Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe (No-Spread, No-Chill!)
These classic cut out sugar cookies are soft, flavorful, and hold their shape perfectly—no chilling required. That’s right, this no-chill sugar cookie recipe lets you skip the wait and dive straight into rolling, cutting, and decorating. Whether it’s for holiday baking, a special celebration, or just because, these cookies are always a no-spread success!
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
Let’s take a look at the ingredient list for these cut out sugar cookies! A lot of basic sugar cookie recipe ingredients needed here-with the addition of almond extract.
- Butter: Butter adds rich flavor and helps create soft, chewy cookies. Make sure you’re using room temperature butter.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar doesn’t just sweeten things up – it’s also key for structure. It helps the cookie dough spread, as well as set with distinct edges after cooling.
- Egg: The egg provides structure and moisture.
- Vanilla Extract + Salt: Both add flavor and balance sweetness.
- Almond Extract: Adds a sweet, nutty flavor. I love adding this ingredient!
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour provides the main structure for these cookies.
- Corn Starch: Prevents the dough from spreading and keeps the cookies nice and chewy.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder gives the sugar cookies a little lift without spreading.
TIPS & TRICKS FOR PERFECT COOKIE CUTTER COOKIES
- Room Temperature Butter: Room temperature butter blends smoothly with sugar for a dough that’s easy to roll and bakes up perfectly even.
- Measure Flour Correctly: I highly recommend using a food scale
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to measure your flour! If you don’t have a food scale(affiliate)
, spoon and level it—too much flour will make your cookies dry and crumbly. - Don’t Overmix! Once the flour goes in, mix just until combined to keep your cookies soft and tender.
- Parchment Paper Magic: I love rolling my dough right on parchment paper! It makes flipping cookies and transferring them to the baking sheet super easy—no warped shapes or broken edges.
- Roll Evenly: I like thicker cut out cookies. I recommend using a guided rolling pin for this step. This keeps the dough even and keeps their clean edges.
- Twist the Cookie Cutters: Slightly twist to release the dough without stretching it. These Christmas Cookie Cutters (Set of 4)
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worked perfectly for this recipe! - Re-Roll Dough Gently: Press scraps together softly so your next batch bakes up just as tender.
- Baking Sheet Prep: Prepare your baking sheet with parchment paper. This keeps the bottoms from getting too brown and helps the cookies hold their shape. Oh, and easy clean-up!
- Cool Completely: Cool completely before decorating. The cookie frosting will go on smoother and set up beautifully.
- Frosting for Decorating: Top your cookies with your favorite sugar cookie frosting— vanilla buttercream frosting or my personal favorite, rolled buttercream, for the perfect finish!
Well there you have it – my tips and tricks for making the best cut out sugar cookies! These buttery, soft cookies hold their shape perfectly and come together in minutes. If you’ve been searching for no chill sugar cookies or the best sugar cookie recipe for decorating, this one checks every box.
Continue below for the easy-to-follow recipe and enjoy every bite!
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Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Description
These classic cut out sugar cookies are soft, flavorful, and hold their shape perfectly—no chilling required. That’s right, this no-chill sugar cookie recipe lets you skip the wait and dive straight into rolling, cutting, and decorating. Whether it’s for holiday baking, a special celebration, or just because, these cookies are always a no-spread success!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg (large)
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
- 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt (heaping)
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together all-purpose flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Butter: Add room temperature butter to stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on med-high for 1 min. Scrape sides, mix again for another 30 seconds.
- Creaming Butter & Sugar: Add the granulated sugar to butter and mix on medium until combined and fluffy.
- Egg & Extracts: Add the large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until just combined.
- Mix It Up! Add flour mixture on low until just combined. Don’t turn mixer on too high or you could end up with flour all over your kitchen! Mix until dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl and pause.
- Dough Consistency: The dough should be cleaning the sides of the bowl completely. No sticky dough here!
- Parchment Paper: Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment paper using a guided rolling pin. This makes flipping cookies and transferring them to the baking sheet super easy—no warped shapes or broken edges.
- Cookie Cutting: Push down and slightly twist the cookie cutters to release the dough. This keeps the dough from stretching.
- Transferring: Gently flip the cookie shapes from the parchment paper and place on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake on middle rack for 8-10 minutes- depending on cookie thickness.
- Cool Completely: Cool completely before decorating. The cookie frosting will go on smoother and set up beautifully
- Frosting for Decorating: Top your cookies with your favorite sugar cookie frosting— vanilla buttercream frosting or my personal favorite, rolled buttercream, for the perfect finish!
Equipment
Christmas Cookie Cutters (Set of 4)
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Notes
Extra Tip: If you’re halving this recipe, weigh the egg using a food scale. Scramble it in a small mug, then add half of the egg to your dough. This keeps the cookie consistency just right—much better than trying to guess with a whole egg.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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