Kirbie's Cravings

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

If you’re looking for an easy cut-out sugar cookies recipe this is a great one to try. You only need a handful of ingredients and one bowl to make them. These are delicious plain sugar cookies or you can decorate them with your favorite frosting and other decorations.

close-up photo of a plate of plain sugar cookies

I make a lot of cookies, but I tend to like ones that don’t require a lot of decoration. I love sugar cookies but tend to serve them plain so I don’t make them very often.

Mostly it’s because my family doesn’t like frosting or anything too overly sweet, but since I like sugar cookies, I figured why not make a batch and just leave them plain? I’ve made sugar cookies with sprinkles before, but this time I made plain sugar cookies and used holiday cutters to cut them out into different shapes.

Why I Like this Recipe

What I love about these cut-out sugar cookies is that they taste great all on their own – they don’t need a bunch of frosting, but if you want to decorate them you can do that, too.

The recipe is easy to make with just a handful of ingredients and you only need one bowl to make the cookie dough.

They’re great because you can make the dough ahead and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake the cookies.

This recipe makes a big batch, which is great for the holidays if you like to give cookies as gifts.

close-up photo of a plate of sugar cookies

Ingredients

  • Softened butter
  • White sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt

How to Make Plain Sugar Cookies

Cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.

Chill the dough for at least one hour (ideally overnight).

Roll the dough out, cut out the cookies, and bake them at 400°F for six to eight minutes.

Storing Tips

Room Temperature: Cool the sugar cookie fully on baking racks and then store them in an airtight container. I think fresh-baked cookies taste best within three to four days if they are at room temperature, but properly stored they will keep well for up to a week.

Freezer: You can freeze plain sugar cookies, too. Once they are cooled, place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and transfer them to the freezer for 30 minutes or until they are frozen. At this point, you can keep them frozen in an airtight container for several months. To thaw, just leave them out at room temperature.

sugar cookies

More Recipes to Try

If you are looking for more holiday cookie ideas you might like my Christmas Cookies round-up with all of my favorite recipes.

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Servings: 5 dozen cookies (approximately)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 36 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
These sugar cookies are easy to make and are great plain or decorated. Make sure to plan ahead because the dough needs at least an hour to chill before rolling it out.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups butter softened
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight). (I did mine overnight)
  • Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Notes

Recipe source: All Recipes

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

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Recipe Rating




16 comments on “Cut-Out Sugar Cookies”

  1. What a cute holiday recipe! Would you like to submit it to my contest to win a cookbook? Just wanting to share the holiday cheer (and exposure to your blog) Would love for you to win 🙂 https://ow.ly/3j61M

  2. I love sugar cookies! Here’s a link where you’ll find all kinds of seasonal and year-round baking products (and recipes): https://www.kingarthurflour.com/

  3. Oh I’ve never been to this store! I was wondering if there was a special decorating baked goods store nearby. Thanks for the tip!

  4. I didn’t realize the high demand either..I didn’t try Michael’s. I thought about it but by then I had already been to so many places and Boyfriend told me to give up.

  5. These are the exact sprinkles I was looking for! Which I’ve seen before at Target and maybe Ralphs too. I bought them from Target before, but I left the container at my parents’ place. I saw this one on amazon but it was too late with the shipping.

  6. Your cookies came out so cute! I refrigerated my dough overnight. At first it was hard as a rock. After a while it softened, and then by the time I was cutting, it was super soft. It was manageable, but it was hard to transfer some of my shapes and I had to redo a bunch. I ended up not rolling my dough as thin. When it’s thicker, I found that the cookie dough doesn’t stretch as much when you are removing the cutouts.

  7. Hehee. Finishing sprinkles makes sense too! They are the finishing touches on cookies..

  8. I had some sprinkles I bought before, but I left them at my parent’s house, so I couldn’t use them. The herb idea is lovely!

  9. I enjoy munching on these cookies as a snack. hope you enjoy the recipe.

  10. I usually go to Do It With Icing. They have a ton of baking items. its on Clairemont Mesa Blvd (858) 268-1234. (right next to Ranch 99)

  11. Wow, didn’t realize sprinkles were in such demand this year. Did you try Michael’s? They usually have lots of stuff.

  12. you couldn’t find sprinkles?? so weird. i got mine from target last year.. or was it ralph’s. i always thought those silver sprinkles were sort of inedible! haha.
    i also did sugar cookies for the first time this year! it was fun. did you find your dough really soft, even after being in fridge? or was it ok?

  13. I meant finding sprinkles not finishing sprinkles 🙂

  14. Wow, I did not realize that finishing sprinkles can be so difficult! Here they seem to be in every supermarket, I also have lots of opened ones in the cupboard… because I never use the whole packet. But this year I also went for no sprinkled cookies, even without sugar but with herbs 🙂
    https://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/?p=9506
    Happy New Year!!
    Margot

  15. Hello
    Wow I love cookies very much and It is a perfect snacks for me.I like to taste different ones.This image shows that those cookies are sweet.Now I can’t wait to cook it.Thanks..