Best Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

4.67 from 6 votes

This truly is the Best Sugar Cookie Recipe! Perfect cut out sugar cookies that keep their shape and you don’t even have to chill the dough.

Prep Time15

Cook Time9

Total Time24

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Servings: -40 cookies depending on size

Calories: 194kcal

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
3 cups (375g) flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt
Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Cream together for at least three minutes, stopping halfway to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200g) sugar, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
1 large egg
Gradually add the flour, a little at a time, mixing it in until the dough comes together. You can mix in the last of the flour using your hands if needed.
Turn the dough out onto your worktop and use your hands to gently knead the dough until you have a pliable, non sticky, cookie dough the consistency of Play Doh.
Divide the dough into three chunks, keeping any dough you are not using covered with plastic wrap to keep from drying out.

Lightly dust your liner or baking parchment with a little flour. Use your rolling pin with ¼ inch rings to roll out the dough.
Cut out the cookies and transfer the liner (or paper) onto a heavy baking sheet, spacing the cookies slightly apart. Repeat with the rest of the dough, gathering and using any scraps and bake the cookies in batches.

Bake for 6-8 minutes for smaller cookies and 9-11 minutes for slightly larger ones. The cookies can be baked less time for softer texture and a little longer for a crisper texture.
Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool while you bake the remaining cookies.

Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Start whisking on low speed until frothy.
3 large egg whites , ½ tsp cream of tartar
Increase the speed and once the egg whites form soft peaks, start adding the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Continue to whisk until the icing drops slowly off a spoon. Always keep the royal icing covered otherwise it will quickly dry out.
4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
If the icing is too thin you can add more icing sugar. If too thick, thin it with a little water or lemon juice.
lemon juice or water

Put the royal icing in a piping bag and snip a very small hole at the tip (or use a silicone bottle as I have done).
If you wish to fill (flood) the cookies, thin half of the icing with a little water and use it to fill an outlined cookie – pushing the icing to the edges using a toothpick. Leave to dry completely at room temperature.

Put the icing sugar in a bowl and gradually add enough water until you have a thick glaze that drops slowly off a spoon. Stir in the vanilla if using.
1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, 2 tbsp water, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dip the cookies into the glaze to ice or drizzle it over them. Add any sprinkles while the glaze is still wet.

Storing and freezing

Room temperature – once completely cool and (if using icing) once fully dry, store the cookies in an airtight tin or container for up to 1 week. Moisture will soften them over time, so keep them away from steam and humidity.
Freezing unbaked dough – you can freeze discs of dough well wrapped in plastic and then in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let it soften slightly before rolling.
Freezing cookies – plain, undecorated cookies freeze well. Cool completely, layer with parchment in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2–3 months. Thaw at room temp, then decorate.
Freezing decorated cookies – royal-iced cookies usually freeze fine once the icing is completely dry; glaze-iced cookies are a little more delicate and may lose some shine.