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These are simply the best classic soft cut out sugar cookies with crispy edges and soft center making them perfect for decorating year round especially during Halloween, Christmas, Valentines and Easter. Our classic soft cut out sugar cookies with icing recipe are made with butter, flour, salt, baking powder, eggs and vanilla extract and our delicious icing sugar recipe will add character to each individual cookie.

Easy to make, this small batch of soft sugar cookies will yield about 12 pieces depending on the size of your cookie cutter. Funny thing… I almost named these after my 6 year daughter, Camila who loves making them all the time.

What Makes These Soft Sugar Cookies The Best?

Let’s start off by saying that these soft sugar cookies are the best because of the decadent taste of butter and vanilla combined with their amazing soft flat surface and crispy firm edges making them perfect for decorating with our famous royal icing. The cookie dough is soft, not sticky making it easy to manage, roll and cut out without and fuss resulting in beautifully baked cookies every time that will remain fresh for up to seven days. These soft sugar cookies are great to snack on as is or dust with icing sugar and for the ultimate fun, decorate with icing.

Are you ready to make the best easy cut out sugar cookies? Let’s do it!

Ingredients For Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (180 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder ( 2.5 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams)
• 3/4 cup of unsalted butter (170 grams)
• 3/4 cup of sugar (150 grams)
• 1 large egg (50 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5grams)

How To Make Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies?

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
2. In a medium size bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk together. Set aside.
3. Add the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment and cream together on high speed until butter mixture is creamy and smooth about 2-3 minutes. You can also use a hand beater, follow the same steps.
4. Scrap down the sides and add the egg and vanilla extract and mix on high speed until mixture is well combined about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
5. Add the flour mixture and mix on low just until the cookie dough comes together.
6. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured working surface and divide in half.
7. Sheet out each portion of the dough to 1/4 inch thickness about 6mm with a lightly floured rolling pin. Make sure the dough is evenly thick.
8. Cut out with your desired cookie cutter shape and transfer to lined baking tray separating them about 2-3 inches apart. Repeat until all the cookies are cut out.
9. Place baking trays into freezer for 15-20 minutes or until the cookie dough is firm. You can also refrigerate for two hours instead or keep refrigerated and bake the next day.
10. When ready to bake, pre heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
11. Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 11-12 minutes or until light and golden with browned edges.
12. Once baked remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before decorating about 30 minutes.
13. Decorate your soft sugar cookies or enjoy them as is or sprinkled with icing sugar.
14. Keep stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days or freeze for longer shelf life up to one month.

Ingredients For Royal Icing With Meringue Powder:

• 4 cups confectioners icing sugar (480 grams) sifted
• 4 tablespoons meringue powder (60 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 grams)
• 11-12 tablespoons warm water (165-180 grams)
• Gel food coloring (optional)

How To Make Royal Icing With Meringue Powder?

1. Add the icing sugar, meringue powder, vanilla extract, and warm water into a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on high speed for about 2 minutes. You can also use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, follow the same steps.
2. Lift the whisk, the icing sugar should be flow down the whisk and smooth out within a few seconds about 8-10 seconds.
3. If the mixture is to thick add another tablespoon of water and mix until combined.
4. To make colorful icing, divide the icings and add a drop or two of coloring and mix until desired color is achieved.
5. Transfer the icing into a piping bag with a size 2 or 3 piping tip and decorated.
6. Decorate your soft sugar cookies by creating an outline along the borders then filling in inside with the icing sugar. Use a tooth pic to fill any gaps.
7. Slightly tap the cookies onto the counter to help even out the surface of the icing.
8. Icing will set at room temperature within 1 1/2-2 hours, you can refrigerate to speed up.

Ingredients For Royal Icing With Pasteurized Egg Whites:

• 4 cups confectioners icing sugar (480 grams) sifted
• 3 pasteurized egg whites (90 grams)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (5 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 grams)

How To Make Royal Icing With Pasteurized Egg Whites?

1. Beat the egg whites, lemon juice and vanilla and icing sugar on low speed with a hand mixer until sugar is well combined. If using a stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment.
2. Increase mixing speed to medium high and mix until stiff peak is formed.
3. Divide the icing into portions and add coloring, mix till desired color is reached.
4. Transfer the icing to a piping bag or cover in a bowl with plastic slight pressing down to prevent any surface crusting.

Cut Out Soft Sugar Cookies

Gina

Our classic soft cut out sugar cookies with icing recipe are made with butter, flour, salt, baking powder, eggs and vanilla extract and our delicious icing sugar recipe will add character to each individual cookie.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Course Christmas, Dessert, Easter, Easy, Halloween, Holiday

Cuisine American

Servings 12 pieces

Calories 100 kcal

Ingredients

  

INGREDIENTS FOR SOFT CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES:

• 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour 180 grams
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2.5 grams
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 grams
• 3/4 cup of unsalted butter 170 grams
• 3/4 cup of sugar 150 grams
• 1 large egg 50 grams
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5grams

INGREDIENTS FOR ROYAL ICING WITH MERINGUE POWDER:

• 4 cups confectioners icing sugar 480 grams sifted
• 4 tablespoons meringue powder 60 grams
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
• 11-12 tablespoons warm water 165-180 grams
• Gel food coloring optional

INGREDIENTS FOR ROYAL ICING WITH PASTEURIZED EGG WHITES?

• 4 cups confectioners icing sugar 480 grams sifted
• 3 pasteurized egg whites 90 grams
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

HOW TO MAKE SOFT CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES?

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• In a medium size bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk together. Set aside.
• Add the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment and cream together on high speed until butter mixture is creamy and smooth about 2-3 minutes. You can also use a hand beater, follow the same steps.
• Scrap down the sides and add the egg and vanilla extract and mix on high speed until mixture is well combined about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
• Add the flour mixture and mix on low just until the cookie dough comes together.
• Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured working surface and divide in half.
• Sheet out each portion of the dough to 1/4 inch thickness about 6mm with a lightly floured rolling pin. Make sure the dough is evenly thick.
• Cut out with your desired cookie cutter shape and transfer to lined baking tray separating them about 2-3 inches apart. Repeat until all the cookies are cut out.
• Place baking trays into freezer for 15-20 minutes or until the cookie dough is firm. You can also refrigerate for two hours instead or keep refrigerated and bake the next day.
• When ready to bake, pre heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 11-12 minutes or until light and golden with browned edges.
• Once baked remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before decorating about 30 minutes.
• Decorate your soft sugar cookies or enjoy them as is or sprinkled with icing sugar.
• Keep stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days or freeze for longer shelf life up to one month.

HOW TO MAKE ROYAL ICING WITH MERINGUE POWDER?

• Add the icing sugar, meringue powder, vanilla extract, and warm water into a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on high speed for about 2 minutes. You can also use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, follow the same steps.
• Lift the whisk, the icing sugar should be flow down the whisk and smooth out within a few seconds about 8-10 seconds.
• If the mixture is to thick add another tablespoon of water and mix until combined.
• To make colorful icing, divide the icings and add a drop or two of coloring and mix until desired color is achieved.
• Transfer the icing into a piping bag with a size 2 or 3 piping tip and decorated.
• Decorate your soft sugar cookies by creating an outline along the borders then filling in inside with the icing sugar. Use a tooth pic to fill any gaps.
• Slightly tap the cookies onto the counter to help even out the surface of the icing.
• Icing will set at room temperature within 1 1/2-2 hours, you can refrigerate to speed up.

HOW TO MAKE ROYAL ICING WITH PASTEURIZED EGG WHITES?

• Beat the egg whites, lemon juice and vanilla and icing sugar on low speed with a hand mixer until sugar is well combined. If using a stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment.
• Increase mixing speed to medium high and mix until stiff peak is formed.
• Divide the icing into portions and add coloring, mix till desired color is reached.
• Transfer the icing to a piping bag or cover in a bowl with plastic slight pressing down to prevent any surface crusting.

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