An easy recipe for Drop Sugar Cookies. No rolling/cutting out required, no chilling, just flawless, festive, soft and chewy cookies. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Easiest Sugar Cookies, Period.
I love a good, classic sugar cookie recipe, especially around the holidays! I look forward to making the dough, enjoy the anticipation of waiting for it to chill, embrace the floured counters and ritualistic rolling out and cookie-cutting and careful decorating with colored sugar or royal icing….
But darn it sometimes I just want a sugar cookie, fast.
This is the recipe you need when you don’t have time, or when you don’t have patience. For when you forgot about that holiday party you need to bring a dessert to (not that many of those are happening this year), or when you need to whip up something quick for Santa on Christmas Eve.
It’s absolutely, remarkably, simple. There’s no chilling, no rolling pin needed… just no patience required at all, really. These drop sugar cookies are ever-so-slightly crisp around the edges and so soft and chewy at their centers. Are you ready for this?
What You Need
Just a couple of notes on a few of the ingredients…
- Butter. Yes, that’s not a typo, this recipe uses quite a bit of butter (even more than my butter cookies!).
- Sugar. We’re using all granulated sugar for an authentic sugar cookie taste.
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour (often referred to as “plain” flour outside of the US).
- Baking soda. A little bit of baking soda helps the sugar cookies to spread just the right amount and keeps them from staying in round balls.
- Colored sugar/sanding sugar. I prefer to use coarser sugar (I like the subtle crunch the larger grains add!) but regular colored sanding sugar will work just as well.
Tip: This time of year you should be able to easily find colored sugar in the baking aisle, but I often buy fun colors from Country Kitchen Sweet Art (I get most of my sprinkles from there, too).
For the full recipe with ingredient amounts please scroll down to the recipe card!
How to Make Drop Sugar Cookies
You’re going to love how easy this one is, I haven’t shared such a simple cookie in a while:
- Cream together butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.
- Separately, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3-4 parts, stirring until combined after each addition.
- Scoop dough, roll it into a ball between your palms, roll through some festive colored sugar (or try nonpareils for fun texture!) and bake.
That’s it. I told you this one was easy.
Tip: Roll each cookie dough ball through the sugar immediately after rolling into balls. The warmth from your hands warms the surface of the cookie dough and makes it easier for the sugar to adhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many reasons this could happen, but the most likely reasons include:
1) Butter that is too soft/melty (or substituting margarine). The butter should not be melty/greasy!
2) Accidentally over-measuring the baking soda (you aren’t using cute ceramic measuring spoons, are you? They’re adorable but so inaccurate)
3) Placing the cookie dough on a hot cookie sheet from the previous batch.
1) Could you have accidentally over-measured your flour? Make sure to check out my post on the right way to measure flour!
2) Did you add your flour too quickly? Add it to the butter mixture gradually so it has time to be absorbed into the dough, otherwise you could be left with a dry, crumbly dough.
You can prepare this dough up to 5 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep for at least a week.
More Recipes You Might Like
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Easy Drop Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 20 Tablespoons (282 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Colored sugar for decorating
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper². Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until creamy and well-combined.20 Tablespoons (282 g) unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, stirring until completely combined.
- Scoop dough by rounded 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls and roll between your palms until smooth. Roll through colored sugar and place on prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 2” apart.Colored sugar
- Transfer to 350F (175C) oven and bake for 10-11 minutes. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet before enjoying!
Notes
¹Unsalted butter:
If using salted, reduce the salt in the recipe to ½ teaspoon²Parchment paper:
If you don’t have parchment paper, bake cookies directly on an ungreased baking sheet.Storing:
Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for at least a week.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Colette
Hi Sam,
Is this a cookie dough that can be pre prepared and frozen in balls (I’m trying to have some cookie dough prepared and frozen for a friend about to have her first child!)? If so would it be from frozen and just add a few minutes? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Colette! This dough should freeze just fine. You can bake them from frozen and just add an extra minute or two to the bake time. 🙂
Maxine
Just made these..changed vanilla to lemon as I needed a lemon cookie..oh my so so so good and easy to mix up. THANKS for another amazing recipe. Your recipes never disappoint!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Maxine! 🙂
Julie
I made these today and used bread flour instead of regular flour because some critters had taken up residence in my unopened bag of all purpose flour 😳 I love you Worst Chocolate Chip cookie recipe and wanted to try these and they did not disappoint!!!!! They were awesome- even with bread flour. I made them exactly as written and they were perfect. My family loves them.
Sam
O no!! I’m glad you still enjoyed the cookies. 🙂
Renee
What to do if you might have added too much flour?
Sam
Hi Renee! Unfortunately your best bet is to start over. If you already made them I would bake them if the dough is coming together. 🙁
Michelle
Hi! It’s Michelle again, I asked about the sugar cookies earlier! Just wanted to let you know I saw your notes from the easy sugar cookie recipe to let me know how to make them thicker, so I’m all set
Thanks,
Michelle
Michelle
Hi Sam! Is there any chance I could make these into shapes, I’ve seen your other easy sugar cookie recipe but I’m in search of a sugar cookie that’s a bit thicker than that so I was wondering if cutting these into shapes might work?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Michelle! Unfortunately this will not work well as shapes. You can roll my sugar cookie dough thicker if you’d like (I have a tips section about making thicker cookies) or you could use my heart cookie dough, it’s a simple, quick dough that yields a thick cookie (just roll it to be thicker than 1/4″). I hope that helps!
Noya
Hi loved the recipe the kids loved using the color sugar definitely will use it again
Natasha
Perfection! I have made these a few times now and they are my family’s favorite sugar cookie recipe. I just finished up another batch, some plain and some rolled in sugar crystals, and cut the vanilla in half and subbed the other half with lemon extract which was a nice touch. Either way, this recipe always comes out perfectly and the best part is their simplicity!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoys them so much, Natasha! 🙂
CINDY W
great recipe BUT>>>>can I use margarine?? I don’t have butter>>>>>>>>>>>>
Sam
Hi Cindy! Honestly I haven’t tried it but I think it would work. 🙂
Lorraine
I can’t get course or sanding sugar where I live, could I use coloured granulated sugar? 😊
Sam
Hi Lorraine! That will work just fine. 🙂
Kristina
I have been looking for a fast, drop sugar cookie for a long time. I’ve been in the “need cookie NOW” mode before, usually past 10:30 at night when I really ought to be trying harder to get some sleep. Peanut butter cookies are easy but require chilling. I pretty much never have chocolate chips in the pantry, no cream cheese except when cheesecake is on the menu, and certainly no baking chocolate. I’ve tried several recipes for “easy” sugar cookies, including yours for Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies (which actually tasted like vanilla cake when I dipped the tops in vanilla buttercream), but none of them were the chewy, sugary, buttery cookie I was looking for.
This is it.
They were exactly as easy to whip up as stated, I used a hand mixer and salted butter without adjusting the added salt, baked them 12 minutes, and ta-da! I had sugar cookies. I even sent a picture to a friend along with a link to this recipe and she declared they looked exactly like the beautifully styled picture above!
This is now my go-to sugar cookie recipe. Thank you!
Sam
I am so, SO happy to hear that they were such a success for you, Kristina!! Thank you so much for letting me know what a hit they were, I really, really appreciate it! <3
Amrita
Can I substitute the egg with milk?
Sam
I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure. You may have a little better luck with cream. If you try it I would love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Maya
Your recipes have been a blessing in my home. About to try this new recipe out now…yum! Thank you for your dedication and hard work to make the best baking creations!
Sam
Thank you so much, Maya! I am so glad you have enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Joli
Can we still smear icing on them? I love the no roll, no cut out; but want that royal icing. 🤣
Can you recommend some stainless mixing bowl set with rims for us older people with arthritis hands? My glass Pyrex getting to hard to hold. Thank you.
Sam
Icing should be fine on top, make sure you check out my royal icing recipe! 😉
I have had my eyes on these stainless steel bowls for quite a while now and have them on my own Christmas wish list this year, I don’t yet own them myself but the reviews are great and they have non-stick bottoms and handles so I’m wondering if these would do the trick for you!
Joli
Very Nice.
Your link led me to these also. 1,420 great reviews very similar. Just more reviews.
In my cart now. Thanks.
malak
can you do kitchen tour and a Q and A video please i love your baking so much and i would love to make this in your youtube channel
Sam
YES I got a brand new kitchen last year and never did the tour. I am long overdue for one! <3
Donna
Would this dough be good for add ins? I was wondering how well it would work for adding powdered ginger & chopped crystalized ginger to half of the dough, for variety? We all love ginger root!
Sam
Hi Donna! That should work just fine. I hope you love them! 🙂