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A stack of five soft sugar cookies with colorful sprinkles on top, displayed on a marble surface.
Linda

Soft Sugar Cookies

Pillowy, tender cookies with a delicate crumb and sweet vanilla finish that stay soft for days.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 145
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2.75 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened, room temperature
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar plus extra for rolling
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk room temperature
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp sour cream room temperature

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Baking Sheets
  • Parchment Paper
  • Cookie Scoop or Tablespoon

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
  3. In a large bowl with a mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
  4. Beat in the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and sour cream until just combined. The mixture may look slightly curdled - this is normal.
  5. Reduce mixer to low speed and gradually add the flour mixture. Mix until no dry streaks remain, about 30 seconds. Do not overmix.
  6. Scoop dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls. Roll each in granulated sugar to coat completely, then place 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.
  7. Bake 9-11 minutes until the edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone. The tops will be pale with small cracks. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Notes

The extra egg yolk and sour cream are the secrets to keeping these cookies soft and tender - do not skip them. For bakery-style cookies, chill the dough balls for 15 minutes before baking to prevent excessive spreading. These cookies stay soft for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze the unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months and bake straight from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the bake time.