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These are soft sugar cookies made for people who don’t want to mess with rolling dough and cookie cutters. Just scoop, roll in sugar, and bake.

They come out tender with lightly crisp edges and soft centers. A mix of granulated and powdered sugar keeps the texture light, while a small amount of almond extract adds a subtle bakery-style flavor. You can bake them right away for a little more spread or chill the dough for thicker cookies.

Sugar cookies on a plate, some with pink and blue sprinkles, others lightly sugared.

Homemade Sugar Cookies From Scratch

I wanted a soft sugar cookie that didn’t need rolling, cutting, or extra fuss. My Christmas cutout sugar cookies are what I make when I want clean shapes for decorating, but this recipe is for the days when I just want a quick cookie recipe.

I wanted the cookies to be tender without turning cakey, and sturdy enough to hold their shape without baking up dry. The mix of granulated sugar and powdered sugar made the biggest difference. Powdered sugar keeps the crumb soft, while granulated sugar gives the cookies more structure.

I used an all-butter base because I wanted the flavor to come from real butter, not shortening or margarine. The dough is soft but easy to scoop, and it doesn’t need a rolling pin or a floured counter.

I also tested the dough chilled and unchilled. The cookies bake beautifully straight from the bowl, but chilling the dough for an hour gives them a little less spread and a thicker shape.

Overhead shot of assorted baking ingredients, including labeled butter, flour, eggs, and sugar.

Recipe Tips

Start with softened butter: It should dent when pressed, but it should not look greasy or melted.

Spoon and level the flour: Or weigh it. Too much flour will make the cookies dry and stiff.

Don’t overbake: The edges should look set, but the centers should still look soft. They will firm up as they cool.

Freeze the extras: Freeze the baked cookies or the unbaked dough balls for later. For unbaked dough, freeze them on a sheet pan first, then transfer to a freezer bag.

Use a cookie scoop: It keeps the cookies the same size so they bake evenly. If you switch to a smaller scoop, shorten the bake time slightly.

Give them space on the pan: These spread. Leave about 2 inches between each dough ball so they don’t run into each other.

Check your oven temp: If your cookies spread too much, your oven may be running cool. If they stay too thick, it may be running hot.

Pull them early if you like them soft: If you wait until they look fully done, they’ll be firmer once cooled.

Six photos showing how to make soft sugar cookies.

For a variation on this recipe, check out my chocolate sugar cookies.

I also used this recipe as the base for my sourdough sugar cookies, with a few adjustments to account for the discard while keeping the same soft texture.

Plate of sprinkled sugar cookies.

Drop Sugar Cookies

These are the kind of cookies you make when you want something simple that still turns out right. No rolling, no cutting, no decorating. Just a soft, buttery sugar cookie that holds its shape and stays tender for days.

You can bake them right away or chill the dough for a thicker cookie, depending on what you’re after. Either way, they come out with lightly set edges, soft centers, and that sugar-coated finish that makes them feel just a little extra without any extra work.

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Sugar cookies on a plate, some with pink and blue sprinkles, others lightly sugared.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 19 minutes
4.75 from 4 votes

Soft Sugar Cookies

By Dahn Boquist
These soft drop sugar cookies are easy to make without rolling or cutting. Scoop the dough, roll it in granulated or colored sugar, and bake right away, or chill the dough first if you want the cookies to spread less.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 42 cookies
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup butter, softened (226 grams; 2 sticks)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, 200 grams
  • ½ cup powdered sugar, 57 grams
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract, optional
  • 3¼ cups all-purpose flour, 390 grams
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Topping for the cookies

  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar , or colored sugar sprinkles

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
  • Add the butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy and pale in color. Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. Scrape the bowl down and beat until creamy. 
  • Sift the flour and baking soda over the batter and stir until well combined. 
  • Use a medium-sized cookie scoop (or 2 tablespoons) to scoop balls of dough.  
  • Roll the balls of dough in granulated sugar or fancy colored sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. At this point, you can bake immediately, or refrigerate for 1 hour for less spread.
  • Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until the edges just look set. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack. 

Notes

Measure the flour correctly: Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup, then level it off, or use a scale for accuracy. Too much flour will make the dough (and the cookies) dry. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Watch the bake time: For the softest cookies, pull them before the bottoms get too brown. The edges should have just a hint of light golden color.
No sifter? Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl before adding them to the butter mixture.
Control spread: For less spread, refrigerate the dough for 1 hour before baking. The cookies in the photos were not chilled and baked up about 2½ to 3 inches wide, soft and tender.
Make them smaller: Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop and reduce the bake time by about 1 minute.
Storage: Keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 106kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 117mg, Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Dahn Boquist

Dahn Boquist is a retired nurse turned recipe developer, home cook, and baker with years of hands-on experience creating and testing from-scratch recipes. She specializes in whole-food cooking with creative twists on classic dishes. When she’s not in the kitchen, she enjoys sharing meals with family, exploring the Pacific Northwest, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Read More About Me

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4 Comments

  1. Nilani says:

    Will I be able to add a few broken macadamia nuts to the cookie dough without causing too much ‘damage’(!!) to the final outcome?
    I want to make some simple cookies using the macadamia nuts I have .
    Thank you very much Pat and Dahn!

    Reply
    1. Dahn Boquist says:

      That should work just fine and sounds delicious. Thanks for the question

      Reply
  2. angiesrecipes says:

    Love sugar cookies and the colourful coating makes them even more fun to eat!

    Reply
    1. Dahn Boquist says:

      Thanks Angie

      Reply