Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe
Cut out sugar cookies are one of the best Christmas sugar cookies recipe to make.Requiring just simple ingredients, these soft and chewy cookies are so much fun to make with the whole family!
Christmas sugar cookies are part of our family holiday season traditions. This Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie recipe is often the first thing I pull out of my recipe box to make. In fact, my kids think it’s the best sugar cookie recipe of all. The first time I made it with my boys’ help was when they were 2 and 4 years old!
This cut out out sugar cookie recipe is a great recipe that makes a soft sugar cookies that can be easily frozen if desired.
I usually bake the whole batch, let them cool, and then freeze them between layers of waxed paper in airtight containers.
Once it’s time to serve them, I thaw out the baked rolled sugar cookies and mix up a small batch of icing for the amount I want to serve. It’s easy and so delicious.
How to Make Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookies
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Supplies Needed for Soft & Tasty Cut Out Sugar Cookies:
- Large Bowl
- Medium Bowl
- Mixing Spoons
- Pastry blender
- Pastry cloth & rolling pin cover set (optional)
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutters (whatever designs you choose) (I like Christmas trees, hearts, & mittens)
- Cookie Sheet
- Wire Cooling Racks
Rolled Sugar Cookies Ingredients:
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Butter
- 2 large Eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup Milk
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
How to Make this Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe
You’ll mix up this simple recipe in 2 seperate bowls.
1. In the first large bowl, mix together:
- 4 cups flour,
- 1 tsp. baking powder, and
- 1/2 tsp. salt,
- Cut in 1 cup butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives.
2. In another bowl, mix together:
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1/3 cup milk,
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract,
- 1 1/2 cup sugar, and
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
4. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently.
5. Flip the dough onto a lightly floured pastry mat, and knead it gently ~ just so it sticks together.
6. Divide dough into 2 portions. Start with the first portion and roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
7. Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut out whatever shapes you’d like. We have stars and trees at our house…
8. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. (Placing parchement paper on the baking sheets makes for easy clean up.)
9. Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 5 minutes – or until very lightly golden brown.
Top Tip: The secret to soft and chewy old fashioned sugar cookies is to take them out before they start to brown. If they are too browned, they will turn crunchy!
10. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Once completely cooled, ice with your favorite homemade frosting.
Here is my quick and easy homemade frosting for sugar cookies.
Yield: About 4 dozen
How should I store these cut out sugar cookies?
Store these sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. However, I feel better always refrigerating or freezing mine until I’m ready to use them.
To freeze sugar cookies, place them in an airtight container or heavy duty freezer bag, being careful to seperate each layer with wax paper or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. Store in the freezer for up to six months.
For Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies:
You can use this same sugar cookie recipe for all seasons! Just use whatever shaped cookie cutter matches the holiday. Heart shaped cookie cutters with pink icing make darling Valentine’s Day cookies.
Need more help with Christmas cookie making?
I’ve put together a recipe collection of Christmas cookie recipes to help you save time & stress. Click the button below for all the details!
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CHRISTMAS COOKIES RECIPES COLLECTION
With a mix of traditional & trendy Christmas cookies, this recipe collection with pictures can help bring back the fun (& simple) traditions of Christmas baking.
For more Merry Christmas Season Recipes, you may want to check out these posts:
- Christmas cookie recipes with pictures
- Christmas Dipped Chocolates,
- Swedish Tea Ring,
- Overnight Buns,
- Old Fashioned Steam Pudding & Sauce
- Christmas Breakfast Recipes
More Christmas Cookies Recipes:
- Never Fail Fudge
- Make this condensed milk fudge recipe in the microwave in 5 minutes!
- Chocolate Marshmallow Log
- Cranberry Lemon Bars
- Jam Sandwich Cookies (a shortcut recipe!)
- 75+ Christmas cookie recipes with pictures
- Cute & quick Rudolph Cookies
- Brownie Mix Cookies
Updated October 2021
Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe
This old fashioned rolled sugar cookie recipe is the best cut out cookie recipe! The dough is easy to work & the cookies are soft & YUMMY!
Ingredients
- 4 cups Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1 cup Butter
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup Milk
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
Instructions
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender
- In another bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, and baking so
- Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently
- Flip the dough onto a lightly floured pastry mat, and knead it gently ~ just so it sticks together
- Divide into 2 portions and roll each portion out to about 1/2 inch thick.
- Using cookie cutters, cut out whatever shapes you’d like. We have stars and trees at our house…
- Place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 5 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees.The secret to soft and chewy old fashioned sugar cookies is to take them out before they start to brown. If they are lightly browned, they will turn crunchy!
- Cool completely on wire racks before icing.Step 10: Once completely cool, ice with buttercream icing with food coloring.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 48 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 100Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g
Hi Rita!
Sugar cookies are our family's favourite Christmas cookie as well. Our recipe is a little different, but the cookies look the same. We frost ours too, but put sprinkles on top.
I love the pictures of your boys baking!
Hugs,
Heather
I made these cookies, they are awesome! My whole family, friends, and work love them. They all could not believe how fluffy and soft they are. I’m definitely going to make more for Christmas and even Valentine’s Day.
Love this recipe!!! Turned out perfect and very tasty. Have tried many recipes that did not work. Thank you for sharing!!
Cookie dough rolled 1/2 inch thick will not bake in 5 minutes. Dough spread badly for me. Sorry but best to stay with my tried and true recipe I usually use.
I wondered about this too… Thank you!
I had the same experience with having kids “help” me baking cookies. They do finally come back into the kitchen when the cookies are done baking! Where did you get your pastry mat?
Hi Rene, The pastry mat and rolling pin cover that are pictured are actually my Mom’s! But, you can get pastry mat sets for rolling out dough on Amazon. They are now linked in the post for your convenience. I find they help keep the counter from getting quite so messy!
I am seeing you add baking soda twice in the recipe. It would seem it should just go in with the flour but thought to ask. Thank you.
I read it wrong three times! My apologies… I have just never added soda or powder to wet. Thanks and I am trying these now 🙂
Hi, Jessica
Just wondering how the cookies came out? Did you add the baking soda to wet ingredients?
Hi Michelle, You do add the baking soda to the wet ingredients in this sugar cookies recipe. It sounds a bit strange, but it works!! Have fun baking!!
Do I really only have to bake 5mins? Really want to try this
Love the recipe – is it ok to freeze the dough or put in the fridge to do it later ?
Thank you
Happy Holidays !
This is the most amazing cut out dough ever! Thank you!!! Ready for tomorrow night decorating party!
I made these cookies but I have to say baking 5 minutes is close to being raw dough. They are very tasty though. I’m having second thoughts of giving these as gifts because of being close to raw. Maybe it’s just my oven but I think I will bake for 7 minutes.
Sorry may I ask the ? of butter. I’ve not made them yet but is it salted or unsalted? Because I don’t want to ruin them.
In my opinion, if you’re going to use salted butter then you can eliminate adding salt to the recipe. 😁❤️
Hi Cynthia, Since there is salt added to this sugar cookie recipe, I would use unsalted butter. That’s a great question!
This looks like a wonderful recipe and something I must try! I loved seeing your boys in the pictures too 😊
Is it salted or unsalted butter and can I mix them up and wait a couple of days to roll them out and cut them?
I know your recipe uses the pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients and Ive tried this for otehr recipes and it didnt turn out well for those recipes. Could I just mix this recipe like my go to recipe with wet ingredients and then add the dry ingredients to the wet? The recipe looks amazing and I just wanted to ask.
Hi MidnightBaker,
You’re question of asking whether there is an alternative method to cutting in the butter with a pastry cutter for these sugar cookies is a good one! I have never tried any other method than that, so I’m not sure how they would turn out. I do sometimes soften the butter slightly (or use room temperature butter) to make it easier to cut in, but if the butter were melted completely before adding in, I think the dough would become too sticky.
Hope that helps, and happy sugar cookie baking!:)
Hello I just made these cookies and they were amazing. Since I do not have a pastry cutter, I let the butter get close to room temperature so it wasn’t too soft, cut into cube with a butter knife, then smooshed it into the flour with a fork. It worked great for me! I love this recipe, definitely my go to for sugar cookies now!
Saving this to try
Is there any substitute for diabetics
Is the butter cold in this recipe?
I usually have it about room temperature so it mixes in easily.
Hi can you freeze sugar cookies when you have iced them? Or can you only freeze them without icing?
Hi Racheal, the question of whether you should freeze sugar cookies with or without icing is a very good one! All the research I’ve read says that it is recommended and ideal to freeze them without icing. However, in our house I frost them, let the icing set up, and then layer them in a Tupperware container with parchment paper or wax paper between the layers and then freeze them. We think they taste amazing!
what if batter is soupy instead of doughy? What did I do wrong and can it be fixed? Thanks
Can you double the batch and freeze the extra dough?
Also wondering about making the dough ahead, refrigerating it ,setting it out at room temperature, then rolling them out? Please let me know soon.
Hi NN, Thank you for the question, “Can you refrigerate the sugar cookie dough ahead and then roll it out later?”
Although I have never personally tried this method yet, it makes sense that in theory, and I believe it should work. I would advise to cover the dough well with plastic wrap, refrigerate it, and then when ready to use, bring it to room temperature by letting it sit on the counter, and then start rolling it out.
Happy cookie making!
Hi! Thank you very much for sharing the recipe. Can you help me transform it in grams ?
I have same question regarding freezing the dough to use a few days later. Is this possible and if so how can you do this. Thank you in advance for any feedback. This recipe sounds amazing and want to try with my kids. 😊
Hi Meg, thank you for your question about whether you can freeze this sugar cookie dough to use a few days later. To be honest, I’ve never tried that! This particular sugar cookies recipe is unique in that you can roll it out right away after you mix it up. The dough is much drier than other sugar cookies recipes (more like a pastry dough), so it isn’t necessary to refrigerate it before rolling it out. Many sugar cookies recipes require you to chill the dough for at least 2 hours before rolling it out. I found that this recipe worked well in that you can make it, roll it, and bake it all at the same time!
I will have to experiment further to give you a definitive answer regarding freezing the dough first, but as I think through the process, If you wrap the dough well and freeze it in an airtight container and then thaw it completely at room temperature before rolling it, it should work!!
In other recipes.i
I have substituted monk fruit, swerve, allouse for the sugar. Frosting they also have powered sugar.
Do you use confection sugar or graduated sugar?
Hi Sarah, for the sugar cookie dough, I use granulated sugar (also called white sugar). When it comes time to make the frosting, I used powdered sugar (also called confectioners’ sugar) for the frosting.
Boy, is this dough hard to work with. Crumbly and doesn’t roll well. I am sorry I made 2 batches!
Do you have a recipe for the frosting
Do you know if this recipe would work with gluten free flour? Thank
You.
Hi Jean, I have never experimented with gluten free flour in any of my recipes at this point, so I can’t give any input to that. But, perhaps someone else reading these comments can chime in if they have any recommendations for how to make this sugar cookie recipe with gluten free flour?
Do the cutouts keep their shape or is it better as just a round sugar cookie?
I’m not sure what I did wrong but this dough was SO sticky and very hard to work with. I have it in the fridge now to see if that helps. How do you do your flour? I stirred, scooped and leveled mine. If you pack yours maybe that’s the issue? I looked over the recipe a few times and followed everything correctly.
My dough was sticky until I gently kneaded it on the counter. Then I refrigerated the dough for an hour due to the way the butter was incorporated. This made the dough much easier to roll out and cut cookies.
I’m so excited to be featuring your old fashioned rolled sugar cookies recipe at Tuesday Turn About this week, Rita! Pinned… they look amazing!
Do you have a good & easy recipe for the frosting?
Do these retain their shape well?
Can I mix this in a food processor? That’s how I mix my pie dough, which sounds like a similar consistency.
(I am replying to myself)
I did wind up using the food processor. It came out well, even made adding color quick and easy.
I like the texture to the dough for this recipe, most others I have tried require chilling the dough and chilled it’s both to sticky and to hard to roll out, this one rolled out nice and easy. Though they were not as sweet as expected. I think next time I am going to try adding half again as much sugar.
I also didn’t roll mine a half inch thick, I don’t like my cookies that thick, I think I came in closer to 1/8 of an inch.
Mine also took 6-7 min to bake, but that was probably because the cutouts spent the night in the fridge.
I was excited to try this sugar cookie recipe. I try a new sugar cookie recipe every year, with hopes to find one that I would like. Now this will always be my favorite sugar cookie recipe. Here are the things I have done differently. I used a dough hook to mix the dough, it worked perfectly. I also added 1tsp of almond extract along with the vanilla extract. I liked the additional flavor. I did cut them thick and in Christmas shapes and baked them about 8 minutes.