Scrumptiously soft sugar cookies that have been a family favorite for years.
Everyone loves a sweet treat, and it's hard to find a dessert more classic than a freshly-baked, old-fashioned soft sugar cookie. Whether you're a beginner baker or a seasoned pro, this delicious treat is sure to put a smile on everyone's face. Let's dive into the ins and outs of making and baking the best sugar cookies with this classic family recipe.
Growing up I can remember making old-fashioned sugar cookies with my mom and siblings often. It was one of my favorite things to do and instilled a love of baking. (Thank goodness for that because we all know how much I hate cooking.) Carrying on this baking tradition with my own kids has become a priority, especially as we spend time together over the holidays.
Sugar cookie recipes are perfect for any holiday baking because you can get so creative with the sugar cookie dough. But they are very common around Christmas time, which is when I usually make these yummy homemade sugar cookies.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Makes a big batch
- Easy to customize for any holiday
- Great family-friendly activity
- Deliciousness
Ingredients for Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
Sugar Cookie Dough
- ¾ c Shortening
- ¼ c Butter
- 1 c Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract (make your own here)
- 3 c All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
Buttercream Frosting
- 6 c Powdered sugar
- ¾ c Butter, softened
- ¼ c Shortening
- 6 to 8 Tbs Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Food coloring, optional
- Sprinkles, optional
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
Tools Needed
- KitchenAid or another stand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Hand mixer for frosting
- Large bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Favorite cookie cutters
- Prepared baking sheet
- Pastry blender
- Spatula
How to Make Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
1. Mix Ingredients in Stand Mixer
First, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix together. I use a KitchenAid for making these easy sugar cookies. You can see how I changed the exterior color of my KitchenAid here.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients
In a separate mixing bowl add the cups of flour, salt and baking soda. Then, cut shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry dough blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. If you don't have access to a pastry blender, you can use two forks in a pinch.
3. Combine Mixtures
Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in the KitchenAid and mix together on low speed until combined. Remove bowl from KitchenAid, cover and chill dough in the fridge for approximately 1 hour.
4. Roll Out Dough
When your dough has had enough chill time, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on a flat surface to ¼" thickness. For best results on rolling out the dough, you'll want to have a lightly floured surface. Just sprinkle a few tablespoons onto the counter and on your rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking everywhere. Too much flour will dry out your cookies and make them crack, so go sparingly and add more as needed.
5. Sugar Cookie Shapes
Using your favorite holiday cookie cutters, make your cutout sugar cookies into some fun shapes and line them up on your baking sheet. Continue this process until all of your dough is used up. Bake cookies at 400 degrees for 7 minutes.
Tip: I highly recommend using silicone mats or parchment paper on your baking pans for an easy clean up.
6. Prepare Frosting
While your old-fashioned Christmas cookies are cooling, you can prepare this easy sugar cookie frosting. Buttercream frosting is delicious and goes on very smooth. This frosting is thin enough to blend well, but thick enough to keep its shape on a cookie.
Combine the powdered sugar, butter, shortening, milk and vanilla extract together in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix the ingredients until you get a frosting consistency. You can change the consistency to your liking by adding more or less milk. I have also added more powdered sugar if I want a thicker frosting.
Use food coloring to create the desired colors for your cookie decorating. And don't forget to add a few sprinkles too!
Variations for Soft Sugar Cookies
- Add a teaspoon of almond extract to your cookie batter if you want a hint of almond flavoring to your cookies
- Take out a portion of dough and mix in sprinkles before rolling it and bake directly into the dough
- Flavor your frosting with peppermint, almond, or lemon extracts for a delicious zing to your taste buds
If you love all things sugar cookies, be sure to try my cookie sheet cream cheese sugar cookies or this tasty fruit sugar cookie pizza.
What to Do With Leftovers
If you don't plan on giving these perfect cookies away to family and friends, they will last a few days at peak freshness at room temperature as long as they are covered.
Frosting can be stored in an airtight container and put in the fridge for about a week.
Top Tips
- Keeping the dough cold makes it easier to work with. I usually get a ball of dough out and keep the rest in the fridge until we need it.
- If you love plain sugar cookies, this is a great recipe for storing a few baked cookies in a freezer bag inside your freezer for snacking on later.
Easy Recipes for Entertaining
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Old-Fashioned Soft Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- KitchenAid or another food mixer
- Hand mixer - for frosting
- Rolling Pin
- Baking sheet
- Cookie cutter shapes
- Pastry blender
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup Shortening
- ¼ cup Butter
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Buttercream Frosting
- 6 cups Powdered sugar
- ¾ cups Butter, softened
- ¼ cup Shortening
- 6-8 tablespoon Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Food coloring, optional
- Decorating sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- First, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix together.
- In a separate mixing bowl add the cups of flour, salt and baking soda. Then, cut shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry dough blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. If you don't have access to a pastry blender, you can use two forks in a pinch.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix together on low speed until combined. Remove bowl from KitchenAid, cover and chill dough in the fridge for approximately 1 hour.
- When your dough has had enough chill time, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on a flat surface to ¼" thickness. For best results, you'll want to have a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a few tablespoons onto the counter and on your rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking everywhere.
- Use your favorite holiday cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes and line them up on your baking sheet. Continue this process until all of your dough is used up. Bake cookies at 400 degrees for 7 minutes.
Frosting
- Combine the powdered sugar, butter, shortening, milk and vanilla extract together in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix the ingredients until you get a frosting consistency. Change the consistency by adding more or less milk. I have also added more powdered sugar if I want a thicker frosting. Use food coloring and sprinkles to embellish your cookie decorating. Enjoy!
Notes
- Keeping the dough cold makes it easier to work with, so it is best to make cookies in batches and keep the rest in the fridge until needed.
- Use silicone mats or parchment paper for easy clean up.
- These will last a few days at peak freshness at room temperature as long as they are covered and sealed.
- Store frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.
Old-fashioned soft sugar cookies remain timeless and beloved for a reason. They are a classic that never goes out of style. With a few basic ingredients and easy instructions, anyone can recreate the delicious taste of these beloved treats. So, don't be afraid to bring a little sweetness into your life and your kitchen – and bake a batch of these scrumptious cookies!
Happy Baking!
Brooke
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