Tender and Chewy Sugar Cookies

      Tessa’s Recipe Overview

      Taste: Just the right level of sweetness.

      Texture: My favorite aspect is that every bite strikes the perfect balance between soft and chewy.

      Ease: This sugar cookie recipe is extremely simple and only takes 30 minutes with no chilling necessary.

      Why You’ll Enjoy This Recipe: Fun, easy, and ideal for holidays ranging from Christmas to Valentine’s Day and even the 4th of July. These cookies are adored by all.

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      Not to brag, but everyone who has tasted or made this sugar cookie recipe claims it has become their instant favorite! It took several weeks of testing to perfect it.

      These Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies require NO CHILLING and are very straightforward to bake.

      This recipe is excellent for filling your Christmas cookie boxes or simply enjoying with a glass of milk. If the weather is warm, it can also serve as a fantastic base for ice cream sandwiches!

      Initially, I developed a recipe using cream cheese that resulted in an incredibly soft cookie. However, I discovered it became sticky, and each bite would adhere to the roof of the mouth.

      After numerous rounds of testing, I finally created a straightforward sugar cookie recipe that remains soft and chewy (and STAYS soft) with a delightful sparkly crackled top.

      **Sprinkle of Science**

      **Ingredient Notes**

      - All-purpose flour – Be sure to weigh your flour accurately. Adding too much will prevent your cookies from spreading and will affect their softness and chewiness.



      - Baking powder – This ingredient helps the sugar cookies rise without causing excessive spread or browning.



      - Fine sea salt – Essential for balancing the sweetness!



      - Unsalted butter – Ensure your butter is at a cool room temperature (around 67°F); otherwise, your cookies may spread too much.



      - Granulated sugar – The key ingredient! Avoid reducing the sugar – find out why here and check the image below.



      - Eggs – One large egg plus an extra yolk adds richness and chewiness. Ensure they are at room temperature.



      - Vanilla extract – A sugar cookie recipe wouldn’t be complete without vanilla extract.

      **Tips for SOFT Cookies**

      The extra egg yolk contributes additional moisture and richness, resulting in a soft and chewy texture.

      Another trick lies in the size of the dough ball—make them a full 3 tablespoons each! This creates larger cookies that beautifully spread with ultra-soft centers.

      Be careful not to overbake the sugar cookies. They should still appear slightly ‘wet’ in the center when taken out of the oven.

      **How to Avoid Cookie Spreading**

      To prevent flat sugar cookies that turn into puddles, it is crucial to ensure your butter is at a COOL room temperature.

      The butter sticks should yield slightly when pressed but still maintain their shape. Specifically, the butter should be 67°F.

      **Crinkly Tops in Sugar Cookies**

      In addition to rolling the cookies in sugar, baking powder is the key ingredient that provides the characteristic cracks, so ensure your baking powder is fresh.

      TIP: As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a round cookie cutter to swirl around the edges of each cookie to reshape them into perfect circles and enhance those crinkly tops.

      **The Best Baking Sheet for Cookies**

      The photo below showcases cookies from the same batch of dough, baked for the same duration at the same temperature.

      1. T-Fal Air Pan: pale cookies that spread more

      2. Wilton Non-Stick: browns heavily with less spread

      3. Walmart Mainstays: pale cookies, pan warped and rusted

      4. Viking Ceramic Lined: cookies burnt on the bottom

      5. Nordicware Unlined Aluminum: my preferred Goldilocks pan*

      6. OXO Gold Nonstick: browns heavily with less spread

      A light-colored aluminum half-sheet pan is my preferred choice for baking cookies. Steer clear of dark nonstick pans altogether, as they brown excessively and may burn the bottoms of your cookies. Refer to my Baking Pans 101 post for more details.

      **Do You Need to Chill the Dough?**

      Chilling is not necessary; baking immediately after mixing will yield delicious cookies.

      However, if time allows, chilling the scooped dough in an airtight container for 24-72 hours results in cookies that are thicker, chewier, and more flavorful. Roll in sugar after chilling; otherwise, the sugar will absorb into the dough. Learn more about chilling cookie dough here.

      **What Temperature and How Long to Bake**

      Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the sugar cookies are set and just starting to brown around the edges for classic thick & chewy sugar cookies.

      The higher the temperature and/or the longer you bake, the crispier your cookies will become.

      For really soft, almost doughy cookies, bake at 325