A simple and sweet buttery Melt in Your Mouth Sugar Cookie with a soft, tender bite. This easy recipe, also known as Amish Sugar Cookies, is made with staple ingredients in just a few minutes!
If you’re looking for the lightest, most buttery sugar cookies ever, you’re in the right place.
I’ve long been a fan of all the sugar cookies. Well, if we’re being honest here, I’m a fan of most cookies! I’ve spent years perfect my favorite sugar cookie recipes and sharing them here.
In fact, I think there’s a sugar cookie for every season and occasion. You’ll find pumpkin sugar cookies, apple butter sugar cookies, cinnamon sugar cookies, and so many more.
They are popular for a reason, right? Beloved by kids and adults alike, sugar cookies are a favorite for any occasion. Today’s sugar cookie recipe is not only incredibly delicious and soft, it’s so easy to make.
These aren’t cut-out sugar cookies. They are simple round little fluffy cookies that simply need a little refrigeration after you throw the dough together. They are worth every single calorie, I promise!
You can top them with a creamy Buttercream Frosting, Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting or enjoy them as-is. Add your favorite sprinkles and you’re all set! Any which way you eat them, they’re going to be a fast favorite.
This recipe for melt in your mouth sugar cookies really is the best! They are so simple and easy to make, but these frosted sugar cookies will leave you wanting more! They’re perfect for all of your Christmas cookie exchanges and make the perfect festive treat.
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Amish Sugar Cookies
- Soft and delicate
- Incredibly moist
- Melt in your mouth
- Take just a few minutes hands on time
- No special cookie cutters or tools involved
- Perfect for any holiday or occasion
Originally published in February 2015, updated with additional photos, step by step photos, variations and video January 2021.
Melt in Your Mouth Sugar Cookie Ingredients
You just need a handful of pantry staple ingredients to make these yummy cookies!
- Butter – Unsalted butter is preferred. If you use salted butter, omit the salt in this recipe. Learn how to soften butter quickly!
- Vegetable Oil – The combination of both butter and oil is what makes these sugar cookies melt-in-your-mouth.
- White Granulated Sugar – Sweetens while adding a slight crunch.
- Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioners’ sugar, the addition of powdered sugar makes these cookies incredibly soft and delicate.
- Vanilla Extract – For a hint of flavor. You can substitute your favorite extract, or make your own homemade vanilla extract.
- Eggs – The binding agent.
- Flour – All purpose flour.
- Salt – Omit if using salted butter.
- Cream of Tartar – Reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide making these cookies light and fluffy. Don’t have cream of tartar? no problem! You can substitute using 2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar. You can find my complete list of baking substitutions here.
- Baking Soda – The leavening agent.
You can find my full list of baking substitutions here.
Easy Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- Softened Butter – Salted or unsalted. I generally use salted because it’s what we have on hand, and we like a little salt mixed with the sweet for balance.
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar.
- Milk – I like to use whole milk here, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
Variations
- Peppermint Cookies – Simply substitute vanilla extract with peppermint extract and top with crushed peppermint.
- Lemon Cookies – Substitute vanilla with lemon extract. Add lemon juice and zest to the buttercream frosting.
How to Make Melt in Your Mouth Amish Sugar Cookies
- Combine Dry Ingredients – In a medium mixing bowl whisk dry ingredients together to ensure a nice, even rise, without and clumps.
- Combine Wet Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl combine butter, oil and sugar and beat until smooth. Add egg until just combined.
- Gradually Incorporate – Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture until just incorporated.
- Chill Dough – Cover dough and refrigerate 1+ hours. This is a key step to prevent over-spreading.
- Preheat Oven
- Make Dough Balls – Use a cookie scoop for consistent cookie size or a tablespoon and roll into large golf ball sized dough balls. Drop six on each cookie sheet spaced to allow spread. These cookies will rise with a pretty peak, but you can flatten them just before baking if you prefer for a thinner cookie.
- Bake – Bake until just slightly golden on the edges and the center of the cookie has set.
- Cool – Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet one minute. Transfer to a wire rack to prevent them from continuing to bake on the cookie sheet. Allow them to cool completely.
- Frost – Ice with your favorite buttercream or recipe included in recipe card.
For the Frosting
- Beat butter until smooth.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, followed by milk.
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Shortcuts
- Use Store-bought Buttercream Icing
- Soften butter quickly with my favorite tips!
Luckily, the butter in this sugar cookie recipe will do most of the work for you, to retain moisture and softness. Store these melt in your mouth sugar cookies in an airtight container to retain the soft texture.
The cream of tartar in these soft sugar cookies helps stop the sugar from crystallizing. It also adds another layer of soft and chewy texture and the acidity balances out the sweetness of the cookies.
Tips
- Chill Dough – Refrigerating the cookie dough prevents them from spreading too much. You could add more flour, but it would result in a denser cookie losing the melt in your mouth quality that makes these stand above the rest.
- Easy Cleanup – To make clean up a breeze, I like to line my cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a Cookie Scoop – Using a cookie scoop results in picture perfect cookies that are consistent in size. It also prevents some cookies from over or under baking because they’re all the same size.
- Don’t Over Bake – Bake until just set and slightly golden on the edges and transfer to cool. Cookies will continue to bake on a hot cookie sheet, making them harder and crunchier.
- Allow Cookies to Cool – Let the cookies completely cool before icing so the icing doesn’t melt off or the cookies don’t crumble.
Serving Suggestions
These melt in your mouth sugar cookies are delicious with a variety of incredible frosting options! Try them with any of the following:
- Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
- Caramel Icing
- Cinnamon Frosting
- Salted Caramel Frosting
- Brown Butter Frosting
Amish Sugar Cookies keep incredibly well! You can freeze the dough or cookies to enjoy them months later!
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – these Amish sugar cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Refrigerate – Generally, sugar cookies don’t require refrigeration and it often causes the frosting to hard and colors to bleed.
- Freeze – Yes, you can freeze these cookies! It’s best to freeze them without frosting. Simply wrap in an airtight container and freeze for up to six months. Likewise, you can freeze the dough for up to 6 months. Make dough balls, line in an airtight container and freeze.
Dietary Considerations
- Nut Free
- Vegetarian
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More Sugar Cookie Recipes
Melt in Your Mouth Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 4½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Optional: Frosting
- 1 cup butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk whole is preferred but whatever you have on hand
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda together. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, sugars and vanilla until smooth. Blend in eggs.
- Gradually fold dry mixture into wet mixture until just combined.
- Cover and refrigerate dough 1+ hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll dough into large golf ball sized balls using a tablespoon or medium cookie scoop. (6/cookie sheet)
- Bake 9-10 minutes until cookies appear set and are slightly golden brown around the edges.
- Allow to cool 1 minute on cookie sheet and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before icing.
Video
Notes
Tips
- Chill dough
- Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
- Use a cookie scoop
- Don’t over bake
- Let the cookies completely cool before icing them
To Store
- At Room Temperature – Store cooled cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Freeze – Freeze cooled cookies without frosting in an airtight container and freeze for up to six months. Freeze cookie dough balls in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
I can’t wait to try these! I love trying different sugar cookie recipes – they all have their own unique flavours and combinations and this one looks great! And who doesn’t love sprinkles? 🙂 Thanks!
Thank you, Sandra! You won’t be disappointed!
These cookies were delicious! The only thing was that it turned out to make 40 cookies rather than 18. I don’t know what I did wrong, but it wasn’t a problem. Great with the frosting as well.
I make these bakery size, aka large. So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing!
The BEST sugar cookie recipe ever. Ever.
THANK YOU, Beth!
I just made the cookies tonight and they are delicious! However, I do have one question, any tips on how to make them so they are not so crumbly/ difficult to pick up and eat? Thanks!
Hi Rachel! You could bake them a touch longer. Did you wait for them to cool? Otherwise you can cut down the butter by 1 Tbsp or 2.
Can this dough be rolled out for cookie cutters?
No, but my bakery sugar cookies are perfect for that!
This recipe is one I have used for years. I first originally found it in a local newspaper holiday cooking page. I lost it and many other favorite recipes when my lap top was stolen. I am so glad I found this. It has always been my favorite. Thank you!
So glad you enjoy it, Kelly! I hope your new year is off to a beautiful start!
What brand Of butter do you use? And do you use unsalted or salted?
It’s personal preference. I generally use Land ‘o Lakes salted butter. Enjoy!
I tried this recipe tonight. I feel like the recipe asked for too much flour. 4.5 cups? The dough was too hard and coarse-like. Anyone else have this problem?
Sugar cookies require a lot of flour. Have you baked them? I can’t wait to hear what you think. Now I’m craving one!
Hi Julie! Love your page! 🙂 I just got done making the dough for these… Do you think they would turn out OK if I tried to make them as cut-outs!? I may be doing some experimenting…
They won’t hold their shape well for cutouts, but my bakery sugar cookie recipe does and it never disappoints.
I hope you enjoyed these as much as we do!
They look delicious. Your recipe calls for vegetable oil. Is that liquid vegetable oil or crisco shortening? Thank you!!
Liquid. Enjoy!