Sugar Cookie Recipe for Cookie Cutters

Comments

Sam - March 11, 2026

Help! I have an amazing recipe I use for my sugar cookies, however, they crackle on the tops. Sometimes they come out with completely smooth tops but most times a darn crackle. Your recipe does not call for baking powder so I think I may try it. I do roll mine to 3/8” thick and I use 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp vanilla butter emulsion. Do you think the tweaks above will work for your recipe and potentially remove the crackle I get????
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Sam! There could be several reasons for that crackling you’re experiencing, so you’ll have to do some troubleshooting on your end. One, you could be accidentally overworking your dough. Two, your dough could be a little too dry; this could be something as simple as your eggs not being as large as usual or a too-high flour content, leading to a drier dough than normal. Or three, your oven could be running a little too hot, and the outside of the cookie is baking too fast. There might be more possible reasons, but that’s where we would start! Good luck!

J Hodge - March 5, 2026

My go to,never fail, receipe. Sure a versatile dough.
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Yay!

Tara Husson - February 17, 2026

I just made these cookies and have to say that they were the best sugar cookies I’ve ever made before! I cut the recipe in half because honestly, I’m not good with a rolling pin or cookie cutters but these not only came out great, they tasted SO good. The dash of lemon zest was perfect and because it was Valentine’s Day, I added a splash of red food coloring. Also, my new obsession which I discovered in December, is Vanilla Bean Paste and I swear, using this in recipes is a deal breaker. I give this recipe 5⭐️ in all aspects!

Amanda Giltinan - February 17, 2026

I have been using this recipe for over a year, it’s truely amazing! However my last 2 batches have been dry, when I’m done mixing the dough is barely combined and crumbly. I haven’t changed anything with ingredients. Any suggestions?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
If the dough is overly crumbly, then there likely isn’t enough moisture in it. This could be due to eggs being a little smaller than usual, or butter not at the right consistency. Adding some more liquid should help bind the dough.

Kelsie - January 7, 2026

Can I make this recipe without a mixer and just mix it all by hand?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
You can, but it will definitely be a workout!

Gina young - January 7, 2026

Hello, do you also use vanilla in your royal icing or almond extract? Or can you use almond in the dough and vanilla in the icing?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
You can do either or both! You can never go wrong with vanilla, so we include it no matter whether we are adding other flavorings or not. Feel free to leave it on its own or add other extracts you like!

Jill in Texas - December 31, 2025

This was my first time making sugar cookies and this recipe was perfect! The dough was easy to work with and the cookies had great flavor!

Elena - December 31, 2025

I followed all the steps and my dough got sticky. So then I came to the comments to see why that could be it. And find out the baking powder is not mentioned. Amazing… and there it goes in the trash.
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The Cookie Countess replied:
There is no baking powder in this recipe, although you can add some if you prefer to. We do not find it necessary here, so I’m sorry you threw your dough away unnecessarily. If your dough is sticky, it could be a couple of things. One, your butter may have been too soft; melty (or melted) butter will result in a stickier, less firm dough. Or two, you had too much liquid in the mix, whether from additional extracts, overlarge eggs, etc. You can always add a little more flour to your dough if it is too sticky. We also find that rolling your dough between sheets of parchment paper can contain messes, and you can refrigerate those sheets of dough until they are a little more firm and less sticky. I hope this helps!

Staceek - December 31, 2025

I needed to make them dairy free, so I used a country crock avocado oil stick (I did half recipe), and added a tsp of baking powder per the comments above. When I did that, the batter was very dry, so I added a tablespoon of oat milk, and these were then the perfect texture to work with! The cut outs were beautiful, and everyone said they tasted great. Now they are cooling after several got gobbled up warm. Icing next! Thank you for this recipe.

Pearl Greenstein - December 17, 2025

Can I cut this recipe in half?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Yes you can.