These powdered sugar cookies are easy to make, completely delicious, and perfect for decorating for the holidays! Cut them out using your favorite cookie cutters and you'll have some festive cookies in no time! Whether you want some fun cookies to make with the kids or just some delectable cut-out cookies to enjoy any time of year, this recipe is for you!
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Old Fashioned Confectioners' Sugar Cookies
If you love vintage, old-fashioned recipes that truly deserve the hashtag #justlikegrandmamadethem, look no further! This comes straight from my Great Grandma T's recipe tin!
These delicious cookies are just as wonderful as I remember them being - they were always in a tin between the kitchen and basement. They were also always Santas, iced, with a pink color from using the liquid drops of old.
But I loved them; they were always a treat, and they were always ready no matter the time of year.
If you're new to baking, be sure to check out my how to make sugar cookies guide for great tips and pointers before getting started! For all the best storing info, see my article about how long sugar cookies last. Also, my article about what to do with leftover Christmas cookies is a fun way to make post-holiday desserts!
🥘 Ingredients
This easy cut-out sugar cookie recipe requires only eight ingredients to mix up the dough and get rolling! These are all pantry staple items, so no surprises here!
- Butter - 1 cup butter, softened, at room temperature. Use salted or unsalted butter.
- Confectioners Sugar - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar.
- Egg - 1 large egg at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (up to 2 teaspoons can be used, or use one teaspoon of your favorite extract flavor).
- Baking Soda - 1 teaspoon of baking soda to give your cookies a nice texture.
- Cream of Tartar - 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar will also keep your cookies light and tender.
- Salt - ¼ teaspoon of salt to enhance your cookies' flavor.
- All-purpose Flour - 2 ½ cups spoon and leveled all-purpose flour.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Powdered Sugar Cookies
Grab your mixing bowl and measuring cups, then get ready to whip these tender cookies up in no time! Just mix the dough, chill, then roll them out!
You'll have plenty of sugar cookies to share with this recipe which yields roughly 36-40 cookies. However, the quantity can vary depending on the size of your cookie cutters and dough thickness.
Make the Sugar Cookie Dough
- Cream the butter. In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), cream together 1 cup of butter and 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar until smooth.
- Mix. Add in the large egg and 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (or your preferred extract flavor) and beat until smooth again.
- Combine. Next, add 1 teaspoon each of baking soda and cream of tartar, then ¼ teaspoon salt, and mix until well combined.
- Add. Measure out 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled) then add it and continue to mix until just combined and the dough forms (*see note).
- Chill. Cover your dough and place it into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. (*see note.)
Roll, Decorate & Bake The Cut-Out Cookies
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (Silpat).
- Roll. Flour your work surface and roll the chilled dough out to about ¼-inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out your cookies and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
- Bake. Place the cookies on the center rack in your oven at 350°F (175°C) for 7-9 minutes, or until the cookie edges are lightly golden.
- Cool. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Your cookies continue to bake on the baking sheet as they cool and set, this is why it's best to leave them in place for a few minutes.
If decorating with my glossy sugar cookie icing or my sugar cookie frosting that hardens, you will want to let the cookies cool completely.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
- Make sure your flour is spooned and leveled and you don't use the measuring cup to scoop it. This can result in packing the measuring cup and making the cookies too dense.
- Don't over-mix your cookie dough. Stop mixing once the dough has just come together and the flour is evenly incorporated into the dough.
- To store your powdered sugar cookie dough longer (up to 2-4 days) transfer the dough into small containers or wrap it with plastic cling film.
- When using icing, the sugar cookies will form a 'seal' if you let them set out overnight. Apply your icing the next day and you will have less of the icing soak into the cookie.
🙂😀 Testimonials
These sugar cookies are just like my Grandma's too and she had the same cookie cutters! So fun to see and make these cookies. Happy holidays to you , Angela!
Mary B, Chicago, IL
🥡 Storing
Keep your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days. Check out my guide to storing sugar cookies!
Freezing
You can freeze your undecorated or iced powdered sugar cookies for up to 3 months. To freeze your decorated cookies, it is easier to keep them all looking fantastic if you flash-freeze them before packing for storing (or shipping).
Place the decorated cookies on a clean baking sheet after any icing has fully set. Once completely frozen, transfer the cookies into an airtight freezer storage container, placing parchment paper sheets between each layer.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
It may be hard to tell when your sugar cookies are done, as they should just begin to be a light golden color around the base. Additionally, once the dough changes from looking like wet, raw dough and starting to set you can pop them out of the oven.
Your cookies will continue to bake on the baking sheet so leave them to set for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack.
Well, you really should. You want the fats to have that chilling time so that your cookies will set up and bake without spreading too much.
If you opt to skip the chilling, you will need more flour to work with the dough which results in a cookie that tastes like flour. Or, you will yield flat, crisp cookies that didn't hold their cut-out shape.
🎅🎄 More Great Christmas Cookies
- Christmas M&M Cookie Bars - A fun, easy Christmas favorite with lots of holiday M&Ms chocolate candies!
- Nussecken - A decadent German Christmas cookie featuring hazelnuts and chocolate!
- Kolaczki - A traditional European cookie with tender cookie dough wrapped around fruit pie or jam filling!
- Christmas Gumdrop Cookies - Easy drop cookies with chopped pieces of holiday-colored gumdrop candies!
- Chocolate Peppermint No-Bake Cookies - The classic no-bake chocolate cookie topped with frosting and candy canes!
- Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars - An easy 9x13 dessert for any holiday!
- Sour Cream Cookies - Another great drop cookie to bake for any occasion!
📖 Recipe Card
Powdered Sugar Cookies (Great Grandma Ethel's Sugar Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (softened, at room temperature)
- 1½ cup confectioners sugar
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), cream together the 1 cup butter and 1½ cup confectioners sugar sugar until smooth.
- Add in the 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat until smooth again.
- Next, add the 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, and ¼ teaspoon salt and mix until well combined.
- Add in the 2½ cups all-purpose flour while continuing to mix until just combined and the dough forms (*see note).
- Cover your dough and place it into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. (*see note.)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (Silpat).
- Flour your work surface and roll the chilled dough out to about ¼-inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out your cookies and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
- Bake the cookies in the oven for about 7-9 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Make sure your flour is spooned and leveled and you don't use the measuring cup to scoop it. This can result in packing the measuring cup and making the cookies too dense.
- Don't overmix your cookie dough. Stop mixing once the dough has just come together and the flour is evenly incorporated into the dough.
- To store your powdered sugar cookie dough longer (up to 2-4 days) transfer the dough into small containers or wrap it with plastic cling film.
- When using icing, the sugar cookies will form a 'seal' if you let them set out overnight. Apply your icing the next day and you will have less of the icing soak into the cookie.
- To store: Keep your cookies stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 7 days. Check out my guide to storing sugar cookies!
- To freeze: You can freeze your iced or undecorated cookies for up to 3 months. Place the decorated cookies on a clean baking sheet after any icing has fully set. Once completely frozen, transfer the cookies into an airtight freezer storage container, placing parchment paper sheets between each layer.
Lori says
Just popped in here to look at other powdered sugar cookie recipes, and yours is almost the same as mine! Only difference is, I add 1/2 t. almond extract. My mom made them for me and my siblings (and Santa!) in the 70's, and they're my husband's fav now! 🙂 Just pinned to Pinterest and noticed the Santa cookie jar...that's the one we had! 😃
Angela Latimer says
It's one that my Mom bought for my sons years ago. I've had that cookie jar almost 30 years now ❤️ plus I have a bunch of Fitz & Floyd cookie jars (like Betty Quacker, Gooseberry Lane, Coq du Village, and more but never a Santa). I love my cookie jars lol.
Julie S says
Your cookies look amazing. Would you please share the icing that you used that is pictured in your grandmother's... Great Grandma Ethel's tender, tasty powdered sugar cookies. They look perfect!!!
Thank you so much, julie
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
My glossy sugar cookie icing is my go-to for decorating holiday cookies. Thanks for asking!
Debbie Mason says
Thank you for this recipe I will try it out soon. Also thank you for putting in the directions how much of each item. I frown every time I have to keep scrolling up and down to see how much to use. That is the best thing ever!!! 😘💞
Mart says
I have no cream of tartar, what do I do in that case?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
See my cream of tartar substitutes for the best alternative! Baking powder is probably your best swap here, or omit the cream of tartar entirely. Thanks for asking!