Easy Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies {No Rolling or Cutting Out!}
These soft and chewy sugar cookies are so easy and so delicious, you may never want to go to the work of rolling and cutting out sugar cookies again!
I love a good traditional, cutout sugar cookie. I really do. But you just can’t beat these amazing chewy and crackly drop sugar cookies.
Roll them in sprinkles to dress them up…or leave them plain. So delicious either way!
Chewy Drop Sugar Cookie Dough
The dough for these sugar cookies is really straightforward:
- butter
- granulated sugar (no brown sugar in these cookies!)
- egg + vanilla
- flour + baking powder + baking soda + salt
No need to whisk the dry ingredients together beforehand. Just mix everything up in one bowl!
The dough will be soft but not overly sticky.
And it tastes ridiculously delicious. Don’t ask me how I know. 😉
Sprinkles or Not
These easy soft and chewy sugar cookies are really yummy plain.
But if you want to make them a bit more festive, roll the dough in sprinkles before baking.
Non-pareil sprinkles work best. To get them to adhere to the cookie dough, roll the ball of cookie dough in sprinkles right after it’s been rolled into a round shape so it’s still soft from the warmth of your hands.
How to Fix Cookies That Flatten While Baking
If drop cookies often bake up too flat in your oven (or where you live), these tips might help:
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature and NOT overly warm or melty when making the cookie dough.
- Use cold eggs.
- Add 2-4 tablespoons more flour to the cookie dough.
- Bake at 375 degrees F or use convection bake (at 325 or 350 degrees F) if you have that setting on your oven.
Below you can see how the drop sugar cookies are slightly thicker when using a couple extra tablespoons flour in the dough. The puffiness means they are less chewy…but they are still soft and tasty.
Conversely, if your cookies aren’t flattening and stay too puffy, try decreasing the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and/or decrease flour by 1/4 cup.
Favorite Sugar Cookie
I can’t tell you the number of times these soft and chewy drop sugar cookies have saved me when a sugar cookie craving hits (that happens more often than I like to admit) or when I’ve needed a fast, quick, delicious cookie to save the day.
LOVE THEM.
They are reminiscent of the crackly, thin, chewy sugar cookies from Subway…but a million times better.
Tried-and-True Recipe
These soft and chewy drop sugar cookies have garnered a huge fan base over the years. Over 1,000 five-star reviews prove they are a keeper!
Kim writes: Probably the best sugar cookies I have found. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Marie says: This is an amazing recipe, Mel! Had to go gluten free due to allergies and used King Arthur measure for measure and we couldn’t believe how good it was! Thank you for giving exact measurements; takes the guessing out and so easy with a scale! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Liz writes: I love this recipe! Soft, chewy, delicious, easy. Can’t get any better than that. I highly recommend this recipe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
One Year Ago: White Velvet Sugar Cookies
Two Years Ago: Winter Minestrone Soup with Garlic Bruschetta
Three Years Ago: Curried Lentil and Sausage Soup with Toasted Almonds
Four Years Ago: No-Bake Berry Yogurt Cheesecakes
Five Years Ago: Nutella and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Soft and Chewy Drop Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, softened to cool room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups (283 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (355 g) all-purpose flour (see note!)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Additional granulated sugar or sprinkles, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (see note). Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until lightly and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix again for 1-2 minutes until the batter lightens in color. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough into rounded balls (about 2 tablespoons in size; I use my #40 cookie scoop), roll in granulated sugar or sprinkles and place on the prepared baking sheets a couple inches apart (about 12 cookies per baking sheet).
- Bake for 11-13 minutes until slightly crackly on top (but not much color around the edges or bottom to keep them soft and chewy).
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
I really love these cookies, but one thing I struggle with is they harden really quickly and like I mean insanely quick 30 minutes out of the oven and they are hard as rocks. Is there any way I can fix this?
Hi Caroline – that’s odd since these are intended to stay soft and chewy. Are you using butter (and not a butter substitute like margarine or coconut oil)? How long are you baking them for?
I learned a trick years ago to keep soft cookies soft. First make sure they aren’t over baked. Then add a slice of bread to an airtight container with the cookies and they will keep their moist and chewy texture.
My new favorite sugar cookie! Super easy and delicious! Making these weekly as a welcome gift for guests who stay at beach houses that we manage.
So thankful you chose to share this! This is the perfect sugar cookie (for our family’s preferences anyway).
DELICIOUS COOKIES!!! my only notes is that they dont immediately flatten so you have to smash them down a bit and cook them for longer, but overall 10/10.
I’ve made this recipe several times and they always came out perfect until today. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong as I always follow the recipe to a T. My cookies are flattening and spreading too much to the point it’s all stuck together. I tried increasing the oven temp and putting the dough balls in the fridge. Please advise. These are my favorite drop sugar cookies!
I figured it out! It was definitely my mistake. I might’ve forgotten a cup of flour or my butter was too warm/soft. I made a second batch and they were perfect. Definitely 5 stars for me!
Oh you’re comment just made me laugh out loud! I made these the other night, and they practically melted all over the cookie sheet! I was so disappointed!! (But my adult kids thought they were awesome ( they loved the carmalized sugar) ugh! But I too thought I had forgotten a cup of flour. (I was post surgery and was dealing with a 15 month old…. So, lack of brain cells. Lol) so, I will be making them again with all the floor this time!
The perfect easy, but showstopper cookie! Made them for the first time yesterday to teach my church youth group. Sooooo easy. They turned out exactly as pictured being made by teenagers. Everyone raved about how delicious they were! I love frosting so I wasn’t sure they would be as good with just sprinkles. But they are perfect as written. I couldn’t stop eating them! We used 5 types of of valentine sprinkles; pink sugars, pink nonpareils, white nonpareils, and even some heart sprinkles. They look so pretty displayed all together under a glass cake dome. It’s like I’m in a bakery on Valentine’s Day. Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous recipe! *I live at over 6000 feet and we actually weighed the flour per your amounts and had no problems with them being crumbly or dry.
WOW. These are amazing. I’m surprised they turned out so good!!!!!!!! Making these for Valentine’s Day!
I made ahead and froze them in cookie scoop balls until closer to Christmas. I decorated with red, white and green sprinkles. The children and adults alike LOVED them. I will make this recipe for Valentine’s Day also.
Question! I’m gonna make these! If I put them in a fridge for a little bit to make these into hearts, would that work at all? Or should I just do the dough circles?
I don’t this dough will hold its shape in hearts very well – they do best as a drop cookie and baked into a nice round shape 🙂
Would it be okay if I used unsalted butter? Do I need to change the measurement of salt required? Plan to make these tomorrow please respond!
Yes, you can use unsalted butter – increase the salt by 1/2 teaspoon.
This is an excellent sugar cookie recipe! I rolled some in sugar, some in cinnamon sugar, and mixed in toasted macadamia nuts to the rest. They turned out beautiful and delicious! Thank you Mel for sharing this fantastic recipe!
Perfectly soft sugar cookies. Chose this recipe because of the simple ingredients. Will be making again and again!
I found this recipe while looking to recreate a miniature version of my favorite bakery’s holiday m&m sugar cookie. I prepared the dough as written and then stirred in a half bag (6oz) holiday m&m minis. I used the small size OXO scoop (1 Tbsp) to make this cookie more child-sized. It was exactly what I was hoping for! It’s quite sweet, but that is how a sugar cookie is meant to be.
I made these cookies for the first time today – and doubled the recipe. because I wanted to finish all my Christmas baking today. I thought the dough was a little stiff with the addition of 5 cups of flour but the cookies came out perfect – they spread just the right amount. Perhaps it is my oven but I found baking the cookies for 12 1/2 minutes at 350 degrees was just right and they did not over brown. Since I did not make them too large, I got 7 doz. out of the double recipe. They came very soft and chewy just as stated. I will be making these again – and again. Sugar cookies are a family favorite. Thank you.
These were absolutely delicious! However I had trouble with the dough, it was very crumbly after mixing (followed recipe to the T) so I added another egg and some vegetable oil. Next time I think I’ll just add vegetable oil as some of the cookies tasted more egg-y. Other than that this was a super easy recipe! If you are having trouble with crumbly dough I would add some vegetable oil until it combines and becomes smooth, I just eyeballed veg oil measurement (maybe a teaspoon or two in total)
THESE ARE AMAZING!!! My 3 year old and I had fun making them. She loved rolling them in the sprinkles. My husband- not really the sugar cookie type, couldn’t stay away and even asked me to make more.
Also they were an added blessing. A friend of ours is recovering from jaw surgery and raved about these. They were soft enough that she could eat them. Thanks for the recipie and helping me bring smiles this Christmas season!
Thank you so much for sharing!!! My husband and I LOVED them!!! These were so soft and they decorated beautifully!!! Hands down best sugar cookie recipe!!!
Made these cookies today! Followed the recipe exactly and they were INCREDIBLE. I cannot understand some of the scathing reviews…I didn’t get the same crackle that Mel gets in the pictures but I totally don’t care. The flavor and texture was so perfect. I am printing this one and saving it forever lol!
Does this recipe work the same with a hand mixer or do I need to make any adjustments to the process? Thanks
It should work fine!
Best sugar cookies ever!! Try rolling them in cinnamon sugar, it’s amazing.
Hello,
Can you tell me what kind of sprinkles you put on your sugar cookies also how can I make my cookies be flat and not puffy? What am I doing wrong
Sincerely,
Dana
Hi Dana, if your cookies are staying puffy, it sounds like they need a bit less flour. Try 1/4 to 1/3 cup less flour. I use the non pareil colorful sprinkles that I find in the baking aisle of my grocery store
Thank you for this recipe! I think these are the best sugar cookies I have ever had. I skipped rolling them in sugar – but I bet they’d still be super tasty that way.
Hi Mel. Thank you for this recipe. I need to make these for a wedding. Needless to say there are a million things to do. Will these chewy sugar cookies fair well if I make them ahead of time and freeze them?
N
Yes, I have done the exact same thing for a wedding reception. They freeze great.
Is the dough/batter supposed to be super dry and crumbly? Having issues forming the balls.
No, it isn’t super crumbly. It sounds like maybe there’s too much flour in the dough. How do you measure your flour? I fluff the flour really well, scoop in the cup and level off, so it’s possible maybe too much flour is getting packed into your measuring cup.
LITERALLY the best sugar cookies I’ve ever made. So easy and so delicious. I don’t even have a sweet tooth but I couldn’t keep my hands off these babies. This is DEFINITELY my go sugar cookie recipe!!
I have made these cookies almost weekly since you posted them. They are our faves. They come out perfect every time (even when the kids make them haha).
Don’t waste your time and ingredients on this recipe. Came out beyond flat. I tried upping the temperature, putting the dough in the fridge, trying without sugar on top, and nothing did the trick. So frustrated by wasting all of these perfectly good ingredients. Run away from this recipe as fast as you can.
Yeah this didn’t work at all . I turned my temperature up on my oven and it still melted the cookies all over the pan. Wasted tons of my ingredients .
These cookies are amazing
jkstanley77@gmail.com
Mel, I hope you can relate to this..I made these tonight for my kids bake sale and of course for our own taste buds. As my 6 year old was frosting them, she asked if she could have one..I said heck yes! She took a bite and said “uh, mommy? Somethings wrong with these cookies! They taste Like salt!” Sure enough, I realized I rolled them in SALT before cooking. ♀️ Now because I have a salty taste in my mouth, regardless of my lack of energy.. you better believe I’m making another batch right now. Gotta make it right. Haha! Thanks for a delicious sugar cookie. Let’s hope I roll it in sugar this time.
Oh no, no, no!!! I’m so sorry! And feel a little guilty that I kind of laughed about the salt – but also, what a pain to have to remake them!!
OMG!!!! These are absolutely amazing!!! And I’m not a fan of sugar cookies lol. My granddaughter wanted them for her graduation party so I was looking for an easy no roll recipe. I found it in this AND it’s delicious as well!!! Thank you for sharing!
I made these for my sons wedding open house. I added zest from a lime, orange and lemon. I used your method of rubbing the zest into the sugar. And OH, MY GOODNESS!!! These are now officially my favorite cookie. They have received rave reviews from everyone I’ve given them to.
Super delicious!
These turned out perfect! My 8 year old old made them without any help, and they are amazing.
Perfect sugar cookies!! Chewy, soft, absolutely delicious
Such a simple and delicious recipe! Thank you so much for deciding to share the recipe with your readers. This recipe will be on constant rotation in our house.
Beautiful recipe! They turned out delicious! Thanks so much!
How far in advance can I make these for my daughters birthday? To ensure the fresh, chewy, and delicious cookie experience is still achieved.
I prefer them same day, but you can make them well in advance and freeze the baked cookies. They defrost great and are super delicious.
Very dry and crumbly…way too much flour. I’ve baked a lot of cookies and I have never had such a dry cookie dough. The cookies also did not flatten out at all.
Hi Brooke, sounds like you might be packing too much flour into your measuring cup. This post might help: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/lets-talk-how-you-measure-flour-makes-a-difference.
Is it possible you didn’t follow recipe to flatten with back of glass ?
I cut the recipe in half (used a food scale to get exact- did 6oz of flour instead of 6.25) but otherwise followed the recipe exactly as written. Dough was sticky but workable and I didn’t want to add more flour. Good thing I didn’t because they turned out perfectly. Rolled half with sprinkles and half with sugar. Thanks for the recipe will be keeping it for future use!
Did you still use 1 egg ?
I made these exactly as the recipe called for and they are super fantastic! Rich and soft and chewy. Made 2-1/2 dozen, baked for 11 minutes. Thanks for the great recipe.
Mel, thanks so much for all the work you put into your site. It’s wonderful. I think I remember you making a note on one of your recipes that you usually use salted butter when baking. Am I wrong? If I’m not, in this recipe, do you use salted?
Thanks a lot.
Hi Aimee – yes, I use salted butter!
What’s the purpose of the baking soda and powder. Is it okay if we don’t use it or will something happen to the cookie….. Are there other alternatives? Can’t wait to start baking these cookies 🙂
You definitely need leavening agents. Without them you will likely end up with a flat hard cookie.
The baking soda and baking powder help the cookies rise and contribute to a light and fluffy texture. I think they are pretty essential to the outcome!
Will adding only 1/2 cup of sugar in the mixture affect the overall texture of the cookie? I’m trying to find ways to lessen the amount of sugar. Thanks!
You could definitely experiment, but usually reducing sugar (or other ingredients) significantly will alter the end result.
Quarantine Amateur baker here! I followed the video and recipe and my mixture came out sticky. I even added a little more flour to see if that would help. It didn’t, I was too scared to add any more. I wanted to know what is your experience and where did I go wrong?
It probably boils down to how you and I each measure flour…if the dough is really sticky, a little more flour won’t hurt, although this cookie dough does stay rather sticky.
What about cooking in altitude?
I made these the other day and they are incredible. I followed the directions exactly. I’m afraid to make them again because I won’t be able to resist eating them all. The fact that they are gorgeous is a bonus. I think the people who had bad results either made a mistake or their oven temp is off. My son watched the video and said that the directions in it are more basic, for kids helping in the kitchen. I would use the written directions, mixing dry and wet ingredients separately, unless there is a tiny helper :). Thanks for the recipe!
These cookies are absolutely delicious. My husband and I could not stop eating them! I love how the vanilla flavor really shines. I will be making another batch soon, as they were so quick and easy, too. I used 12 oz of flour (weighed) and mixed with a light hand. I found they crinkled best when I used my cookie scoop and rolled them in sugar straight out of the scoop–rounded on one side, flat on the other–instead of rolling them into balls. They were a bit puffy as I took them out of the oven, but rapping the cookie sheet on the counter took care of that. So, so good! Thanks, Mel!
Has anyone made these using margarine (or another no dairy substitute? If so, did they turn out?
I did and they were extremely sticky and hard to work with.
I had some dough that I made last month put in the freezer how should I cook the frozen dough ?
Is it rolled into balls already?
You defrost on the counter or in the frig overnight and when dough is soft roll them into balls and cook as instructed.
These are the best cookies! I’ve made them with different sprinkles for just about every occasion from Valentine’s Day to a Seahawks games – yes, I managed to find Seahawks colored sprinkles . The one adjustment I make is to just add one tsp vanilla and one tsp almond extract. It gives the flavor of a typical almond sugar cookie frosting without all the work.
I love the cookies, do you use salted or unsalted butter?
I use salted butter
I’m thinking that those of you who have trouble with the cookies not spreading possibly over mixed the dough. It does not take a lot over mixing to toughen up a delicate cookie. Mixing by hand can help to avoid over mixing.