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Soft sugar cookies have always been one of those recipes that show up for everything — birthdays, holidays, snow days, and random Tuesday afternoons when you just need something sweet. This recipe has become our go-to because the cookies stay soft for days, they freeze beautifully, and they’re perfect with a thick layer of buttercream frosting – I have several recipes posted! Choose from my Classic Vanilla Buttercream, Almond Buttercream, Lemon Buttercream or any of my other Frosting Recipes to go with them!
I often make these alongside Snickerdoodle Cookies, Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Easy Meringue Cookies when we’re putting together cookie trays for holidays or family gatherings. A batch of these cookies and a mug of Homemade Hot Chocolate is one of our favorite winter traditions.
Be sure to stop by and check out all my Cookie Recipes in my Desserts collection
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Extremely soft, tender cookies
- Stays soft for days
- Great for frosting or eating plain
- Perfect for holidays, birthdays, and cookie trays
- Freezes well frosted or unfrosted
- Easy recipe to make with kids
- Uses simple pantry ingredients
- Can chill overnight and bake the next day
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Cream of tartar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Equipment
- Stand mixer – Makes creaming the butter and sugar much easier and gives the cookies their smooth texture.
- Mixing bowls – Helpful for keeping wet and dry ingredients separate before mixing.
- Cookie scoop – Keeps cookies uniform so they bake evenly.
- Baking sheets – Heavy baking sheets help cookies bake evenly without over-browning.
- Parchment paper – Prevents sticking and helps cookies bake evenly.
- Mason jar or flat-bottom glass – Used to press the cookies before baking.
- Cooling rack – Allows cookies to cool without becoming soggy on the bottom.
How to Make
The key to these cookies is properly creaming the wet ingredients and then allowing the dough to chill. Start by creaming together the butter, oil, eggs, sugars, and vanilla until the mixture is completely smooth and fully combined. This step incorporates air into the dough and helps create that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients so the leavening and salt are evenly distributed. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix until a soft dough forms. The dough will be thick and very soft, which is exactly what you want for a tender cookie.
Because this dough contains oil, chilling is very important. Chilling the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking. The longer the dough chills, the thicker and softer your cookies will be.
Once chilled, scoop heaping portions of dough and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie because they will spread.
Lightly butter the bottom of a glass or mason jar, dip it into sugar, and gently press each cookie flat.
This gives the cookies their classic sugar cookie look and adds a light sugar coating on top.
Bake just until the cookies are set and the edges are barely turning light golden. The centers should still look soft when you remove them from the oven.
They will continue to set as they cool, which keeps them soft instead of dry.
Once cooled, frost with buttercream frosting for classic frosted sugar cookies. These are especially good with Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, or Classic Cream Cheese Frosting, or even my Lemon Buttercream Frosting!
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PrintMelt-In-Your-Mouth Sugar Cookies
These melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies are soft, tender, and perfectly sweet with a delicate texture that stays soft for days. Made with butter, oil, and powdered sugar for the ultimate soft sugar cookie, these cookies are perfect for frosting with buttercream for birthdays, holidays, or everyday treats.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours – overnight
- Cook Time: 9-10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: About 24 large cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (plus extra for rolling and pressing)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, oil, eggs, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until a soft dough forms and the mixture is smooth.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
- After chilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop heaping scoops of dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 to 3 inches between each dough ball. (These cookies will GROW!)
- Rub a small amount of butter on the bottom of a mason jar, dip the jar into granulated sugar, and use it to gently press each dough ball flat. Dip the jar into sugar between each press so the cookies have a light sugar coating on top.
- Optional step: Use a fine mesh strainer to sprinkle a tiny bit of extra sugar across the tops for that shimmery, bakery style finish. (Skip this step if you plan to frost them!)
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are set and just barely beginning to turn light golden on the edges. Do not overbake. The cookies will be soft, and that’s ok! They will continue to set up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting or eating.
- For the next step, frost with my classic buttercream frosting, lemon buttercream, or even cream cheese frosting. (My favorite is classic buttercream)
Notes
Chilling the dough is important for this recipe because the dough contains oil. Chilling prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking, so the longer you can chill, the taller your cookies will be!
For best texture, do not overbake. The cookies should look soft in the center when removed from the oven.
These cookies freeze well both frosted and unfrosted.
Frost with my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting for classic frosted sugar cookies.
Recipes That Pair Well With This
These melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies are perfect for holiday trays, birthdays, and family gatherings. If you’re building a cookie tray or dessert table, try adding a few of these favorites along with these cookies. You can find all of our cookie recipes in the Cookies Recipe Collection, or browse all sweet recipes in my ever growing collection of Dessert Recipes.
These cookies pair especially well with:
- Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Ever
- Bakery-Style Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Meringue Cookies
- Classic Scotcheroos (No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars)
- Perfectly Easy No-Bake Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake (Soft & Chewy Bakery-Style)
More Recipes to Try
- Easy Homemade Breadsticks (Or Dinner Rolls)
- Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Ever
- Bakery-Style Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake (Soft & Chewy Bakery-Style)
- Easy Meringue Cookies
- Classic Scotcheroos (No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars)
- Perfectly Easy No-Bake Cookies
- Flaky Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
- Classic Biscuits and Gravy
Tips for Little Helpers
This is a great recipe for kids to help with. Kids can help scoop the dough, roll dough balls, dip the glass in sugar, and help press the cookies flat before baking. Letting kids help in the kitchen is a great way to build confidence and teach basic cooking skills, and recipes like this one are simple enough for them to participate in from start to finish.
Tips for Success
Chilling the dough is important for this recipe because the dough contains oil. Chilling prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking, so the longer you can chill, the thicker your cookies will be!
Do not overbake. The cookies should look soft in the center when removed from the oven.
Use a heaping cookie scoop so the cookies stay thick and soft.
Dip the glass in sugar between each press so the cookies have that classic sugar cookie top.
FAQs
Why do I have to chill the dough?
This dough contains oil, which makes the cookies very soft but also causes them to spread if the dough is not chilled. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and bake thicker.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes, the dough freezes very well. Scoop the dough into balls, freeze, and bake later.
Can I freeze the baked cookies?
Yes, these cookies freeze well both frosted and unfrosted.
Do I have to frost them?
No, they are delicious plain, but frosting turns them into classic frosted sugar cookies.
Why use cream of tartar?
Cream of tartar gives these cookies their classic soft sugar cookie texture and slight tangy flavor.
Storage
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. If frosted, store in a single layer or place parchment between layers.
Freezing Instructions
Cookies can be frozen frosted or unfrosted in an airtight container. Dough can also be frozen as dough balls and baked later.
Variations
- Frost with Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Frost with Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add sprinkles for holiday cookies
- Use Lemon Buttercream frosting for spring and summer cookies
- Make smaller cookies for cookie trays
- Shape into holiday shapes for themed cookies
- Turn the dough into cookie bars instead of individual cookies
Final Thoughts
These melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies are a classic, dependable recipe that works for holidays, birthdays, and everyday baking. They stay soft, freeze well, and are perfect frosted or plain. This is one of those recipes that becomes a family tradition and gets passed around for years.
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