Name: Super Soft Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 15
Ingredients: 2/3 cup vegetable shortening ((or use half butter, half shortening)); 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1/3 cup milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon almond extract ((optional, but makes a great flavor )); 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 8 ounces cream cheese (, softened); 1/2 cup butter (, softened); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3-4 cups powdered sugar

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These no-fail soft and chewy Sugar Cookies are my all-time favorite! Top them with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting.

I am pretty particular about my sugar cookies. They are one of my favorites, as long as they are soft, chewy, and frosted! YUM!

You’ll notice I use shortening instead of butter in my sugar cookies, and that is because I’ve tested them both ways and found that shortening yields a much softer cookie that doesn’t get hard. They last longer as well, and freeze beautifully. You can substitute butter if you want, but the results will not be quite the same.

Tips for perfect sugar cookies:

Roll the cookies out thick– at least 1/2 inch.

If you roll them out too thin then they are more likely to over-bake and harden as they cool. No one likes a hard, dry sugar cookie.

Rolled out sugar cookie dough circle cookie cutter imprints.

Don’t over-bake them.

If you wait to see golden brown along the edges like you would with other types of cookies, they will be overcooked. Look for them to be just set on the top, no longer shiny, but still pale. They will set up and harden as they cool.

Frost them:

My trick for frosting perfect sugar cookies is to use a small round piping tip (or ziplock bag with a corner cut) to pipe frosting around the outer edge of the cookie. Place a small spoonful of frosting in the center of the cookie and use a small spoon to spread it out to the edge of the outlined frosting.

Side by side photos of sugar cookies partly frosted using a pastry bag to pipe a circle of frosting on the outer edge of the cookies and then a dollop of frosting spread out over the surface of the cookie by a small spoon.

Use different cookie cutters and colored sprinkles to decorate them for holidays like Christmas or Valentine’s Day. How cute are these heart shaped cookies with pink frosting? In High school my mom used to make a tray of these to for me to bring to all of my friends on Valentine’s Day.

Heart shaped sugar cookie with pink frosting and sprinkles.

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Super Soft Sugar Cookies

These no-fail, soft and chewy sugar cookies are one of my favorites. Top them with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 378kcal

Author: Lauren Allen

Ingredients

2/3 cup vegetable shortening (or use half butter, half shortening)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes a great flavor )
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese , softened
1/2 cup butter , softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.
Add eggs, milk, and vanilla and mix.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients--(flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet mixture until you form a large dough ball. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Lightly flour your counter top. Roll dough ball out until 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick.
Cut the dough into shapes with cookie cutters (or use a round drinking cup)
Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 7-10 minutes. Cookies will be very light colored and just set, when you take them out. They will harden as they cool, so don't over bake them.

For the frosting:

Add the butter and cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat well until smooth and creamy.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add more powdered sugar, as needed, until the frosting is smooth and thick and tastes perfect.

Notes

Yield: This recipe makes about 12-15 cookies, depending on how thick you roll the dough and the size of the cookie cutter used.

Storing and freezing Instructions: Sugar cookies will last for 3-5 days stored in an air-tight container at room temperature unfrosted, or refrigerate if frosted.

You can freeze sugar cookies with or without frosting for up to 3 months. If frosted, flash freeze them for 30 minutes and then add them to an airtight container, with parchment paper between the stacked layers and return to freezer.

Sugar cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to bake the cookies, remove the dough from the freezer about 1 hour ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature before rolling it out.

Nutrition

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I originally shared this recipe March 2013. Updated January 2018.

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

Comments

Maranda says
January 26, 2018 at 8:34 am
I live at 5200′. Should I add more flour or bake at a different temp?
- Lauren Allen says
  January 26, 2018 at 2:20 pm
  I would just add 1-2 tablespoons extra flour, and bake the same.
Monica Evans says
February 15, 2018 at 10:52 am

I made these for Valentine’s Day and they were a HUGE hit. My new favorite sugar cookie recipe!
Sally says
February 13, 2019 at 2:44 pm
Hello,
Can i substitue all butter instead of shortening?
Thank you
- Lauren Allen says
  June 2, 2019 at 11:51 pm
  Yes, you can.
Kaye says
December 14, 2019 at 10:18 pm
My dough seems to be a little fluffy for putting in a bowl and rolling out. Would refrigerating overnight or freezing be helpfull ?
- Lauren Allen says
  December 16, 2019 at 11:04 am
  Yes, stick them in the fridge for an hour or so.
Ruthie says
December 15, 2019 at 2:07 pm
I made this recipe with cup4cup gluten free flour, coconut butter and coconut milk, was a lot e worries but so far so great. In the oven baking now, and the dough was perfect consistency. I only added a little extra flour until it felt right. 🙂
GouldDaddy says
February 8, 2020 at 9:48 am
Any egg free substitution suggestions?
- Lauren Allen says
  February 9, 2020 at 12:22 pm
  I haven’t tested egg substitutions with this recipe, but here are some good suggestions: https://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/955371/baking-without-eggs/
Anna D. says
February 8, 2020 at 2:55 pm

These sound awesome and I’m going to try them soon!!! Do you have a good buttercream recipe for these? I’m not a huge fan of cream cheese frosting for sugar cookies. I have a great recipe for cake frosting but it’s too soft for cookies.
- Lauren Allen says
  February 9, 2020 at 12:00 pm
  You could try this buttercream frosting: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/homemade-funfetti-cupcakes/
Randy Hunter says
February 9, 2020 at 9:20 am

I made these sugar cookies for church. After church everyone comes downstairs and has coffee and snacks. Some of the older ladies make bake goods. As I always do too. I made your sugar cookies,a double batch, and they came out mint.[use to be a chef,cook in the military,84 Bravo] Well needless to say they was none left. The kids came back for seconds and thirds,and so did the adults. So I put your name down on the paper as it was your recipe,and I included the recipe,then I sign my name as the baker. Needless to say I was ask to make them for next week. See Mrs. Allen what your recipe did,made more work for me.[ha,ha,ha] I think your kids did a better job than me,they were prettier!! Thanks for your recipe! Randy. 9Feb2020
December Sering says
February 11, 2020 at 6:26 pm
These were great. Soft and delicious! My new go to sugar cookie recipe! Thank you!
DC says
February 11, 2020 at 11:40 pm

The cookies were easy to make and were a hit with my family. They were soft and chewy and had good flavor. I ended up baking 10 minutes because I liked the bottom of cookies to be light brown. The cream cheese frosting wasn’t my favorite. I tasted too much cream cheese so added a lot more powdered sugar, Karo syrup, and some milk.
I’d make the cookies again!