The Domestic Rebel

Everyday Ingredients, Extraordinary Desserts

The Best Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

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Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies stacked and tied with twine on blue backgroundI’m kinda sorta bummed that my town doesn’t have a bakery.

Anytime I travel, I immediately google the current city I’m in + bakery so I can check out where the locals eat, and of course, where I can get some desserts. You know, for research. #alltheresearch

But my town doesn’t have anything like that. We have a single cupcake shop, but the cupcakes are pricey and they play too much Michael Buble (I should know; I used to work there). Otherwise, it’s Whole Foods or another supermarket bakery for your goods.

But I want something authentic, somewhere that sells ginormous brownies and cookies the size of saucers. Is that too much to ask? Apparently.

And don’t tell me to open my own bakery, because I surely will not. That requires too much work and I have a whopping $12 to my name currently and don’t think most realtors accept assorted nickels and packets of gum for payment, sooooo..

Also there’s that thing where I’d probably eat all of my creations. So there’s that. #fatass

In the meantime, I’ll dream of a bakery opening up shop soon while I double-fist these Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies. They’re ridiculously amazing and couldn’t be simpler to whip together. I like mine plain with just a light coating of sugar, but they’d be great to frost or coat in sprinkles as well. (I know, I opted without sprinkles – what’s wrong with me?!) But for these cookies, classic, straight-forward cookieness just seemed right.

Sugar Cookies stacked with top cookie missing a bite on blue backgroundSince I’m physically incapable of making a cut-out cookie (and don’t even talk to me about my mortal nemesis: royal icing), these cookies are great for me. They’re perfectly imperfect in that they’re round with slightly jagged edges but they’re packed with flavor, are super decadent, and absolute buttery perfection. They don’t need a ton of bells and whistles to ’em which makes them great for novice bakers or those who just want an unadulterated sugar cookie fix, sans icing. Which is me. All the time.

So yeah, please make them? Your tummy will thank you.

Tall stack of Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies on blue background*from Pioneer Woman’s recipe

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4.94 from 16 votes

The Best Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

These Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies truly are the BEST! Soft, moist and tender, they taste delicious on their own but would be great coated in a light icing or dash of sprinkles.
Prep Time2 hrs
Cook Time11 mins
Total Time2 hrs 11 mins
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Dessert
Servings: 24
Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cream of tarter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 cups plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
  • Additional white sugar for rolling cookies

Instructions

  • In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, oil, sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla and eggs until creamed and combined, about 2 minutes. Add in the baking soda, tarter, salt and flour and gently mix until a soft dough forms. Chill in the fridge for at LEAST 2 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or spray the sheets lightly with cooking spray. Using a cookie dough scoop, portion out rounded Tablespoon-sized balls of dough and roll in the additional white sugar to coat. Place 2" apart on the prepared sheets.
  • Bake for approx. 9-11 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure even baking or until golden brown. Do not over-bake. Cool on the cookie sheets completely before serving. Ice if desired.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies with bite missing propped on stack of cookies and blue backgroundThese are so supremely soft and buttery, with a nice, tender crumb and just a subtle crunch from their sugary exterior. Together, the powdered sugar and cream of tarter give these cookies such impeccable texture and lift; they’re like sugar clouds. I know you’ll love them!

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies collage

Have a sweet Friday!

xo, Hayley

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Comments

  1. Looks like someone needs to open their own bakery 😉 I wouldn’t be mad at that idea! I know how you feel about the lack of bakeries. We have a cupcake shop in my town as well as a tea shop with a limited scone selection. What does a girl do when she wants a cannoli or a rainbow cookie? She daydreams and then tries to push it out. These sugar cookies look fabulous. I wouldn’t be able to stop at one.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Hayley-gotta say. I love reading your recipes but your photography and setups are amazing! I think I need to make every recipe you post simply because your pix are so great! I have seen so many recipe pix that absolutely do no justice to the recipe but never on your site-the pix are always as great as the recipe idea!
    BTW-some day I’ll make a video of the easy way I do cut out sugar cookies-no mess, no fuss and maybe you’ll hang out on the dark side of cookie making for a while! 🙂 I don’t even get flour all over the kitchen!

    Reply

    • Janet – thank you so much for your sweet comment! I’d love to see a tutorial for cut-out cookies – I am terrible at them, haha! xoxo!

      Reply

  3. Don’t worry – my town doesn’t have a bakery either!! Unless you’re in Boston or another big city, our areas don’t have many. Just the ones in the grocery stores. Funny story, though, is that Price Chopper, our grocery store, has THE BEST Apple Cider Donuts. My friend and I opt for those over any orchard every year! haha

    Reply

  7. First things first don’t feel bad about not having bakery in your area cause I don’t either. Starbucks and donut shops don’t count so they. Darn Palm Springs, Ca and its small town feel. I hate it!! And don’t worry I would be #fatass if I opened my own bakery. Actually I’m already a #fatass with this darn food blog.. Hehe!! These cookies are so calling to me. Wish I had like 5 with my glass of wine. 🙂

    Reply

    • Dangit, Cyndi! I guess we’ll just have to drink wine and wish for a bakery together, ha!

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    hey…… Looks like someone needs to open their own bakery 😉 I wouldn’t be mad at that idea.I love reading your recipes but your photography and setups are amazing! I think I need to make every recipe you post simply because your pix are so great.. 🙂 🙂

    Reply

  10. Your hashtags crack me up, Haley! At my house, sugar cookies are only second to chocolate chip. And I’m totally with you on rolling out dough and flooding with royal icing! What a nightmare IMHO. Love these gems.

    Reply

    • Dude, talk about a nightmare! So annoying! That’s why I’m all about the ease of these cookies 😀

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    I’m always searching for a delicious sugar cookie recipe but never finding THE one. I stumbled upon this recipe yesterday from Pinterest and knew I had to make them. 2 sticks of butter and a cup of oil? Yikes! But I gave them a try and they are the perfect indulgence! I think these are the best cookies I have EVER made! They are absolutely perfect, and melt in your mouth! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Nancy – they are an indulgence, but they’re so worth it! I’m SO glad you loved them!!

      Reply

    • Hi Jane, this recipe is actually courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. I’ve credited her in the post. 🙂

      Reply

  19. 5 stars
    There just are no words to describe these cookies. Heavenly? Sugar cookie purist perfection? I rolled them in sugar in the raw for a little extra crunch. I am also a big fan of rich, buttery Scottish shortbread. These have a hint of that ever so decadent crunch and flavor with the softness of a sugar cookie. Putting icing on these would truly be a travesty!

    Reply

  20. Has anyone made this with gluten free flour? I use Pamela’s Artisan Flour. Just not sure how much to use and if I need to add anything else.to the flour mix.

    Reply

  21. I found this recipe about 2 weeks ago, made it for my sugar-cooki-loving grandkids’ family birthday party and even the adults loved them. These are FABULOUS!!
    As written, these make at least 3-4 dozen cookies, not 24; and, they took 15-17 minutes to get that golden brown like your picture shows.
    Yep, so delicious that I’m making another batch this afternoon!

    Reply

  25. 5 stars
    These very much remind me of mantequilla cookies in Costa Rica, makes sense sunset that’s a butter cookie. I absolutely loved them. They had the perfect crunch on the outside with a tender center and loads of butter flavor. I will definitely be making these again.

    Reply

  27. 5 stars
    Every since I found this recipe I have been using it and the cookies come out perfect every time! I’m making some today to use as a base for my cheesecake bars.

    Reply

    • Hi Becca, sorry you had crumbly cookies! Were they crumbly when you were dropping the dough onto the baking sheets or crumbly after baking?

      Reply

  30. 5 stars
    Noticed that Ree Drummond’s recipe calls for only a teaspoon of vanilla and yours calls for a Tablespoon. Is that a typo or do you just like a lot of vanilla in your sugar cookies?

    Reply

    • Hi Suzanne, I always err on the side of more vanilla because I just love the flavor. Also, this recipe makes a huge batch! You can start with a teaspoon and work your way up if you’d like!

      Reply

  31. 5 stars
    Just found your recipe on Pinterest. It is the same recipe my mother used back in the 1980’s. She called them White Sugar Cookies. Her recipe uses 3/4 cup of oil instead of 1 cup. (3/4 cup of oil is plenty for these cookies)! Otherwise it is the same recipe. I have also made the recipe from The Pioneer Woman- -she calls them Angel Cookies. Great recipe- -Just doesn’t need a full cup of oil to be delicious! Your pics are top quality!

    Reply

  33. Did anyone else cheat and not refridgerate for two hours? Made the cookies but foolishly did not read the full recipe and I don’t have two hours to wait. I could go an hour? Will it wreck the cookies?

    Reply

    • Hi Molly, these may be a little soft for a cookie cutter. I recommend using my Foolproof Cut-Out Sugar Cookie recipe for cut-outs.

      Reply

    • Hi Vivian, sure, that should work. Let the dough soften a little bit before baking though as it will be very hard.

      Reply

  36. 5 stars
    I didn’t have any vanilla so I steeped my cats vanilla catnip instead. It made the dough smell weird but I’m pretty sure it baked out. Used tartar sauce instead of the cream of tartar—cookies definitely had an extra tang. I had some extra oil left over from car’s my oil change, and since I avoid processed oils like vegetable oil, I just used that instead. My oven started putting out black smoke and sparked a fire. The fire department actually showed up because my neighbor saw all the smoke and flames coming out of my kitchen windows. Needless to say I’m looking for a new house right now. What was left of the cookies was spicy and burnt tasting—they also didn’t rise well, so not my favorite.
    JUST KIDDING I followed the recipe EXACTLY as written, and they were DELICIOUS. Perfect crisp crust and soft, chewy inside. I bet this dough would also be great for snickerdoodles. I just made a second batch cos I ate the first in like two days! 🙂

    Reply

    • Claire, I LOVE your comment! It definitely made me laugh! Glad you enjoyed and yes this would be great as snickerdoodles!

      Reply

  39. 5 stars
    This is a delicious cookie. I added a 1/4 tsp kosher salt in addition to the 1 tsp regular salt, pressed them with the bottom of a glass and sprinkled a little colored sugar on the tops. Absolutely delicious, buttery, crispy. I could eat a billion of them in one sitting.

    Reply

  40. Love these old fashioned sugar cookies! They would be gone in a flash around here! thanks for sharing this amazing article and recipe.

    Reply

  42. 5 stars
    Left comment earlier but forgot to rank. These are absolutely 5 star cookies. So tender and delish! This is my new favorite sugar cookie recipe.

    Reply

  44. Just made these and added a little orange extract and some fresh orange zest. So delicious. Thank you for a wonderful and versatile recipe.

    Reply

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