Sugar Cookies That Hold Their Shape (No-Spread Cut-Out Christmas Cookies)
There’s nothing more frustrating than cutting out cute Christmas trees and stars, only to pull blobs out of the oven. I’ve been there. That’s why these sugar cookies that hold their shape are the only cut-out recipe I use now.
They bake up with clean, sharp edges, flat tops for icing and soft centers. The secret is simple: no baking powder, butter that’s soft but still cool, and a short chill before and after cutting.
Every holiday season I make a big batch for decorating. They taste like vanilla and butter with a hint of almond, and they’re just as good plain as they are covered in icing and sprinkles.
Why You’ll Love These Sugar Cookies
- No spreading. Your shapes come out of the oven looking like they went in.
- Soft centers. Tender, not hard or crunchy.
- Flat tops. Perfect for icing and sprinkles.
- Easy dough. Roll it before chilling, so there’s no fighting cold dough.
- Make ahead. The dough freezes beautifully.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The exact amounts are in the recipe card at the end of this post. Here’s a quick guide.
- Flour: Spoon it into the cup and level it. Too much flour makes dry, crumbly cookies.
- Butter: Softened but still cool. Very soft butter causes spreading.
- Sugar and egg: Plain granulated sugar and one large egg.
- Extracts: Vanilla, plus almond extract for that classic bakery flavor. Skip the almond for nut allergies.
- Icing: Powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and a little corn syrup so it sets smooth and shiny.
How to Make Sugar Cookies That Hold Their Shape
- Make the dough. Cream butter and sugar, add egg and extracts, then mix in flour and salt.
- Roll, then chill. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick between parchment and chill 1 hour.
- Cut and freeze. Cut shapes, place on a lined pan and freeze 10 minutes.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 11 minutes.
- Decorate. Cool completely, then ice and let set.
My Tips for Perfect Cut-Out Cookies
- Don’t overbeat the butter and sugar. Too much air makes cookies puff and spread.
- The 10-minute freeze before baking is the best trick for sharp edges.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for even baking.
- Re-roll scraps between parchment and chill again before cutting.
Variations to Try
- Citrus: Add 1 tbsp lemon or orange zest to the butter and sugar.
- Peppermint: Swap the almond extract for 1 tsp peppermint extract.
- Chocolate: Replace 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup cocoa powder.
- Sprinkle edges: Roll the edges of iced cookies in sprinkles before the icing sets.
Make-Ahead, Storage and Reheating
- Make ahead: Keep rolled dough in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
- Storage: Store iced cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Freeze plain baked cookies up to 3 months. Thaw, then decorate.
What to Serve With It
Pile these on a Christmas cookie tray with my Soft Gingerbread Cookies and some peppermint bark. They’re also lovely with a mug of hot chocolate after a cookie decorating party.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my sugar cookies spread? Usually the butter was too soft, the dough wasn’t cold, or the recipe had baking powder. This recipe fixes all three.
Why is there no baking powder? Baking powder makes cookies puff and spread. Leaving it out keeps the edges sharp.
How thick should I roll sugar cookies? 1/4 inch gives soft cookies that are sturdy enough to decorate.
How long does the icing take to dry? It sets on top in about 1 hour and is fully firm for stacking after 4 to 6 hours.
One Last Thing
I hope these become your go-to cut-out cookies too. If you make them, please leave a comment and a star rating below. And save this recipe to your Christmas cookies board on Pinterest!
Sugar Cookies That Hold Their Shape
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, plus more for rolling
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened but still cool (2 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract optional
Easy icing:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 to 4 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup helps the icing set shiny
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- gel food coloring and sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Whisk the flour and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Do not overbeat. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low just until the dough comes together. Divide in half, roll each half between two sheets of parchment to 1/4 inch thick and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment. Cut the chilled dough into shapes and place 1 inch apart. Freeze the cut cookies on the pan for 10 minutes.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are just set and the bottoms are very lightly golden. Cool on the pan 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup and vanilla until thick but spreadable. Tint with food coloring if you like. Decorate the cooled cookies and let the icing set for 4 to 6 hours.
Notes
Storage: Store iced cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Reheat: Not needed. Freeze un-iced cookies up to 3 months.
Variations: Add 1 tbsp lemon or orange zest for citrus cookies. Use 1 tsp peppermint extract instead of almond. No baking powder is used on purpose so the cookies keep their shape.
