Drop Sugar Cookies (Soft and Chewy)
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Want to simplify your holiday? These Drop Sugar Cookies are the answer! Perfect for beginners, they skip the chilling time and use simple, everyday ingredients. Customize them for any holiday and enjoy festive cookies in no time!
These Drop Sugar Cookies are a total lifesaver—soft, chewy, and so easy my kiddo can help without losing interest! If you’re short on time or energy, this no-fail recipe is perfect. You can even prep the cookie balls ahead and bake them when it works for you.
With simple ingredients and no dough chilling, these might just be the easiest sugar cookies ever (looking at you, premade dough).
Want to make them festive? Add all kinds of decorations and sprinkles, drizzle icing, or dust with colored sugar—fun for the kids and the perfect Christmas cookie for the holiday season.
These simple sugar cookies are also great for gifting in a cookie box– along with snickerdoodles, Christmas sugar cookie bars, and iced oatmeal cookies!
Why You’ll Love These Easy Sugar Cookies
- No chilling required
- Easy and fast sugar cookies. They make great special occasion cookies or delicious simple Christmas cookies.
- Soft and chewy, no-fail recipe!
- Make ahead and bake later!
- It is customizable for every holiday and makes a great gift!
Drop Sugar Cookie Recipe Ingredients
This easy sugar cookie recipe is made with common ingredients you are almost certain to have in your kitchen right now!
- All Purpose Flour – Measure flour by scooping it into a measuring cup and leveling it off.
- Cornstarch – this is the trick to making soft sugar cookies that don’t need chilling.
- Baking soda and Baking powder – make sure these are fresh and in date for best results
- Salted butter – softened, but not room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar
- Large Eggs – You’ll need 1 large egg + 1 yolk
- Vanilla extract – use quality flavoring extracts for the best tastes
Step by Step Instructions
Follow these simple step-by-step instructions for perfect, soft sugar cookies every single time.
Step 1
Line two or three cookie sheets with parchment paper (or silicone mats) and set them aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder to a bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 3
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the 1 cup butter and 1½ cups sugar on medium speed for two minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined, about 20 seconds.
Step 4
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds until the dry ingredients are just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
Give the dough a stir by hand with a spatula to make sure it’s mixed
Step 5
In a shallow dish, add the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar. Scoop 1½ tablespoon sized portions of cookie dough and roll into balls.
Next, roll the dough balls in the sugar to coat.
Step 6
Place the cookie dough balls on the baking sheets, 2” apart to accommodate spreading in the oven.
Using two fingers or the flat bottom of a drinking glass, flatten the centers of each cookie.
Sprinkle the tops with a little more sugar.
Tip: This is where you sprinkle on colored sugar if using.
Step 7
Bake the cookies one sheet pan at a time at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until puffed in the center and set edges. No color or browning should be showing.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. As they cool they’ll flatten slightly and get that perfect crackly top.
Top Tip
Flattening the cookies before baking gives you evenly baked cookies. This is a trick I learned working in a bakery!
Tips & Tricks For The Best Drop Sugar Cookies
- Don’t skip the cornstarch, this is the secret to no chill cookies. It also gives the cookies a delicious tender texture and helps them keep their shape.
- Use both baking soda and baking powder for leavening and a chewy texture. The combination is essential for keeping the cookies from flattening AND gives them a pretty crinkle top.
- Use a cookie scoop for even portions.
- If you’re making these cookies for the fridge or freezer, skip rolling them in sugar until you’re ready to bake them.
- Give the cookies plenty of room to spread on the pan.
Want Perfectly Round Cookies?
When the cookies come out of the oven, grab a round cookie cutter or a mason jar lid and gently mold the cookies into perfect circles round shape!
What Is The Difference Between Cutout Cookies and Drop Sugar Cookies?
Drop cookies are just that, you scoop and drop mounds of cookie dough onto a sheet pan and bake them. Cut out cookies will use the same ingredients as drop cookies, however the ratio of butter and flour and leavening are different.
You’ll typically see more flour in a rolled sugar cookie and less baking soda (baking soda encourages spreading).
Rolled sugar cookie dough needs to be chilled until firm, making it easier to roll out with a rolling pin and cut into shapes. Chilling also helps get the dough out of cookie cutters and keeps their shape while baking.
Drop cookies, however, require little to no chilling since there’s no rolling or cutting involved.
How to Prep These Sugar Cookies Ahead
The raw cookie dough can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Scoop 1 ½ tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them into balls, do not roll in sugar at this point. Store the cookie dough in the fridge until ready to bake.
When it’s baking time, take out the dough balls, roll in sugar, and let them soften just enough to flatten. Flatten the centers of the cookies, sprinkle with a little extra sugar, and bake as directed.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don’t have salted butter, use unsalted butter and add ½ a teaspoon of coarse Kosher salt.
- Add a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract in combination with vanilla for that nostalgic holiday sugar cookie flavor.
- You can use an electric hand mixer to make the cookie dough.
Decorations For Sugar Cookies
- Sprinkle the cookies with colored sugar right before baking.
- Ice the sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting and top with festive sprinkles. My recipe for Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars has a delicious buttercream frosting you can use.
- Drizzle with a colored vanilla glaze (I use this icing for my cookies).
How to Store Leftover Sugar Cookies
Allow baked cookies to cool completely before storing.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
How to Freeze
Cookie balls can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for 6 months. When you’re ready to bake, thaw at room temperature. Roll the dough in sugar and then flatten in the center per the recipe instructions. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 min.
Hint: baking time will be longer if the cookies are cold.
You can also store baked cookies in a large freezer bag for up to 4 months. Allow to thaw at room temp before serving.
How to Serve Sugar Cookies
- As a simple snack or treat with tea or coffee. I love to eat them with my Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte, Homemade Maple Latte, or Hot Chocolate.
- Use your drop sugar cookies to make ice cream sandwiches with Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream, Strawberry Ice Cream, or any of my favorite homemade ice cream recipes really.
- Serve them as part of a Holiday Dessert Platter with some Oreo Fudge, Pumpkin Hand Pies, Cookie Dough Oreo Brownies, and more!
- These are the best Christmas cookies to leave out for Santa!
FAQs
There is no rolling, cutting, or chilling the dough for drop cookies. You just scoop them and bake! Drop cookies tend to be softer and chewier than rolled sugar cookies.
Measuring flour incorrectly can result in flat cookies. Also, if your butter is too soft, the cookies can spread and melt in the oven. Lastly, if the baking powder is old, the cookies won’t rise.
Bake the cookies at a lower temperature and pull them out just before they look fully done and before they take on much color. The cookie will finish baking on the pan. Proper storage also helps keep them chewy longer.
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Simple and Easy Drop Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 sticks of salted butter softened but still cool
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar plus ⅓ cup for rolling
- 1 Large whole egg + 1 yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line two to three cookie sheet pans with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1 ½ cups of sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined, about 20 seconds.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Give the dough a stir by hand with a spatula to make sure it’s mixed completely.
- In a shallow dish, add the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar. Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon sized portions of cookie dough and roll into balls. Roll the dough balls in the sugar until coated.
- Place the cookies on a sheet pan, 2” apart for spreading.
- Using two fingers or the flat bottom of a drinking glass, flatten the centers of each cookie. Sprinkle the tops with a little more sugar–this is where you sprinkle on colored sugar if using.
- Bake the cookies one sheet pan at a time at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until puffed in the center and the edges have set. The cookies should have little to no color around the edges.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- You can use unsalted butter in this recipe, just add 1/2 teaspoon of coarse Kosher salt to the cookie dough.
