These easy sugar cookies hold their shape perfectly, so they're ideal for cutting out and decorating with the kids. If you love my 3 Ingredient Shortbread or Easy Gingerbread, these simple sugar biscuits are about to join the Christmas baking list.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Easy Sugar Cookies
🕒 Ready In: 80 minutes (including 1 hour chilling)
👪 Makes: 24 cookies
🍚 Calories: 124kcal per cookie
🥣 Main Ingredients: butter, caster sugar, egg, vanilla extract, plain flour, baking powder
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, make-ahead dough, freezer-friendly, Thermomix method included
⭐ Why You'll Love It: A no-spread dough that keeps every shape sharp, ready for icing and sprinkles!
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I followed this recipe to the letter, and doubled the batch. My cookies are so precise- no spread at all! And they roll out much easier than shortbread.
- Kim
These cookies are made for cutting, decorating and sharing. Unlike some sugar cookies that spread into blobs in the oven, this dough holds its shape beautifully. It's perfect for Christmas shapes, birthday letters or just filling the cookie tin for school lunch boxes.
If you've already tried my Coconut Biscuits with Lemon Icing or classic Honey Biscuits, think of these as the next step up. Add my easy Royal Icing for a pretty finish, or keep them deliciously plain.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- No spreading: the dough is rolled and chilled before cutting, so your shapes stay crisp and defined.
- Kid-friendly fun: rolling, cutting and decorating is perfect for little helpers (with a bit of supervision!).
- Pantry staples: no special ingredients, and you've probably got everything already.
- Decorate however you like: from plain and simple to full royal icing masterpieces.
- Make-ahead friendly: the rolled dough keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Thermomix or conventional: both methods are in the recipe card below.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Sugar Cookie Ingredients
- Variations
- How To Make Easy Sugar Cookies
- Making Sugar Cookies In The Thermomix
- Top Tip
- Why Are My Sugar Cookies Spreading?
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Make Ahead And Storage
- Recipe Tips
- Easy Sugar Cookie FAQs
- More Easy Cookie Recipes
- Easy Sugar Cookies
Sugar Cookie Ingredients
You only need a handful of basic baking ingredients for these sugar biscuits. Here are the ones worth a quick note:
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Caster sugar: dissolves easily into the butter for a smooth, tender cookie.
- Vanilla extract: gives these cookies their lovely flavour, so use a good one.
- Baking powder: just ½ teaspoon gives a little lift, so the cookies aren't too dense.
Variations
- Gluten free: swap the plain flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour blend that includes xanthan gum, and chill the dough a little longer.
- Lemon sugar cookies: add 1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest and use a little less vanilla.
- Spiced sugar cookies: stir in ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Chocolate dipped: once cool, dip half of each cookie in melted milk or dark chocolate and let it set.
- Sprinkle cookies: press sprinkles onto the cut shapes before baking for an easy, no-icing finish.
How To Make Easy Sugar Cookies
It takes just 10 minutes to prepare these classic sugar cookies. Then the dough chills for an hour, ready to cut and bake. The full recipe card is below, with both conventional and Thermomix methods.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Cream. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix on low just until the dough comes together. Don't overmix!
- Step 3: Roll and chill. Divide the dough in half and roll each portion out on lightly floured baking paper to ½ cm thick. Chill the rolled dough (still on the paper) for at least 1 hour.
- Step 4: Cut and bake. Cut out your shapes and place them on lined trays with space between each one. Bake at 175°C fan forced for about 10 minutes, until the tops look dry. Don't overbake!
Making Sugar Cookies In The Thermomix
Team Thermomix? The dough comes together in about 2 minutes. Here's how:
- Cream: insert the butterfly, add the butter and caster sugar and mix for 20 seconds on Speed 4. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 40 seconds on Speed 4.
- Add the egg: reduce to Speed 2 and, with the butterfly still turning, add the egg and vanilla through the MC hole. Mix for 20 seconds on Speed 4, then remove the butterfly.
- Add the dry ingredients: add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix for 10 seconds on Speed 4. Scrape down and mix for another 10 seconds.
- Roll, chill and bake: then roll, chill, cut and bake exactly like the conventional method.
Top Tip
Roll the dough out before you chill it. It's so much easier to roll while it's soft, and once it's chilled you can cut out perfect shapes straight away.
Why Are My Sugar Cookies Spreading?
This dough is made to hold its shape, but if your cookies come out flat, it's usually one of these:
- The dough was too warm: chill the rolled dough for the full hour (or longer on a hot day).
- The butter was too soft: it should be at room temperature, not melted or greasy.
- The oven wasn't hot enough: make sure it's fully preheated before the trays go in.
- Still spreading? Next time, chill the dough a little longer, or reduce the oven by 5°C and bake for an extra 1 to 2 minutes.
Christmas Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies are made for Christmas! Cut out stars, trees, bells and candy canes, then decorate with my Royal Icing and a sprinkle of red and green. Because they're flat and sturdy, they're perfect for piping names on for the Christmas table or the teachers.
Stack decorated cookies in a jar or cellophane bag with baking paper between the layers for an easy homemade gift. You'll find more ideas in my Homemade Christmas Food Gifts, and the kids will love my Reindeer Biscuits too.
Make Ahead And Storage
Make the dough ahead: the rolled dough will keep on its baking paper in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freeze the dough: freeze rolled and cut shapes for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge and make sure they're well chilled before baking.
Store baked cookies: keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. If they're iced, separate the layers with baking paper.
Freeze baked cookies: freeze undecorated cookies, layered with baking paper, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then decorate.
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature butter: it creams more easily and gives a better texture.
- Don't skip the chilling: it's what keeps your shapes crisp and defined.
- Leave room between cookies: they can spread ever so slightly as they bake.
- Rotate your trays halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.
- Watch the bake time: take them out when the tops look dry. They'll firm up as they cool.
Easy Sugar Cookie FAQs
This usually happens if the dough wasn't chilled enough. Make sure the dough is firm before cutting and the oven is fully preheated before you bake them.
Don't overbake them. Sugar cookies are ready when the tops look dry and pale. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container.
Yes! Chilling the rolled dough for at least 1 hour firms up the butter, so your shapes hold their edges in the oven.
Yes! The rolled dough keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days, or you can cut the shapes and freeze them for up to 1 month. Just make sure they're well chilled before baking.
Sugar cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Undecorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
For detailed piping, use a firm-setting royal icing (see my recipe). For a simpler finish, a quick glaze of icing sugar and milk works too.
Sugar cookies contain egg and stay flatter once baked, which makes them perfect for icing. Shortbread has no egg and a more crumbly, buttery texture. One reader found these sugar cookies much easier to roll out than shortbread!
Yes! Here in Australia we often call them sugar biscuits, while in the US they're known as sugar cookies. It's the same simple vanilla dough.
Yes! The Thermomix method is included in the recipe card below, and the dough is ready in about 2 minutes.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
If you're after more easy cookie recipes the kids will be excited to help make, these ones are always a hit. Love a big batch bake? My famous 100 Cookie Recipe is in the list below too!
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Easy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter room temperature
- 150 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
- 1 egg large, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 g (2 cups) plain flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and creamy. If using a Thermomix: Insert the Butterfly into the Thermomix bowl. Add the softened butter, caster sugar and mix for 20 seconds, Speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a further 40 seconds, Speed 4 (or until pale and creamy).
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. If using a Thermomix: Reduce to Speed 2 and with the butterfly still turning, add the egg and vanilla extract through the MC hole. Increase to Speed 4 for 20 seconds. Remove the butterfly.
- Sift over the plain flour, baking powder and salt and beat on low to combine. If using a Thermomix: Add the plain flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl. Mix for 10 seconds, Speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 10 seconds.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out each portion on lightly floured baking paper sheets to ½ cm thick.
- Chill the dough on the baking paper sheets in the fridge for at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them onto the prepared baking trays, allowing a gap of approximately 8cm between each cookie. Press together and roll out the remaining dough. Cut out more shapes until all of the dough has been used.
- Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes or until they appear 'dry' on top. Do NOT overcook.
- Serve as is, or decorate with royal icing (see notes) or a simple glaze.
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter - it creams more easily and gives better lift.
- Don't skip the chilling step - that's what keeps your cookies from spreading and gives a crisp, defined shape.
- Allow room in-between - when placing cookies on the baking trays, as they can spread ever so slightly when baking.
- Rotate your baking trays halfway through cooking if your oven has hot spots.
- Keep an eye on the baking time - bake just until the tops look dry; the cookies will continue to firm as they cool.
- Storage: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. If decorated with icing, separate layers with baking paper to prevent sticking.
- Freezing: You can freeze unbaked dough (rolled and cut) for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge and bake as directed. You can also freeze fully baked cookies (layered with baking paper) for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before serving. If freezing, it's best to leave cookies un-iced.
- If your cookies spread too much, next time chill dough slightly longer or reduce oven temperature by 5 °C and increase bake time by 1-2 minutes.
- Decorate with royal icing that sets firm or a simple icing glaze.
Kim says
I followed this recipe to the letter, and doubled the batch. My cookies are so precise- no spread at all! And they roll out much easier than shortbread.
Lucy says
Fantastic!