These soft sugar cookies are out of this world good! All the best parts of a sugar cookie that you know and love but thick and soft!

I seriously searched for years and years and hated how plain sugar cookies turned out. I had a squishy one at a hotel once and have been trying to recreate it ever since. Totally worked this time!

Are you a sugar cookie fan? I know sometimes they can be kinda eh of the cookie world, but honestly, a sugar cookie done right is OMG so good! 

Have you had those cookies at the grocery store that are tall and thick and so soft they practically melt in your mouth? Oh and they have icing piled as high as the sky?! Kinda like these Lofthouse cookies.

Well these soft sugar cookies is all of that minus the icing but even better because they are fresh and homemade! They are buttery and fluffy and have a deep vanilla flavor. Oh and they dress up so easily for any holiday…just change the sprinkles you add.

Ok enough already! Lets get baking!

Ingredients Needed for Soft Sugar Cookies

It takes the perfect combination of the usual baking suspects to make these soft and fluffy sugar cookies. Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Flour – just regular all purpose does the trick and gives all the structure to the cookies
  
• Salt – enhances flavor and sweetness
  
• Baking Soda – leavening
  
• Baking Powder – leavening
  
• Cornstarch – helps the cookies be tender and chewy
• Unsalted Butter – the fat that holds everything together
  
• Granulated Sugar – adds sweetness and tenderizes, you’ll also use some more sugar to roll the dough in before baking
  
• Powdered Sugar – adding the finer grain sugar helps the cookies be more fluffy and soft
• Light Brown Sugar – add flavor and sweetness
  
• Vanilla – adds flavor
  
• Almond Extract – I love the flavor of almond extract in my sugar cookies, but it is totally optional
  
• Egg – adds structure and leavening, makes the cookies fluffy
  
• Egg Yolk – adds a little extra richness

The measurements of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Homemade Soft Sugar Cookies

These cookies take a little time. Ok, that sounded bad! They are super easy to make, but they need some time to chill in the refrigerator for the best results so be sure to plan ahead. Here are the basic steps:

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Combine the butter and sugars in a stand mixer and mix until fluffy. Add in the egg, yolk, vanilla and almond extract and mix together.
3. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix it! Stick the bowl in the fridge to rest for a couple of minutes.
4. Scoop out balls of dough and roll them in sugar (or sprinkles or both). Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat, cover them and chill them in the fridge for at least 6 hours (up to overnight).
5. Preheat oven. Spread out the cookies on multiple cookie sheets lined with silpats and bake.
6. Transfer to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with extra decorative sugar. Let them cool before devouring!

All of these instructions can be found in the recipe card down below. You can also print or save the recipe there.

Can Sugar Cookie Dough Be Frozen?

Sugar cookie dough can be frozen. For this recipe, you can roll the dough into balls and then sugar. Then place the balls on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer for an hour or two. Once they are frozen, you can stick them in a ziploc bag or a freezer safe container.

The dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake them, they can be baked straight from frozen. Just add a couple of minutes to the bake time.

How Long Will Sugar Cookies Keep in the Freezer?

You can also freeze the baked cookies. Be sure they have cooled completely. Then place them in an airtight container in the freezer. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How Long Will Sugar Cookies Keep?

To maximize the shelf life of sugar cookies, place the cookies in a loosely covered container.

Properly stored, freshly baked cookies will last for about 2 to 3 weeks at normal room temperature.

Why Does Sugar Cookie Dough Crumble?

Too much dry ingredients or too little fat will make sugar cookie dough crumble.

How Do You Know When Sugar Cookies are Done?

Bake them until they just start to get a hint of color and they look slightly crackled across the center.

What Makes Sugar Cookies Hard?

Working the dough too much will make sugar cookies too hard. You can really stop combining the wet and dry ingredients as soon as a few streaks of dry ingredients remain.

Thick and soft sugar cookies that are seriously to die for! I’m absolutely obsessed! Eat them plain with just sugar on any regular ol’ day or dress them up with some festive sprinkles for any occasion!

More Cookie Recipes You Will Love!

• How to Make Sugar Cookies
• White Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Royal Icing
• Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Raspberry Sugar Cookies

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