October 12, 2023
Review RecipeChewy Sugar Cookie Recipe
Table of Contents
You are going to love sinking your teeth into the soft center and crispy edges that come from making this chewy sugar cookie recipe. Made with simple ingredients, you’ll be rewarded with the delicious flavor and perfect texture of these irresistible cookies.
Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
PRO TIP:
Make sure you use good-quality ingredients for these chewy sugar cookies. They are very straightforward and easy cookies to make, but the final results will taste best when using good quality ingredients.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
VANILLA: You can substitute vanilla bean paste, in equal measurements, for the vanilla bean extract if you want those lovely little vanilla bean specks in your delicious sugar cookies.
SUGAR: You can substitute the ¼ reserved granulated sugar (step 2) for your favorite color of sanding sugar to roll your cookie dough balls in. This will add some fun to your sugar cookies. You can coordinate the colors of sanding sugar for holidays, birthday parties, baby showers, or sporting events to celebrate your favorite team. Adjust your ingredients list to only use 1½ cups granulated sugar in your cookie dough recipe. The other ¼ cup will be your colored sugar.
How to Make This Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe
STEP ONE: In a medium bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
STEP TWO: In a small bowl, add ¼ cup granulated sugar. Set aside.
STEP THREE: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together, on medium-low speed, the room temperature butter, and the remaining 1½ cups of granulated sugar for 1 minute. Add the large egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat for an additional 1 minute or until light and fluffy.
STEP FOUR: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low speed, just until all the flour has been incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
STEP FIVE: Scoop out the chewy sugar cookie dough using a 1½-tablespoon (1½-inch) cookie scoop and roll each ball of dough into the reserved bowl of granulated sugar. Place the sugar-coated dough balls onto a tray. Repeat until all the cookies are scooped and coated in granulated sugar.
STEP SIX: Cover the tray of sugar cookie balls of dough with a piece of plastic wrap and chill dough for 1 hour. This allows the butter to firm up, so your cookies do not spread too much.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
You can skip the chilling step, but your cookies will be a bit flatter when baked.
STEP SEVEN: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP EIGHT: Place 8 chilled cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking tray and bake cookies in the preheated oven for 11 to 12 minutes or just until lightly golden at the edges.
PRO TIP:
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended bake time.
STEP NINE: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely on the counter.
STEP TEN: Repeat steps 7 & 8 until all the chewy sugar cookies have been baked.
How To Serve
These delightfully soft sugar cookies are the perfect afternoon snack, no matter what time of year it is. Enjoy them along with a warm mug of homemade hot chocolate, a pumpkin spice latte, or a Wendy’s Frosty.
We have plenty more cookie recipes to satisfy any type of craving you may have. Check out our blueberry cookies or gingersnap cookies for two of our favorites.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES
Storage
ON THE COUNTER: You can store your chewy cookies in an airtight container, on the counter, for up to 4 days.
IN THE FREEZER: You can make this sugar cookie dough in advance and freeze your cookie dough balls until you are ready to bake them. Prepare your cookie dough up through step 6. You can scoop all the dough into balls and place them onto one large parchment-lined baking tray. Place the tray into the freezer for 1 hour to flash freeze; then, you can remove the frozen cookie dough balls and store them in a large freezer-safe zip-top bag in the freezer until you are ready to bake them. Label your zip-top bag with the type of cookie and the baking time and temperature for future reference.
If baking your chewy sugar cookies from frozen, place them onto a parchment-lined baking tray and set them out on the counter while your oven preheats. You may need to add an extra 1 to 2 minutes to your baking time if your cookies are still frozen. If you choose this method, you can bake as few or as many cookies as you want and keep the rest in the freezer for up to 2 months.
These are the best chewy sugar cookies you’ll ever taste. They have the perfect texture and are so easy to make, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try them sooner. Make them to share, gift, or keep all to yourself anytime the craving strikes.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
These cookies are slightly too soft to be the best choice for cutting out shapes. Our no-spread sugar cookies would be the ideal choice.
While chilling is optional, this great recipe will spread less during baking if the dough is chilled first.
Giving your cookie dough time to chill in the refrigerator will help the cookies to keep their shape.
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- Cookie Dough Dip
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- Creamsicle Pie
- Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Edible Cookie Dough
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Halloween Sugar Cookies
- Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
- S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add ¼ cup granulated sugar. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together, on medium-low speed, the unsalted butter, and the remaining 1½ cups of granulated sugar for 1 minute. Add the large egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat for an additional 1 minute or until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, on low speed, just until all the flour has been incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl as needed.
- Scoop out the chewy sugar cookie dough using a 1 ½ tablespoon (1 ½ inch) cookie scoop and roll each dough ball into the reserved bowl of granulated sugar. Place the sugar-coated dough balls onto a tray. Repeat until all the cookies are scooped and coated in granulated sugar.
- Cover the tray of chewy sugar cookie dough balls with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate your dough for 1 hour. This allows the butter to firm up, so your cookies do not spread too much. You can skip the chilling step, but your cookies will be a bit flatter when baked.
- Preheat oven to 350* F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Place 8 chilled cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking tray and bake for 11 to 12 minutes or just until lightly golden at the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely on the counter.
- Repeat steps 7 & 8 until all the chewy sugar cookies have been baked.
Notes
- Make sure you use good-quality ingredients for these chewy sugar cookies. They are very straightforward and easy cookies to make, but the final results will taste best when using good quality ingredients.
- You can skip the chilling step, but your cookies will be a bit flatter when baked.
- Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended bake time.
Comments
Gabriela B. says
Would you use sanding sugar in these cookies?
– A fine grain
Jackie says
I have never been able to make shaped sugar cookies and now I can make sugar cookies for Hannukkah and Christmas by just putting colored sugar on top of the cookies by using my cookie cutters and using them as a template
Thank you so much for the recipe
Pamela J Springs says
Have you baked homemade sugar cookies before? YES
Would you use sanding sugar in these cookies? NO
Have you ever dipped your sugar cookies in chocolate before? YES
Would you add sprinkles to these chewy sugar cookies? MAYBE
Lily Z says
I have made sugar cookies before. I prefer the drop cookie varieties over the ones you chill and then roll and cut out. Will be making this recipe for kids today as after school treat to see what they think. Thanks for the recipe!
pat says
awesome site
Melissa says
I made these for my boyfriends surprise bday and I donโt think Iโve had a softer, chewier sugar cookie!!! These were a hit! I was somewhat disappointed with the reviews bc a lot of peeps said they wanted to use sanding sugar and those who wanted to make them in the future, and no one posted how they actually TURNED OUT. Lol
These are fabulous! This recipe will be in constant rotation from now on!