A super soft sugar cookie recipe that is a tried and true favorite. Soft and chewy sugar cookies bake up fluffy then are topped with buttercream frosting for any holiday or party!

Stack of soft sugar cookies.

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Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

I’ve been using this delicious sugar cookie recipe for several years, and these really are the best sugar cookies with a super soft, fluffy and moist texture! If you love soft sugar cookies, try brown sugar cookies, copycat Swig cookies and sugar cookie truffles.

This recipe reminds me of bakery-style Lofthouse cookies my mom bought as a kid, but better! It’s one of my tried and true cookie recipes that is a big family favorite.

Ingredients for Soft Sugar Cookies

I’ve tried numerous ingredient combinations for sugar cookies and 2 secret ingredients for the best soft cookies are sour cream and butter!

Sugar cookie ingredients on a marble counter.

Find the printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Unsalted butter and sour cream: Sour cream helps make them super soft and moist, while softened butter makes the outside edges crispy.
  • Sugar: A MUST for sugar cookies that adds sweetness and texture!
  • Large eggs: Eggs bind and help the dough hold shape.
  • Extract: Vanilla extract for rich flavor and lemon or almond extract for additional taste.
  • Baking staples: All-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt add structure and gives the sugar cookies lift and rise.

Variations

There are so many ways to make these soft sugar cookies your own!

  • Sugar cookie bars: Super soft sugar cookies but in bar form with a sweet flavor, soft base and plenty of frosting and sprinkles.
  • Celebrate the occasion: Use cookie cutters for a heart sugar cookie, Halloween, Easter or Christmas cookie. Color the frosting to match!
  • Skip the frosting: Roll cookies in colored sugar, granulated sugar or even cinnamon sugar before baking. Fold multi-colored jimmies into the dough like I do in funfetti cake mix cookie recipe.
  • No cutting out: Make my no roll drop sugar cookies!
  • Half batch. This recipe makes bout 2-3 dozen cookies, so you can easily cut it in half to make less. Or store half of dough in freezer to make fruit pizza.

How to Make Soft Sugar Cookies

The first thing everyone looks for in a sugar cookie is the softness then the flavor, these have both!

Showing how to make sugar cookies in a 6 step collage.
  • Make sugar cookie dough: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.Add in eggs, extracts and sour cream then mix until combined. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.
  • Chill: Split dough in two and place in saran wrap dusted with powdered sugar. Refrigerate dough for 1-2 hours.
  •  Roll dough: Roll out dough on a baker’s mat or parchment paper to about 1/4″ thick. Add up to another 1/4 cup flour if dough is still sticky.
  • Cut into shapes: Cut the cookie dough with a cookie cutter that has been dipped into flour.
  • Bake: Bake at 350°F for 8-9 minutes, until edges are slightly golden. 
  • Cool then frost: Allow cookies to cool on pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Sugar cookies on a cooling rack.

Here are some extra tips to help you make the softest cookies!

  • Don’t overmix. Mix the dough until just combined. Over mixing causes them to dry out, and your cookies won’t be as soft and fluffy.
  • Chill the dough. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 to 2 hours before cutting shapes to prevent spread in the oven. Just like my easy butter cookies you can also make it a day or two ahead of time.
  • Thickness. I like to roll my dough out about 1/4 inch thick. It gives the cookies the perfect width and makes them rise beautifully in the oven.
  • Perfectly shaped cookies: Roll out your dough on a baking mat or between two pieces of parchment paper (so you don’t have to peel up the shapes) then dust cookie cutters with powdered sugar or flour and cut out perfectly shaped cookies.
  • No time to roll? Make my sugar cookie Christmas bars and decorate them for whatever occasion yoy like!
  • Cool before frosting. As tempting as it is, let them cool completely before frosting the tops. If they are still warm, the frosting can melt and change texture.
Frosted heart sugar cookies.

Decorating Soft Sugar Cookies

I love to top these cookies with lots of frosting and sprinkles!

Make Ahead and Freezing

  • Make ahead: Sugar cookie dough can also be made ahead and kept frozen for up to 3 months. Just wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then stick in a freezer zip lock. Thaw for 2 hours at room temperature to soften before rolling out. You can also keep dough in the fridge and use with 2-3 days.
  • Store: These cookies will keep for about 3 weeks, if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • Freeze: Store them with or without frosting in the freezer. Just wrap them in plastic wrap and place in a zip top bag for up to 3 months. Just be sure to freeze them the same day you bake them.
Soft sugar cookies stacked on a white plate.

More soft cookie recipes include cream cheese cookies recipe, snickerdoodle cookies, gooey butter cookies and chocolate crinkle cookies!

More Easy Cookie Recipes

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Stack of soft sugar cookies.

Sugar Cookies

5 from 137 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Refrigerate: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
Servings: 30
A super soft sugar cookie recipe that is a tried and true favorite. Soft and chewy sugar cookies bake up fluffy then are topped with buttercream frosting for any holiday or party!
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Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temp
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs , at room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon or almond extract , whichever flavor you prefer
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

Buttercream frosting:

  • ¾ cup butter
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cookies:

  • Cream sugar and butter. In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup butter and 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat until creamy. Add in 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract and 1 cup sour cream and mix together until combined.
  • Dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together 5 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.
  • Chill dough. Split dough in two and press flat in saran wrap (this will make it easier to roll out later). Refrigerate dough for 1-2 hours.
  • Cut-out cookies. Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on a baker's mat to about 1/4" thick. Add up to another 1/4 cup flour if dough is still sticky. Cut with floured cookie cutter.
  • Bake. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until edges are slightly golden. Then allow to cool on pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

For the Frosting:

  • Combine. For the buttercream, combine 3/4 cup butter, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Feel free to add in food coloring. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
  • Frost. Frost buttercream on cooled cookies and serve. :)

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Frosting: I also love using this cream cheese frosting or cookie icing to frost these cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 304kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 208mg, Potassium: 62mg, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 415IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1.2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Recipe FAQs

Why is my sugar cookie raw in the middle?

It is a balancing act! You don’t want to have too much butter because that will make your cookies to spread when baked. Chilling your cookies is also helpful.

How do you tell if your cookies are undercooked?

I don’t recommend ever opening the oven, but getting a closer look and feel with a touch from the spatula, you can tell if they still need a few extra minutes. Looking through the glass and using an oven light this will help to see

What do I do if my sugar cookie dough is too dry?

Usually if the cookie dough is dry or crumbly it usually means the dough was over mixed or too much dry ingredients are added in the dough. To reverse this process add in one to two tablespoons liquid. Use either water, milk, or softened butter to help.

How do you keep a sugar cookie from losing its shape?

You will want to make sure that the butter is not too soft but also not melted when you are mixing. Once the cookies are baked, you can use a circular cookie cutter and place around the sugar cookie. In a circular motion, circle to the cookie a few times until it begins to make a perfect circle shape.