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Best Ever Sugar Cookies

The Best Ever Sugar Cookies recipe comes straight from my grandma’s recipe box. My absolute favorite and so simple to make. These sugar cookies are buttery and delicious with crispy edges! I know you are going to love these as much as we do!

Best Ever Sugar Cookies with crispy edges

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I think my grandma’s sugar cookie recipe is the first recipe I ever collected for my recipe box. I still have her handwritten recipe and it’s certainly a treasure.

The secret to the Best Ever Sugar Cookies:

The secret to the best ever sugar cookies is to use real butter along with both granulated sugar and powdered sugar. They have the best flavor and texture and the most perfectly crisp edges. 

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Best Ever Sugar Cookies on a tray

How to Make the Best Ever Sugar Cookies:

  • Cream together softened butter, oil, granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
  • Add in eggs and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
  • Add flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar.
  • Blend until combined. 
  • Scoop into balls using a cookie scoop. 
  • Roll in granulated sugar. 
  • Place 2 inches apart on a lined cookie sheet. 
  • Smash with the bottom of a glass. 
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes. 
  • Cool on a wire rack. 
  • Store in an airtight container. 

Scroll to the bottom for the full printable recipe.

Wire cooling rack with the Best Ever Sugar Cookies and a gingham napkin

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Handy Kitchen Tools for Baking Cookies like a pro:

Best Ever Sugar Cookies with a glass of milk

Best Cookies to Bake for Christmas:

I love these Best Ever Sugar Cookies for Christmas. They make a big batch, they keep well and everyone loves them. My Chocolate Chip Biscotti, Molasses Cookies and Pecan Pie Cookies are always on the list as well.

All of these cookies will stay fresh for at least 10 days to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container. If you are looking for sugar cookie frosting, this one’s a favorite!

Best Ever Sugar Cookies served with ice cold milk

Can you freeze sugar cookie dough?

You can freeze this cookie dough. Scoop into balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Freeze for 2 hours. Place into a zip top freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Remove from freezer as needed and bake 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Cookies for Santa ~ Best Ever Sugar Cookies

 These simple sugar cookies are my go to cookie for every occasion. They are so good with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk.

Great for potlucks, celebrations and for anytime the craving strikes for something sweet. You are going to want to print this one out and keep it in your recipe box or pin it to your Cookie & Desserts boards on Pinterest!

Stack of the Best Ever Sugar Cookies

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Stack of The Best Ever Sugar Cookies for holiday baking

Yield: 48 Cookies

Best Ever Sugar Cookies

Best Ever Sugar Cookie Recipe

The Best Ever Sugar Cookies recipe comes straight from my grandma's recipe box. My absolute favorite and so simple to make. These sugar cookies are buttery and delicious with crispy edges!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Active Time 48 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar + 1/2 cup for rolling
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 °
  • Add softened butter, vegetable oil, powdered sugar and granulated sugar to a mixing bowl.
  • Beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  • Add flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar.
  • Mix until well combined.
  • Scoop into balls (I use a medium cookie scoop)
  • Roll in sugar and place on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
  • Smash with the bottom of a glass.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
  • Remove to a wire rack to cool.
  • Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

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39 Comments

    1. These really are the best sugar cookies. I make them for Christmas and package them up in little cello bags with ribbon. Everyone really loves them and they look festive with red and green decorating sugars.

      Thank you for the best sugar cookies ever!

  1. I tried your Sugar Cookie Recipe. They were so easy to make – the dough was wonderful to work with. It made 5 doz!!!!! ANd the taste!!! WOW. They are the absolute best cookie I have ever made. And my partner loves them and wants me to make more. My neighbours and friends we so impressed!!! THANKS SO VERY VERY MUCH for sharing this recipe!

    1. Hi Nicole,
      I haven’t ever iced these cookies. They might be a little crumbly to ice. They are not as sturdy as most sugar cookies that I have iced.

      ~ Milisa

  2. Hello…
    This is my mom’s recipe too. It is the BEST. I have not made them in over 30 years. I am today. My dough is a bit soft…is it due to sifting the flour? I forget….
    Or are they soft then fridge them for a few hours prior to baking

    Thanks
    Dede

    1. Hi Dede,
      The dough is a bit soft but I never refrigerate the dough, I just bake it, I don’t sift the flour either. It is a pretty forgiving dough. I’m glad you got the chance to bake them!
      ~Milisa

    1. Hi Karen,
      This recipe does not work for rolling and cut outs. I have tried it with no success but they are so delicious, I hope you try them!

      ~ Milisa

  3. I use to bake these cookies in the 80’s and shipped them to Iraq to my brother in law. Then I list the cookbook it was in. My heart was broken. It has taken me from 1991 til YESTERDAY to find the recipe again. I am elated!! My kuds, who are now in their late 30’s early 40’s are thrilled and begged me to send the recipe to them. I can die a happy woman now. Lol. Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous cookie with us all. I can’t wait to bake some in a little while…my mouth is watering now.

  4. This is the exact recipe my mom always made when I was a kid. I had lost the recipe. I am so excited that I found this today! They are my favorite cookies ever!

  5. I am so glad I tried this recipe. Thank you. These are like the cookies I enjoyed as a kid at Christmas time in the 70s. I have never found a recipe until now that matches them. I am thrilled. Very nice soft dough, so soft yet crunchy edges, and awesome taste. Yay!! I have great Christmas cookies to eat again.

  6. Is the butter used unsalted sweet butter? I used regular salted butter with the added salt, They came out well but could have used maybe half the salt? I’m thinking it should have cut down on the salt with the regular butter.

    1. Hi Linda,
      I always use salted butter and all of the salt the recipe calls for but butter can really vary with different brands. I would say you would be just fine using half of the salt next time.

      ~ Milisa

  7. HI! How soft is your butter when you mix the dough? My cookies spread quite a bit. They tasted okay, but not as good as the one’s the lady made who gave me this recipe. 🙁 Any tips on how long to mix, large or small eggs, etc…?? Thank you!

    1. Hi Diane,
      I typically set my butter out the night before baking, so it’s usually room temperature when I bake. It could be the brand of butter that you are using that is making the difference. I hope that helps.

      ~ Milisa

    1. Hi Mare,
      I haven’t ever tried that. I’m really not sure if it would work or not. These are not the typical roll out sugar cookies but it might work just as well. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.

      ~ Milisa

  8. We made this recipe growing up – but did use vegetable shortening instead of oil – awesome cookies! We often used it to make giant sugar cookies that we would then frost, sometimes they were so big we had to bake in two pieces! When we made individual cookies, we pressed them with three fingers before baking. That’s probably the difference with the oils.

    1. Hi Vicki,
      I make them double sized for bake sales and they are always a hit. I haven’t ever tried them with shortening, but I’m sure they are delicious. Thanks for stopping by to share your memories of these cookies.

      ~ Milisa

  9. This is the same as my late Mother-in-law’s recipe. She did specify to sift and refrigerate the dough before baking. I made my dough last night and baked them this morning. I also put the dough back into the fridge while the first batch was baking. I find they spread a little less. She always flattened them with a fork dipped in water and criss-crossed. Either that or the glass works. They are a wonderful cookie!

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