The Best Butter Cookies Recipe

Robyn Stone

Updated Oct 26, 2021

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4.93 from 14 votes

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Butter Cookies are simple, flavorful cookies loved for holidays and parties. Soft, delicious homemade cookies that are easily made and are always a classic favorite.

The Best Butter Cookies are a classic cookie recipe that never goes out of style and works perfectly for any menu, celebration or just because! I have made them for years for everything from showers to birthdays to Christmas parties. Butter Cookies are perfectly delicious and appropriate for so many types of entertaining!

Butter Cookies

If you have the image in your mind of those hard little round cookies from the grocery store, then you are in for a pleasant treat when you make these butter cookies. These are rich, buttery, delicious and somewhat addictive in the way that it’s hard to stop at just one!

While they are also delicious without the buttercream, they are just a bit more festive with a dollop of buttercream in colors and flavors to suit the occasion or the season. My fluffy white buttercream is beautiful at Christmas or for a wedding shower. The strawberry buttercream, looks beautiful for baby showers, Mother’s Day, birthdays or Easter. And then there’s chocolate! Personally I think my chocolate buttercream is suited to any kind of party or celebration – or just because. It’s amazing!

These cookies are so easy to make too! Yet despite how simple they are to make, the little bit of frosting on top makes them so elegant.

My butter cookies recipe makes four dozen small cookies or two dozen larger sized cookies. This is so helpful so that you decide just what size you need for your event. And it’s also a perfect amount for having them to include on Christmas Cookie Trays or cookie gift boxes to share with friends.

Now, I am far from a professional cake or cookie decorator and I have to remind myself not to be overly critical of my frosting swirls on top of these cookies. But as I walk in to any party with them in hand, no one else seems to care that the swirl isn’t exactly perfect on top. I love people like that! 🙂

Here’s my butter cookie recipe. It seriously will become a favorite! Hope you love it!

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Butter Cookies Recipe

Robyn Stone

4.93 from 14 votes

Butter Cookies make the perfect addition for easy, elegant entertaining. From showers, birthday parties, graduations, weddings, to family picnics, these butter cookies will become a favorite!

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 17

Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
▢ 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
▢ 1/4 teaspoon (0.65 g) Kosher salt
▢ 3/4 cup (170 g) butter, softened
▢ 1 cup (198 g) sugar
▢ 1 large (50 g) egg
▢ 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg until well-combined. Slowly spoon in flour mixture mixing on medium speed until well-combined, then add vanilla and mix just until combined.
Scoop cookie dough by the tablespoon onto a large baking sheet, leaving about 2-inches between each cookie. Press down on cookie dough ball lightly with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass until about 1/2-inch thick. Bake 10-13 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool completely.

Notes

For the roundest of cookies, you can roll them between your palms before dropping onto the baking sheet. Then, lightly press as directed before baking.