Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Soft sugar cookies that are perfect to be used with your cookie cutters, no matter what the holiday or occasion. These cookies are tender and soft but keep their shape so well as they bake. The tangy sour cream icing pairs nicely with the buttery cookies. This recipe gives you and your kids the chance to become artists.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect soft cut-out sugar cookie recipe ever since my boys were old enough to hold cookie cutters in their chubby little hands. There's something so special about baking these cookies together – it's the kind of fun, messy activity that makes great memories. After years of experimenting and testing (we're talking more than five!), I'm thrilled to finally share this recipe with you.

Over the years, I turned my kitchen into a cookie lab, testing countless variations to find the right balance. With such a simple recipe, there's no room for error – it has to be just right. I wanted these cookies to hold their shape perfectly, without spreading or puffing up too much, and, of course, to be soft and tender, staying that way for days! (Is that too much to ask for?) The icing went through its own round of testing too, making sure it complemented the cookies just right. I'm so excited for you to give this recipe a try!

Why should you try this recipe?

1. These cookies are buttery, delicious and SOFT. If you're going to put in effort of making homemade cookies, they'd better taste great:).
2. They are also really easy to make. You can make both the cookie dough as well as cut out the different shapes with your children. The cookies dough only takes a few minutes to prepare. Everyone who has ever attempted to bake with children knows that the simpler the recipe, the better the experience for everyone.
3. They keep their shape after baking! This is really important for a cut out cookie recipe. You want your cookies to come out as close as possible to the cookie cutter shape that you picked out, not puff out into a shapeless blob in the oven.
4. The sour cream icing is so unique and easy to work with. I love the tangy, creamy and sweet flavor of this icing. The sour cream cuts through all the sugar making it much less cloying.

Ingredients:

(Scroll to the bottom of the page for the printable recipe with all the measurements.)

Cookie Dough:

• butter - it's very important for the butter to be at room temperature before you make the cookie dough.
• sugar - I use white granulated sugar.
• egg - I use large eggs in baking. The egg also needs to be at room temperature.
• vanilla extract/almond extract - in most sugar cookies, both or one or the other is used to flavor the cookies. You can use both or just one, it's completely up to you and what flavor you prefer.
• all purpose flour
• salt - a bit of salt is great in most baked goods.
• baking powder -
  • This is an optional ingredient. If you don't over bake your cookies and chill the dough before rolling, you don't need to use it.

Icing:

• sour cream
• cream cheese - the cream cheese must be softened to room temperature, or it won't mix in evenly
• powdered/confectioner's sugar
• any food coloring that you want

How To Make Cut Out Sugar Cookies:

1. Make the cookie dough.
   • Cream the butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.)
   • Add the egg and the vanilla/almond extract. Mix until combined. 
   • Mix the flour, salt and baking powder, in a separate bowl to combine. 
   • Add half of the dry ingredients to the cookie dough mixture, slowly mixing to combine, starting at low speed and mix just until most of the flour is incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and repeat, being careful not to overmix the dough. 
2. Chill the cookie dough for at least an hour.
   • You can also make it up a day in advance or even freeze it for up to 3 months.
3. Roll out the cookie dough.
   • Try not to use too much additional flour. Roll out the dough on parchment paper or even between two sheets of parchment paper. I try to make the cookies about ½" thick.
   • Work with part of the dough at a time, so the rest of it stays chilled.
4. Save the scraps of cookie dough and roll out more cookies, but first, chill the dough until firm.
   • Any time you use cookie dough that is too warm, the cookies will spread out more. Also, try to get as many shapes as you can from one rolling. Place the cookies cutters as close to the edges and to each other as possible. The more times that you re-roll the dough, the less tender the cookies become.
5. Bake the cookies, being careful not to over bake them, for smaller cookies, 8-10 minutes and 10-12 for larger cookies.
   • They should still look pale when you take them out of the oven. The edges will be set, the top of the cookies should be a matte finish. The cookies should not be melted and gooey, but still look soft. You might think they aren't finished baking.

How to Make Sour Cream Icing:

1. Use a whisk to combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
   • Start by whisking the cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth. Then, slowly add the powdered sugar, a little bit at a time until you have mixed it all in. The icing should have a smooth consistency.
   • If you mix all the ingredients at once, at first it may seem as if there is too much sugar. Take your time and it eventually will come together. You can use a mixer to make the icing. In that case, definitely make sure to add the sugar in small parts. Otherwise you will have powdered sugar all over your kitchen.
2. Divide the icing into as many colors as you want to add and add your food coloring of choice.

Decorating the Cut Out Sugar Cookies

1. Cool the cookies before icing. Most of the time, I simply let my children ice the cookies any which way they want to.
2. If you want to make the cookies as neat as possible, transfer the icing into pastry bags. Then, cut out a small hole in the corner and pipe it out on the cookies.
3. Go around the cookies first with the icing and then fill in after you traced the edges all around. This will keep them neat and will keep excess icing from dripping from the sides.
4. If you want to add sprinkles, add them while the icing is still runny so it adheres to it. Otherwise it will roll off.

If you want to stack the cookies later, make sure the icing completely dries first. That takes hours, so I usually leave them overnight to dry and then stack. Otherwise, my boys just enjoy them right away.

Storing and Freezing Sugar Cookies

Store the baked and iced cookies at room temperature for up to a week.

Storing the Cookie Dough:

Store the cookie dough for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Make sure to wrap the cookie dough in multiple layers. This way, it will stay as fresh as possible, to prevent freezer burn or any aromas from getting absorbed.

Freezing Cookies:

The baked cookies can also be frozen. I recommend icing them after. There's a chance the icing will get wet and smear. Store the cookies in multiple layers of parchment paper, aluminum foil, freezer ziptop bags or airtight containers for 1-2 months.

Thaw at room temperature. I like to remove it from the packaging and wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. This helps to keep it from drying out and from any condensation making the cookies soggy.

Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

More Fun Recipes To Make With Your Kids

• Chocolate Salami
• Soft Farmer's Cheese Cookies
• Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Split Second Cookies (Shortbread Cookies with jam)

How To Make Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies Video

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