The Best Butter Cookies Recipe
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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!
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
Do you have to use vanilla extract
Hi Lisa,
I have never made these without vanilla extract and I do think it is important to the flavor of the cookies. Thanks!
Your website is fast becoming a problem for me. The problem is that I cannot just pin one recipe. Every yummy, delish looking offerings leads me to more very desirable pins. Seriously though, I’m a huge fan and thank you for all your tasty treats and the photos that precede them. ??
Oh thank you so much, Bee! I’m absolutely thrilled that you are finding many recipes to try! I love hearing from you and thank you for your kindness!
Thanks! xo
Hi if i need to replace the egg what can i use instead of egg
Hi, the vanilla mean the vanilla essence or extract?
Hi Eileen,
It is vanilla extract. Thanks so much!
I just made these and they are flat! I followed thr recipe to the letter, I don’t know what happened? Help!
Hi Colleen,
I’m sorry your cookies turned out flat. I’ve not had that problem the many times I’ve made them, so I am not sure what could’ve happened, but a few possible reasons that they may turn out flat could be if the baking powder was not really fresh, the butter was left out too long to soften/got too warm or the mixture was beaten too much. None of these may be the case with your cookies, but I wanted to share in case any of these could have happened.
Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy the cookies if you try them again. xo
Made this recipe with a mix of coconut oil in the butter and confectioners sugar on top when serving.
DELICIOUS!
Sounds delicious, Lisa! xo
Great recipe
Hi… I tried the recipe and it was awesome. I just modified the recipe by replacing the butter with garlic butter with mixed herbs and reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup…they tasted so heavenly…just like garlic bread but cookies
Made these with my kids tonight. Was craving a homemade butter cookie and these hit the spot!
Easy to make. I did add just a bit more butter. And no icing for me – perfect without.
Can this cookies be cut into shapes for decorating?
Thanks,
Christina