Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

5 from 5 votes

This is my go-to Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Recipe! Easy, delicious, and no-fuss—minimal hands-on, perfect shapes, and a tasty icing that’s a breeze to work with.

Prep Time35

Cook Time12

Chilling Time30

Total Time1 17

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

Servings: cookies

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $5.12

Equipment

Stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, or hand mixer
Large sheet pan

Ingredients

Cookies

16 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup, see note 1
1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, see note 2
1 large orange for zest, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom optional
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Sugar Cookie Glaze (see note 3)

1 cup powdered sugar sifted
1 tablespoon whole milk plus some extra may be needed
2 teaspoons corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Sprinkles optional
Food coloring optional

Instructions

Cookies

Cut the very cold (right out of fridge) butter with a sharp knife into 1-inch cubes. Place butter cubes in a stand mixer (fitted with a whisk attachment) with the granulated sugar. (Or use a large bowl with a hand mixer.) Beat until completely creamy and light, about 2–4 minutes. Scrape the edges as needed.
Add in the egg, vanilla bean paste, zest of an orange, and ground cardamom (if using). Beat until integrated.
Add in cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and flour. Beat until completely combined and a thick smooth dough forms, stopping to scrape the edges of the bowl as needed.
Even though the dough may seem like it won’t come together (and looks like crumbles), keep beating until a dough forms. Be careful to not overbeat the dough once formed; that leads to tough cookies. Divide the dough in half and place half back in the bowl in the fridge (see note 4).
Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
On a large, clean workspace, place a large sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap down. Place the other half of the dough on top of the wax paper and lightly sprinkle with a bit of flour. Roll the dough to 1/2-inch thickness (important to have the right thickness for soft and chewy sugar cookies).
Once rolled out, cut shapes using the cookie cutters. Tap the cutters in flour if you find them sticking to the dough. Then, use the wax paper to gently pull the cookie off the counter and place it on a parchment or silicone-lined tray. Place tray in the fridge, uncovered, and chill for 30 minutes. (Or freeze the tray with cookies for 15 minutes.) Repeat with the dough in the fridge.
Bake 1 sheet pan of cookies at a time for 10–14 minutes, watching carefully for when they turn slightly brown at the edges/bottom. Be careful to not overbake; the center should still look soft (but not gooey) and should not be browned at all. Slightly underbaking is hugely important for the flavor and texture of these cookies.
Remove cookies and allow to cool/set on tray for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to fully cool. (I chill cookies in the fridge before icing to ensure they are super cold.)

Sugar Cookie Glaze (see note 3)

Use a sieve to sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add milk, corn syrup, tiny pinch of salt, and vanilla (if using). Mix with a spoon until a thick and smooth frosting forms. (Too thick? Add a teeny bit more milk. Too thin? More powdered sugar.) Separate into bowls for different colors or dye one color.
Transfer frosting to a clean plastic piping bag and cut a tiny bit off the very tip (or use a #3 piping tip). Pipe the frosting on completely cooled cookies, tracing the outline of the cookie with a thin line of frosting. Repeat for all the cookies. Let stand to harden.
Then cut off more of the piping bag (or transfer the remaining icing to a squeeze bottle) and “flood” the cookie with the frosting, pressing out frosting so it runs into the piped lines, filling in the gaps. Gently tap the cookie on the counter to remove bubbles or pop bubbles with a toothpick. If adding sprinkles, add before the frosting sets.
Let completely set at room temperature, about 30 minutes. (But don’t stack cookies; sometimes the icing can be soft and pick up impressions for about 24 hours). Once icing has set, you can add more details to the cookies with new icing if desired. Store in a single layer at room temperature in an airtight container.

Video

Notes

Note 1: The better the butter, the richer the flavor. I love Challenge® Butter. Use unsalted to have perfect control over the amount of salt in the dough. Do not melt or soften the butter; it’s important to have very cold butter so it can properly cream with the sugar.

Note 2: These cookies benefit from vanilla bean paste; it adds even more flavor. That said, vanilla extract also works well—use pure vanilla extract for maximum flavor.

Note 3: The amount of glaze in this recipe won’t cover all the cookies, but about 5–7 cookies (depending on the size). That said, the glaze works best in this quantity, and I like to make several batches and color different batches. If the glaze forms a slight skin over the top, just give it a good stir to remix.

Note 4: If the dough has gotten really warm from working with it, place it all in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes. It’s too warm if it won’t roll out nicely or lift well from the wax paper. Usually, if you use a hand mixer, you’ll need to chill it before working with it.

Storage: One of my favorite things about this recipe is it can be made months in advance! Simply bake all the cookies and freeze them on a sheet pan in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container, separating layers of cookies with wax or parchment paper. Let cookies thaw at room temperature and frost them fresh. Freeze for 3–6 months.

Fresh sugar cookies are best enjoyed within 3–5 days.

Nutrition