Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Your New Holiday Tradition)
There are two types of holiday bakers in this world:
(1) the ones who pretend cookie-making is a peaceful, Pinterest-worthy moment… and
(2) the rest of us, who just want cute cookies that keep their shape, don’t turn into sugar-flavored pancakes, and make us look like we know what we’re doing.
If that second one sounds like your people, welcome home. 💛
These Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are the soft, buttery, gently sweet cookies everyone remembers from childhood—but elevated with a grown-woman level of ease. They hold their shape beautifully (no spread!), roll out like a dream, bake evenly, and look stunning whether you keep them simple and golden or go full Hallmark-movie with the icing.
And because you’re busy—family, work, life, the holidays happening whether we’re ready or not—this recipe is built to be foolproof, stress-free, and make-ahead-friendly.
We’re talking:
✨ Dough that chills beautifully
✨ Cookies that bake up soft with crisp edges
✨ A smooth, glossy icing that sets perfectly overnight
✨ Customizable shapes for every season (trees, mittens, sweaters, stars, candy canes—yes please)
Let’s bake, friend.
Why These Sugar Cookies Are the Best
You know how some sugar cookies puff up, spread out, or turn into round blobs that used to be a snowflake? Not these.
This recipe delivers:
✔ Perfect edges
The dough barely spreads, thanks to chilled dough, the right butter-to-flour ratio, and just enough baking powder to lift—but not distort.
✔ Soft, tender centers
They’re not crunchy or dry. They’re soft without being cakey, and they stay that way for days.
✔ A dough that rolls beautifully
No cracking. No tearing. No wrestling.
✔ Shapes that stay cute
Sweaters look like sweaters. Stars stay stars. Snowflakes… well, they finally behave.
✔ Flavor that’s nostalgic but elevated
The combo of vanilla + almond extract gives that classic bakery sugar-cookie taste every generation loves.
Whether you’re making them with your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, or just for yourself because you deserve something sweet—this recipe is your new go-to.
Ingredients You’ll Need (and Why They Matter)
Dry Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour This gives the cookies structure and stability. All-purpose keeps them sturdy enough for cut-outs without losing that soft bite. 1 teaspoon baking powder Just enough to give them a gentle lift, not enough to make them puff or spread. ½ teaspoon salt A little salt brings out the buttery sweetness and rounds out the flavor.
Wet Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened Soft—not melted—is key. Butter is the star of this cookie. 1 cup granulated sugar Sweetens without making the cookies brittle. 2 large eggs Eggs bind everything together and help create that soft, tender texture. 1 teaspoon almond extract The secret to that classic bakery flavor. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Warm, cozy, and essential for sugar cookies.
Step-By-Step Instructions (The Foolproof Way)
1. Prep your baking sheet.
Line it with parchment or hit it with baker’s spray. Future you will be grateful.
2. Whisk together your dry ingredients.
In a big bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside like the organized queen you are.
3. Cream the butter and sugar—really cream it.
Beat until light and fluffy—about 9 full minutes.
Trust me… this step matters. It’s the difference between heavy cookies and cloud-soft ones.
4. Add the eggs and extracts.
Mix until just combined. Almond + vanilla? Perfection.
5. Add the dry mixture in 3 parts.
This keeps the dough smooth instead of overworked.
6. Wrap and chill.
Cover the dough and chill for at least 1 hour.
This step prevents spreading, improves flavor, and makes rolling a dream.
7. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
8. Roll out the dough.
Lightly flour your work surface.
Roll to ¼-inch thickness—the sweet spot for cookies that are soft but hold their shape.
9. Cut your shapes.
Sweater? Mitten? Snowflake? Candy cane?
Make it festive. Make it fun.
10. Bake for 9 minutes.
You’re watching for just-barely golden edges. They’ll continue cooking on the sheet.
11. Transfer to a cooling rack.
Let them cool completely before icing.
12. Decorate or leave them simply beautiful.
Either way, they’re perfect.
Troubleshooting (Because Life Happens)
💛 “My dough seems soft.”
Add a tiny bit more flour OR chill longer.
💛 “My cookies spread.”
Dough got too warm—chill 20 minutes before baking.
💛 “My shapes won’t lift clean from the counter.”
Dip your cutter in flour or roll the dough onto parchment so you can lift the whole sheet onto a pan before cutting.
💛 “My cookies are browning too fast.”
Lower your rack or check the oven temperature (many ovens run hot).
Notes & Tips From an Experienced Cookie-Baker
✨ Don’t skip chilling.
It’s the #1 factor in preventing spread.
✨ This dough works for ANY holiday.
Trees, hearts, pumpkins, stars, bunnies—one dough, endless shapes.
✨ Skip the liquid food coloring.
It will change the icing texture. Gel food coloring is the only way to go.
✨ Add sprinkles early.
Sprinkles need soft icing to stick. If you wait, they’ll just bounce off.
✨ These freeze beautifully.
Freeze dough discs OR baked cookies (undecorated) for up to 3 months.
The BEST Sugar Cookie Icing
This icing dries firm, shiny, and smooth—perfect for piping, outlining, and flooding.
But it’s also simple, forgiving, and doesn’t require a culinary degree.
Ingredients
2¼ cups powdered sugar 2 tablespoons light corn syrup ½ teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring ½ teaspoon almond extract 2–3 tablespoons milk Gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
Stir everything together until smooth and glossy. Divide into bowls and tint as needed. Transfer to Ziploc or piping bags. Ice cookies and let dry 12–24 hours.
Icing Notes
Gel food coloring ONLY. Add powdered sugar if too runny, milk if too thick. Can be doubled or halved easily. Squeeze bottles work great for kids.
Why This Recipe Works for Busy Women (Especially Over 40)
Let’s be honest—we want cookies that:
✔ taste amazing
✔ look good on the countertop
✔ photograph beautifully
✔ make us feel like the organized, put-together woman we sometimes are
Your time is precious. Your energy is precious.
These cookies are the kind of recipe that gives you a win without the overwhelm.
And every mom, Nana, aunt, and hostess deserves that. ❤️
Final Thoughts (And a Cozy Nudge)
There’s something magical about cut-out sugar cookies.
They turn an ordinary day into a memory, a busy afternoon into something soft and sweet, and a holiday season into a tradition.
So pour yourself a cup of coffee or cocoa, put on the Christmas playlist even if it’s November (we do not judge in this house), and bake a batch of these soft, buttery, perfectly shaped sugar cookies.
Trust me—your kitchen will smell like heaven, your counters will look festive, and you’ll feel that warm, cozy sense of “Yep… I did that.”
Tracy
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