This easy recipe for Vanilla Sugar Cookies made with butter yields soft cut-out cookies that are perfect for decorating with icing, candy and sprinkles.
These Vanilla Sugar Cookies make an appearance at just about every holiday, whether it's for Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter or Halloween, these vanilla cookies are always requested!
Not only are these cut-out cookies delicious, but making them is a fun activity to do with the kids. Mine always look forward to choosing the cookie cutters and decorating the baked cookies with icing and sprinkles.
Jump to:
How to Make
This Vanilla Sugar Cookie recipe is adapted from Canadian Living and I just love it for making cut-out cookies. The dough is really easy to work with and has a lovely vanilla flavour.
These sugar cookies are also delicious plain so you don't have to decorate them if you don't want to!
This recipe uses basic baking ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
Here's an overview of the ingredients and steps for making these cookies. The full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post.
Ingredients overview
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Pure vanilla extract. Make sure to use a good quality vanilla extract since vanilla is the predominant flavour in the cookie.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
Steps Overview
- Cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, scrapping the sides of the bowl at least once. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until well blended.
- Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and divide it in half. Form a disk with each half and wrap it with wax paper or saran wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.
- Position a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat it.
- Line baking sheets with non-stick baking liners or parchment paper.
- Remove one disk from the refrigerator (leave the other one until you are ready to use it).
- Place the dough between sheets of waxed paper and roll out to ¼-inch thickness.
- Using cookie cutters, cut out as many cookies as possible and carefully move them onto the baking sheet leaving 1 inch space between cookies.
- Gather the dough scraps, re-roll and cut out more cookies. Repeat until you've used up all the cookie dough.
- Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until pale golden on bottoms and edges, about 10 minutes.
- Let cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before moving onto racks to cool completely.
- Cookies can be decorated once they have cooled completely. I used ready made royal icing for these cookies, if you want to make your own, here's a royal icing recipe from Preppy Kitchen. If you're planning on adding candy make sure you add it before the icing sets.
- Let the cookies sit on the rack until the icing is set.
Tip: You can also drizzle melted chocolate and add sprinkles while the chocolate is still yet, just like I did with these Matcha Sugar Cookies and these Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies.
Storage Instructions
Baked, undecorated cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw cookies in the refrigerator before decorating.
Once cookies are decorated they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, in single layers between waxed paper for up to 5 days. For longer storage, refrigerate cookies in an airtight container.
Raw sugar cookie dough can also be frozen. Divide the dough in half, shape into a disk and wrap each half really well in plastic wrap. Place disks of dough in a food freezer safe bag and freeze for up to three months.
Enjoy!
More Cookies to Try
- Healthier Sugar Cookies
- Cardamom Shortbread
- Chewy Ginger Cookies
- Holiday Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vanilla Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1-½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2-¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, scrapping the sides of the bowl at least once.
- Add egg and vanilla and beat until well mixed.
- Reduce the speed of the mixer and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until well blended.
- Remove the dough and divide it in two parts. Form a disk with each half and wrap it with wax paper or saran wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Position a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line baking sheets with non-stick baking liners or parchment paper.
- When ready to start, remove one disk from the refrigerator (leave the other one in until you are ready to use it). Between sheets of waxed paper (or on a lightly floured counter), roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness.
- With cookie cutter, cut out shapes, and place cookies onto baking sheet, 1 inch apart. If the cookies are breaking as you move them you can use a spatula to move them onto the baking sheet.
- Gather the dough scraps and re-roll, cutting as many cookies as possible.
- Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until pale golden on bottoms and edges, about 10 minutes.
- Let cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before moving onto racks to cool completely.
- The baked, undecorated cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies in the refrigerator before decorating.
- Once cookies are decorated they can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 days. I decorated these cookies using ready-made royal icing. Make sure you add the candy and sprinkles (I used dragées) before the royal icing sets.
- Once decorated, let the cookies sit on the rack until the icing is set, about 3 hours. Store the decorated cookies, in single layers between waxed paper in an airtight container.
Notes
- The preparation time includes the time the dough rests in the refrigerator.
- This recipe does not include a recipe for royal icing, but here's a good royal icing recipe you can use.
- Baked undecorated cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies in the refrigerator before decorating.
- Decorated Cookies can be stored in a single layer between waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, refrigerate.
- Raw Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap dough disks tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag. Let dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Adam says
I would like to try these... They look good.
sweetandsavourypursuits says
You should, they are very good and lots of fun to decorate!