Soft and chewy sugar cookies have a special place in my heart. And I’ve finally perfected my recipe! Learn how to make Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies every time with minimal effort. So yummy!
Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies
I’ve had a few requests for my favorite sugar cookie recipe, so I thought I’d post it before Valentines Day if you still were in the mood for rolling cookies!
Thanks to my neighbor, Nikki, she passed this recipe on to me years ago and I have yet to make another sugar cookie. I’m not kidding folks, these turn out perfect every single time you make them. Some sugar cookies are dry and tasteless, but these are soft, buttery and sweet.
I was excited to try this rolled fondant I found at Michaels and I LOVE it! It’s a bit pricey, but I figured one box at $8 covers about 20 cookies. They look flawless and you can carve all kinds of fun designs in it, I just didn’t have much time to play around with it today. Give it a try if you like this smooth look, it really covers the cookies beautifully!
Here’s what the box looks like. All you do is roll it out to an even thinness, use the same cookie cutter you cut your cookie into, brush a light layer of corn syrup on top of the cookie then press the cut fondant over your cookie. It’s that easy.
Love it!
Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup sour cream
- 6 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
For the Cookies
- In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.
- In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.
- Once chilled, roll and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, depending on how thick you cut your cookies. Remove and let cool. Frost and decorate as desired.
For the Fondant Frosting
- Roll the fondant out into an even thinness. (I used one of those disposable cutting boards to roll the fondant, so it didn't stick)
- Use the same cookie cutter you cut the cookie into to cut out your shape.
- Brush a light layer of corn syrup on top of the cookie.
- Press the cut fondant over your cookie. Press around the edges to seal. It's as easy as that!
Welcome to my online kitchen! Picky Palate is where you’ll find family friendly recipes along with the best Disney eats, tips and copycat recipes! 
From the March 15 comments, where the person asks if the flour measurement is correct, you replied with yes but said sugar instead of flour. I know this is an older post, but I made these tonight and I think I’ll stick to my grandma’s recipe. These puffed up like cake and tasted more like a lightly sweetened cupcake top than a sugar cookie. My husband said they tasted like cornbread. :/ They are alright, but the dough also was way too sticky to even think of rolling out. I ended up just rolling the dough in wax paper and slicing it instead of being able to use cookie cutters. I’m still trying your recipes though, they look so promising. 🙂
Nice article on the subject. I am bookmarking this! thank you
I just made these cookies and they were great! Thanks for the great recipe and directions 🙂
Those cookies do look perfect and soft. I love the idea of using fondant to decorate the cookies!
Jenny,
Can you share your favorite vanilla frosting recipe you use for these sugar cookies? Thanks!
Jennifer
Hello Anonymous,
I’ve never tried them just dropped by the spoonful, I’m sure they’d be fine but I would roll them in a ball then flatten with my hand before baking them so they are about 1/2 inch thick or so.
Yes, the recipe calls for 6 cups of sugar and I use all of it, you can always half the recipe, it still makes plenty. Enjoy!
Jenny,
I’m not much of a baker and have a few silly questions…Do you know if these cookies can be done by just dropping spoonfuls on a cookie sheet? Also does it really take 6 cups of flour, that seems like a lot?
Thanks So Much!!
Beautiful cookies… I have another fabulous recipe that you just have to try as well! I will email it to ya. 🙂
These look picture perfect Jenny! I love how the fondant looks!
Hands down I love Arugula, it’s adds such a depth to a recipe. This salad looks fab and is now on my weekend recipe list.
those are some of the most perfect looking sugar cookies i’ve ever seen! at first i thought they were super smooth icing – until i read your post and saw it was fondant! how neat!
Made these and they were YUMMY! I didn’t get to the store to buy the fondant, but they were still delicious and my 5-year old daughter loved decorating some. Will have to try the fondant next time (which I’m sure will be soon, seeing how EASY these are!). Thanks!
Jen,
On your reply back to me, I think you meant boost your confidence, not bust your confidence 😀
Steamy Kitchen,
Thanks, I’d love that kitchen as well, too bad half of my house would fit inside it!
Thanks Kimmy,
I can always count on you to bust my confidence, thanks cutie!
Hi Emiline,
You’ll love these, they are really tasty. How cool that I won that drawing too! That was sweet of Deborah to have that.
Hi Mary,
Hope you enjoy!
Hi Tricia,
The show I’m in airs Sunday March 2nd on food network. Watch at your own risk!!
I wish I could learn to frost a cookie so perfectly, those are truly beautiful.
Jenny –
Aren’t you in a cooking show soon? I thought it was sometime in Feb? Let me know cuz I don’t have cable so I am going to beg one of my friends to Tivo it for me so I can watch you!
Those sugar cookies are so pretty! I have been using my mother in law’s sugar cookie recipe, but these looks so nice and soft and tasty I may have to try them too!
These look beautiful! Both of them.
I think I might make these tomorrow. For myself. 😉
I don’t like the sugar cookie that my family has always made. I think they’re dry and tasteless, so I’ll give this one a try.
Congrats on the giveaway!
Oh Jonny….those are the most beautiful cookies I’ve ever seen! And don’t ever call yourself “lazy” for using canned frosting….have you seen your recipe blog….that you update every day with gourmet recipes!!! You’re the bomb, love you!
adorable cookies!
I WANT THAT KITCHEN!
Kameron,
I hope your cookies turn out perfectly. Let me know what you think!
Hi Catherine,
Your husband’s tummy will be so happy, I got a thumbs up from Mr Picky Palate himself. Maybe I can photo shop a picture of my boys flying through that beautiful kitchen, that’d be too funny. Much more realistic for sure!
Thanks Downtown Boutique,
This is a great easy way to start working with fondant. Give it a try. If I didn’t mess it up, no one will!
Hi Heather,
The “comfort food” show, is the one I am in and it airs March 2nd in the evening sometime. Check out the “chicken” show that airs this Sunday evening. I can’t wait to see my friend Catherine!!
Thanks Andrea!
Nice looking sugar cookies. I have yet to try making sugar cookies. Bookmarked
I am going to have to copy your recipe, they are beautiful!!
When does the cook-off show air?
Those butterfly cookies are so pretty! I will have to try the fondant for the cookies. I’ve never worked with fondant before, but I would love to learn to do it.
And I think I’m going to have to try the recipe too! Thank you for sharing it.
Angie
Jenny! You’ve outdone yourself AGAIN! These will find themselves in my husband’s tummy! Such beautiful photos too! Everytime I’ve tried fondant, it ends up on the floor and me crying. But I think even I can handle this.
Thanks, Jenny.
PS..everytime I look at the header on your blog, I keep wanting to see one of the boys riding their tricycle across the floor!
Can’t wait!! These are in my fridge right now, with my daughter asking every 5 minutes if it’s time yet. Not yet… I’ll have to run out to get some of the fondant tonight – how cool is that?? the bakery where i used to order my all-time favorite sugar cookies (Evelyn’s in Portland, and yes – I live in Phoenix) just RETIRED!, so I now have to find a substitute. These look very similar – fondant and very thick. Here’s hoping!
Hi Deborah,
I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the fondant was on the cookies. I’m sure I’ll use it again.
Hi Mags,
Glad you found my blog, Yes, I was on the Build a better burger contest on Food Network. It was really a fun cook-off. I believe there is a commercial airing with the new cook-off starting Sunday night. I think they flash my face for a 1/2 second.
Hi Suzanne,
Hope you enjoy these as much as I have!
Hi Bonnie,
That’s cool that you have the same recipe. Maybe it is from a New Era Magazine. All I know is that it’s a keeper!
Grump’s Honeybunch,
You’ll enjoy the fondant, it’s so easy and it looks so nice.
Hi Holly,
Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Hi Tracy,
This was actually the first time I used fondant. Now I’ve got all these other ideas I want to try with it!
Can you believe I have never used fondant? Those cookies look so professional. I’ll have to try that.
Beautiful! You were so clever to use fondant over sugar cookies, great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the recipe…they look delish!
I’m making some today.
-Holly
Those are very pretty cookies! I bet they taste as good as they look! I like the fondant idea, that is something I may try myself!
I have had this same sugar cookie recipe for many years also! It is by far the best one ever – I think because the sour cream keeps them softer and gives a great flavor. It was given to me by a friend and I have passed it on to many as well. I think the recipe came from an old New Era (some of you know what that is, right?). Happy Valentines, all!
These look delicious–it is so hard to find a great recipe for sugar cookies. I will give these a try!
I found your blog through other foodies, and have really enjoyed it, especially when I realized you were the girl on the Food Network Cook-offs I have seen recently! And I think I have seen you in the commericals for the new recipe show they are having! I first saw the build a better burger show and thought, “I bet that girl is a member of the same religion as me!” You can just tell sometimes.
I would have never thought to use fondant as a frosting for cookies – what a great idea!! I have a favorite sugar cookie recipe, too, (my mom’s) but I’m thinking of trying a new one tomorrow to make some cookies for Valentine’s Day. We’ll see if I have the energy!