Easy Sugar Cookies

The best quick and easy sugar cookies recipe! No rolling it out or cutting shapes. No chilling the dough. Just a basic drop cookie. They’re soft and chewy, and just the right amount of sweet.

Author Amber Brady

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Total Time 32

Yields cookies

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract

Optional

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, (or sprinkles; for coating the dough)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line half sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix, scraping the bowl as needed.
Add the dry ingredients all at once to the wet ingredients, and mix until everything comes together.
Place granulated sugar for coating the cookies in a separate small bowl. Use a #30 cookie scoop (about 2 Tbsp of cookie dough) to scoop the dough into balls. Roll each dough ball slightly with your hands first, then in the sugar to coat the outside, and then place it onto the prepared baking sheets about 2-3 inches apart (no more than 8 per tray).
Bake at 350˚F for 11-13 minutes until the cookies start to wrinkle/crack and the bottoms are lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool for 1-2 minutes on the tray, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Only coat the cookie dough balls with sugar just before baking. Otherwise the cookies won’t spread as far and will crust (dry out slightly) and crack more.
STORAGE: Store cookies in an airtight container or on a plate covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
TO FREEZE COOKIE DOUGH: Scoop cookie dough balls onto a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Set in the freezer for 1-2 hours until firm. Then transfer frozen dough balls into a freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. NOTE: Do not coat dough balls in sugar until ready to bake. You will need to bake the cookies roughly 3-5 minutes longer, if baking from frozen. If coating with sugar, allow the cookie dough to come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes first. Then roll it with your hands slightly so it will be warm enough for the sugar to stick to the cookie dough. Then bake normally.
TO FREEZE BAKED COOKIES: Freeze baked cookies in single layers divided by parchment paper, wrapped well or in a freezer bag, up to 3-4 weeks. Thaw at room temperature.
Do not coat with sugar if adding frosting. Or the sugar may make it hard for the frosting to stick to the dough.

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