Best Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies

5 from 4 votes

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Simple, unshow-offy sugar cookies are not to be understimated.

Plate of Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies.
Pile of Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies on a plate.

We love our sugar cookies so very much. Humble and show-offy, just a perfectly satisfying cookie. And they are so easy to make from scratch.

How to Make Classic Sugar Cookies

Mixing the dough is very simple. As with most basic drop cookies recipes, you’ll mix up the dry ingredients first, then cream the butter and sugar with a ferw more ingredients, then combine the two to form the dough.

Rolling the balls of dough in granulated sugar adds that extra something, a little bit of crunch on the surface. If you’re not in the mood, just skip it.

Woman rolling balls of Sugar Cookie dough.

To roll the balls of dough in sugar, place the remaining 1⁄2 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll pieces of dough into 1 1⁄2-inch balls; the dough will be quite soft and the balls don’t have to be perfectly round at all; you’ll still end up with round sugar cookies as the dough spreads when it bakes.

The balls of dough will be a bit sticky when you press them flat, so if you are using your palm you may need to give your hands a wash between batches, or butter the bottom of a glass and use that to press the cookies down. This is a great kid task.

Woman flattening balls of Sugar Cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet.

How Long to Bake Sugar Cookies?

Should sugar cookies be hard or soft? Good question, and the answer is it’s up to you, and what you and your people like. The baking time for these chewy sugar cookies is important, because it’s a key factor in producing a chewier cookie vs. a crunchier one.

You may have to play around a bit to determine what amount of time results in your perfect cookie. This is a pleasant chore. If you want crispier sugar cookies, at a couple of minutes of baking time; it’s that simple.

Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies on a wire rack.

The sugar cookies will be quite soft when they come out of the oven, if you are going for the chewy version. They will firm up as they cool, but not so much that they get crispy if you follow the suggested baking time.

Simple, unshow-offy sugar cookies are not to be underestimated.

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If the cookie dough is very soft, you can refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes so that it firms up a bit and is easier to handle. You can also store the dough in a well covered bowl or sealed container for 3 days before bringing to cool room temperature and rolling and baking.

Plate of Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies.

Storing Sugar Cookies

These will keep in a tightly sealed container for three to four days.

(Also, these are the perfect thank-you gift for your child’s teacher! To learn more about the Bake Your Teacher a Thank You program, click here.)

Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies leaning against each other on a plate.

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5 from 4 votes

Best Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies

Simple, unshow-offy sugar cookies are not to be understimated.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 33 minutes
Total Time: 48 minutes
Servings: 36 People

Ingredients 

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar plus 1⁄2 cup for rolling out the cookies (optional)
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Position two oven racks so that they divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Set the flour mixture aside.
  • Place the butter, 3⁄4 cup of the granulated sugar, and the confectioners’ sugar in a large mixing bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat them on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix until the batter is very light and smooth, about 2 minutes longer. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing each addition until blended.
  • Place the remaining 1⁄2 cup of granulated sugar, if using, in a shallow bowl. Roll pieces of dough into 1 1⁄2-inch balls; they’ll be sticky and soft and don’t have to be perfectly round at all . Roll each ball of dough in the sugar, then arrange them about 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. You’ll probably fit 12 cookies on each baking sheet so it will take at least three baking sheets for all of the cookies. You’ll want to bake two sheets at a time, placing one on the top rack and one on the bottom.
  • After you have placed all of the balls on the baking sheets, using your palm, gently press down on each ball until it is about 1⁄3-inch thick (this is enjoyable to do, very satisfying somehow).
  • Bake the cookies for 11 to 14 minutes, depending on how chewy or crisp you like them. I like them chewy, hence the name of the recipe, so I bake them for the shorter time. The cookies will still be very pale when they are done, so don’t think you should be waiting for them to turn golden brown.
  • Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies sit on them for about 1 minute to firm up a bit. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks to finish cooling.

Notes

Cooking Tip #1:

If the cookie dough is very soft, you can refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes so that it firms up a bit and is easier to handle.

Cooking Tip #2:

You don’t have to roll the little balls of dough in granulated sugar. This adds that extra something, and children find it entertaining to do, but if you’re not in the mood, just skip it. The balls of dough will be a bit sticky when you press them flat, so instead of using your palm you may want to butter the bottom of a glass and use that to press the cookies down.

Make Ahead:

These will keep in a tightly sealed container for three to four days.

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 67mg, Potassium: 22mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 171IU, Calcium: 8mg, Iron: 1mg
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About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

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