Name: Soft Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter ((2 sticks), melted); 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 2 ounces cream cheese; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 2 eggs; 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 cup white granulated sugar (or holiday sprinkles)

By: Jill Mills Posted: Aug 26, 2025

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These Soft Sugar Cookies are so delicious and customizable for any Holiday. No chilling, no rolling, and ready in just 20 minutes.

I’ve tried countless sugar cookie recipes over the years, always in search of the perfect one. And I’ve finally found it! These sugar cookies are soft, chewy, and almost effortless to make. Not to mention that they can be customized for any occasion and require just a handful of ingredients to make.

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AMAZING COOKIES!!

– Tabby

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Why You’ll These Soft Sugar Cookies

Check out some of many reasons why this is the best sugar cookie recipe!

Soft and chewy. These cookies have the softest texture. The edges are golden brown and crispy but the center is so tender.
No chilling required. This sugar cookie recipe requires 0 chill time. In fact, you can whip these cookies up from start to finish in about 20 minutes.
No need to roll them out either. This recipe is for drop sugar cookies, meaning you scoop the dough with a cookie scoop. There’s no need for rolling like our popular cut out sugar cookie recipe.
Customize for any occasion. Keep these cookies plain to enjoy year-round or add sprinkles or colored sanding sugar to customize them for any holiday or occasion.

Ingredients needed to make sugar cookies

What You’ll Need

This easy sugar cookie recipe is made with just a handful of pantry staples. Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Butter – Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Sugar
Cream Cheese – Softened to room temperature for easier mixing.
Vanilla extract
Eggs – These also need to be at room temperature.
Flour
Baking powder & baking soda – Helps the cookies to rise in the oven and achieve the soft, chewy texture.
Salt – Enhances the other flavors.

How To Make Sugar Cookies

This soft sugar cookie recipe is super easy to make, with no chill time required! You can find the printable version of the instructions in the recipe card below.

Prep. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the sugar cookie dough. Cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese for 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla then beat in the eggs one at a time. Slowly mix in the flour baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Form the cookies. Create 1″ balls of dough. Roll them in sugar or holiday sprinkles as desired.
Bake. Place the dough balls 2″ apart on the baking sheet. Top with extra sugar or sprinkles if desired. Bake for 8-9 minutes.
Cool. Let the cookies cool on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Tips for Success

Here are a few important notes to help you make the best sugar cookies.

Use room temperature butter. But NOT softened butter, which will make the dough spread too easily in the oven.
Do I need to chill the dough? This recipe does not require that you chill the dough. However, if you feel the dough is a bit too soft (such as if the butter was softened), you can pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Use a cookie scoop. A cookie scoop or ice cream scoop is a simple way to ensure that all of your dough balls are
Do not overbake. These sugar cookies bake super quickly, in just 8-9 minutes. Keep a close eye on them and pull them from the oven when the edges are just golden brown.
What if my cookies spread too much? If the sugar cookies spread more than desired, you can use a butter knife to push the edges back in as soon as you pull them from the oven.
Cool on the baking sheet. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, so that the centers can continue to cook and set. Moving them too soon can cause them to crumble.

A stack of soft & chewy sugar cookies, one with a bite missing

Variation Ideas

I kept this sugar cookie recipe simple so it can be enjoyed year-round but if you want to change them up for a holiday or special occasion, feel free!

Holidays – For Easter, I rolled them in pink and purple sanding sugars, as you can see in the photos. You could do this for other holidays too – red and green for Christmas, orange for Halloween, pink for Valentine’s Day, etc.
Toppings – You could also use sprinkles instead of sanding sugar or consider topping with royal icing or any frostings (vanilla buttercream, strawberry frosting or chocolate buttercream are great choices).

Pink and purple sugar cookies, one with a bite missing

Proper Storage

Room temperature. Store sugar cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
Freezer. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw on the counter before enjoying.

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