Name: Foolproof No-Stick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 2 h 37 min
Yield: 48
Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients: 3/4 cup butter (170g), room temperature; 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar; 1 large egg, room temperature; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon fiori di sicilia extract (King Arthur); 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon (4g) baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon (3g) kosher salt

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No-Stick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies is a foolproof recipe. Get tips for perfect cut-out sugar cookies every time.

heart-shaped sugar cookies frosted with pink and white icing and pink sprinkles against a white background — How much butter, sugar and flour have you wasted on cut-out sugar cookie dough recipes that don't work? Either the dough is too crumbly or too wet or it sticks or the cut -out cookies lose their shape. Foolproof No-Stick Cut-Out Cookie Dough is the recipe you need.

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No-Stick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
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Foolproof No-Stick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Foolproof No-Stick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
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Cut-outs are de rigueur during every holiday whether Christmas, Halloween, Easter or St. Patrick's Day.

These are delicious and they keep their shape whether heart, unicorn or tree.

If you like crispy cookies, roll them to an eighth of an inch thick or slightly thicker.

If you like soft, thick sugar cookies, roll the dough to a quarter-inch thick.

Want more of a holiday cut-out cookie? Try Cinnamon Christmas Cookies.

Where can you find cookie cutters?

No-Stick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Nothing gets my goat more than having a batch of cookies not to turn out. Such a waste of ingredients and time.

But, this dough, dear friend, will not fail you if you measure/weigh ingredients correctly and start with room temperature butter and egg.

sugar cookie cutout ingredients on silver tray. — Ingredients for sugar cookie cutouts.

How much butter, sugar and flour have you wasted on cut-out sugar cookie dough recipes that don't work? Either the dough is too crumbly or too wet or it sticks or the cut-out cookies lose their shape. Foolproof No-Stick Cut-Out Cookie Dough is the recipe you need.

Why are my cut-out cookies spreading?

My love for sugar cookies began before I could bake on my own.

I don't remember the first time I ate a really good one. Shocking, I know.

But, I do remember the first time I saw really festive cut-out cookies.

They were in the pages of a Better Homes and Garden Cookbook that I still own today. It belonged to my Grandma Christine.

The cookies were festive holiday shapes, decorated with royal icing and candies. They looked magical.

A Note About Accurately Measuring Your Ingredients:

Weigh Your Ingredients for Better Results

In fact, I strongly urge you to hop over to Amazon or go to your nearest kitchen supply and pick up a digital food scale.

I resisted a scale for the longest time and now that I've drunk the Kool-Aid, I'll never go back to measuring cups.

Digital food scales have come way down in price too.In fact, the last scale I bought from Amazon was the same price I paid for a set of stainless steel measuring cups at my local gourmet kitchen shop.

A scale is so much easier than measuring ingredients with cups. I promise you.

Digital scales are really perfect for people like myself who have a natural propensity towards laziness.

I have this scale,

✅And this one, which is my favorite. If you find it for under $10, grab it!

Chill Out the Right Way

A Tip I Learned from Dorie Greenspan About Rolling Out Cookie Dough That Needs to Be Chilled:

Roll out the dough before you put the dough in the fridge to chill.

It's easier to cut out shapes from cookie dough when you're not starting with rock hard disks of dough!

Also, roll the dough between pieces of parchment paper. That way there's no sticking to to a warm kitchen counter, no muss, no fuss.

Have you seen Dorie's Cookies? It is really wonderful. aff link

You can get a copy here.

Parchment paper is a baker's and a cookie's best friend:

Once you roll out the dough, leave it on the parchment to making cutting it into shapes easier after it's chilled.

I leave the dough on the parchment, transfer it to a baking sheet then cover the baking sheet with foil and stick it in the fridge.

When you take the dough out of the fridge a couple hours later, and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, use a metal spatula to slide the cookie shapes onto another piece of parchment that's been placed on a cookie sheet.

Then bake.

Frequently Asked Cut Out Sugar Cookie Questions

How Long Will Sugar Cookie Dough Last?

If it's my house, about an hour, maybe two. Kidding.

This dough will last three months in a freezer or two weeks in the fridge, tightly wrapped or about five days at room temperature.

If you're not going to bake and decorate with a week or so, I would freeze the dough into flat disks ala pie crust disks in a plastic freezer bag.

What Kind of Flavoring Can I Use for Cut-Out Cookies?

I use vanilla extract and Fiori di Sicilia, a marvelous citrusy extract from King Arthur Flour Co. to flavor my cut-out cookies.

You can also find Fiori di Sicilia at Amazon, which will probably be a better deal for you if you're a Prime member and have free shipping.

If you don't have Fiori di Sicilia, I've been told you can make your own using equal parts of orange extract and vanilla extract.

But, just using vanilla extract is fine or any other flavor you want to try.

One of my friends made a great cut out cookie a few holidays ago using a raspberry extract. Then she made raspberry colored royal icing.

Do you cut sugar cookies before or after baking?
You cut sugar cookies before they go in the oven.

How do you get cut-out cookies to hold their shape?
Chilling is key to ensuring sugar cookies hold their shape.

After you cut out sugar cookies, put the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and put them back in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.

How long do sugar cookies last in airtight container?

Cut-out cookies should last at least a week.

This happens to me if I haven't properly chilled the cookie dough.

But, there are several reasons why cookies spread too much while baking: including not using room temperature butter
greasing cookie sheets (always use parchment paper)
not having the correct ratio of ingredients.

This is a great article at Food52 answering that question.

How do you use cookie cutters?

Roll out your dough to the thickness you desire.

You can use a tool like these rolling pin spacers this to evenly roll the dough out to the thickness you like. (affiliate link)

Grab a cookie cutter and starting at one corner of your dough, press down firmly with the cutter.

Lift and repeat all over the dough until you have no more dough to work with.

If you have trouble with the dough sticking to the cookie cutter, you can dip the cutter into powdered sugar before cutting each cookie shape.

Using a metal spatula, carefully lift off each cookie and place on a parchment lined baking sheet until the sheet is full.

Depending on the size of the cookie cutter you're using, you might be able to a dozen or more cookies on the baking sheet.

Is your dough too dry and crumbly?

Is your sugar cookie dough sticky?

You may find these baking posts helpful, from Room Temperature Butter for Baking to Salted or Unsalted Butter for Cookies? to Do I Need A Cookie Scoop?, Cookie Size Chart to What Should a Beginner Bake? to Where Can I Buy Sprinkles?, Why is my sugar cookie dough too sticky? and Cookie Holidays.

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Recipe

Yield: 48 two-inch cookies

Foolproof No-Stick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

No-stick, cut-out sugar cookies will be your new go-to recipe.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 37 minutes

Ingredients

¾ cup butter (170g), room temperature
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon fiori di sicilia extract (King Arthur)
2 and ¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon (4g) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (3g) kosher salt

Instructions

Weigh dry ingredients-flour through salt, put in a medium bowl and set aside.
Beat butter about three minutes or until pale yellow in bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with electric beaters.
Add sugar and continue beating until the sugar is dissolved.
Crack egg into a measuring cup or a small bowl then add to dough.
Add vanilla extract and Fiori di Sicilia extract (if using) and beat until combined.
Add dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined and all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
Don't over mix. That will lead to tough cookies.

Divide dough in half and place on a piece of parchment paper about the size of a half sheet pan or a cookie sheet.
Roll out each half of dough to a thickness between ⅛th of an inch and a ¼ inch thick--depending on how thin or thick you like your sugar cookies.
Chill dough for at least two hours.
Cut into shapes and bake at 350 for 12 minutes.
Let cool.
Frost or decorate.
Makes 48 two-inch cookies.

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Nutrition Information

Yield 48 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 86Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 4mgSodium 5mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g

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