The BEST Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe!

4.90 from 371 votes
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These Chewy Sugar Cookies are soft, chewy, and delicious! Quick and easy to make, this sugar cookie recipe produces a flavorful bakery-style soft sugar cookie that turns out perfectly every time! 

Looking for more delicious cookies? I think you’ll love these cookie recipes: chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and cut out sugar cookies. They are all amazing!

Close up photo of stack of Chewy Sugar Cookies with top cookie broken to show soft crumb and texture. On wooden board.

Sugar cookies are always a favorite, no matter the occasion! These well-loved cookies are perfect for holidays, as a homemade gift, or as an afternoon treat! This recipe makes absolutely the BEST sugar cookies Iโ€™ve ever tasted!

These chewy sugar cookies are quick, easy, delicious, and don’t require a rolling pin! This recipe makes a soft, chewy bakery-style sugar cookie with amazing flavor.

Stack of three Chewy Sugar Cookies that have been rolled in granulated sugar. On wooden board with sugar crystals on board.

Ingredients

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

To make these easy sugar cookies, you’ll need the following 7 ingredients:

  • Butter – I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter. The butter should be softened to room temperature.
  • Granulated sugar – gives sweetness and structure to the cookie recipe.
  • Egg – use a large, room-temperature egg.
  • All-purpose flour – use your favorite all-purpose flour.
  • Baking powder – if you store your baking powder in the freezer as I do, make sure to allow it to reach room temperature.
  • Kosher salt – balances the flavors of the cookies. I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you substitute with Mortonโ€™s Kosher salt, fine sea salt, or table salt, you will only need half the amount of the salt called for in the recipe. 
  • Vanilla extract – use this homemade vanilla extract recipe or use your favorite high-quality vanilla. If you like the flavor of almond in your cookies, you can also use half vanilla extract and half almond extract.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ยบ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, such as a silicone mat. 

Butter and sugar in a glass mixing bowl with a hand mixer.
Creamed together butter and sugar in a glass mixing bowl.

Cream together room-temperature butter and sugar with a stand mixer or hand mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Egg added to sugar cookie dough in a glass bowl with hand mixer.

Add the egg. Then add egg and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl to be sure the butter and sugar are well combined. But be sure not to over-beat the butter and sugar when creaming it together. Doing so could cause the cookies to rise and fall flat when baking.

Flour added to creamed butter and sugar in a glass mixing bowl.
Pouring vanilla extract into sugar cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl.

Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt, and combine these dry ingredients. Then, gently stir in vanilla extract into the cookie dough. 

Scoop cookie dough with a tablespoon and roll it into a ball. Be sure not to over-handle the balls of dough as it will make the butter too warm. If the dough seems too warm or sticky, chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, then proceed with scooping and rolling into balls. 

Add sugar to a large separate bowl for rolling. Lightly roll cookie dough balls in the granulated sugar to coat them. This adds a sparkly touch that lends a crisp little coating to the cookie once it is baked. While you can certainly skip this little step, I highly recommend not. It is so worth it!

Place each rolled cookie dough ball onto a parchment-lined or silicone mat-lined cookie sheet, about 1 ยฝ to 2 inches apart. Make sure to provide ample spacing between each cookie for the best results.

Lightly press each cookie down with the bottom of a glass to lightly flatten.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Place on a cookie platter and serve. Cookies can be stored in a cookie jar or airtight container and kept on the counter for up to one week.

Chewy sugar cookies on a marble surface.

It is just that perfectly chewy, soft sugar cookie recipe that everyone raves over! Youโ€™ll want to keep this sugar cookie recipe on your list of must-make cookie recipes. Itโ€™s perfect for any cookie platter, cookie exchange, or homemade baked gift tray.

Room Temperature Ingredients

Room-temperature eggs and butter are incorporated more easily and evenly into the cookie dough.

Storage Tips

Store. Once baked, store cookies on the counter in an airtight container for up to a week.

Freeze. For an easy make-ahead sugar cookie recipe, prepare your sugar cookie dough by the scoops of cookie dough in the sugar and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with freezer-safe plastic wrap and place into the freezer. Freeze for 30 minutes to overnight. When frozen, transfer your cookies to a freezer-safe zip-top bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, remove from the freezer-safe bag and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then bake as directed, adding about 3 minutes to the baking time.

  • Frosted Sugar Cookies โ€“ Glaze cookies with my familyโ€™s sugar Cookie Icing recipe. A pinch of sprinkles on top is always fun!
  • Color Sprinkles Sugar Cookies โ€“ Roll your sugar cookies in colored sprinkles (red or green for Christmas cookies or pink for a little girlโ€™s birthday) for a festive cookie!
  • Confetti Sugar Cookies โ€“ Mix colored confetti sprinkles in your cookie dough before scooping.

7 Tips for the BEST Chewy Sugar Cookies!

This sugar cookie recipe is so easy to make that you’ll turn to it again and again. Here are seven key tips to make sure your cookies turn out perfectly every time:

1. Room temperature ingredients. All ingredients should be at room temperature to best incorporate into the cookie dough. This includes the egg and butter. The cookies will spread and become flat if the butter is too soft.

2. Do not overbeat your butter and sugar. It adds too much air to the butter. This causes the cookies to rise and then fall flat when baking.

3. Avoid overmixing once you add the flour. This prevents the cookies from being tough and crumbly.

4. Use a high-quality vanilla extract. I love to use my homemade vanilla extract. It is so easy to make and has a major flavor impact for the cookies.

5. Use a cookie scoop. Use a cookie scoop so your cookies are all the same size and bake evenly.

6. Use parchment paper. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to help the cookies bake more evenly.

7. Do not overbake. Overbaked cookies are hard and crumbly. Check the cookies at the earliest suggested time to make sure they are not overbaked.

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Stack of sugar cookies with top cookie broken to show crumb texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some key tips for ensuring successful sugar cookies?

See my “7 Tips for the BEST Chewy Sugar Cookies” in the post! Following these tips will give you delicious, chewy sugar cookies every time.

How to prevent flat sugar cookies?

Make sure that your butter is at room temperature and not too soft.

How to know when sugar cookies are done?

When sugar cookies have brown edges, they’ve overbaked. Once these sugar cookies have turned lightly brown and just begin to have a craggy texture on the top, they should be removed from the oven.

How do you store sugar cookies so they stay soft?

Store sugar cookies in an airtight container or package for them to remain soft and chewy. You can also add a small terracotta disc (or a cute terracotta bear!) to the container of cookies. These discs are primarily sold to store in brown sugar containers to keep the sugar from becoming hard. Soak the disc in water, make sure that it is not dripping water, and then place it into the container with the cookies.

What is the best temperature to bake cookies?

350ยบ F is generally the best temperature to bake cookies. There may be some types of cookies that require a different baking temperature, but by and large, the majority of cookies will be baked at 350ยบ F.

This post was updated on 11/2023 to include metric conversions for the ingredients and step-by-step photographs in the recipe post.

Here’s my Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do.

The BEST Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe!

4.90 from 371 votes
The BEST Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe – Absolutely the BEST sugar cookie recipe I've ever tasted! These sugar cookies are soft, chewy and produce a flavorful bakery style soft sugar cookie! Quick and easy to make, this sugar cookie recipe makes cookies that turn out perfectly every single time!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (226 g) butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups (297 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large (50 g) egg, room temperature
  • 2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (1.3 g) Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon (4.7 g) vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (49.5 g) granulated sugar , for rolling cookies

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350ยบ F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
  • Cream together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and mix until well-combined.
  • Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until well-combined. Stir in vanilla extract.
  • Scoop cookie dough by the tablespoon-sized cookie scoop and roll into a ball.
  • Add granulated sugar to a large bowl for rolling cookie dough in before baking. Place each ball of cookie dough into the bowl of granulated sugar and roll to coat well.
  • Place cookie dough onto baking sheet, spacing about 1 1/2-inches to 2 inches apart. Lightly press each cookie down. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Notes

Storage Tips
To store. Once baked, store cookies on the counter in an airtight container for up to a week.
To freeze. For an easy make-ahead sugar cookie recipe, prepare your sugar cookie dough by rolling in the sugar, and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then cover with freezer-safe plastic wrap and place into the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes. When frozen, transfer your cookies to a freezer-safe zip-top bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to serve, remove from the freezer-safe bag and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then bake as directed, adding about 3 minutes to the baking time.
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Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 17mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Originally published 2017. Updated to include step by step photographs.

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

4.90 from 371 votes (46 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Review




1,156 Comments

  1. Annie says:

    1 star
    These cookies were terrible. There was way too much flour and they came out tasting bland and were hard when they cooled. Definitely will never make this recipe again.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I’m sorry you had that experience, Annie! I’ve made these dozens upon dozens of times and have never had that happen.
      Something went wrong somewhere – could possibly be the flour you used, could have mixed the dough too much, or could have baked them too long, but I can’t be certain. These are a soft, chewy, flavorful bakery-style sugar cookie.
      Thanks.

  2. Steve Kittle says:

    5 stars
    Robyn, These were absolutely Fantastic, just like you described in the text, just as the photos showed and as I imagined that they would be … but I was not prepared for the flavor !!!!! WOW This recipe is a KEEPER ! These cookies didn’t last longer than 2 days and that was restraint … Excellent recipe ! ! ! ! !
    I want to try the Chocolate cake next !

    Thanks !!!

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Thanks so much, Steve! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed them so much! I think you are going to love my Best Chocolate Cake as well! Thanks!

    2. Elizabeth says:

      I love these cookies. They taste so chewy and nice. I hope there are more wonderful cookie recipies such as yours!
      Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

    3. Robyn Stone says:

      Thanks so much Elizabeth! I am glad you enjoy them! You may find other cookie recipes on my website that you enjoy as well. Thanks! xo

  3. Sandy Douglas says:

    5 stars
    So EASY Chewy and Yummuy. . . Made these cookies for Christmas. . .rolled in green and red sprinkles instead of granulated sugar. . .my Grand-littles LOVED them. . .think they even left some for Santa. . .and he LOVE them too ๐Ÿ™‚ Hope all had a Merry and Blessed Christmas !!

  4. Teresa Essex says:

    5 stars
    These cookies are delicious, I had to turn my oven up to 375, and I baked them for more like 15 minutes. Absolutely delicious, i frosted them.

  5. Tera says:

    OMG!! So good, thank you for sharing! I’m not a huge fan of the rolled out sugar cookies but wanted to make start a sugar cookie tradition for Santa. We rolled them in red and green sugar and they not only taste wonderful, they’re beautiful as well! Thank you!

  6. TASHA BROCKMIER says:

    i just made these cookies, they looked so easy. They are very yummy. But the recipe calls for 1 cup 2 sticks of butter a little miss leading I used 2 sticks of butter which is 2 cups of butter with out even thinking. They are very flat, but still yummy. So might change wording in recipe. For us beginners. But very easy and will make again.

    1. Jo says:

      1 stick of butter is 1/2 C she put parenthesis around 2 sticks so you would know to use 2 sticks.

  7. JMSP76 says:

    Just made these for the 1st time and they were phenomenal! So easy to make and the flavor is outstanding! Love how they are a little crispy around the edges, but so soft in the middle. I asked my husband to taste-test ONE, and he must have eaten five non-stop. Thanks for a great recipe!!!

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      That’s great! So happy you enjoy them – we love them and make them often for friends and family too! Thanks so much! Have a great holiday!

  8. Emily says:

    Just mixed up this recipe, and the “dough” was super mealy! Not like a dough at all! Moving on to another recipe.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Hi Emily,
      This is a drop sugar cookie, not a rolled/cut out sugar cookie. It is important to cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes and incorporate the other ingredients until mixed well. If you are looking for a Cut Out Sugar Cookie, you may prefer this recipe. Thanks so much!

  9. Robyn Stone says:

    I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the cookies. There’s not usually a reason to raise the oven temperature on these cookies. They are a soft, chewy sugar cookie, not a traditional cut-out sugar cookie. I’m not sure if that is what you were expecting or not, but I am sorry that you didn’t like them. Thanks!

  10. Johanna says:

    Love these cookies! So easy yet soooo yummy! These will surely be my “go-to” cookie from Now on! Thank you for sharing!