This 5 star sugar cookie cut out recipe is loved by hundreds of families. They are soft with thick centers, delicious, and hold their shape after baking. You can use all your favorite cookie cutters and still have those crisp, cut-out edges after baking!
the best cut out sugar cookie recipe
Christmas sugar cookies are a quintessential part of the holiday. If you’re looking for cut out cookies that hold their shape for the holiday season, this is the perfect recipe!
This is the best cut-out sugar cookie recipe you’ll find. Some sugar cookies don’t cut well, need to be formed into balls to cook, or when they bake they lose shape.
With these, they still remain soft, they’re delicious, they are easy to cut, and retain their shape when they bake.
With this recipe, you get the best of both worlds. You’ll have a cut-out recipe that maintains its shape when baked but is also soft and delicious. Everyone who tries them will be asking you for the recipe!
“This is the absolute best sugar cookie recipe I’ve used. It’s incredibly easy to make, they hold their shape when baked, they stay soft and the flavor is amazing. I’ve already passed the recipe to a dozen people.”
Binky Bell
why you’ll love these Christmas cutout cookies
I know there are a lot of cut out cookie recipes out there that all claim to be the best. I’m here to tell you there are so many reasons to love this one!
- hold their shape – you won’t have any misshapen baked blobs. These cookies hold sharp, crisp edges.
- soft and delicious – these sugar cookies have soft, thick centers with a slightly crisp edge. If you’re looking for crunchy Christmas sugar cookies, this is not it!
- easy to cut – forget difficult to roll out, hard to cut cookies. These are easy to cut and with the tips we give, rolling them out will be even easier!
- freeze well – these cookies freeze perfectly. You can freeze them before or after baking.
- easy to make – the simple to follow instructions give you an easy to make recipe that’s perfect for making on your own or with kids.
- great for decorating – this recipe is perfect if you have kids that want to decorate or you plan to host a cookie decorating party. This recipe will work whether you have plans to make some ornament cut out cookies or star sugar cookies with royal icing.
sugar cookie cutout recipe ingredients
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- vanilla extract
- egg
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
how to make cut out sugar cookies
Detailed instructions and measurements to make holiday sugar cookies are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
This recipe for Christmas cutout cookies is easy to make! We’ve also included a few simple tips and tricks that will help along the way.
Using a stand mixer or an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for approximately 2 minutes. You want the mixture to be light and fluffy.
Add in the vanilla and egg until fully combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Slowly add in the flour mixture about 1/2 cup at a time until it is fully incorporated. If you’re using a stand mixer, you’ll want to switch to the paddle attachment for this step.
Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place it on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.
Cover with another sheet of wax paper or parchment paper and roll it out to between 1/4″ – 1/2″ thickness.
Place it on a cookie sheet and put it in the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Once chilled, remove the dough from the fridge and remove the top sheet of paper. Cut out all of the shapes. This is the step you will add sprinkles if you’d like.
Place the cookies on a parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheet.
Bake them in the oven for 8-9 minutes.
If you have to bake them in batches, keep an eye on them as you progress. If the dough has had time to come closer to room temperature, it will need less time to bake and they may begin to spread a bit.
You want the cookies to firm up, but pull them from the oven before they begin to brown at all.
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for about 45 seconds. Then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Leaving them on the sheet will cause them to over cook.
Once they’ve cooled completely, you can top with icing if you choose.
best thick cut out sugar cookie recipe tips & tricks
The secret to making really easy cookie cutouts, especially if you’re baking with children is to roll out the dough between two sheets of wax or parchment paper before chilling the dough in the refrigerator. No need to have a big ball of dough in plastic wrap.
If you do this and lay it on a cookie sheet, it only needs to chill for about 20 minutes. When you go to cut them out, it’s very easy and they hold together much better.
You also don’t have to fight to roll out the dough and the best part is that there is no flouring your surface or your rolling pin!
Be sure to spoon the flour into your measuring cup instead of scooping it. By spooning it into the measuring cup, you get an accurate measure and you won’t end up with too much.
Scooping can cause it to compact in the measuring cup resulting in too much flour. Too much and your sugar cookie dough becomes a sand texture and you have to start over. If you have too much flour, they also get a different flavor and don’t bake upright.
Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe Ideas
Whether you are looking for something delicious to bring to a cookie exchange, or just want something fun to do with the kids, these cut-out cookies are perfect, especially during the holiday season.
To gift these cookies, you can place them in a cute baking-themed basket. Place the cookies in a goody bag and put it in the basket with a cookie scoop, kitchen towel, whisk, and fun measuring cups.
You can also get creative with designs. Using royal icing, you can make fun, frosted cookies in any design you like.
Unique designs are perfect for the Christmas season and special occasions.
Top Tip
Be sure to use room-temperature butter. This means when you press it with your finger, it indents but doesn’t sink into the butter.
drop sugar cookies vs cutout
While they generally taste the same, there are some differences between drop sugar cookies and cut out sugar cookies.
Drop sugar cookies are made by scooping the dough onto baking sheets.
Cutout cookies are made by rolling out the dough, cutting it out, and then placing it on the baking sheet.
There’s also a bit of a difference in the texture of each. Drop cookies usually have more of a soft chewy texture, while cutout cookies have a soft crumbly texture.
Drop cookies will often have mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, and raisins. Cut out sugar cookies are usually decorated afterward with things like sprinkles, royal icing, or buttercream.
how long do Christmas sugar cookies last
When stored properly, Christmas sugar cookies will last up to one week. That’s assuming they don’t get eaten in that time!
In order to keep them fresh for up to a week, it’s important to make sure that they are stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
how to make sugar cookies keep shape
If you’re looking for soft cut out sugar cookies that hold their shape, there’s a few things you need to keep in mind.
First, the recipe you use will make a difference. It’s important to look specifically for a soft cut out cookie recipe. Christmas drop sugar cookie recipes will not give you the same results. There are differences in baking powder amounts and flour.
Second, be careful about the temperature of your dough before it goes in the oven. If your dough comes too close to room temperature before baking, you can end up with spreading. The chilled dough is what helps that sharp edges stay in tact during baking.
how long to cream butter and sugar for cookies
In this recipe, it’s important to cream the butter and sugar together for approximately 2 minutes.
You want the mix to be light and fluffy and not clumpy or dense. It will help the overall texture of the cookie.
sugar cookie cutout recipe FAQs
Sugar cookies spread when baking because of the amount of fat melting in the oven. The flour to fat ratio needs to be perfect to maintain its shape. With this recipe, you’ll have cookies that keep their shape even after baking.
Sugar cookie dough can be made ahead of time. It will remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months when stored properly.
Yes! Sugar cookie dough works well frozen. You can choose to freeze it whole or after cutting out the cookies.
While both cut out sugar cookies and drop sugar cookies come from a simple recipe, the end result is different. Cut-out sugar cookies are the kind that you roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to shape.
When cut out sugar cookies are baked, they retain their shape and can be decorated in any way you like.
Old fashioned drop sugar cookies are rolled. The dough is scooped and “dropped” onto the baking sheet without the use of cookie cutters. The baked cookies form a round shape.
The key to cut out sugar cookies keeping their shape is based on the recipe you use and the technique used when making and baking them.
You want to be sure to chill your dough for enough time, don’t over whip the butter/sugar mixture, let the baking sheet cool between batches, and don’t overcrowd the oven.
When rolling out the dough for cut out sugar cookies, it’s best to keep the dough between 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick. This will make sure you have soft, thick cookies after they’re baked and will prevent them from breaking easily.
If you don’t have cookie cutters, you can cut the cookies out with the top of a cup/glass or a biscuit cutter.
Sugar cookies can become hard when over baked. You want to remove them BEFORE they begin to brown at all to give you soft sugar cookies.
This is often due to the thickness of the dough before baking. When baking, if they are too thin they will be fragile and break. If they are too thick, they’ll have issues baking evenly which can also result in cracking.
Gritty cookies are often the result of granulated sugar not dissolving completely. This can happen if it clumps together in the dough and isn’t mixed in evenly.
The answer is always to cover your baking sheets with parchment paper. Wax paper should never be used in the oven.
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Buy Now → soft cut out sugar cookie recipe storage
Sugar cookies need to be stored in an airtight container on the countertop. They’ll remain fresh and soft as long as they are stored properly.
other cookie recipes you might like
Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cream together the butter and sugar for approximately 2 minutes. You want the mixture to be light and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla and egg until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. If you are using a stand mixture, be sure to switch to the paddle attachment at this point in time. Slowly add in the flour mixture about 1/2 cup at a time until it is fully incorporated.
- Remove the dough and place on a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of wax or parchment paper and roll out to between 1/4 – 1/2″ thickness.
- Place on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Once chilled, remove from the fridge and remove the top sheet of paper. Cut out all the shapes, cover in sprinkles if you’d like and place on a silpat lined cookie sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 8-9 minutes. If you have to go in batches, keep an eye on them as you progress. If the dough has had time to come closer to room temperature, it will need less time to bake. You want them to firm up, but pull them from the oven before they begin to brown at all. Remove from the oven and allow to sit on the cookie sheet for about 30 seconds and then transfer to a cooling rack. Leaving them on the sheet will cause them to over cook.
- Once they’ve cooled completely, you can top with icing if you choose. Have fun baking and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The FAQ’s really leaves good tips and advices! Cookies are fresh from the oven, so soft and delicious but doesn’t easily break.
These were perfectly soft and fun to make! My kids loved helping me cut out the cookies with cookie cutters!
These are amazing! These remind me of the old fashioned cut out sugar cookies my mom used to make! Yum!
These are the absolute best sugar cookies. I make them every year and everyone always asks for the recipe. It’s so easy to follow and they hold their shape perfectly!
My sugar cookies never hold their shape once baked but these did! Plus they’re super soft, great to gift!
Thank you! I finally found my go-to sugar cookie recipe. I’ve tried at least 10 over the years and none were quite what I wanted.
These Christmas cookies are the best because the shapes come out so nicely. The buttery sweet goodness dough is also lovely. They’re so easy to whip up. Can’t wait to make more!
I tried this recipe, and it’s a winner! They’re soft, chewy, and hold their cute shapes perfectly. Baking them was so much fun and easy.
Just made a triple batch. Do you have the royal ucing recipe? Ty.
Hi Annette! I usually don’t ice mine, but when I do, I use a combination of 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp meringue powder, and 3-5 tbsp of milk. The milk is what I use to get my desired consistency. I also sometimes add a little vanilla extract.
Super easy and fun with the kids! I never thought about rolling the dough between two pieces of parchment paper before but it is a game changer.
This is the absolute best sugar cookie recipe I’ve used. It’s incredibly easy to make, they hold their shape when baked, they stay soft and the flavor is amazing. I’ve already passed the recipe to a dozen people.