 325(f) oven for 13 minutes. Cookies will be pale on top and slightly golden on the bottom. Allow to cool before icing.
Decorate the cookies:
In a mixing bowl, run whisk through powdered sugar to remove lumps. Add half n’ half to powdered sugar. Whisk vigorously (no lumps!). Add coloring of choice, vanilla (if desired) and whisk again. Use the back of a spoon and carefully ice cookies. Add sprinkles for some extra bling.
SAY IT WITH COOKIES!
I love using letter-shaped cookie cutters to spell out messages in cookies! Great for a baby shower or your favorite radio station!
Search terms: betty #35, gimme some sugar cookies recipe, iced sugar cookie recipe, frosted sugar cookie recipe, glazed sugar cookie recipe, easy sugar cookie recipe, sugar cookie cut-outs, best sugar cookie recipe, blind date betty recipe
Link to the Gimme Some Sugar Cookie video.
Link to the accompanying Gimme Some Sugar Cookie blog post.
hi average betty this is the first time im on this website and i have a few questions about this recipe so i was wondering if you can answer them
1: can you use self raising flour for this ?
2: my oven only goes up to 230 degrees so how long will i have to put it in for ?
3: do you have to put it in the fridge / freezer for 1/2 hours
Hi Fiona,
Thanks for visiting my site! To answer your questions, self rising flour has baking powder in it — this recipe doesn’t call for baking powder so I don’t believe this substitution would work. If your oven only goes to 230(F) I really have no idea how long the cookies will take to bake. If your oven is measured in Celsius, 325(F) is 163(C). You don’t have to refrigerate the dough before using, but the final product will be much better. Good luck!
Thanks so much Betty,
The cookies were amazing!!! and were all gobbled up very quickly.
I’m looking forward to making cookie pops with these soon.
Thanks for the recipe and all your guidance,
made making delicious cookies really easy :)
Debbie, I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies — can’t wait to hear how the cookie pops go. Email a photo so I can share your creation!
i want to try this but i dont know what unbleached all-purpose flour is
i would be happy if you tell me
thank you
Hi nimra, Here is a great article that explains all the various types of flour: http://www.wheatfoods.org/AboutWheat-wheat-flours/Index.htm
I’m not sure where you live but all-purpose flour is also called “plain,” “general purpose” or “family” flour. Hope this helps!
HI Average Betty,
I have always found baking cookies a daunting job seriously, but now that i have read ure recipes i feel that I can do it too. Just need a few things cleared that come to my mind,
-could u pls add keeping time of cookies in ure recipe post, I know this may sound funny as cookies do not stay for long once in the house,
-if i want to make different kind of cookies for a festive giving away, how early can i bake them before the giving away day,
-I always keep store bought cookies in an air tight jar over my kitchen counter, is it the same for home made ones.
Thats all for now, love your videos & your recipes. keep them coming pls.
Take care
Hi Tamkeen, Thanks for your comment! I’m so glad you like my recipes and videos :) I can’t speak for ALL cookies, but I can answer your questions based on these cookies. These cookies taste best when they’re fresh but will last about 5-7 days, sealed in an airtight container, at room temperature. You can also store them in the refrigerator if you live in a very humid environment. If I was giving these as a gift I would make sure the recipient had them within 2 days. Hope this helps!
These are really good!!!
Awesome, Ann! Thanks for letting me know :)
hi betty its me marissa i wanted to ask i havent got an large eggs so how many medium eggs would u need insted of 1 large egg.
thx
Hi marissa, Medium eggs will be fine – ideally you want large but medium should work :) Happy Baking!
how many medium eggs though
For this recipe, use one medium egg in place of the large egg :)
hi betty can u convert this recipe into grams please
luv ur website!!!!!!!!!
thx
how do you prevent the frosting from being runny?
Thanks, marissa! Here’s a handy calculator for converting to grams :) http://www.ghostcalc.com/cooking-measurement-converter.html
If your frosting/icing is runny, you’ve used too much liquid — add more powdered sugar.
Thanks so much! I got this recipe on Decmeber 4th, and have already made the cookies 6 times! I just ordered lots of cool shaped cutters online so I plan on making them a lot and for all the holidays… i think I am going to make some tonight for a party so I will let you know how the frosting goes!
Hi Betty!
I love these cookies-they are the perfect sugar cookies! I do have a question though: do you know how many calories roughly they would have?
Thanks
Hi Jena, Thank you so much! These are my favorite sugar cookies too! I certainly don’t want to get caught in a Paula Deen trap… these are in no way health food. The main ingredients are butter and sugar lol :) I’d hazard to guess that these run about 100 calories a piece, depending on their size and whether you glaze or use colored sugars, etc. Hope this helps (and I hope you still make em with an estimate like that!)
Hi Betty,
How did you get the pink color glaze? I want to make them for my kids for Valentines day… :)
Hi ann, I used red food coloring – just less of it, so it was pink and not red :) Happy Valentine’s Day xoxo
Should the butter be softened?
Hi mommy, If you are using an electric mixer it’s really not necessary. Just be sure the sugar and butter are creamed thoroughly before proceeding and don’t skip the chill down in the refrigerator. Happy Baking :)
Is a hand mixer ok?
Thanks
Absolutely :)