I love making sugar cookies! They are such a classic sweet treat, perfect for so many occasions. Today, I’m sharing two easy sugar cookie recipes that you can bake at home. These cookies are simple to make and always a hit with family and friends.
Whether you’re looking for a basic roll-out recipe or something a bit more fun and themed, I have you covered. Let’s get baking!
Jump to Recipe:
Classic Roll Out Sugar Cookies Recipe
This is my go-to recipe for simple, flat sugar cookies that hold their shape. You can use any cookie cutters you like for different events.
Key Ingredients & Tips for Baking Sugar Cookies
- Butter Temperature: Make sure your butter is softened, not melted. This helps create a smooth dough and light cookies.
- Flour Measurement: Spoon your flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. This stops you from adding too much flour, which can make cookies tough.
- Chill the Dough: Don’t skip chilling the dough. It makes it easier to roll out and helps your cookies keep their shape in the oven.
What You Need for Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
⏱️ Time: Prep 20 min, Chill 1 hr, Bake 8-10 min🍽️ Yields: About 2-3 dozen cookies
How to Make Classic Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until they are light and fluffy. Next, beat in the egg and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.
Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients & Chill Dough
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap them in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Step 3: Roll, Cut, & Bake
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of chilled dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place the cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
Step 4: Cool
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, you can decorate them as you wish.
📝 Final Note
You can store these plain sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze them for longer storage.
Spooky Skull Sugar Cookies for Halloween Fun
These skull sugar cookies are so much fun to make, especially around Halloween! They use the same simple base recipe, just with a special cutter and decoration.
Key Ideas & Decorating Tips
- Same Great Dough: The best part is you use the exact same reliable sugar cookie dough from the recipe above. It works perfectly for these fun shapes.
- Skull Cookie Cutter: A skull-shaped cookie cutter is key here. You can find them in many stores during the fall season or online.
- Simple Icing: For decorating, a basic powdered sugar glaze or royal icing is all you need. White icing keeps the classic skull look. You can use black food coloring for details.
What You Need for Skull Cookies & Icing
- 1 batch of Roll Out Sugar Cookie dough (see recipe above)
- **For Icing:**
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- Black gel food coloring (optional, for details)
⏱️ Time: Prep 25 min, Chill 1 hr, Bake 8-10 min, Decorate 30 min🍽️ Yields: About 2-3 dozen cookies
How to Make & Decorate Skull Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Prepare & Chill Dough
Follow “How to Make It” steps 1 and 2 from the Classic Roll Out Sugar Cookies recipe above to prepare your dough. Make sure to chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
Step 2: Roll, Cut, & Bake Skull Shapes
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of chilled dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Use a skull-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the shapes. Place the cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
Step 3: Cool Cookies
Let the skull cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. They must be fully cool before decorating.
Step 4: Prepare Icing & Decorate
While cookies cool, whisk together powdered sugar, milk/water, and vanilla extract (if using) until smooth. The icing should be thick enough to hold a line but thin enough to spread. Use white icing to cover the entire skull shape. Let this base layer dry for at least 30 minutes. Then, using a small amount of black food coloring, create eyes, noses, and mouth lines for the skull details.
📝 Final Note
Make sure your icing is completely dry before stacking the decorated skull cookies. This usually takes several hours or overnight, depending on how thick your icing is.
