Best Homemade Sugar Cookies

Cut out sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles on a white plate.

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from kristineskitchenblog.com

This sugar cookie recipe makes the best soft cut out sugar cookies! They taste amazing, hold their shape while baking, and are perfect for decorating with my easy cookie frosting and sprinkles.

Prep Time45

Cook Time9

Chilling Time3 30

Total Time4 24

Servings: 3 to 4-inch cookies

Calories: 229kcal

Author: Kristine Rosenblatt

Ingredients

Sugar Cookies

2 ¾ cups (330g) all-purpose flour (see note)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature. Don't let it get too warm; it should still be slightly cool.
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract*

Cookie Frosting*

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
2 cups (240g) powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
1 tablespoon whole milk or heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
optional: gel food coloring
optional: sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

To Make Cookie Dough:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2 ¾ cups (330g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and granulated sugar until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract*
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Lay out two sheets of plastic wrap. Divide the dough into two parts on the plastic wrap, shape each part into a rough ball, then flatten into 1-inch thick disk. Wrap in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours (or up to 24 hours).

To Cut Out and Bake Cookies:

Working with one part of the dough at a time, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into your desired shapes. Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Chill the cut-out cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 8-10 minutes, until just set. Do not overbake. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.

To Make Frosting and Decorate Cookies:

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter until soft and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar in two parts, beating on low and then medium speed until incorporated. (It will look dry at first; don't worry it will come together and get creamy.)
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
Add the whole milk, vanilla and salt and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in food coloring if desired.
1 tablespoon whole milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch of salt
Spread frosting on the cooled cookies. Add sprinkles to each cookie one by one right after frosting, since the frosting will start to harden soon after spreading. The frosting will harden more as the cookies sit at room temperature. It will take a few hours until the cookies will be stackable. To speed up the process, you can put the frosted cookies in the refrigerator.

Notes

To get the most accurate measurement of flour, use a kitchen scale and the weight measurements provided. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the fluff, spoon and level method: Fluff the flour in your container, lightly spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it off. Scooping flour directly with the measuring cup will pack in too much flour, which will make the cookies less soft and more dense.
Almond extract is optional, but I think it gives these cookies such amazing flavor.
The cookie frosting recipe makes enough frosting for a medium layer of frosting on each cookie. If you want thick frosting layer, double the frosting recipe.
To Store: Frosted cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Unfrosted cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. This is a great option if you'd like to bake the cookies ahead and then frost them later.
Nutrition information is an estimate and will depend on the size of the cookies and how much frosting is used on each one.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is only an estimate.