Daily Survival: The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

Today I would like to share the best sugar cookie recipe ever! For someone with a sweet tooth like me, it’s so natural to have the words “sugar” and “cookie” paired together. I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t like cookies, so this recipe should be a hit with any crowd. I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for weeks now, and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, today seemed like the perfect day.

This is my small-batch sugar cookie recipe. Sometimes I just want a cookie, or two. But I don’t want to make a huge batch since our family is much smaller now. This makes 12 yummy cookies, depending on how thick you roll the dough. In case you missed this other sugar cookie recipe, Frosted Sugar Cookies

These Cookies Are Thick And Chewy

I like a thick, chewy, soft sugar cookie. I frost these with cream cheese frosting, and if the grandkids are here, we will decorate them with “sprinkles.” These cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day, or any holiday for that matter, just change the cookie-cutter shape.

If you prefer crispier sugar cookies, roll them thinner and watch the pan in the oven to see when the edges are a little darker, not too much, just a little. They’ll cook faster because they are thinner. I’m going to double the recipe today because we have company coming tonight! Life is good with some cute cookies in heart shapes, right?

As you know, I built a small home, and most of my kitchen “stuff” was packed up. I ordered some new Valentine’s heart-shaped cookie cutters. Well, the cute hot pink cutter looked great, and it is, but the cookies are larger than I had pictured. Yes, the cookie-cutter size said 4 inches, and that was the only one available with the soft cushion top.

When my grandkids come over, they’ll love to frost some BIG heart-shaped cookies, such is life. Plus, they taste delicious, so it’s all good. They taste good frosted or unfrosted! And yes, warm sugar cookies taste fabulous!

Kitchen Items You May Need:

Cookie Sheets I use “Half Sheets” (approx. 18 x 13 x 1 inch)
Parchment Paper
Cookie Spatula
Cooling Rack
Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Mixing Bowls
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Rolling Pin
Valentine Heart Shape Cooker Cutter

Granulated White Sugar: Used to maintain moisture, creating a softer cookie, and adding sweetness and flavor.
Sour Cream: Used to add more flavor to the Sugar Cookies. It has a 20% fat content. The cream is mixed with lactic acid, which creates the sour taste we all love and helps thicken the cream.
Salted or Unsalted Butter (softened): Because of its fat content, butter makes Sugar Cookies softer and enriches the flavor; it also helps keep them from crumbling. Butter prevents eggs or other moist ingredients from evaporating, creating moist, soft, and velvety Sugar Cookies. Because this recipe includes added salt, you don’t need to use salted butter if desired.
Egg: Great source of protein, helps to bind the bar together, which creates moist and soft Sugar Cookies. Increases browning during the cooking process. Adds a deliciously rich flavor and helps to extend the life of the cookies.
Vanilla Extract or Almond Extract (I use vanilla): Adds and enhances the flavors of the butter, sugar, sour cream, egg, flour, and baking soda.
Baking Soda: Adds carbon dioxide to the dough, which helps to create a delicious, soft, and chewy cookie.
Salt: Used to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients and to offset the flavor of the sugar.
All-Purpose White flour (I use bread flour): You can use all-purpose flour, but I find the Sugar Cookies come out fluffier with white bread flour. And, my bread flour has more protein than other flour varieties, which I appreciate when making any of my pastries or bread recipes.

Ingredients – The Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Butter (softened): Because of its fat content, butter helps produce a softer cream cheese frosting and enriches the flavor.
Cream Cheese (softened): Helps to thicken the frosting; adds a mild, smooth flavor.
Powdered Sugar: Helps to create a smooth consistency; adds sweetness; the preferred sugar in baked goods.
Vanilla Extract: Adds and enhances the flavors of the butter, powdered sugar, and cream cheese.
Sprinkles (color of choice): Little bits of chocolate-flavored candies, typically made with white chocolate that does not melt. Sold in a variety of colors.

Step One: Gather Ingredients – Preheat Oven – Grease Cookie Sheets

First, gather all of your ingredients, so you’re ready to make the recipe.

Preheat the oven to (350°F) = (176°C). Grease your cookie sheets or place parchment paper on them. Set them aside.

Step Two: Combine Ingredients – Cream Until Smooth

Using a standing or electric mixer on low speed, use the whisk or paddle attachment to combine the sugar, sour cream, butter, eggs, vanilla, or almond extract, then beat until smooth.

Creaming The Ingredients

Step Three: Add Baking Soda and Salt

Next, it is time to start adding the dry ingredients. Add the baking soda and salt.

Step Four: Add Flour & Mix

Gradually add the flour and mix until the flour mixture is smooth.

Step Five: Mix the Dough

Don’t mix the dough too long, but it does need to thicken so you can roll it out.

Step Six: Roll Out or Put in Fridge

If you want to roll out the cookies later, place the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it.

Step Seven: Roll Out Dough

When ready to cut out the cookies, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface or countertop. Please also flour your rolling pin.

Step Eight: Cut Cookies 1/4 inch Thick

I like my cookies about 1/4 inch thick when I roll out the dough. As a result, I get a thicker, softer cookie.

Something to consider, a thin cookie won’t be as soft, so you decide how you like your cookies.

Use your cookie cutter(s) and cut the dough into the desired shapes.

Step Nine: Bake at (350°F) for 10-15 Mins

Place the cookies on the cookie or baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes at (350°F) = (176°C). Another key point: depending on the size and thickness of your cookies, you may need to adjust the time. In fact, my 1/4-inch cookies need 15 minutes to bake.

Step Ten: Let the Cookie Cool

Let them cool at room temperature on the cookie sheet before removing them to frost. Make the cream cheese frosting.

The Best Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream the butter and cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl.
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until it is creamy and fluffy.

At last, it is time to frost the cookies! Decorating the cookies is so much fun! After frosting them, sprinkle them with “Sprinkles,” if desired. At this time, place any uneaten cookies with cream cheese in the refrigerator.

Step Eleven: Use Sheet to Catch Sprinkles

At this point, be sure to put a cookie sheet under the cookies you want to sprinkle, or you’ll end up with them all over your counter space.

Finished Product

The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings 12 Cookies

Author Linda Loosli

Ingredients

The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract (I use vanilla)
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3/4 cups white flour (I use bread flour)

The Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

1/4 cup butter (softened)
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1-1/2 to 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
"Sprinkles" to decorate the cookies

Instructions

The Best Sugar Cookies Recipe

Gather all of your ingredients. Preheat the oven to (350°F) = (176°C). Grease your cookie sheets or place parchment paper on them. Set them aside.
Combine the sugar, sour cream, butter, eggs, vanilla or almond extract, then cream until smooth.
Add the baking soda and salt.
Gradually add the flour and mix until smooth.
Don't mix the dough too long, but it does need to thicken so you can roll it out.
If you want to roll out the cookies later, place the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.
When ready to cut out the cookies, place the dough onto a floured countertop. Please flour your rolling pin as well.
I like my cookies about 1/4 inch thick when I roll out the dough. I prefer a thicker softer cookie. A thin cookie will not be as soft so you decide how you like your cookies. Use your cookie cutters and cut the dough in the desired shapes.
Place the cookies on the cookie sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on the size and thickness of your cookies. My 1/4 inch cookies need 15 minutes to bake.
Let them cool on the cookie sheet before removing them to frost. Make the cream cheese frosting as directed below. Frost the cookies. Sprinkle with "Sprinkles" if desired.
Be sure and put a cookie sheet below the cookies you want to put sprinkles on or you'll end up with them all over your counter space.

The Best Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream the butter and cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl.
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until it is creamy and fluffy.
Frost the cookies. Place the uneaten cookies in the refrigerator because they have cream cheese on them.

What is the best way to store sugar cookies?

The answer to that question is determined by how long you plan to keep them around before they disappear due to hungry family members. If you think they’ll be eaten in the next two or three days, I’d put them on a plate and cover them with plastic wrap. If you put them in a sealed, airtight container, you can probably expect them to last up to a week or more. Be sure to keep them away from a heat source, or they’ll dry out and become crunchier.

Can I freeze sugar cookies?

If you plan to freeze them, put them in a sealed container or some freezer bags. You can expect them to be fine for about six months. We’ve let them thaw before eating, but we’ve also eaten them straight from the freezer. If they didn’t get any moisture in them, they can actually taste refreshing that way.

Can I freeze sugar cookie dough and bake the cookies later?

Sure, making the dough today and cooking it later, after a few days in the freezer, is fine. Sometimes I’ll make larger batches with the idea of freezing some of the dough for a batch of cookies later. That approach helps minimize the kitchen cleanup. I’d forgotten the dough and left it in the freezer for longer than six months, things worked out ok after that long, too.

Can you put food coloring in sugar cookies?

Making the cookies a different color can be a fun way to add adventure to your kitchen efforts. We’ve made the cookies pink for Valentine’s Day or a baby shower. We’ve used green coloring for St. Patrick’s Day. It can be a challenge, but you can make them multicolored with red, white, and blue for the July 4th celebrations.

What can you add to sugar cookie dough?

I love nuts as add-ons to all sorts of baked goods, including cookies. If your family members don’t have an allergy to nuts, give the following nuts a try:

Walnuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Macadamias
Almonds
Cashews
Peanuts

Other add-ons to the cookies might include granola muesli, which certainly changes the flavor and texture. You can also sprinkle some oatmeal into the batter, but your friends may suggest a different name for the cookies. LOL! It would also be fun to add M&M’s, chocolate chips, or chopped dried fruit. The options are endless!

What toppings can I use on sugar cookies?

I enjoy various topping choices, including little “red hots” cinnamon candies. They aren’t Mark’s favorite, but I enjoy cinnamon from time to time.

Here is a list of sugar cookie toppings you may want to try!

Chocolate Chips
Crushed Up Breakfast Cereal – Such as Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Crunch, etc.
Shredded Coconut
Chopped-up Cookies – Oreos, Vanilla Wafers, Gingersnaps, Nutter Butter, etc.
Crushed Candy – Candy Canes or Peppermints, Heath Bar or Toffee Bits
Mini Marshmallows
Chopped Candy Bars – Snicker Mars, Mounds, Almond Joy, etc.
Pretzels
M&M’s
Chopped Nuts – Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Pecans, Macadamias, Peanuts
Potato Chips

It is important to realize that moisture is key to keeping a sugar cookie chewy or soft, rather than crispy! Equally important, the butter and sour cream in the sugar cookie dough contain water and milk solids, which help to create a soft or chewy sugar cookie. Also, the thickness of the dough when rolled out and cut into shapes is an important thing to consider. As I have noted before, I like my cookies about 1/4 inch thick when I roll out the dough. I prefer a thicker, softer cookie.

If you prefer crispier sugar cookies, for example, roll them thinner. A thin cookie won’t be as soft, so you decide how you like your cookies. Please make sure to watch the pan in the oven to see when the edges are a little darker, not too much, just a little. They’ll cook faster because they are thinner.

Final Word

Please let me know if you try making my sugar cookie recipe! I think you will love the way in which the sugar, butter, sour cream, flour, egg, and vanilla extract come together to create the most delicious soft sugar cookie ever! They truly are amazing!

Mark tells me his mom spoiled her kids a lot. A few days a week, she would have cookies and milk waiting for them on the kitchen counter when they got home from school. She had a sweet tooth like me! I think he told that story in hopes I’d pick up on the idea and spoil him when he got home from work. Our girls always loved it when I had sugar cookies or any other dessert waiting for them.

I love to share my easy-to-make recipes with my readers. This sugar cookie recipe falls into that category. You should have all the ingredients available in your kitchen or pantry. Give this recipe a try, and you’ll enjoy the time in the kitchen, and your family will love the results. May God bless this world. Linda

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from Food Storage Moms

Daily Survival

Sunday, January 11, 2026

The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

These Cookies Are Thick And Chewy

Kitchen Items You May Need:

Ingredients – The Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Step One: Gather Ingredients – Preheat Oven – Grease Cookie Sheets