Soft Sugar Cookies

5 from 50 votes

This is the best soft sugar cookie recipe we’ve ever tried and results in delicious cookies with the perfect texture and a fantastic flavor.

Prep Time8

Cook Time8

Total Time16

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 171kcal

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy (about 1 minute).
Add vanilla and almond extracts, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in until well combined.
Add the egg and egg yolk. Beat for 3 to 4 minutes on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally to fully cream the wet ingredients.
Add ½ of the flour mixture and beat in on low speed just until combined. Add the other half of the flour mixture and beat in until combined. Do not overbeat.
Scoop 2½ tablespoon size balls of cookie dough. Roll between your fingertips to form smooth balls. Place balls on prepared sheet pans spaced 2 inches apart. Press down the center of the ball just slightly.
Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until cookies have just a hint of brown around the bottom edges and are set on top. Allow to cool for 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Frost cooled cookies and garnish with sprinkles if desired.

For best results, make sure to use room temperature butter and eggs for this recipe.
Creaming the ingredients as instructed is important to achieve the right texture for the cookie. The dough will turn visibly lighter in color as it creams together.
The sugar cookie dough does not need to be chilled. Cookies will spread less if the dough is chilled, but you will still achieve a nice soft, chewy texture. Cook time may need to be adjusted.
Pressing down the cookie dough balls isn’t necessary, but it helps them to spread more evenly. I would especially recommend this if your dough is cold.
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.