Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (2024)

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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!

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (1)

Why you’ll love these Christmas sugar cookies

This cut out out sugar cookie recipe is a great recipe that makes a soft sugar cookies that can be easily frozen if desired.

The tender dough mixes up quickly and doesn’t need to be chilled before rolling.

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.

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How to Make Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookies

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Supplies Needed for Soft & Tasty Cut Out Sugar Cookies:

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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
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How to Make this Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe

(A printable recipe card is located at the end of this post for your convenience.)

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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.
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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
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4. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently.

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5. Flip the dough onto a lightly floured pastry mat, and knead it gently ~ just so it sticks together.

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6. Divide dough into 2 portions. Start with the first portion and roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness.

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I use my Grandmother’s antique dough rolling pastry set (pictured above), but I’ve rounded up a whole list of top tools for dough rolling here.

Here is a video on tips for rolling out this sugar cookie dough:

7. Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut out whatever shapes you’d like. We have stars and trees at our house…

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8. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. (Placing parchement paper on the baking sheets makes for easy clean up.)

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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.

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Once completely cooled, ice with your favorite homemade frosting.

Here is my quick and easy homemade frosting for sugar cookies. Or, you could try a fun idea using marbled icing.

Yield: About 4 dozen

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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. Another option is to make marbled heart sugar cookies. They’re so pretty!

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!

SAVE TIME & STRESS!

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.

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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,
  • Christmas Breakfast Recipes

More Christmas Cookies Recipes:

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (15)
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Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe

Yield: 4 dozen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

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

  1. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender
  2. In another bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, and baking so
  3. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently
  4. Flip the dough onto a lightly floured pastry mat, and knead it gently ~ just so it sticks together
  5. Divide into 2 portions and roll each portion out to about 1/2 inch thick.
  6. Using cookie cutters, cut out whatever shapes you’d like. We have stars and trees at our house…
  7. Place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
  8. 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!
  9. Cool completely on wire racks before icing.Step 10: Once completely cool, ice with buttercream icing with food coloring.
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 48Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 100Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g

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Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to sugar cookies? ›

The very best sugar cookies are soft and tender. → Follow this tip: One of the keys to great sugar cookies is mixing the dry ingredients only until they're just incorporated, and not a second longer. Once the dry ingredients are added, less mixing equals more tender cookies.

What is the best surface to roll out sugar cookies? ›

Rather than roll dough on a floured surface, roll it between sheets of non-stick parchment or waxed paper. Adding extra flour to the dough while rolling can make cookies tough. And cutout cookies release easily from paper when you move them to the baking sheet, preserving their shape.

How thick should sugar cookie dough be rolled out to? ›

Place each portion onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use more flour if the dough seems too sticky. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.

Why are my rolled sugar cookies spreading? ›

Butter. Too much butter in your cookie dough can cause spreading while baking as the dough doesn't have enough binding ingredients and the fats simply will melt and spread.

How long should you chill sugar cookie dough? ›

Transfer the dough, still between the two pieces of parchment paper, to a baking sheet. Chill in the fridge for at least two hours to allow the dough to firm up, and up to three days ahead. Proceed with the recipe as written - such as my easy sugar cookie recipe.

What happens if you don't chill cookie dough? ›

Popping your dough in the fridge allows the fats to cool. As a result, the cookies will expand more slowly, holding onto their texture. If you skip the chilling step, you're more likely to wind up with flat, sad disks instead of lovely, chewy cookies. Cookies made from chilled dough are also much more flavorful.

Is it better to roll sugar cookies on flour or powdered sugar? ›

Use powdered sugar instead of flour to roll your dough: if you're like me and use every bit of your dough, I recommend using powdered sugar instead of flour to roll your dough.

Do you have to chill sugar cookie dough? ›

The dough comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients. It does NOT need to be chilled. The recipe can be doubled easily. Cookies hold their shape with very little expanding when baked.

How thick should rolled cookies be? ›

The ideal thickness to roll out your sugar cookie dough is about 1/4"--that way, they'll be tough enough to be handled and decorated, but thin enough to stay a little crunchy.

How long should sugar cookie dough sit out before rolling? ›

Don't chill the dough, but roll it out immediately instead!

Why is my sugar cookie dough falling apart when rolling? ›

To avoid this, try using as little flour as possible while preparing to roll your dough. Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

What is the secret to thick cookies? ›

A low proportion of sugar relative to flour reduces spread, keeping the cookies thick. A high proportion of mix-ins helps thicken the dough.

Should you refrigerate cut out cookies before baking? ›

Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps to make the cookie dough firmer. Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies.

What makes cookies fluffy and not flat? ›

Flour adds fluff and texture to the cookies. Adding too little flour can cause cookies to be flat, greasy, and crispy. Most recipes assume you'll use all-purpose, but if you want a lighter, crumblier cookie texture, choose one with a lower protein content such as cake-and-pastry flour.

How do I get better at decorating sugar cookies? ›

Colored layers & embedded designs
  1. Start with a completely dry flooded cookie. This may take several hours or overnight.
  2. Using a second, colored icing, add details and designs by outlining and flooding certain areas, or simply by piping. Use wet icing to adhere decorations such as sugar pearls.

Why do my sugar cookies not keep their shape? ›

Chef Smith says that Christmas cookies often spread if you don't cook them at the right temperature. This can be especially tricky with an older appliance. As an oven ages, the temperature may be less accurate. Smith recommends purchasing an oven thermometer to make sure you are baking at the correct temperature.

Why chill sugar cookie dough? ›

Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps to make the cookie dough firmer. Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies.

Why do sugar cookies poke holes before baking? ›

So by poking the holes in, the cookie. will ensure that the cookie shape does not spread, which sugar cookies love to do. It also helps it stay nice and flat at the top. Now, you see here, we only got one little air bubble.

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