I’ve perfected soft sugar cookies for decorating that never spread in the oven, are flecked with real vanilla bean, and hold their shape for royal icing.

Jump to Recipe

I never believed a sugar cookie could be this reliable until I found this version. It’s buttery from good unsalted butter, flecked with seeds from a vanilla bean, and not cloyingly sweet so it’s perfect for decorating.

People keep calling them Perfect Sugar Cookies or Soft Sugar Cookies For Decorating and I can’t blame them, they hold their shape on the baking sheet and the edges stay clean. I screw up plenty, but when these bake just right the look gets compliments before anyone’s even tasted one.

If you like cookies that look made for icing, you’ll want to keep reading.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

All purpose flour gives structure, carbs for energy, little fiber, not very nutritious
Butter adds rich fat, tenderness, flavor, high calories, provides satiety not protein
Granulated sugar sweetens, pure carbs, quick energy spike, no fiber or vitamins
Eggs bind dough, add protein, moisture, and some vitamins, yolk gives richness
Vanilla seeds give aroma and depth, tiny antioxidants, mostly fragrance not nutrition
Cornstarch softens cookies, lowers gluten bite, mostly starch so little nutrition
Milk or cream adds moisture, richness, some calcium and fat, optional for texture
Baking powder lifts cookies, tiny puff of air, mostly sodium bicarbonate and acid
Salt balances sweetness, enhances flavor, small amount aids aroma and structure

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/2 cups (300 g) all purpose flour

2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temp

1 large egg yolk, room temp

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean (about 1 teaspoon); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional

2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream or whole milk, room temp (use only if dough seems dry)

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt together in a bowl so its well combined. Tip: weigh the flour or spoon and level it into the cup instead of scooping, or your dough will get too dry.

2. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar on medium until pale and a little fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Dont overbeat or youll trap too much air.

3. Scrape the bowl, add the vanilla bean seeds and the optional vanilla extract, then add the whole egg and the extra yolk and mix until just combined.

4. Add the dry ingredients in two additions on low speed, mixing only until the dough comes together. If it looks crumbly and wont hold, add up to 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it just holds.

5. Turn the dough out, press it gently into a flat disk, wrap tightly and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. Chilling firms the butter so the cookies will keep their shape.

6. Preheat oven to 350 F 175 C and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Keep a spare sheet in the fridge to transfer chilled cookies to if you want extra no spread assurance.

7. Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment to about 1/4 inch thick, flour the top lightly only if needed, and cut shapes. Use a bench scraper or offset spatula to lift shapes onto the chilled baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. If shapes soften while cutting, chill the sheet of cut outs for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.

8. Bake for about 8 to 12 minutes depending on size. The cookies are done when the edges are set and the centers still look pale. Rotate the pan halfway if your oven is uneven.

9. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating with royal icing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze baked cookies or the dough (flattened discs or frozen cut outs on a tray then bagged) and thaw in the fridge before use.

Equipment Needed

1. Kitchen scale (best for the 300 g flour tip; or spoon and level if you dont have one)
2. Measuring cups and spoons
3. Stand mixer or hand mixer with paddle attachment, either works but stand is easier
4. Large mixing bowl
5. Rubber spatula and a bench scraper or offset spatula for lifting shapes
6. Rolling pin
7. Parchment paper (for rolling and lining) and a spare sheet chilled if you want less spread
8. Baking sheets (at least 2)
9. Cookie cutters (various sizes) and a small fine sieve for dusting flour if needed
10. Wire cooling rack

FAQ

2 1/2 cups (300 g) all purpose flour

2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temp

1 large egg yolk, room temp

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean (about 1 teaspoon); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional

2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream or whole milk, room temp (use only if dough seems dry)

Q: Can I substitute vanilla extract for the vanilla bean seeds? A: Yes, use 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract if you don't have a bean, it's fine but beans are tastier.

Q: My dough is crumbly, what do I do? A: Add 1 teaspoon of cream or milk at a time up to 2 tablespoons until it holds together, or chill it 20 minutes and try again.

Q: Can I freeze the dough or baked cookies? A: Yes, freeze shaped raw cookies on a tray until solid then bag for up to 3 months, or freeze baked cookies up to 2 months.

Q: How do I get softer vs crisper cookies? A: For softer cookies roll to about 3/8 inch and bake on the shorter side; for crisper roll thinner 1/4 inch and bake a bit longer till edges just set.

Q: Why use cornstarch in the dough? A: Cornstarch tenderizes the crumb so cookies are soft and melt in your mouth, it also helps with a fine texture.

Q: My cookies spread too much, how fix that? A: Chill the dough longer, make sure butter wasn't too warm, and reduce oven temp slightly if your oven runs hot, also avoid over creaming the butter and sugar.

How To Make Perfect Vanilla Sugar Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour → Cake or pastry flour for a more tender cookie: swap 1:1, or make a quick cake-flour sub by removing 2 tbsp of AP per cup and stirring in 2 tbsp cornstarch.
Unsalted butter → Salted or European butter: use salted butter as-is but cut the recipe salt by about 1/4 teaspoon; European butter (higher fat) gives richer flavor, use 1:1.
Granulated sugar → Light brown sugar or caster (superfine) sugar: swap up to half the granulated for light brown 1:1 to make cookies chewier and deeper flavored; use caster for a finer, more delicate crumb.
Vanilla bean seeds → Pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste: 1 vanilla bean ≈ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, vanilla paste gives the little specks without the pricetag.

Pro Tips

– Weigh your flour. Spoon it into the cup and level or use a scale. Too much flour dries the dough fast, and small differences matter here.

– Don’t overbeat the butter and sugar. Stop once it’s pale and a bit fluffy. Overbeating traps air and makes cookies puff and crack when baking.

– For the cleanest shapes and sharp edges chill the cut outs on a sheet or pop them in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before baking, and use a chilled baking sheet to transfer them. Dip cutters in a little flour or powdered sugar and press straight down without twisting.

– Bake a small test cookie from each batch or size you cut to dial in bake time and oven spots. Let cookies cool almost completely on the sheet before moving them, and only decorate when totally cool so icing doesn’t slide.

How To Make Perfect Vanilla Sugar Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Samantha Dalling

0.0 from 0 votes

I've perfected soft sugar cookies for decorating that never spread in the oven, are flecked with real vanilla bean, and hold their shape for royal icing.

Servings

servings

Calories

153

kcal

Equipment: 1. Kitchen scale (best for the 300 g flour tip; or spoon and level if you dont have one)
2. Measuring cups and spoons
3. Stand mixer or hand mixer with paddle attachment, either works but stand is easier
4. Large mixing bowl
5. Rubber spatula and a bench scraper or offset spatula for lifting shapes
6. Rolling pin
7. Parchment paper (for rolling and lining) and a spare sheet chilled if you want less spread
8. Baking sheets (at least 2)
9. Cookie cutters (various sizes) and a small fine sieve for dusting flour if needed
10. Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (300 g) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temp
1 large egg yolk, room temp
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean (about 1 teaspoon); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional
2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream or whole milk, room temp (use only if dough seems dry)

Directions

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt together in a bowl so its well combined. Tip: weigh the flour or spoon and level it into the cup instead of scooping, or your dough will get too dry.
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar on medium until pale and a little fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Dont overbeat or youll trap too much air.
Scrape the bowl, add the vanilla bean seeds and the optional vanilla extract, then add the whole egg and the extra yolk and mix until just combined.
Add the dry ingredients in two additions on low speed, mixing only until the dough comes together. If it looks crumbly and wont hold, add up to 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it just holds.
Turn the dough out, press it gently into a flat disk, wrap tightly and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. Chilling firms the butter so the cookies will keep their shape.
Preheat oven to 350 F 175 C and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Keep a spare sheet in the fridge to transfer chilled cookies to if you want extra no spread assurance.
Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment to about 1/4 inch thick, flour the top lightly only if needed, and cut shapes. Use a bench scraper or offset spatula to lift shapes onto the chilled baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. If shapes soften while cutting, chill the sheet of cut outs for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.
Bake for about 8 to 12 minutes depending on size. The cookies are done when the edges are set and the centers still look pale. Rotate the pan halfway if your oven is uneven.
Let cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating with royal icing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze baked cookies or the dough (flattened discs or frozen cut outs on a tray then bagged) and thaw in the fridge before use.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.