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Classic Sugar Cookies

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Updated Apr 25, 2025
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Our homemade sugar cookies have been a Betty Crocker favorite for decades. First appearing in the 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book made with granulated sugar, the recipe was later perfected with powdered sugar and became Mary’s Sugar Cookies in the 1961 Betty Crocker Cookbook. Since then, this much-loved, highly reviewed easy sugar cookie recipe has been a constant in every Big Red edition and in many other cookbooks, including the beloved 1963 Betty Crocker Cooky Book—a favorite many of us grew up baking from.

Over the years, little has changed—because some things are just right as they are. These cookies are melt-in-your-mouth good, easy to make, and perfect for decorating. Whether you're baking festive cutouts or everyday treats, this classic sugar cookie recipe is sure to impress family and friends.

Recipe Ingredients

Before we dive into making this sugar cookie recipe, let’s start with the ingredients you’ll need.

Ingredients for the Cookies

Powdered Sugar: Also called confectioner's sugar, it ensures your cookies are tender, sweet, and fluffy.

Butter: Over the years, we’ve experimented with shortening and margarine, but butter remains our top choice. Soften it by leaving it on the counter until your finger makes an imprint

Vanilla and Almond Extracts: These flavorings create a balanced, nutty sweetness. Vanilla enhances both the dough and icing, while almond extract adds a subtle, marzipan-like note

Other Ingredients for Cookie Dough: Gold Medal™ All Purpose Flour, large egg, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

Ingredients for the Icing

Powdered Sugar: The go-to sugar to make smooth icing as it dissolves readily with the other ingredients.

Milk: Combines with powdered sugar and vanilla to create a spreadable icing.

Other Ingredients for Icing: Vanilla, optional decorating items like food coloring, candy sprinkles, or colored sugar.

Cookware You’ll Need

Through the years, the cookware you'll need has remained largely unchanged. Here's a breakdown of what you’ll need for making this sugar cookie recipe with icing.

Electric Mixer or Spoon: Both will work to mix the cookie dough—choose whichever is most convenient for you.

Rolling Pin: A rolling pin helps spread dough evenly for uniform baking. While available in wood, plastic, and marble, a wooden pin is durable and easy to use.

Cookie Sheet: Through our over 75 years of baking, we’ve found that the best cookie sheets are shiny metal ones. They reflect heat efficiently, ensuring cookies bake and brown evenly.

Other Cookware You’ll Need: Large bowl, dry measuring cups, measuring spoons, rubber spatula, plastic wrap, cookie cutters, cookie spatula, cooling rack, medium bowl, and a mixing spoon.

How to Make Sugar Cookies

Here’s a quick overview of how to make sugar cookies.

1. Make the Cookie Dough

Beat the wet ingredients until well blended, then stir in the dry ingredients. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies.

2. Chill Dough

Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape and makes it easier to handle.

3. Roll Out Dough and Cut Cookies

Dust the counter and rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking. Roll the dough evenly—too thin makes cookies fragile, too thick leads to uneven baking. Use cookie cutters to cut shape, then slide a floured spatula underneath each cutout for easy transfer to the pan. Bake same-size cookies on the same sheet for even results.

4. Bake Cookies

Bake cookies one sheet at a time for even heat distribution. Remove when edges of cookies are lightly browned—they’ll continue to set as they cool.

5. Make and Add Icing

Mix icing until smooth and spreadable. Spread icing (plain or tinted) over the cooled sugar cookies and decorate with sprinkles, candies, or colored sugar.

Possible Variations

We’ve heard from you that you like to try variations to make your homemade sugar cookies look as good as they taste.

Decorating Before Baking: Sprinkle cookies with colored sugars before baking. Or, as Sugarcookiequeen shares, “I’ll frost 1/2 of them and the other half I’ll put melted butter and cinnamon and sugar on before I bake…”.

Use Different Frostings and Icings: Royal icing gives cookies that polished look.  Buttercream frosting is creamy and easy to top with sprinkles or candy.

Decorate for Holidays: Get festive with themed cookies—hearts for Valentine’s, snowflakes for Christmas, or eggs for Easter.

If you love thick, soft, bakery-style cookies—try our Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies. They won’t disappoint.

Storing and Reheating

Here are the best methods we’ve tested for storing your homemade sugar cookies.

Room Temperature

Store cookies in a covered container with wax paper between layers to prevent sticking, for up to 3 days.

Refrigerator

No need to store baked sugar cookies in the fridge, but you can make the dough ahead of time. Shape dough into 2 disks and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature for up to 15 minutes before rolling out. 

Freezer

• Baked, Unfrosted Cookies: Store in an airtight food container up to 12 months.

• Baked, Frosted Cookies: Store in an airtight food container with wax paper between layers for up to 3 months.

Thawing

• Frozen Baked, Unfrosted Cookies: Thaw at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Frosting a frozen cookie may prevent the icing from sticking.

• Frozen Baked, Frosted Cookies: Thaw at room temperature in their container for 2 to 3 hours or until fully thawed.

Why Betty Users Love This Recipe

With over 350 reviews and counting, our sugar cookie recipe is a longtime favorite among bakers. Many bakers say they’ve been making it for years—and keep coming back to it—because of its consistency and reliability. Each batch turns out just right, with cookies that hold their shape and have a perfectly tender crumb. The combination of vanilla and almond extracts is often praised for adding a delicious depth of flavor, making these cookies especially memorable.

Bakers also love the sugar cookie recipe’s ease and versatility. Even with small adjustments—like skipping the chilling step or swapping extracts—bakers report great results. Many have made it a family tradition, especially around the holidays, because the dough is so easy to work with and sturdy enough for decorating. Whether you're baking with kids, preparing festive treats, or simply looking for a dependable go-to recipe, this one continues to stand the test of time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Classic Sugar Cookies

  • Prep Time 60 min
  • Total 7 hr 50 min
  • Servings 55
  • Ingredients 13
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Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup salted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ All Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Icing

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 to 5 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • Food colors, if desired
  • Colored sugar or candy sprinkles, if desired
Make With
Gold Medal Flour

Instructions

  • Step 
    1

    In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until all the ingredients are smooth and thoroughly blended.

  • Step 
    2

    Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar just until combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can result in tough cookies. 

  • Step 
    3

    Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a 1-inch-thick flattened disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours. The dough is ready when it feels firm to the touch and no longer sticky.

  • Step 
    4

    Heat oven to 375°F.

  • Step 
    5

    Roll disks, one at a time, on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Be careful not to use too much flour, as it can make the cookies tough. Cut with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes, placing the cuts close together on the rolled-out dough to reduce scraps and limit rerolling. Place cutouts at least 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

  • Step 
    6

    Place cookie sheet on the middle oven rack. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

  • Step 
    7

    In medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If icing is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color as desired.

  • Step 
    8

    Holding the cookie in one hand, use an off-set metal spatula or a butter knife to spread the frosting over the top of each cookie. You can stop when you’re about 1/4-inch from the edge. Decorate as desired with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Let stand about 4 hours or until icing is set.

  • Step 
    9

    Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

Nutrition

90 Calories
3 1/2g Total Fat
0g Protein
14g Total Carbohydrate
10g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Calories
90
Calories from Fat
30
Total Fat
3 1/2g
5%
Saturated Fat
2g
11%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
10mg
4%
Sodium
50mg
2%
Potassium
20mg
1%
Total Carbohydrate
14g
5%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
10g
Protein
0g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
2%
2%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
0%
0%
Iron
0%
0%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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