Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (2024)

Jump to Recipe

Cut out sugar cookies are one of the best Christmas sugar cookies recipe to make.Requiring just simple ingredients, these soft and chewy cookies are so much fun to make with the whole family!

Christmas sugar cookies are part of our family holiday season traditions. This Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie recipe is often the first thing I pull out of my recipe box to make. In fact, my kids think it’s the best sugar cookie recipe of all. The first time I made it with my boys’ help was when they were 2 and 4 years old!

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (1)

Why you’ll love these Christmas sugar cookies

This cut out out sugar cookie recipe is a great recipe that makes a soft sugar cookies that can be easily frozen if desired.

The tender dough mixes up quickly and doesn’t need to be chilled before rolling.

I usually bake the whole batch, let them cool, and then freeze them between layers of waxed paper in airtight containers.

Once it’s time to serve them, I thaw out the baked rolled sugar cookies and mix up a small batch of icing for the amount I want to serve. It’s easy and so delicious.

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (2)

How to Make Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookies

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.

Supplies Needed for Soft & Tasty Cut Out Sugar Cookies:

Large Bowl
Medium Bowl
Mixing Spoons
Pastry blender
Pastry cloth & rolling pin cover set (optional)
Rolling Pin
Cookie Cutters (whatever designs you choose) (I like Christmas trees, hearts, & mittens)
Cookie Sheet
Wire Cooling Racks

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (3)

Rolled Sugar Cookies Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Butter
2 large Eggs, beaten
1/3 cup Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (4)

How to Make this Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe

(A printable recipe card is located at the end of this post for your convenience.)

You’ll mix up this simple recipe in 2 seperate bowls.

1. In the first large bowl, mix together:

4 cups flour,
1 tsp. baking powder, and
1/2 tsp. salt,
Cut in 1 cup butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives.

2. In another bowl, mix together:

2 beaten eggs
1/3 cup milk,
1 teaspoon vanilla extract,
1 1/2 cup sugar, and
1 teaspoon baking soda

4. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently.

5. Flip the dough onto a lightly floured pastry mat, and knead it gently ~ just so it sticks together.

6. Divide dough into 2 portions. Start with the first portion and roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness.

I use my Grandmother’s antique dough rolling pastry set (pictured above), but I’ve rounded up a whole list of top tools for dough rolling here.

Here is a video on tips for rolling out this sugar cookie dough:

7. Using your favorite cookie cutters, cut out whatever shapes you’d like. We have stars and trees at our house…

8. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. (Placing parchement paper on the baking sheets makes for easy clean up.)

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (12)

9. Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 5 minutes – or until very lightly golden brown.

Top Tip: The secret to soft and chewy old fashioned sugar cookies is to take them out before they start to brown. If they are too browned, they will turn crunchy!

10. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (13)

Once completely cooled, ice with your favorite homemade frosting.

Here is my quick and easy homemade frosting for sugar cookies. Or, you could try a fun idea using marbled icing.

Yield: About 4 dozen

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (14)

How should I store these cut out sugar cookies?

Store these sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. However, I feel better always refrigerating or freezing mine until I’m ready to use them.

To freeze sugar cookies, place them in an airtight container or heavy duty freezer bag, being careful to seperate each layer with wax paper or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. Store in the freezer for up to six months.

For Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies:

You can use this same sugar cookie recipe for all seasons! Just use whatever shaped cookie cutter matches the holiday. Heart shaped cookie cutters with pink icing make darling Valentine’s Day cookies. Another option is to make marbled heart sugar cookies. They’re so pretty!

Need more help with Christmas cookie making?

I’ve put together a recipe collection of Christmas cookie recipes to help you save time & stress. Click the button below for all the details!

SAVE TIME & STRESS!

CHRISTMAS COOKIES RECIPES COLLECTION

With a mix of traditional & trendy Christmas cookies, this recipe collection with pictures can help bring back the fun (& simple) traditions of Christmas baking.

ON A SUP$R dUPER sALE NOW!!

For more Merry Christmas Season Recipes, you may want to check out these posts:

Christmas cookie recipes with pictures
Christmas Dipped Chocolates,
Swedish Tea Ring,
Overnight Buns,
Christmas Breakfast Recipes

More Christmas Cookies Recipes:

Never Fail Fudge
Make this condensed milk fudge recipe in the microwave in 5 minutes!
Chocolate Marshmallow Log
Cranberry Lemon Bars
Jam Sandwich Cookies (a shortcut recipe!)
75+ Christmas cookie recipes with pictures
Cute & quick Rudolph Cookies
Brownie Mix Cookies
Gluten-free cut out cookies

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe

Yield: 4 dozen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This old fashioned rolled sugar cookie recipe is the best cut out cookie recipe! The dough is easy to work & the cookies are soft & YUMMY!

Ingredients

4 cups Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 cup Butter
2 Eggs, beaten
1/3 cup Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Instructions

Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender
In another bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, and baking so
Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently
Flip the dough onto a lightly floured pastry mat, and knead it gently ~ just so it sticks together
Divide into 2 portions and roll each portion out to about 1/2 inch thick.
Using cookie cutters, cut out whatever shapes you’d like. We have stars and trees at our house…
Place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 5 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees.The secret to soft and chewy old fashioned sugar cookies is to take them out before they start to brown. If they are lightly browned, they will turn crunchy!
Cool completely on wire racks before icing.Step 10: Once completely cool, ice with buttercream icing with food coloring.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 48Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 100Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment or share a photo on Instaram and tag @harbourbreeze

Old Fashioned Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to roll sugar cookies on flour or powdered sugar? ›

I roll my dough to 5/16″. Use powdered sugar instead of flour to roll your dough: if you're like me and use every bit of your dough, I recommend using powdered sugar instead of flour to roll your dough.

Discover More Details ›

What does cream of tartar do in sugar cookies? ›

Cream of tartar makes cookies chewy, as it precludes the sugar in the dough from crystalizing, which would lead to crispiness (ie: the opposite of chewiness).

See Details ›

Do sugar cookies need to be refrigerated before baking? ›

Chilling the dough is a key step in making sugar cookies, especially when you're making cut-outs. Even if you're tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge, or even the freezer, even if it's only for a little while. Skip this step, and the dough will be sticky, and much harder to work with.

Explore More ›

What happens if I use regular sugar instead of powdered sugar in cookies? ›

You'll end up with a grainy, unappealing texture. Lastly, store-bought powdered sugar generally includes corn starch, which prevents it from caking together. This can lead to unpredictable outcomes when you interchange the two.

Discover More Details ›

Should you chill sugar cookie dough before rolling? ›

Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps to make the cookie dough firmer. Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies.

Keep Reading ›

How long should sugar cookie dough sit out before rolling? ›

After 30 minutes, take the dough out of the fridge and cut your shapes! Let the dough harden for around 30 minutes, then take the dough out. There's no need to let it come to room temperature before working with it. You can go from the fridge to your counter and immediately start cutting out shapes.

Show Me More ›

How long should sugar cookie dough chill before rolling? ›

After you make the cookie dough, it must chill for 1–2 hours, and up to 2 days. Chilling is a mandatory step. Without chilling, these cookie cutter sugar cookies won't hold shape.

Show Me More ›

What does adding more brown sugar do to cookies? ›

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

See Details ›

Why do you put two sugars in cookies? ›

That being said, if you love soft cookies, the best result comes from using both white and brown sugars. Together, these sugars help your cookie dough take on the spongy and tender texture of cake, all while maintaining the snacking ease of a cookie.

See Details ›

Why do my sugar cookies spread when baking? ›

“Baking cookies in a too-cool oven will cause the fat to melt before your cookies set up, leading to spreading,” Dawn says. Grab an oven thermometer the next time you're in the grocery store so you can be sure your oven is at the correct temperature.

See Details ›

How thick to roll sugar cookies? ›

Place each portion onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use more flour if the dough seems too sticky. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.

Know More ›

Can you over mix sugar cookie dough? ›

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

Read On ›

Should I chill my sugar cookie dough? ›

Prevent cookies from spreading

According to Hy-Vee, cookies will spread when the butter or fat melts faster than the cookie bakes. To prevent this, you can use cooler butter, or simply pop your sugar cookie dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes prior to baking, which hardens the fat.

Get More Info ›

What is the best surface to roll out sugar cookies? ›

Rather than roll dough on a floured surface, roll it between sheets of non-stick parchment or waxed paper. Adding extra flour to the dough while rolling can make cookies tough. And cutout cookies release easily from paper when you move them to the baking sheet, preserving their shape.

Tell Me More ›

Is it better to use powdered sugar or granulated sugar in sugar cookies? ›

Powdered sugar has a much finer texture and a higher cornstarch content, which can absorb moisture and lead to a drier, crumbly cookie texture. If you use powdered sugar in place of granulated sugar, you'll likely end up with cookies that are more cake-like and less chewy.

View Details ›

Can I use powdered sugar instead of flour to roll out cookies? ›

Use Powdered Sugar.

I strongly suggest you use powdered sugar instead of flour for rolling out the sugar cookie dough. The powdered sugar works to keep the dough from sticking to your work surface just like flour, but the powdered sugar dissolves into the cookie when baked.

Show Me More ›