Crave-Worthy Sugar Cookies
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These are the best sugar cookies: rich and buttery in flavor with a crisp exterior and soft interior.
These sugar cookies are truly crave-worthy: buttery and rich in flavor with a crisp exterior and soft interior. I discovered the recipe years ago on the King Arthur Flour website, and it’s been my go-to for sugar cookies ever since.
So, what makes these sugar cookies unique? First, they’re made with cream cheese in addition to butter, which makes them tender without the need for vegetable shortening. Second, they’re made with a touch of almond extract, which lightly perfumes the cookies with the unmistakable scent of almond.
What You’ll Need To Make Crave-Worthy Sugar Cookies
How To Make Crave-Worthy Sugar Cookies
Begin by whisking the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda together in a bowl. Set aside.
Next, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer with beaters).
Add the vanilla and almond extracts.
Beat to combine, then add the egg.
Add the dry ingredients to the batter.
Mix on low until the dough forms a cohesive mass. It will be a little sticky.
Pinch off tablespoons of dough and roll in a bowl of sugar.
Place the balls on a cookie sheet, then press them flat with a flat-bottomed glass.
Bake for about ten minutes, until lightly golden on the bottom but still very pale on top. Cool the cookies for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cookies are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are made.
How To Freeze Sugar Cookies
If you don’t want to bake all the cookies at once, the dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.)
To freeze after baking, let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
You May Also Like
- Toffee Almond Sandies
- Old-Fashioned Ginger Spice Cookies
- Linzer Cookies
- Oatmeal Brown Sugar Cookies with Raisins & Pecans
- Snickerdoodles
Crave-Worthy Sugar Cookies
These are the best sugar cookies: rich and buttery in flavor with a crisp exterior and soft interior.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 oz (¼ cup) cream cheese
- 1¼ cup sugar, plus ½ cup more for rolling cookies
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Set racks in middle of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat in the egg. Scrape down the bowl again, then add the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together into a cohesive mass. It will be a little sticky.
- Place the remaining ½ cup cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Moisten your hands so the dough doesn't stick to them. Pinch off the dough by tablespoonfuls, shape into rough balls (see note below), roll in the sugar to coat, and place 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using a flat-bottomed glass, flatten the cookies to ¼-inch thick. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through to ensure even cooking. The cookies will turn golden on the bottom but remain pale on top. Cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. (Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel to keep the dough moist between batches.)
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Cookie Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To Freeze After Baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 193
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 104 mg
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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4 dozen seems like a lot. Is this because they are relatively small?There are two of us, but I often share with neighbors. Can this be easily halved? How about the egg? Or do I just make them all and freeze the rest?
Hi Jane, they’re the size of an average cookie. You can definitely cut the recipe in half. For the egg, beat it in a measuring cup, discard half of it, and use the remaining half. You can also freeze the baked cookies or the dough. See the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions.
I love sugar cookies and gave these a try. They were amazing – I could not stop eating them. They froze extremely well. Highly recommend
Could we add some sparkling sugar on top of the cookie, then press down and bake?
Sure!
Hi Jenn, would this recipe work well with the cookie stamps you featured in your gift guide? Thanks so much!
Unfortunately, I don’t think it would — I’m sorry!
These are wonderful and everyone is right who said you can’t stop eating them … be prepared! The dough was too sticky to measure in a spoon so I used my scale at 30g and that was perfect. I tried 25 too small, 50 too big, and 35g too big. 30g is the sweet spot!
Can this recipe be used for cutout cookies? Would they keep their shape?
Hi Anne, It won’t work as is, but the King Arthur website recommends adding 1/2 cup flour to the recipe if you want to roll them out. They will definitely be more crisp with the additional flour. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try it!
Does this recipe call for a chill time?
Hi Z, it’s not necessary here. 🙂
This is my first time making sugar cookies and they did not disappoint. Hubby loves them!
I’ve never really been a fan of sugar cookies, but these are so good – I just can’t stop eating them! Another recipe to put on repeat – thanks Jenn!
Hi. I want to make these but without the almond extract. Do I use the vanilla as is or add the almond extract amount to it? Thanks!
I’d use more vanilla in place of the almond extract (so you’ll need 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract). Hope you enjoy!
Best sugar cookies I’ve made. Flexible too. You can divide the batter and make variations. Rolled one third in cinnamon sugar for a snickerdoodle. Folded m&ms into another third. The last third food in lemon or orange zest and make the same flavored glaze. Really solid easy recipe. Thanks!
These were delicious! I did not roll them in the additional sugar, instead I made an indentation and added a small amount of guava marmalade. Excellent! Everyone loved them.Thanks, Jenn.
Sorry, I forgot to give them 5 stars!
Have made these several times and they are the best sugar cookie ever! Wanted some today but didn’t have any cream cheese. Too lazy to run to the store so substituted nonfat Greek yogurt and it worked perfectly. Cookies were absolutely delicious as they always have been!
My 13 year-old just said, “best cookie I’ve ever had.” And I have to say, he’s right. These are superb!
I really wish I had never made these cookies. Because I can’t STOP eating them 🤪
As a chocolate-lover, I was doubtful that there was even a thing such as crave-worthy sugar cookies. Was I ever wrong! By far, the best sugar cookie I’ve ever eaten.
I used dairy-free and gluten-free substitutes in your sugar cookies- they were great- no gritty taste using Bob’s Red Mill 1to1 gluten-free flour and dairy-free cream cheese! I rolled the cookies in red and green sugar for the holidays. Thanks for all your great recipes- I enjoy reading the comments too!
Hi Jen, I have a granddaughter who is on a dairy-free and gluten-free diet. I plan to use this recipe using vegan Earth Balance butter sticks, non-dairy cream cheese, and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour. What do you think?
Hi Carol, I haven’t tried these with any of those substitutes so it’s hard to say for sure – sorry! Please LMK how they turn out if you make them. 🙂
Wow – these are incredible. I got rave reviews on these and my husband-to-be says it’s his new favorite recipe of mine. Simple, delicious, and loved by all.