Quick and easy sugar cookies made with only 3 pantry ingredients and no egg! So simple and foolproof, you can whip up this sugar cookie recipe anytime. Sweet, buttery, and delicious!
If you love cookies that come together in a snap, check out our super popular No Bake Cookies and Rolo Cookies.
Sugar Cookies
Next to pies and pudding, cookies are a complete weakness of mine. Admittedly, I much prefer my cookies soft, either gooey or with goodies tucked throughout, as opposed to a crunchy cookie. The one exception is a sugar cookie – I enjoy those soft or crunchy, iced or plain. But I just simply never have the time or patience to make them.
Typically with sugar cookies, the dough needs to be divided, chilled for several hours, then rolled out, shaped, the scraps re-rolled, etc. Worth it for a perfect sugar cookie…I guess? What if I told you that you could have completely fantastic sugar cookies using only 3 ingredients and in less than an hour? Pretty exciting, right?!
Sugar Cookie Recipe
I’m so wild about this easy sugar cookie recipe, I may never make traditional ones again. In fact, these have been my go-to for the last couple of years. They’re infinitely easier and taste, well, just like a crunchy sugar cookie, and similar to shortbread.
All you need is unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and flour. (A touch of vanilla added to the dough and finished with some sprinkles make them even better, but these two ingredients are not necessary to make this sugar cookie recipe.)
How to Make Sugar Cookies
It’s almost criminal how easy these cookies are to make, but nobody is getting arrested! HA. There are only 4 really simple steps. Here’s a brief summary (scroll down for the detailed, complete printable recipe.)
- Make the dough: beat together butter, sugar, and flour until blended.
- Form the cookies: form the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar, then flatten them with a glass or measuring cup.
- Bake: bake until just barely golden around the edges and bottom.
- Rest: let rest and cool for at least 10-15 minutes before eating.
That’s it. No rolling, no dividing, no chilling, and barely any waiting!
Recipe Tips
- Use a cookie scoop: Using a small cookie scoop is best for ease and cookie uniformity, so they all cook at the same rate.
- The thickness matters: Once the raw dough balls are flattened, they should end up being between an 1/8-1/4 inch thick, so 3/16 to be exact. (They will look pretty small in circumference, but they will spread to a normal size cookie.)
- Leave space in between: Cookie dough should be placed on the cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart, because they do spread while baking.
- Cool properly: After baking, these cookies need to remain on the cookie sheet for at least 10-15 minutes before moving them to cool completely, because they are fragile at first. Once cooled, though, they’re sturdy.
- Take them up a notch: While vanilla extract and sprinkles are not needed for this recipe to work, the addition of the two is recommended!
Recipe Notes
Can this recipe be used for cut-out cookies? Unfortunately, no. Since the recipe doesn’t include any eggs, the dough doesn’t bind well enough and the cookies could end up crumbling when you use a cookie cutter.
Can these be frosted? Yes, you can definitely frost these with royal icing or drizzle a simple icing on top. Whisk together some powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until you get the desired consistency. Drizzle and allow to set.
Decorate with sprinkles or nonpareils: Feel free to gently press some sprinkles or nonpareils onto the cookies before baking them.
How many calories in a sugar cookie? One of these sugar cookies is only 90 calories. Great with a cup of coffee.
How to Store
Let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in single layers with parchment paper in between.
How long do sugar cookies last? Stored properly, they will last on the countertop for up to 5 days.
Can you freeze sugar cookies? If you want to freeze these, I recommend forming the dough balls and freezing those. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then roll in the sugar and bake as directed. The dough can be frozen up to 2 months.
Watch them Being Made
These easy sugar cookies are a great recipe for a novice baker to try out, or if you’ve got young kids at home and want to introduce them to baking. No fuss, few ingredients, and comes together in minutes!
Other Easy Cookie Recipes
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
{3 Ingredient} Easy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter , room temperature
- 2/3 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar , divided
- 2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional, but recommended)
- rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat together butter and 2/3 cup sugar until combined. (It will be a little gritty – that's ok.)
- Add in flour and blend well (then blend in the vanilla, if using.)
- Using a cookie scoop, roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
- Gently roll the balls in the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar until lightly coated; transfer to the baking sheets 2 inches apart.
- With the bottom of a measuring cup or glass, press down on the balls to flatten. Sprinkle with some nonpareils (if using) and lightly press down again just so they stick. (The dough should end up being between an 1/8-1/4 inch thick, so 3/16 to be exact. They will look pretty small in circumference, but they will spread a bit to a normal size cookie.)
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until just slightly golden around the edges and on the bottom.
- Remove form the oven and let rest on the baking sheets for at least 10-15 minutes (don't skip this step!) Then eat or transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
- TROUBLESHOOTING: see note below
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Other Notes
Hi, one thing I always struggle with is what placement in the oven. Upper, middle, lower?
These are the best sugar cookies I have ever had!
I love this so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love this recipe. I used coconut sugar instead and it worked so well.
Love the cookie, was easy and cookies came out crispy
I love the simplicity of this recipe and have made it a dozen times; however, at least a few basically melt and I use a small cup to “round it out” when they come out. One thing I don’t do because I’m lazy is to soften butter. I cut in small pieces and then incorporate into the sugar. Could that be my problems?
Baking is a science and there’s a reason the recipe is written the way it is, so yes, that is probably creating the problem.
I have made these 2 nights in a row per my family’s request. I halved the recipe the first time. I won’t make thar mistake again. I used almond extract instead of vanilla because I was out. I will definitely be making again with different extracts. I think lemon next. These are such a great basic cookie!
Very simple and easy recipe for when you’re craving a sweet treat – however, I very much wavered on whether or not I would consider these a 5 star cookie or a 4. I am very unclear why unsalted butter was the choice over salted, but I guess I’ll have to further test in the next few months!!
Fun mix-ins that included in a few portions of the dough were lemon zest for one portion, and coconut shreds in another portion of the dough!
I don’t use unsalted either. I make my own butter and it’s never really salty anyway. Turns out great every time.
Excellent cookies — delicious, simple, easy, quick. I use 1/2 tsp vanilla, no sprinkles or nonpareils. Mine need about 18 minutes baking on parchment on a dark nonstick sheet. Sometimes I add 2 T unsweetened shredded coconut in with the flour. Mmmm.
Love this simple little cookie. I’m not much of a baker and these were very easy for me and tasted great!
Love this recipe. Sooo easy and love that it had no eggs since my husband doesn’t eat eggs. Kids said it was yummy…
I did tweak it a little a used 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup powdered sugar in the batter and then also used1 Tbsp if powered sugar and 2Tbdp granulated sugar for the rolling process.
Can you freeze these after baking?
Yep!
Had a fun baking day with my daughter yesterday and made these. We loved them. So easy. I used almond extract instead of vanilla.
These are incredible; I actually made them with plant based butter and they turned out beautifully. Thanks for the recipe!
My coworkers think I’m a baker! These are more of a butter cookie than a sugar cookie. I made them to share with coworkers to celebrate my puppy’s first birthday since she’s spent a lot of time at my job. Everyone praised my baking skills and they have no idea these were so easy to make! I’ll have to double the recipe the next time and find a way to make a festive version for the holidays.
Almost everybody has these ingredients because you don’t need sprinkles and there’s a lot of things you could add to make them special it’s so quick and easy that a tween could make them without supervision so if your a child trusted with honor of making desert get ready for a lot of praise same if your a lazy adult that hasn’t really done any baking that wants to make something special. A good add in is chocolate syrup and blueberrys
Why is this so good but easy btw if you add blueberries and chocolate syrup you can either make a ‘birth day cake’ or just make it better
I made these last night after seeing this recipe. I halved the recipe in case they didn’t turn out. I only left them in the oven for 11 minutes and they came out so chewy and perfect!! How easy!! This will be my go-to sugar cookie recipe from now on. I did ad 1/4 tsp of pure vanilla extract so for the full recipe I’ll use a half tsp. Very good cookies.
I really love this recipe is very easy and I made quite a bit of batches for my daughter in college and her roommates and they really enjoyed it and thank you very much!!!
Perfection! This recipe was surprisingly good for such little effort. The dough came together perfectly. Will definitely make again.
Can you replace with butter with olive oil ?
Hi Leah – I’ve never tested these cookies with olive oil so I can’t vouch for results.
This is such a great, and simple recipe. The cookies are always delicious. Can’t go wrong with these, people can’t pass em up!! You will definitely be the talk of the night with these! Thanks!!
This recipe was a cheap and quick fix for something sweet and so delicious
I loved this recipe so much and I really had fun making it with my kids. It really inspired them to bring out their creativity when it came to decorating. <3
So quick and easy.I tossed in some chocolate chips and some cinnamon with the sugar.Theyre delicious.
The recipe was great, and cookie cutters work, you just have to play it by ear while they are cooking, depending on what size they are. I would recommend adding a 1/2 cup water to the batter.
Perfect for a quick dessert! I make them for the daycare I work at and the kids love them!
I don’t have unsalted butter. Will the cookies still turn out?
I can’t wait to try. Thank you!
Hi my oven has degrees what do I do
You can google a Fahrenheit to Celsius calcuator
I loved this recipe! The cookies were not too sweet, it’s the right amount of sweetness and texture. My family enjoyed them! Oh, they were gone in 60 seconds! Lol
Tried to adjust to cookie bars with 2 eggs added, 1 cup more sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt Bake on 350 glass dish 8×10?? 45 mins
Loved making this recipe it was so fun. Second time made red white and blue cookies with sprinkles
Easy to make and my great granddaughter loves making them.
These cookies are great! I’m a para and made a giant batch of them for the SPED classes in our school. I melted some chocolate/white chocolate chips and dipped the cookies in it, added sprinkles, and left them to harden. They tasted amazing with or without the chocolate. Everyone loved them. Thank you for this easy recipe!
This was a super easy and delicious recipe! I love the fact that its only uses 3 ingredients plus the optional vanilla, which I think it definitely adds to it. I used a little less flour and probably 1 tbsp of vanilla. Thank you for this!
My family and I love these sugar cookies. Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Great easy and delicious cookie recipe. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. I made half the batch by rolling the balls in Caramel Corn Popcorn Seasoning. YUMMY!
Is it okay if I use salted butter?
Yes, that’s fine.
Love this recipe! It was so easy and I already had all the ingredients in my pantry! They were delicious!
These are so easy to make and they are good.
Easy and came out just right!
This was so easy and so yummy!
I MADE THIS RECIPE WHITH MY DAUGHTER RAMSY AND WOULD RECOMMEND!
Do I melt the butter?
I did and it was fine
perfect cookies i made them for 14 minutes and added 4 more because they came out a little undercooked and they came out perfect
HOLY CRAP I LOVEEE THESE MY FAMILY ATE THEM ALL IN JUST AND HOUR
These look great! Would the dough work with food coloring, or is it too fragile?
Hi Susanna! I’ve never tried to dye this dough – I think just a couple drops would be fine.
Love this recipe. When I roll dough in sugar can I add some cinnamon to the sugar?
These were easy to make with my grand babies and tasted great!
Loved these cookies, so yummy & easy to make. A ? for you, what if I don’t flatten them, as I like cookies to be chunky? Thank you.
Can’t believe how easy these were! I added in a splash of almond extract.
I made these today as a last-minute Valentine’s Day dessert. I was really suspicious because after mixing the 3 ingredients they were SO dry and would not turn into balls at all. I panicked because we were out of milk so I just added about 1/2 cup of water and some skim milk powder we had in the cupboard, crossed my fingers, and threw them in the oven. They took a lot longer than the recipe but they turned out SO good! Like shockingly good for 3(ish) ingredients + random water lol. Soft and fluffy! And surprisingly not too sweet, also. A total win! I’ll definitely make these again.
IN LOVE!! MY NEW FAVE COMFORT FOOD <33
These were perfect for baking with my 2-year-old! Simple and delicious! Thank you ?
Love this recipe. Very simple to make. I used a little lemon juice and extract in addition to the vanilla. Yum !
Thanks for the recipe
They were very easy and good
I haven’t had a cookie this amazing in a long time!! Holy moly! I used 1½ cups of whole wheat flour and added ½ of salt. Perfection. So buttery and delicious!
This is more of a butter cookie/shortbread taste rather than a sugar cookie but still good!
I made this recipe! It was so easy and fast! So tasty!
The current price of eggs makes this a wonderful cookie to make. I misread the instructions on sugar and included the 3 tablespoons of extra sugar in the batter. That’s OKI didn’t roll them in sugar anyway I put colored sugar on the top. These are wonderful and I’m on my 2nd batch right now making them.
I halved the recipe because I didn’t have much sugar on hand. I think that the something off as the cookies turned out VERY short. I had to form them by hand and when I tried to flatten them with a glass, they broke apart. They smell amazing, tho, so I imagine it was user error.
I had to improvise as I didn’t have enough butter and it wasn’t unsalted. I used half shortening and half butter. For giggles I add a few drops orange extract. They didn’t flatten like pictures, but they were delicious! This ones a keeper!
Love it nice and soft and I added eggs
My first time making cookies from scratch and it couldn’t have been easier. Thank you so much for this.
made these for Christmas baking this year and they were so easy and diff toppings tasted great on them (colored sugar, or sprinkles, or drizzled lemon or almond icing)
These cookies saved our Christmas. I didn’t really feel like making any treats but how can you not have Christmas cookies? I’m not a Grinch, but I wanted something super easy. These were perfect and SO YUMMY! We’ll definitely be making again and again! Thank you so much!
So good! Modification for high altitude. I live at 8000 altitude and found I had to add a few TB of milk to the recipe. Other than that it was yummy!
Very good and so easy
I have never had a lot of luck with sugar cookies. This recipe was easy Peezy, and easy to stick to the instructions without screwing up. They turned out beautifully and so yummy! A keeper!
Easiest cookies ever! Made with them my grandbabies for a fun snow day activity stuck in side. Loved them!
I made these with my students! They are amazing, easy and my very picky students really love them.
Love these cookies! Living in an RV FOR 6 months these are great!
This recipe is the best. i used it to make cookies for my entire class, which is a big class but it was quick and easy. im so gratful for it.
Great quick cookie recipe, it was a hit with the kids, and 3 simple ingredients!
Quick and easy. Turned out well
Hi! So me and my girl made these, following the recipe to a tee, and voila, out came a perfect , melt in your mouth cookie, and so easy to clean up. Thank you for giving me something to bond with my only daughter over, her four brothers love them too, lol.
My boyfriend and I made these cookies as one of our holiday activities together. We had fun and the cookies turned out great. I am no baker but I am encouraged by the results and will definitely use this recipe again.
I used flavored cotton candy sugar and made them strawberry flavored they turned out delicious. The sugar was left over from a charity event and I was trying to find a way to use it up. Made these with my grandsons so easy. They loved rolling them in the sugar I used reg sugar for that step
OMG i love this recipe! So easy to make and use simple ingredients. But what if i add a little lemon juice and zest, so it would have a lil tangy taste, would it be make the dough different?
At first I questioned the “no egg”, however they are going great! I was also able to mix it all by hand and it was an easy make!
A keeper! I used salted butter as it was all I had on hand and I used vanilla. Light and just the right amount of crispy/chewy. Tasted more like a shortbread cookie to me, I’ve never made sugar cookies from scratch because they always seemed so time consuming. But I can make these with my grandkids easily!
Fingers crossed trying for Christmas!!
Do think I could shape them into a heart shape? By hand, not a cookie cutter.
I thought these were going to be very dense like shortbread but they were nice and light like a sugar cookie! These are so amazing!! I used vanilla and almond extract and rolled in sugar- I’ll definitely be making these a lot!!! Thank you so much for the tips to make baking them successful too!
It was delicious
These cookies are simply delicious! So basic and easy to make–I shared the recipe with my three daughters who have limited time to bake and have no time to get crazy with endless ingredients. The cookies reminded me of Lorna Doone cookies. So good!
i mixed all ingredients by hand.they were easy to make.ill problably bake tese again as a one of our xmas cookies.mine were ready perfect in only 10 min. thanks!
I had no unsalted butter, I had no sugar, but I needed something sweet & found this recipe. I used regular salted butter and Splenda and I added mini chocolate chips in the dough with vanilla extract … these cookies really blew my mind! They are delicious! Thank you so much for this easy, quick recipe!
I’ve made these a few times now, and they are by FAR the easiest, tastiest cookies I’ve ever baked! The only problem is dealing with the cravings you’ll get every other day for more cookies!
Easiest sugar cookies ever! I had my little granddaughters help me. Enjoy one with a cup of coffee as I write this.
Such an amazing, really good recipe!! This recipe just melts in your mouth. Although I only had salted butter on hand, so I used that instead. Yum! It was a hit here at home.
This recipe is amazing! First time making them went really well.
I’ve used this recipe several times and they always come out AMAZING. It’s my go to cookie recipe. The only thing I do different is sprinkle a little sugar on top instead of rolling them in sugar and I do use vanilla,
Honestly when I looked at the recipe I was a bit skeptical because I’ve tried some many recipes and they never came out the way I wanted. This recipe was amazing and whole family loved them.
How many cookies does this recipe
Make ?
Made these with my grandbabies and they were great! I loved how simple they were. We baked for a couple minutes less to ensure they were soft and not crunchy. Probably could have baked for the instructed time though. Might try and add mini chocolate chips next time.
Delicious and very easy to make
My 5 yr old daughter found this recipe through a Google search. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about it so I decided to try it while she was asleep. Listen! These cookies are perfection! Just the right balance of crispy and sweet and 100% delicious! Now I have to eat the whole batch so we can make it for real tomorrow and she won’t know I doubted her. Thanks for the recipe! Love from Trinidad and Tobago.
Awesome recipe. Quick and easy and my husband ate 4 in one setting. I did make them slightly larger and omitted the vanilla. Next time I’ll try it and see if it makes a difference. I didn’t have sugar on hand so I used some caster sugar. Not sure if that changed the consistency since I’ve never made cookies from scratch. Definitely a repeat. Thanks!
The vanilla makes a world of difference.
I love how it taste especially the slight chewiness in your bite . This recipe was the first I clicked on and the last I really enjoyed how easy these were
This is the best recipe. My daughter and I made them for an event. We used this recipe as a mini pie crust with Apple pie feeling. It was a hit.
So easy and tasty. I added just a few mini chocolate chips to mine instead of the sprinkles.
Made these with my 5 and 7 year old. They loved them and I loved how easy it was!
These cookies are yummy
This recipe is great!! I mixed sugar and sprinkles together in a bowl and rolled them in that. Recipe a keeper!
Would this recipe be a good base for fruit pizzas?
Hannah we used them as a crust for mini apple pies so it would definitely work. good luck and enjoy
So Good! Making a second batch!! I saw you on TikTok and came straight for the recipe.
PERFECT SUGAR COOKIES! Easy and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and got delicious crispy cookies. My family loved them.
The recipe was amazing and easy!
Loved this recipe. So easy. I saved a few to crumble up over ice cream.
I made this in the AIR FRYER !!! So quick easy and my toddler got to help every with every step thank you !!
Altogether they are good. More the sort of thing I would need to eat with milk. But good, cheap and crazy fast to make. Definitely satisfied and perfect recipe for a get together where you need to make big batches quick and on a dime.
Loved these cookies. My 6 year old helped me make them. So easy and just the right amount of sweetness. I did include vanilla.
Loved these!
I was a little skeptical about the recipe at first because of the low amounts of ingredients it takes, but they came out AMAZING! This recipe is simple and super easy to make! I halved the recipe, but they were gone so soon that I will definitely make the full batch next time. I used Cup 4 Cup flour because I can’t have gluten, and they were delicious. Added bonus that you can eat the dough because there are no raw eggs! Thank you so much <3.
Follow the recipe exactly as written or they will be dry. Although Amy was clear, I thought I could reduce the butter used. Incorrect! I followed the second time and they are wonderful.
I’m only 12 and me and my family loved these cookies so much, they were gone the day I made them! Thanks for the recipe!
I am an 11 year old and I love to bake. Yesterday me and my sister whipped up some cookies and they were delicious ! We served some to our parents and they loved them too! My mom even went back for more! I will definitely do this again.
can you use icing sugar?
I love this so much I made them and I am only 11 years old they are fast to make and so easy
well it wasnt bad… i dont blame you though. me and my friend wanted something to snack on. my friend suggested water to be added because he rushed into it. with the cookie dough clumped up into a complete mess. we retried because it failed with water. i followed the video instructions and BAM! perfectly great sugar cookies. they tasted heavenly. thank you for the recipe
Do you have to use unsalted butter
If you don’t mind a saltier cookie, salted butter is totally fine!
I halved the recipe, but used the full amount of vanilla and added an egg because I had one to use up. They were delicious! I had to chill the dough because it got sticky, but it was fine.
A great option for when you’re craving something sweet, but don’t have a lot of ingredients on hand.
Added an egg, extra vanilla, no mixer, and 13 mins in the oven!
Such a fun easy recipe to make with my toddler. They always turn out delicious and he is able to help with a lot of the steps.
Shape didn’t turn out like the picture; maybe with more practice it’ll turn out exact. They tasted buttery and soft!
My kids love this cookies especially since he has allergies. I just substituted the buyer with margarine and it’s still perfect. Thank you
Hello! I’m a young baker and i absolutely LOVED these! I will be coming back to this recipe more often! <3
This tastes amazing!!! My Kids love it!!
This was delicious, I added 1 egg , a little water and some almond extract in addition and I also made a glaze! Thanks for the recipe
So easy and tasted great. I used salted butter.
This was so freaking easy! Though the cookies didn’t turn out like the picture. I guess I just need to keep practicing. Other than that, it tastes fine (not as good as the cookie dough lol) but this was my first time ever making something from scratch, so thank Mrs. Doe for sharing this recipe with us!
~Megan~
this was very easy but i thought it needed a bit more flavor. maybe more vanilla.
Great cookies! Cooked them 16 minutes, let rest. Soft and smooth!!! Delicious butter flavor!!
Such an easy tasty cookie. Enjoying one right now with a cup of tea. Thanks!
These were the crumbliest cookies I’ve ever made, it was hard to get them in the ball and then hard to flatten without them falling apart, they definitely don’t have nice edges like yours. Hoping they taste good and don’t fall apart when I try to eat them!
SO YUMMY! Instead of vanilla, I used almond extract and orange extract. Makes them seem really fancy without any extra effort–would recommend! I’ll definitely keep this recipe around to keep experimenting!
These turned out great!! I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free 1-1 flour. Added 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract and 2 tbsp water. Turned out fantastic!!!
Does it have to be unsalted butter? I can’t wait to try making these. They sound easy to make for this non-baker.
Hi Alice! Regular salted butter is totally fine. The cookies will just be…saltier. But we love them that way, too. Enjoy!
This is a great recipe for teaching young bakers. Measuring, mixing and baking. The recipe is simple to keep their attention, there are no raw eggs so they can taste their dough and then delight in eating their finished project. This recipe is going in Grandma’s activity book of things we can do together.
I’m a rookie baker..this is the second time I made these sugar cookies..and I have 2 problems..you say the recipe makes 34 cookies…I get 13..AND I never have to worry about storing them in an air tight container, cuz they all fit nicely in my belly…sorta like dinner…bellyfull for sure..grazi from a happy Italian!
These are soooo good!!
This recipe is amazing and super quick! Thank you so much Amy!!
Love love love these easy cookies! Perfect little bite in the morning with coffee. I froze a bunch of the raw cookie dough balls and just pop a few in my air fryer whenever I want a sweet treat without baking an entire batch.
I think I messed up. These cookies came out flat. Maybe it was me. Did anyone else experience this?
This is absolutely delicious!!! I was a bit skeptical. Because I recently came across a pancake recipe online that was absolutely horrible. I always try my hardest to fallow instructions to a T and thoes pancakes were so bad. (Way too much baking soda). But this recipe is so wonderful and delicious! With such few ingredients too. I’m incredibly impressed. Amazing cookies!
Loved this recipe! So easy. Made them with my daughter for a school event.
Does the 1 tbs of flour go in with the 2cups when mixing the dough? Also, are they sweet enough if you don’t want to roll them in sugar? I just don’t want a sugary mess of a cookie for my little one to eat.. he gets it EVERYWHERE lol
All the flour gets mixed in together. You can skip rolling them in sugar if you prefer.
Very good!
just made these and i love them one of my favorite recipes
Very good cookie! I made these and all my family said they want me to make more! Might make these for my school fundraiser! 10/10
My 13 year old son and I made this recipe tonight. It was super easy and better than expected for the amount of energy and time that we devoted, which was about 30 minutes. My husband and I loved the cookies even more than my son.
Great easy cookies. I topped them with buttercream and sprinkles. They are a hit with everyone. My oven is slow so it takes me at least 25 minutes for these to bake. Soooo good. Thank you for the recipe!??
The first time I made a cookie, it looked revolting. But when I made cookies like this, I decided to give my friends some because it tasted better than my first cookie!
so so so delicious (add a little more vanilla than called for) everyone loved them and couldn’t believe they were home made!!
Absolutely in love with this recipe!
Wonderfully simple cookie with the perfect texture. Seriously couldn’t believe how easy these were. Next time I might roll them in colored sanding sugar.
These cookies are wonderful as they’re a combination of my two favorites…sugar cookies and shortbread! I’m making them again for the second time in three days! Thanks so much!
Excellent result. Good cookie. Easy process.
My son and I had a baking day today. We made these cookies (and also the hot cocoa cookies from this site – so good!) For these sugar ones, we left off the sprinkles and put two together with buttercream frosting in between for sugar sandwich cookies. Baked 1 minute less to make sure they were soft. Loved them. So easy, thank you!
Can I add Food Coloring to the dough?
Best sugar cookies I’ve ever tasted
Just didn’t do it for us. My 7 year old son likes them well enough. My 4 year old daughter doesn’t like them. The flavor profile just isn’t there without the additional ingredients.
Loved them! Thank you so much for this easy cookie recipe. Perfect for the novice baker – that’s me!
can these be dipped in chocolate after cooled?
Sure!
Simple, fast and forgiving dough! I love this recipe, the cookies it makes are fantastic! I want to make it again with jaggery instead of sugar!
I added an egg to mine. Hopefully it comes out good! Will update :
Have you made these with the egg yet? How did they turn out?
Loved these! I added in a 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and also a pinch of salt. Would definitely make these again. So easy!
Mine are a little loose. Can I add more flour
Has anyone tried making these with a vegetable oil spread, like Imperial? I have to make a very large batch and I’m trying to cut costs.
Was a little questionable at first because the cookies took a little than 15 minutes and I put walnuts in the cookies but they were amazing!!! Simple recipe but devine in taste…
Was looking for a “softer shortbread” recipe and this one from Amy absolutely nailed it. Exactly what I was looking for- made adjustments to the cook time for my oven and they came out perfect. Looking forward to making holiday variations for Christmas!! Thank you so much.
I loved this recipe..easy easy..so tasty..family loves it
I didn’t have unsalted butter, so I used salted, and I added an additional 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. They were perfect!
Easy and tastes good. Took a while to cook though. But I will make again.
Hi Michelle! Not sure what you mean that they took a while to cook? They should cook for 14-16 minutes per the recipe instructions.
This recipe was the best and the easiest!!!
Was excited to make these but was disappointed. The texture came out great but not good flavor at all.
Can I add regular butter, or does it have to be unsalted butter for it to have the same consistency??
Salted butter is totally fine. It will just result in a saltier tasting cookie.
So you stated you can not make cut outs with these cookies.
I chilled for a few hours and rolled out and was able to make cut outs with no problem!
I have made sugar cookies in the past that take a lot of ingredients and time… I received more compliments on this recipe than others! We are about to make more.
I’m so happy to hear it, Jennifer! We typically find that the texture of these is too fragile to cut out and prefer our cut-out sugar cookies, here: https://bellyfull.net/cut-out-sugar-cookies/ BUT that’s awesome you had great results!
Great to hear. Can you provide how many cookies you were able to cut out and what their size was? I love this recipe too and have to make 100 cookies for school.
I found this recipe while looking for something to make with son using the few things I had on hand. These were SO good!! They were so easy to make and delicious. I’ll definitely be making these again.
Easy recipe. Definitely had to squeeze the dough between my fingers to get the balls to form. Next time I would add more vanilla or different extract to enhance the flavor. I didn’t use parchment and had no problem releasing from pan.
Loved these. So simple and tasty. I left the sprinkles off.
Thank you so much for this. I’m a grade school teacher and was trying to find something quick and really easy for my students to make this holiday season. These were a big hit..and any extras didn’t last long in the teachers lounge. LOL.
Let me preference this by saying I’ve always liked to cook, but until recently my cooking revolved around meat that could be cooked on a grill…period. I’m trying to expand my horizons, but I’m still not comfortable in a kitchen and I lack the cooking ‘tools’ needed to get fancy. But I’m working on correcting all that.
Anyway, last night I had a craving for something sweet. It had to be quick and easy so I starting looking. Luckily I ran across Amy’s five ingredient sugar cookies! Even though I lack experience and tools they turned out great! I didn’t have the exact ingredients so I winged it. I only had one stick of butter so I made up the difference with what my grandmother called ‘tub butter’ or soft margarine. Also, I was out of vanilla so I used almond extract. Amy used a cookie scoop to form her cookies (something I didn’t know existed until last night) I used an ice-cream scoop. Even with my lack of tools and proper ingredients, the cookies turned out to huge, and absolutely delicious! They were brown and a little crispy on the edges as they should be, and soft and wonderful in the middle.
I surprised my wife and daughters with a plate full. They were amazed and a little suspicious when I told them that I had made them. Then I showed them the mess in the kitchen and made believers out of them! Bottom line, if I can successfully make these cookies, anybody can!
I found the the sugar cookie recipe that I’m going to use for Christmas! Yahoo!!! I’m going to trying chillin them in fridge first so I can try making cute kitty cutouts and decorating them in Christmas theme. So excited and I hope this ? works! Finding an easy recipe is a big help, thank you! I always follow recipes to a tee and all the suggestions and tips, so making cut outs is a big deviation. I hope they don’t crumble. Wish .me luck!
Super easy, super yummy!
Needed something sweet that was quick and easy for guests…found this cookie recipe and took a chance. Big hit!
I didn’t think there was any way these would work because of the simple ingredients, but color me impressed. They were GREAT.
Loved them! Easiest cookie ever.
So easy to make! I had my grandkids help me. We all loved them. Left them plain this time, but thinking of frosting them for Christmas.
Love these cookies , I added some cream cheese and oh my goodness they were so good !
These sugar cookies were perfect for baking with kids! They turned out ~delicious~! We also added some icing to it. Thank you so much!
I’m a 14 year old young baker, and I was looking for a quick and easy cookie recipe and came along this one! I love the creativity and the taste in these cookies! Thanks!
My two tween daughters are in love with this recipe and they love that they can easily make it themselves.
Can this recipe work with gluten free flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour?
Yep! Works perfectly!
good recipe I added 2 tbs lemon juice and 1/4 cup seeds so good
What if I use salted butter? Always have it on hand, but unsalted never.
Makes no difference in the texture of the dough only thing is it will have a bit of salt in the cookie, which is much needed in any food item. As long as you adjust any salt a recipe calls for, because you’re using salted butter, then you can substitute salted butter for anything in the future.. not just be these cookies. :) Hope this helps!
I have made these with cinnamon sugar, almond extract, lemon ring and extract, choc chip, mini m&ms and salted caramel. It’s so incredibly versatile. I usually add a little extra flour and a pinch of sea salt. Winner every time!
Easy and delicious! Hubby called them addictive lol they aren’t like a traditional sugar cookie but excellent in their own right. Thanks for the recipe!
I used this recipe with my 3 year old daughter today. It was very fast,easy, and DELICIOUS!!!! a must try. Thanks you a million this recipe is one for the books, a keeper.
Can I mix the sprinkles into the batter ?
I don’t see why not.
Shared these cookies with my coworkers and we all loved them! This is definitely my favorite cookie recipe, it’s awesome for when you’re in a time crunch.
Love these! Don’t think it gets any easier. I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times now. I baked 1 minute less for a slightly softer texture and less like shortbread, but you can’t go wrong either way.
Great cookie! I’m not much of a baker but was craving something sweet and needed an easy recipe. Doesn’t get much easier than this. I left off the sprinkles.
I made these cookies into thumbprint cookies for anyone who wants to try it, don’t roll them in suger and only slightly flatten them, then make a thumbprint in the middle and after they have cooked, and your fave jam! Thanks for the recipe! Made them with my daughter, so easy!
Made these for a friend at work. They were a hit! They are now added to my cookie list. Thank you!
Amazing!!! I just made these for my brothers, hope they like them. Recipe was sooo easy to follow!
We loved these!
Amazing it’s so nice and easy to make!
Made these with my 7 year old daughter today – so easy and tasty. Thank you!
When I first saw this recipe I thought, there is no way a 3 ingredient sugar cookie recipe will work, but I can happily say that this recipe proved me wrong! These are easily the best sugar cookies I have ever made, they are so easy to make, and they hardly use any ingredients! I loved this recipe and will definitely make it again!
Made this again today. I’ve probably made it 4 or 5 times now – my kids beg for it. It’s super easy and always comes out. Sometimes I make salted caramel, sometimes not. The key to avoid crystallization is not to stir, but just gently swirl and not high up the sides of the pot.
These would def fall under a butter cookie.
these cookies were so yummy and easy to make!
A great little cookie. No frills noting complicated. Just easy with a great buttery taste. They were perfect.
i loved these cookies so much i just have a whole big container of sugar cookies now
Just made a batch & eagerly waiting for them to come out of oven
Can you make the dough ahead of time?
Hi Micah – Yes. Storage and freezing information is included in the article. Thanks!
My daughter and I did a baking day today and I needed something easy – these were perfect and tasted great too!
I swapped the sugar for brown sugar and added two teaspoons of cinnamon, plus rolled them in a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. They were the perfect Autumn snack! My husband is obsessed.
That sounds perfect, I’m trying that! Thanks!
So yummy! Taste like a short bread butter cookie, but so good! Definitely try baking them.
Love this recipe! Simple and oh so good! I needed a quick fix for cookies and this was it. So good! Don’t hesitate- make them. I had one, then another and then who is counting! Oh, and add the vanilla ;)
I don’t know if this is for everyone but mine tasted nothing like sugar cookies; they taste like Danish butter cookies…. I’m not mad!
I wonder if you could add some cocoa powder to the flour, and make chocolate sugar cookies?
We have a different recipe for that, here: https://bellyfull.net/chocolate-sugar-cookies/
My daughter and I had a baking day and I needed something simple – these were the easiest cookies ever and tasted great.
Simple and delicious. A quick fix for my sweet tooth.
nice
This is by far the BEST sugar cookie recipe I’ve ever used!!! To top it off, there’s only 3 ingredients! …Crazy!
These were great! I was worried they would be too dry but they were perfect. I made half the batch and my family really enjoyed them. They were very quick to whip up. I found that 13 minutes was long enough to bake them. It’s also fun because you can taste the raw dough since there’s no egg! :)
This recipe is really great. I followed it exactly and the cookies came out great.
10 out of 10
It was the fastest prep time I must admit, but I keep burning my cookies, what am I doing wrong. I even reduced the temp the second time and took it out in 10mins, but bottom burnt and top not cooked through. Help.
Hm, not quite sure. Are you using parchment paper as the recipe instructs? Are you baking on the middle rack and not bottom? Those can both play a role.
Thank you Amy for such a delicious easy to make cookie
I loved them.
Made two batches of these or Memorial Day weekend – one regular and one with red/white/blue sanding sugar. They were so easy and tasted great. Perfect sweet snack for the day, everyone loved them.
I was skeptical, but so glad I made these – as easy as it get and they were so good!
YUM so easy, yummy, fast, and kid-safe
Just a fabulous cookie. So easy, tastes great. I’ve made them several times now – sometimes I bake for 1 to 2 minutes less for a slightly softer texture and I rarely add the sprinkles, but you can’t go wrong either way.
Super easy and delicious – loved these!
I’ve made these countless times now, they’re my favorite when I want something uncomplicated and quick. Sometimes I replace the vanilla with almond extract. Such a great recipe!
I made these for my residents and they LOVED them! They really are easy! They tasted delicious!
this recipe is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! it’s so quick, easy, and the cookies are so delicious. they’re so buttery and everyone loved them! i’ve already made these multiple times and i will continue making them. i really recommend adding a powdered sugar + milk glaze!
My new favorite cookie recipe! So easy. I left off the sprinkle, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
Love this recipe! It was so easy! I substituted vanilla with 1 teaspoon of hazelnut coffee creamer… Delicious!!!
That sounds delicious, but how on earth did you come up with that? It’s not a very common substitute.
I’m a little obsessed with this recipe – I’ve made these cookies every weekend for the past month! They’re so quick and easy and the perfect little treat to go with your morning coffee. Love love love!
This is the easiest cookie recipe ever! And possibly our new favorite. Just made a batch and they’re almost all gone. LOVE!
That is so rude the recipe is on the website, we loved it!!
We’ve made these twice now – once exactly as written and once baking for 3 minutes less so they’re a little softer. Honestly, we love them both ways! They’re so easy, I’m tempted to make them every day. Lol.
Wanted something easy and sweet today so I took a chance on these – was skeptical, but they turned out perfect! Easiest cookie ever, loved them!
Made a double batch of these for Easter and also used your frosting recipe to decorate with pastel sprinkles. They were a big hit! Love your recipes so much!
These turned out great!! I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free 1-1 flour. Added 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract and 2 tbsp water. Turned out fantastic!!!
Love this recipe! I changed the vanilla to two teaspoons almond extract. They will roll out and cut, too!
My new favorite cookie!! Can’t believe how easy and tasty these were. It’s always the simple things, right? I used a splash of vanilla and almond extract, but left out the sprinkles. Will make these again and again – thank you!
Can’t believe how easy and tasty these were. GREAT recipe, thank you!
Can this recipe be made into a giant cookie like UN the bakery to be decorated for a birthday giant cookie instead if a BIRTHDA y cane. My grandson requested a giant cookie for his birthday this month. Thanks
Looooooved these!! My new favorite go-to for a quick cookie. Thank you!
I agree. These cookies are terrific. However they are shortbread cookies and not a Sugar Cookie.
Love this easy sugar cookie recipe! I will definitely bake these delicious cookies for my family again and again. Thank you so much for this recipe!
These cookies were awesome! Thank you so much for the recipes! And I totally recommend them for a quick snack.
I was skeptical, but this recipe absolutely delivered. SO easy and delicious. Going to try your sugar cookie frosting with them next time!
Love love loved these! So easy and tastes great. I had my 5 year old help me. These are on the crunchy side, not like a soft lofthouse cookie, but we knew that going in because of the recipe notes. Great recipe!
This was the easiest and fastest thing ive ever cooked
I love this recipe & they are absolutely delicious!
Made these yesterday for a quick and easy treat – my daughter helped me. They were SO easy, had perfect taste and crunch. Will definitely make again. Thank you so much for this!
Can you roll out the dough for cut out cookies?
Hi Christy! I answer that in the article. Thanks!
I’m sort of obsessed with these cookies! My daughters and I made them on a whim last week during the terrible Texas storm when nothing was working except our gas oven. We made a few more batches and gave them to neighbors. The article says the dough won’t work for cut outs, but we did frost some and used sprinkles. Truly the easiest cookie ever and the taste is perfect. We love them!
Great recipe! I was wondering if you can color them with food dye?
I haven’t tried it, but can’t see why not!
Cookies are very good and simple to make. I always make cookies small because they are for children so this recipe did make several. Thank you, we will definitely continue to use this easy recipe.
These were like the perfect combination of a sugar cookie and shortbread and possibly the easiest cookie I have ever made. We kept saying “ok, only one more” and within two days, they were all gone. Loved this recipe so much!
Have you made this with ready to bake gluten free flour? I am curious if it changes the texture/taste
My daughter and I made these together today and we loved them! Easiest cookie ever and tasted wonderful. My new go-to sugar cookie, thank you!
I added the nonpareils to the sugar— worked out much better than sprinkling them on top.
This recipe was so simple. My granddaughter received her first chef’s set and decided we needed to make cookies. I was looking for a quick fix and this was it. The cookies have a great texture and they were ready in under 30 mins which is great when dealing with a 5 year old. We will be using it again.
Must I use unsalted butter? I usually have salted on hand.
I wouldn’t want my sugar cookies to taste salty, but if you think you’ll like them like that, then sure.
I’ve made these cookies 4 times now! I’ve used salted and unsalted butter – they’re a slightly different flavor (obviously), but we love them both.
Cookie is good very light and airy. More like a shortbread cookie.
Can you put a small thumb print in the middle of the cookie before baking and add a half tsp of seedless raspberry jam then bake them ??
I wouldn’t recommend it because the dough is delicate and could crack. Instead, I suggest making my thumbprint cookies here: https://bellyfull.net/thumbprint-cookies/
Made these with my granddaughter this morning – new favorite cookie, thank you!
My 4 year old grandson describes these as “the best cookie” ever. Because we make them together a couple of times each week and devour them quickly;I altered the recipe. Of course, they are superb in their original recipe, but this works too. I use a half cup of butter and a half cup coconut oil. One cup white and 1 cup whole wheat flour.and1/3 cup sugar. Also, a teaspoon of vanilla. We form a ball and cross-cross the tines of a form as one would for peanut butter cookies. Thank you for your superb, original recipe.
I Love this recipe. It was super easy for my 5 year old granddaughter to follow. She is just learning to read and follow the recipe.
I loved this recipe. I exchanged butter for cream cheese. yum, yum. served them with choice of canned cherries or blue berries!
Great taste!