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!
Butter Cookies Recipe
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Robyn can you roll these out for cut-outs? Is the dough to soft for that…and does it spread much…
Hi love the cookie recipe but would you have the recipe for the chocolate frosting you used please? thanks.
Robyn, I am enjoying your blog so much. I regret that I only learned about it recently!
I made your Vidalia Onion DIp Saturday night- I used to make it all the time and I have no idea why I ever stopped… but it is just as yummy as I remembered!
These butter cookies take me back to very happy childhood days spent shopping with my mother and grandmother. Stopping by the Rich’s bakery was always my favorite treat, and although I think their cookies had nuts, they looked just like yours! Maybe I will make them this for the Fourth!
Love,
Claire
Your photos are so great, I can just imagine how soft those cookies are!
Can’t wait to try them with your delish chocolate or strawberry buttercream. Salted or unsalted butter for the cookie?
Thank you
You can use unsalted butter if you prefer, Carol. I’m a salted butter when baking sorta gal! 🙂
Oh, with buttercream? That’s a new idea, I like it! Yum!
Oh my word, I remember most of my childhood by the times I devoured way too many of those butter cookies with the holes in the middle. 🙂 I can’t even imagine how much more amazing these must taste — especially with that pretty little dollop of frosting on top!
I used to wear those cookies as rings as I nibbled the edges. Love those things! If you loved those butter cookies as much as I did, you are definitely going to love these! And the frosting on top doesn’t hurt the situation any either! 🙂
Oh my gosh! I’ll take a dozen. I bet they just melt in your mouth!
They do! And are so, so easy to make. Hope you have a great 4th week!
Butter cookies! I have actually never made them and I have no idea why! I mean these look delicious and I love the chocolate buttercream on top!
Thanks so much, Tieghan!
It’s just going to be ruined once it gets in my mouth, which is where I really want it to be. Anything covered in chocolate is pretty impressive. That being said, I think your swirls look lovely. Can’t wait to try these cookies.
Thank you for being sweet about my swirls! These cookies are ah-mazing. Can’t wait for you to try them!