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Dessert · Cookies

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

Oh heavens, these are some really, really good cookies! I can’t (nor do I want to) even tell you how many “test bites” I’ve taken of these Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies. You know it’s a good recipe when you just can’t stop!

Close up view of a stack of Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies.

Good thing we are meeting up for dinner and swimming with friends tonight so I can share these cookies and get them out of the house!

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies have always been a favorite of mine, and these have the perfect texture and the perfect mix of flavors from the butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, and just a bit of cream of tartar.

If you’ve never had cream of tartar in cookies before, it has the magical power of adding just a bit of tang and making something that could be overly sweet balanced.

Three Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies leaning against a glass of milk on a white background.

I baked mine for about 13 minutes, and those beautifully rolled edges were just crisp, and the crackled center absolute chewy and soft. Absolute perfection!

Stack of Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies on a white and grey background.

Tips for Making Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

Use a cookie scoop to keep cookie size consistent and get an even bake on all your cookies. I used a #50, which is just over 1 1/4 tablespoons.

Be careful how you measure flour. I find it very helpful to keep my flour in a large glass canister on the kitchen counter. Pouring the flour bag into the canister when I refill the jar is like sifting it gently, and then fluffing it a few times before I scoop it out with my measuring cup ensures that it isn’t packed in but stays nice and fluffed!

It’s important not to over-mix the dough. Always mix on low speed as soon as you add the flour, and maybe just use a rubber spatula to mix by hand as your scrape down the sides at the very end. Over-mixed cookies can be tough, rather than soft and chewy.

You don’t need to chill the dough at all. But if you’d like to save some for later, just scoop them onto a paper plate, slide it into a gallon size Ziplock, and place them into the freezer until they call your name. (EAT ME!) To bake frozen dough balls, just let them thaw on the cookie sheet while the oven preheats.

Overhead view of Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies on a metal baking sheet.

I can’t wait to hear how much you all love these Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies. Your kitchen will smell amazingly cozy and sweet, and don’t be surprised if your cookies disappear quickly!

Print

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.6 from 8 reviews

These Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies are my new favorite. They have perfectly crisp edges with wonderfully chewy, crackled centers!

  • Author: Julie
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14
  • Total Time: 44 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1/2 dozen 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar.  Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale and fluffy.  Add egg yolks one at a time and mix.  Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix until incorporated.
  4. Mixing on low speed, add the flour mixture slowly, and mix until a dough forms.  Do not overmix.  Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and mix by hand.
  5. Scoop the dough into one-inch balls (I use a #50 scoop) and roll in sugar.  Place on a baking sheet, evenly spaced apart (12 per sheet) and bake for 12-14 minutes.
  6. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cookie
  • Calories: 137
  • Sugar: 10g
  • Sodium: 115mg
  • Fat: 6.7g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.1g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 2.1g
  • Trans Fat: 0.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 18g
  • Fiber: 0.3g
  • Protein: 1.4g
  • Cholesterol: 35mg

19 Comments

  1. Hi Julie – your cookies are so pretty! Who could resist having 1 or 2 or…?

    Would you please explain the picture above with the mini-muffin tin. Is it part of the recipe – is that how you got those perfect edges?

    Thanks,
    Sheila

    Reply
    • Hi Sheila,
      Thank you! I hope you get the chance to make these sugar cookies. Good question – the mini muffin tin is for another recipe, my mini pumpkin cheesecake muffins. Sorry if that is confusing. You can just use a regular baking sheet for the cookies, and the edges will turn out beautifully.

      Reply
  2. Just made these today & it’s the best sugar cookie I’ve made so far & I’m no spring chicken! 😉 my parents are loving the taste of these cookies & my brother, well let’s just say he ate more than a grown man should in one setting. Suffice it to say my family thinks these are wonderful! & so do I. Thanks for a great cookie recipe.
    Peggy

    Reply
  3. I definitely messed up somewhere because my cookies are very puffy. But the flavor is AMAZING! I’m a novice baker, so I will be trying this again and hopefully get it just right next time! ☺️

    Reply
    • I’m glad you like them. Maybe just a bit too much flour if they didn’t spread out when baked. Happy to hear you will try again!

      Reply
    • Use the spoon method for the flour, that’s where you use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup to prevent it packing in, then a butter knife to scrape the excess off.

      Reply
  4. These are delicious. And this is the first sugar cookie recipe I’ve made that doesn’t require rolling the cookie in sugar and then pressing it flat with a glass; they flattened beautifully on their own.

    Reply
  5. I tried several sugar cookie recipes and this one was the winner! These cookies are divine. The egg yolks, almond extract, and cream of tartar make the difference. Great recipe, thank you!!

    Reply
  6. These cookies are so good!!!!!! I made a batch a couple weeks ago..and my husband is asking for more. A bit unusual for him as his favorite cookies has always been oatmeal!!!

    Reply
  7. I just made these and I thought they would be wrong but when I saw the crackle I was so happy!! They are so pretty and they taste amazing. I tasted the almond so I may use less next time. But very easy and tasty!

    Reply
  8. I was looking for the recipe with cream of tartar because I always used to make these. So happy to have found this. Mine turned out perfect!im planning on making a lot more in the future. What a great and easy recipe. Thank you!

    Reply

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