Easy Sugar Cookies
Updated Oct 31, 2026
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These easy sugar cookies don’t require any chilling, cutting or rolling! They are soft and gooey with crispy edges and they’re made in one bowl in under 30 minutes!
I love a good cut-out sugar cookie, especially at Christmas. But sometimes I want bakery-quality, homemade sugar cookies without all the extra work of chilling the dough, rolling it out and cutting it into shapes.
That’s why I love this easy sugar cookies recipe! The cookies have a rich vanilla flavor and are rolled in sugar (or sprinkles) before baking, giving them a slightly crispy outside and soft, chewy center.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Sugar Cookies Recipe
- So easy. No chilling, one bowl.
- Best texture. They’re soft and gooey in the center with chewy edges.
- Easy to dress up. Roll in colored sugar or festive sprinkles for any holiday.
- Better than a bakery. Seriously you need to try them!
Made this sugar cookies and they are delicious. My whole family loves them. Will definitely be making these again. They we so easy to make. My kids love making Christmas cookies. You have the best recipes. We always use your recipes!
– Holly
Easy Sugar Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version, use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour.
- Granulated sugar. White sugar and organic cane sugar are great choices.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well in this recipe. Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for the best results.
- Vanilla extract. I don’t recommend substitutions here, you could add 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract in addition to the vanilla if you’d like.
- Fine sea salt. If you use table salt (iodized) I recommend decreasing the amount by half.
- Granulated sugar for rolling. You can roll these in sprinkles as well (think festive holiday sprinkles for Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.). Or you can omit the sugar and dip them in vanilla icing instead.
How to Make Easy Sugar Cookies
Let’s walk through this easy sugar cookie recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video for further guidance.
Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) and lining two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Then, either in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for 60 seconds on high.
Next, add the egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, until light and fluffy. This step is incredibly important to ensure the sugar dissolves and you don’t wind up with grainy sugar cookies.
Then, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and beat until combined.
Once the dough is ready, use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into 1 ½ to 2 Tablespoon portions.
Then, roll the portions of dough into round balls, and roll them in granulated sugar until they are fully coated.
Make them Festive
For a fun festive twist, use colored decorating sugar that matches your holiday – red and green for Christmas, pastel colors for Easter, red and pink for Valentine’s Day, etc.
Evenly space the rolled dough on the prepared baking sheets.
Then, bake the drop sugar cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until cookies just look set and start to “crack” on top.
Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve
These easy sugar cookies are great served all by themselves. You can also dip them in vanilla icing or lemon glaze for an extra special treat! Or make my sugar cookie icing and use it to decorate these!
They are a great addition to a holiday cookie tray, along with our favorite Holiday Cookies.
Store
Store these soft sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Freeze
I suggest freezing the unbaked cookie dough in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Then, thaw the dough and bake fresh according to the recipe instructions.
Or, you can freeze baked no roll sugar cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.
Easy Sugar Cookies Recipe FAQs
This recipe doubles very well. Simply double the ingredients and bake in 4 batches.
This step is optional, but it does add texture and flavor to the cookies! You can omit the sugar and drizzle the drop sugar cookies with vanilla icing if you prefer. Or, roll them in festive sprinkles.
These sugar cookies use common ingredients like butter, sugar, flour and vanilla.
If you want to make these more crispy, flatten the tops slightly before baking, then bake 1-2 minutes longer.
No! This easy sugar cookie recipe doesn’t require any chilling. You can make the dough, roll it into balls and bake the cookies right away!
Yes, you can make the dough and chill it for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Easy Sugar Cookies
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for 1 minute on high.
- Then, add egg and vanilla and beat for an addition 1 minute, until light and fluffy.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and beat until combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into 1 ½ to 2 Tablespoon portions.
- Then roll the dough into round balls and roll them in granulated sugar until evenly coated.
- Place the coated dough balls evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until the cookies just look set and start to “crack” on top.
- Let the sugar cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- All-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version, use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour.
- Granulated sugar. white sugar and organic cane sugar are great choices.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter works well in this recipe.
- Fine Sea salt. If you use table salt (iodized) I recommend decreasing the amount by half.
- Granulated sugar for rolling. You can roll these in sprinkles as well (think festive holiday sprinkles for Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.). Or you can omit the sugar and dip them in vanilla icing instead.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! If I wanted to make them in different shapes with cookie cutters, would I just leave the dough in the fridge for an hour or so and then roll it out after?
No – this recipe isn’t meant to roll. Use my cut-out sugar cookie recipe instead.
Made this sugar cookies and they are delicious. My whole family loves them. Will definitely be making these again. They we so easy to make. My kids love making Christmas cookies. You have the best recipes. We always use your recipes
Thank you so much Holly!! I’m so happy that you know you can trust me for all your baking recipe needs! 🙂
Just made these and they were easy and delicious!!!!!
I’m so glad you love them, Vera!
I just made these today and my kiddo and I love them. Great recipe
Yay I’m so glad they loved them, Marsha!
Could these also be good with your homemade frosting?
Yes absolutely!
I make these all the time they are my go too for a sugar fix! Easy peasy and I even hand mix the! So yummy!!!
I’m SO happy you love them Yvonne!
Made these using a couple of tips from another of her recipes and they came out perfect! I made them with gluten free flour and they were the best gf cookies I’ve ever had
Thank you Sarah! I’m so happy you were able to make them GF!
I just made these sugar cookies and they are fabulous! They turned out perfect. Crispy edge and soft centre, just delicious. Thank you so much for this wonderful, easy recipe.
Thank you so much Marney! I’m so glad you love this recipe!