No chill sugar cookies are the easiest sugar cookies to make! This quick, one bowl sugar cookie recipe can be made from scratch in just 20 minutes.
I’m a huge fan of simple, easy cookie recipes. And these quick no-chill sugar cookies don’t disappoint!
The cookies are made in one-bowl (fewer dishes!) and take just a few minutes to stir up. The cookies hold their shape beautifully and are the perfect base for fun and festive decorations.
Since they are so quick and easy, these sugar cookies are perfect for those times when you want to make homemade sugar cookies and don’t want to wait for hours for the dough to chill.
“I love these! They were the perfect chewy, and also crunchy texture that I love in sugar cookies! They held their shape perfectly! I had absolutely no problems with this wonderful recipe, and I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone else even a beginner! If a 14 year old can make these then so can everyone!” – Mackenzie
How to make no chill sugar cookies
Step 1: Begin by creaming the butter and sugar together until well-combined.
Step 2: Mix in the egg and vanilla until well-combined.
Step 3: Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
Step 4: Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick on a powdered sugared surface.
Step 5: Cut the dough into desired shapes.
Step 6: Place the cut dough onto the prepared baking sheets and bake!
Recipe Tips!
- Butter: The butter needs to be at the correct temperature to avoid the cookies baking out. Check out the section on the butter temperature above for more information.
- Powdered sugar: The powdered sugar helps to make the cookies tender. I also use powdered sugar in place of flour for rolling the sugar cookies.
- Vanilla: If you like a stronger vanilla flavor, feel free to increase the amount of vanilla to 1 tablespoon. You can also substitute in other flavors of extracts. Almond can be particularly good in sugar cookies.
- Flour: The key to making great sugar cookies is measuring the flour correctly. Packing in the flour will give you dry, crumbly cookies. I highly recommend weighing the ingredients to avoid this.
- Decorating: You can decorate the cookies with royal icing or with buttercream icing.
Recipe FAQs
Cool room temperature butter is butter that’s about 65 F. The butter should dent when pressed but otherwise hold its shape.
Making sure that butter is the correct temperature will help the cookies to hold their shape. Warm butter can cause the cookies to spread as they bake.
Not with this recipe! This sugar cookie recipe doesn’t require any chilling before the cookies can be baked.
Storage
Store any leftover unfrosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies will keep for 3-4 days when properly stored.
I recommend storing frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Christmas cookie recipes!
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No Chill Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter at cool room temperature1
- 1 ⅓ cups powdered sugar plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour2
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until well-combined, about 2-3 minutes.1 cup butter, 1 ⅓ cups powdered sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined.1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour2, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Sprinkle extra powdered sugar onto a surface.
- Roll out the cookie dough to ¼-inch thick on the powdered sugar surface.
- Use cookie cutters to cut desired shapes.
- Place cut dough on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for about 7-9 minutes. Don’t overbake the cookies. The cookies should not brown.
- Let stand for 5 minutes on baking sheet.
- Remove to a wire rack to finish cooling before decorating.
Video
Notes
- Cool room temperature means the butter should be about 65F. The butter should dent when pressed but shouldn’t be warm or smooshy.
- Measuring the flour correctly is key for this recipe! The flour is given in grams because it’s so important. If you don’t weigh ingredients, the approximate measurement in cups is given. To measure the flour in cups, sift the flour, lightly spoon into the measuring cup, and then level. If you pack in the flour, the cookies will be dry and crumbly.
- The number of cookies you get from this recipe will vary depending on the size of the cookie cutter used.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Shelly says
What about adding flavoring to the cookies? This recipe is the best I’ve ever made and I’d like to take it up a notch with lemon or strawberry or orange.
Kate Dean says
Thank you! You could use another type of flavoring in place of part or all of the vanilla extract.
MARY says
Easy too make and bake, makes a light tasty sugar cookie
Kate Dean says
Thanks!
Lemo says
Absolutely Amazing
So forgiving, best part it needs no chill or working fast. Texture taste, amazing.
Just one thing, i prefer a less sweet taste. How much would i reduce the powdered sugar by and still not compromise the dough, considering i will add royal icing which adds more sweetness to the cookie?
Kate Dean says
Thank you! When I’m reducing sugar in recipes, I go 1/4 cup at a time, see how that affects the dough, and then I reduce more if I need to.
Lemo says
Can you use corn starch vs powdered sugar to roll?
Kate Dean says
Hi! I use powdered sugar because it helps to flavor the dough, but cornstarch should work too.
Shelly says
Best cutout cookie recipe I’ve ever made! Easy to make, easy to roll out, and no worries about the cookie turning into mush! Just downright perfect!!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Shelly says
Best sugar cookie recipe I’ve made!! Buttery and soft! Thank you!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Krw says
Hi! Is the dough ok to refrigerate a few days?
Kate Dean says
Hi! I haven’t done that to say for certain. However, from other doughs that I’ve worked with, I’d suggest using a little less flour in the dough as chilling it will make the dough a bit stiffer.
Sarah says
These seriously turned out incredible! We baked for 10-11min cause our cookies were just a little on the thick side :) No chill, no spread, and they actually taste yummy!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Natasha says
What if you only have unsalted butter? How much salt should I add?
Kate Dean says
You’ll want to use 1 teaspoon total salt if using unsalted butter.
Kelly Bevelhimer says
Perfect cookie cutter recipe! My husband said now that’s a cookie
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Fischer says
So easy, so yummy, kept their shape perfectly- thank you!!!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!
Victoria Oliver says
Your note #2 says, “Measuring the flour correctly is key for this recipe! The flour is given in grams because it’s so important.” I don’t see the grams of flour listed anywhere. Please kindly let me know the grams of flour. Thank you.
Kate Dean says
Hi! If you click “metric” immediately above the ingredients, it will give you the weights for the ingredients.
Emelyn says
Can I freeze extra dough
Kate Dean says
You can! I recommend freezing the extra dough in scoops and baking from frozen.
Wendy S Erickson says
You mentioned weighing the ingredients was best. I am not seeing the weights. Do you have them?
Kate Dean says
Hi! If you click on “metric” immediately above the ingredients, it will give you the weights.
Amara says
Can I double the recipe?
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t doubled this recipe to say for certain. However, if you are going to try doubling it, I highly recommend using the weights to go by because it would be really easy to end up with extra flour in the dough when doubling.
Melissa says
We’re about to make these – unsalted or salted butter?
Kate says
Hi! I use salted butter.
mara says
This was fantastic and super easy to make. They tasted delicious! Loved the tip on rolling it in powdered sugar!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that tip helped!
Katreva says
Great recipe! We made Christmas cutout cookies with this recipe yesterday, because we were short on time and didn’t want to deal with chilling the dough. They came out perfect! Nice texture, kept their shape in the oven, light color, and taste great. We followed the recipe exactly, using a scale to weigh the flour and powdered sugar. Honestly, this recipe will be replacing the old one in our Christmas cookie routine. I usually don’t leave reviews but had to on this one because it exceeded expectations! :)
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that it worked out well for you!