CRISPY CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES
I want to say that nothing can beat a chocolate chip cookie, but maybe, just maybe, this crispy and chewy sugar cookie can. To be honest I really have a love for all kinds of cookies, and every time I seem to make these I think to myself… These are seriously the best cookies ever! The vanilla flavor is so dominant, and then the crispy sugar on the outside. Yum!
I know there is also a time and place for a frosted cut out sugar cookie, but we’ll save that recipe for a later date. And please don’t rule these out because they are missing the frosting on top that we’ve grown so accustomed to. The sweetness from the sugar coating makes you forget anything else ever existed.
STEPS TO MAKING THESE COOKIES
I love how quick these cookies can come together
- Pull out butter and eggs about 15 minutes before you are ready to begin, if your house is extra cold it might take a little longer.
- Sift dry ingredients together; baking powder, baking soda, flour and salt.
- Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. I would say about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg and beat on low for about 30 seconds, add the vanilla and mix again.
- Add in dry ingredients and mix only until incorporated. This is where so many people go wrong. You do not want to over mix the flour.
THOUGHTS BEFORE BAKING
Most often when you click on a cookie recipe you’re going to see one of the first ingredients being un-salted butter. I am one of those that believes in SALTED butter for everything. It’s such a minimal amount, so although there are plenty of people who probably wouldn’t even be able to tell a difference either way, I prefer and love salted butter.
Something I have found to be helpful through the years is not allowing the butter and eggs to come to complete room temperature when making cookies. This is ideal for cakes and some bars, but cookies are different. I like to sit my butter and eggs out for about 15-30 minutes before I begin the cookie mixing process. You want your butter to be warm enough to make a small finger imprint, but not so warm that you can push through the butter.
HOW BEST TO STORE COOKIES
These crispy and chewy sugar cookies can be stored in an airtight container or large ziplock bag for a few days, although I rarely keep them out of we don’t eat them the first day.
Freezing is also such an easy way to store cookies. If you throw them in the freezer after baking, they will stay good as new. Maybe not quite the same because they aren’t warm anymore. But you could always put them next to a sunny window when you pull them out of the freezer, and you’ll never know the difference. You can also easily scoop all the cookies into balls and bake what you want, and freeze the rest of the dough balls. I usually put whatever dough balls I want to freeze on a 1/4 baking sheet and throw them in my freezer for a few minutes, until they are cold enough to stay firm and not stick together. Then throw them in a ziplock bag and you’re ready to go when your kids want to know what’s for dessert for the third time in one day.
For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment below if you make them and love them as much as I do.
Crispy Chewy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies in
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Place the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add egg and mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Beat in vanilla.
- Slowly mix in dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix. I usually stop when I still have some flour remnants around the bowl.
- Scoop the dough into large balls, I like to use a 3 TBSP cookie scoop for these. Roll in sugar.
- Place 8 cookie dough balls on your lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes. You're looking for a nice light golden brown around the edges, and some crackling along the top. Be careful not to over bake, or you will lose the chewy factor we are going for.
We have made these twice in 4 days. My whole family loves them. I don’t know how with all that butter you don’t have to chill them first but you don’t! It’s so nice to just pop them in and not have to wait. Brooke is a magician! We live above 5000 feet so we baked them at 380 for 11 min. We have to adjust baking because sugar crystallizes faster at this altitude. They turned out perfect!
These turned out perfectly and my kids loved helping to form them into balls and roll them in sugar. We rolled them in green sugar for St. Patrick’s Day. Thank you for this delicious, simple recipe!
So glad you liked them! And perfect addition for St. Patricks Day with green sprinkles.
I just made these. I never leave comments on recipes but these…are…worth…it!!! The dough was really crumbly so I was slightly worried about how they’d turn out. But they are absolutely perfect. I’m so excited to have found salted sweets!
I’m so glad you loved them!
Have you used this recipe with cookie cutters? I want to try your recipes and am supposed to bring 4th of July Sugar Cookies for decorating this weekend. Thoughts?
I have never tried to roll out these cookies and cut out, I am not sure it would work correctly for this recipe. But they would be excellent with frosting!
Perfection. Every time.
I’m not sure what it is about this recipe, one would think all sugar cookie recipes are the same but this blows the others away. This is also on repeat with our HS band kiddos 🙂
My go to sugar cookie recipe! These are so soft and the perfect sweetness. Soooo yummy!
Thank you so much Amy! We love these cookies so much too!
This is the only sugar cookie recipe I will ever make now! My husband is obsessed with these.
I’ve never been impressed by a sugar cookie. My kids were asking to make them and these are delicious!!! We took them to a family event and everyone was surprised by how much they too enjoyed them. If you’re going to make sugar cookies, make these!
Let me start off by saying I don’t really like sugar cookies but these are seriously SO. stinking. good!!
These are the best sugar cookies I have ever made! I would like to make them with frosting for my upcoming Christmas party. I was wondering you what kind of frosting would you recommend for these? Do you think buttercream or a different kind? I didn’t know if buttercream would be overly sweet.
I would do buttercream just because its easiest and works best to frost cookies. You could put a little almond extract in the frosting to make it less sweet if you like that.