Soft and chewy sugar cookies frosted with buttercream and sprinkles. An easy recipes that’s fun to make with kids.

Sugar cookies are a classic dessert. That’s why every household needs a go-to delicious and easy sugar cookie recipe. 

Whether you want to keep them simple and easy or make them fancy with decorations for an upcoming holiday, this recipe will provide you with an amazingly delicious foundation for your dessert.

This basic recipe is a standard in all my church cookbooks and will be a great “back-pocket” recipe. It is super customizable, great with frosting or without and you can easily switch up the flavors. Use a great vanilla extract for best flavor.

Sugar Cookie Ingredients

You can easily customize this recipe to fit your preferences and dietary needs. Whether you follow a gluten-free diet or you’re a vegan, substitute what doesn’t fit your diet so you can make these work for you.

Also, if you choose to decorate your cookies for the holidays, feel free to add additional items you need to this list.

• Butter: The key is to ensure your butter is softened. You can do this by sitting it on the counter until it reaches room temperature and softens on its own. Alternatively, you can put it in the microwave for a few seconds to speed up the process.

• Oil: I recommend vegetable oil or canola oil for this recipe.

• Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar adds an extra sweetness you’ll love. Whatever you have on hand will work.

• Sugar: I use regular white granulated sugar. Be sure to have extra on hand for topping your cookies before they bake.

• Eggs: Your eggs should be room temperature. Leave them on the counter before cooking until they’re no longer cold to the touch.

• Flour: I use a basic all-purpose flour in this recipe.

• Cream of Tartar: While this ingredient might seem a bit out of place at first, it makes a big difference when baking. Cream of tartar prevents your sugar from crystallizing and acts as a leavening agent to help your cookies rise.

• Baking Soda: This is a baking essential. You can use whatever you have on hand.

• Vanilla Extract: What’s a cookie without vanilla extract?

• Colored Sugar: This ingredient is optional. If you want to make your cookies a bit fancy, you can sprinkle colored sugar over them when they’re done. It definitely adds a little fun to this dessert.

Tools You Need For This Sugar Cookie Recipe

• Large and Small Mixing Bowl: Any mixing bowl you have in your kitchen will work.

• Whisk: Again, whatever you have on hand will do.

• Plastic Wrap: You will wrap your cookie dough in plastic wrap and let it sit for at least 2-3 hours, although overnight is best.

• Cookie Sheets: Whatever you have on hand will work.

• Drinking glass: You will use the bottom of your drinking glass to flatten your cookies after you roll the dough into balls. 

• Airtight container: While leftovers are usually rare because they’re so good, you want to store your leftover cookies in an airtight container so you can enjoy them the next day.

These cookies are like a blank slate, eat the plain as cookie jar favorites, frost with your favorite buttercream and top with sprinkles to match the holiday. Or turn them into something extra fun, like my mini sugar cookie fruit pizzas.

Or try adding some coconut and lime into your sugar cookies like my recipe for Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies. And if you’re looking for a twist on sugar cookies, try these brown sugar cookies from Dinner then Dessert.

If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it. Leave me a comment below or give it a rating in the recipe card. Happy Baking 

Save the recipe for later, pin the image below on Pinterest.