These cookies that I’m sharing with you are my go-to, my no-fail recipe for sugar cut out cookies that actually hold their shape (they’re also great for any time you’re looking for an awesome sugar cookie recipe!)
There is nothing more frustrating than taking time to lovingly bake a batch of sugar cut out cookies only to have them puff up or loose their shape (or puff up AND loose their shape). Has that ever happened to you? It’s the worst!! What you want is a consistent cookie that is easy to make and turns out every time (and one that is delicious!) Which is exactly what these cookies are: they hold their shape and turn out perfectly every time and are a delicious cookie in-and-of-themselves!
And while I was originally going to call these the ‘best ever sugar cut out cookies’ I realize that everyone probably has their very own favorite recipe (in food blogger circles it’s like saying you have the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies…even if you do, there’s always someone that thinks their recipe is better and will probably make fun of you behind your back 😉 and i most certainly don’t want that lol).
Christmas cookie baking was always part of the holidays when I was growing up. We’d gather around and make what seemed like a bazillion cookies. Frosting isn’t really big in European cookie baking (ok, i could be wrong, but I can honestly say that I do not remember making frosting for sugar cut out cookies – other than chocolate of course, dipping your cookies in melted chocolate doesn’t count, right?) but what is big is adding a bit of lemon zest. It perks the flavor of the cookies right up!
Besides the lemon zest, this recipe is a pretty straight forward sugar cut out cookie recipe. It holds its shape, and one major trick is that after you make your dough, you’ll roll it out, cut out your cookie shapes, and then put them on a lined baking sheet and only then PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER for 10 minutes, then straight into the oven after. No cooling and then rolling. You roll, cut, and then cool!
That is the trick will leave you with perfectly baked sugar cut out cookies that actually hold their shape with a slightly golden brown color. They’re good by themselves or can be frosting.
I’ve shared mini gingerbread houses made out of graham crackers with a gingerbread house glue that dries in under 10 minutes -I’m so excited for the holidays, how about you?
Other recipes you might enjoy:
- M&M Surprise Cookies
- 5 Ingredient Tuxedo Chip Cake Mix Cookies
- Caramel Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Sugar Cut Out Cookies {that actually hold their shape}
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tsp lemon zest zest from 1/2 the lemon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour plus more for rolling cookies out
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of stand mixer add the butter sticks and the sugar and "cream together" (cream together refers to the process of vigorously mixing/beating the butter and sugar together so that they incorporate very well, there is no cream added) about 3 minutes, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg, lemon zest, baking powder and vanilla extract, then beat again for 2 minutes until a creamy yellow color.
- Next add 3 cups flour and 1/2 tsp salt and mix on low speed to combine (about 2 minutes). Cookie dough will be almost crumbly, but that's ok, press it together with your hands and form it into two balls. If it doesn't come together with your hands add in a teaspoon of water and then try pressing it together.
- On a floured surface or board roll out one of the cookie dough balls to desired thickness level (they won't rise much) then cut out shapes and place on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet.
- Put baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- After 10 minutes take the baking sheets out of the freezer and bake for 10 minutes (or until edges start to turn golden brown.)
- Remove cookies from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling wrack for them to cool completely before frosting, or enjoy without frosting!
Notes
Nutrition
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Amy says
Can the dough be saved in the freezer?
Sweetphi says
Yes, it absolutely can
Jennifer says
Thank you for this recipe! This was our first time making successful roll out cookie dough, my daughter is very happy!
Nancy says
I just made these, they turned out exactly how I cut them out, held the shape! Bonus to making them, they are absolutely delicious!! These will now be my “best sugar cut out cookies”!! Thanks
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much Nancy, so glad you love these cookies as much as I do!
Nancy says
Do these cookies turn out soft or crispy? I usually bake average size sugar cookies for no more than 8-9 minutes in order to get soft cookies. I also roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. I am hoping that these will turn out soft and still hold their shape without poofing up.
Sweetphi says
Hi Nancy, these cookies turn more like a firm sugar cookie (I wouldn’t exactly use the word crispy though) but they’re not like a soft/chewy cookie, it will break if you try to bend it if that makes sense. They’re like a standard frosted cookie that will hold it’s shape and not poof up or spread.
Sylvia Enriquez says
Can I use confectioners powdered sugar to roll dough out
Sweetphi says
I’m sure you could, I never have so I don’t know for sure, but I assume it would work…only thing is that it might make the cookies sweeter!
Gerri says
What cream do we use and how much?
Sweetphi says
Hi Gerri,
there is no cream in this recipe. You add the butter and sugar and ‘cream’ them together, which is what it’s called when you vigorously beat them together. I’ll update the recipe in case that is not clear 🙂
thanks for your comment
Joy says
Is that unsalted butter?
Sweetphi says
Yes, but I’ve used salted butter also, so it’s whatever you have on hand 🙂
Vicky says
I’m cooking for somebody with a citrus fruit allergy – how much will the dough structure be affected by leaving out the lemon zest? Thanks!
Sweetphi says
It won’t affect the dough structure much, just the taste a little, I’d say you’re ok leaving out the zest 🙂
Vicky says
Thank you!
Elizabeth says
These are really fantastic! I didn’t have a lemon so I added the zest of 1 small lime plus 1tbs lime juice. Followed all other directions exactly and the cookies taste like they were made at a good bakery! They held their shape very well and didn’t spread much at all. I’m putting this recipe in my permanent collection!
Sweetphi says
Oh my goodness, thank you SO MUCH for this sweet comment, so happy that lime worked instead of lemon 🙂
Joann says
can I use power sugar instead of regular sugar?
Sweetphi says
Hi Joann, unfortunately no, powdered sugar cannot be used instead of regular sugar in this recipe.
kristina davis says
Hello if you don’t us lemon zest will these cookies still turn out.
Sweetphi says
Yes, these cookies will still turn out with lemon zest, but they taste really good with it in them 🙂
Millie says
Hi! I have so many cookie cutters in my kitchen yet I haven’t been able to use a single one yet. I just found you recipe while trying to figure cookie stuff out and I am facinated by it…I think I am going to give this a try tomorrow while my siblings are at school…I also remembered I may have had a recipe that came with a set of cookie cutters I got that I am going to look into. I will come back and let you know how the cookies went with your recipe! ^_^
Sweetphi says
I think you’ll love this recipe, can’t wait to hear how they turn out for you 🙂
Eva says
I really want to try this recipe as I have a cookie cutter and stamper I want to try. Can I sub the freezer time for 15-20 mins in the fridge instead?
Sweetphi says
I think you’ll love this recipe, and yes, you can sub freezer time for time in the fridge 🙂 Hope you enjoy.
Kara says
This recipe is amazing!! I used it and they not only held their shape but they were so good. My kids loved them
Sweetphi says
Oh my goodness, thank you SO MUCH for coming and leaving that amazing comment, truly made my day!
Jessica Tonkinson says
Super good on their own. I made some cinnamon sugar butter to put on top before putting in the freezer and then baking and it tastes just like a cinnamon cookie it’s delicious.
Sweetphi says
Oh I love the sound of that cinnamon sugar butter on top, thank you for sharing that awesome feedback!
Em says
Just finished making these (I’ve still got flour on my hands) and…WOW! They held their shape perfectly! I actually forgot to freeze one batch, and they still didn’t spread too badly. Very happy with this recipe!
Sweetphi says
YAY! Thank you so much for commenting and sharing feedback – I’m so glad you liked these cookies (I use the recipe anytime I need cut out cookies 😉 )
Elena Novak says
Hi there! Thank you for the recipe! The cookies turned out delicious, however, mine did spread… I think your secret is in the 10 minutes in the freezer. It is a step that I cannot do because I simply don’t have the freezer space to fit a cookie sheet… I live in a tiny space and my freezer fits a couple of bags of frozen veggies, that’s it! I also cannot have baking powder because it is a mixture of corn starch and baking soda and my kids are allergic to corn. I made a mixture of baking soda and arrow root to substitute for baking powder and I don’t know if that may have caused the misshaping too… Anyways, the taste is great! Thanks.
Sweetphi says
Hi Elena, thanks for stopping by and telling me how they turned out. The secret to these cookies is definitely putting them in the freezer, so that is definitely the key, also I haven’t cooked with arrow root so I’m not sure how that affected them. Glad you loved the flavor 🙂
Elena Novak says
Hi SweetPhi! I wanted to give this recipe another try with a few modifications… and succeeded making delicious and beautiful cookies. So I thought I’d share with you and anyone who struggles with gluten-free diets (it is a tough one for bakers!). I ended up getting very small cookie sheets at Home Goods to fit my tiny freezer, so I could enjoy the shapes I cut out. We chose pumpkins with different faces (cut and press style). So here are the modifications that worked!
Use 3 1/2 cups of sprouted organic oat flour
Add 1/4 cup arrow root to the recipe
Instead of baking powder, use 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp arrow root
I also added 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger and an extra 1 tsp of vanilla extract. I did use the lemon zest per recipe as well. I added an extra 1/2 tsp of sea salt (so a total of 1 tsp in the whole recipe)
Finally, I used 3/4 cup or organic maple sugar and 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar instead of the recommended amount of regular sugar.
Use plenty of flour to roll the dough out… this dough is very delicate, but it works with a little patience and a healthy dose of anticipation and optimism!
I used the rest of the recipe as is and the instructions as you wrote them. They are a success today and my kids are really excited about them! I have a 4 year old who reacts badly to gluten, so this is a real blessing for us to find a recipe that now works!
Thanks again!
Sweetphi says
Hi Elena,
Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and write those wonderful modifications you made to make the recipe work for your family (and I’m sure it will be super helpful to anyone with dietary restrictions!). Great cooking and baking is all about making modifications and adaptations to fit your family 🙂
All the best,
Phi
Amber Dawnn says
Just made these and they hold their shape really well! They weren’t as sweet as I am used to but I’m going to add frosting. And I did add a tiny bit of water to them because they were a little hard to roll for me, but they held their shape!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for the feedback. Sometimes if a little too much flour is put in on accident they do get crumbly, but a few drops of water helps them out. These are a European cookie so they’re not super duper sweet. Hopefully with the frosting you reached the desired level of sweetness, I’m totally going to make a note about the sweetness though just so that others know 🙂 Thanks again for the feedback, and don’t you love how they hold their shape?
Amber Dawnn says
Yes a bit of frosting gave them that extra bit of sweetness I needed and yes I’m still very impressed with the ability to hold their shape! Tried over 7 other recipes before I found this one now my search is over!
Sweetphi says
Oh my goodness, thank you SO much for coming back and commenting, that comment totally made my day! So glad my recipe worked for you 🙂
MyWifeMakes.com says
These are such beautiful photos of even more beautiful cookies!
I remember the first time I made sugar cookies as a teenager…well, my lions ended up spreading into hippos. ;(
I’ve been quite traumatized by that and have only made them a few times after, but always end up freaking out during the icing process because they never turn out the way I envision them. SIGH!
I’m so glad you’ve shared this no-spread recipe, It’ll be the one I use the next time I muster the courage to make sugar cookies!
Sweetphi says
Oh my goodness, that definitely does not sound like a great sugar cookie making experience lol! Definitely give this recipe a try, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how amazing they turn out!
Kim Le says
Can I add vanilla essence? If yes, how much do u recommend? Thanks
Sweetphi says
You could add vanilla extract, I’d recommend 1 teaspoon
JJ says
Hello , I’m wondering why my sugar cookies shrunk after baked :'(.. please assist here. Thank you very much.
Sweetphi says
Hi – I’m thinking that you might have had a touch too much flour in, that is commonly why they would shrink. When you’re measuring flour, try to make sure not to over measure, hope that helps 🙂
Lynn Lovejoy says
I love love LOVE these sugar cookies! They are perfect!! I wish I had this recipe when I was struggling to make my little airplanes lol! I love adding lemon zest though, I usually use lemon extract but now I want to try the zest! What a fabulous recipe and idea! Love it Phi!
Sweetphi says
Next time you need a sugar cookie recipe you know where to come to 🙂 I think you’ll love the addition of the lemon zest, it is a very subtle flavor that goes so well with sugar cookies
Meg @ The Housewife in Training Files says
I adore sugar cookies! I shared my Nana’s recipe that I have been making and eating since I was a little girl! Love your little cut outs…I need to get those snowflakes!
Sweetphi says
Thanks girl! Sugar cookies and the amazing memories associated with them are the best, aren’t they?
Samina | The Cupcake Confession says
Sugar cookies are such an important festive treat and I love the fact that you gave such amazing tips to make sure they turn out perfect! <3 Pinning!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much girl 🙂
Rachel @ Bakerita says
Ahh I typically HATE making sugar cookies because they alwaaaays spread on me! I need to try out this recipe, because sugar cookies are so so delicious. Pinned!
Sweetphi says
Girl, you totally have to try this, your cookies will hold their shape and you’ll love making sugar cookies 🙂 And I really appreciate the pin (trying to grow my pinterest 🙂 so every pin helps!)
Oriana | Mommyhood's Diary says
Sugar cookies are one of mine all-time favorites!! They are so good with a cup of coffee. I’ll apply your tip of freezing them next time. Pinned!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for the pin, truly appreciate that, and now I want a cup of coffee with some of these sugar cookies 🙂
Susan Craig says
I love the tip for freezing the cookies before putting them in the oven. I will try that. Thanks.
Sweetphi says
I think you’ll love these cookies, thank you so much for your comment!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
We are both doing sugar cookie recipes today! Yay for being on the same brain train! I hate when mine go all poofy and risey and ick, so this is SO great girl! Pinned!
Sweetphi says
That is the worst when things don’t turn out when you’re making cut out cookies, just the worst lol! Thank you so much for the pin, and I’m going to have to go check out your sugar cookies (great minds 🙂 )