This is a simple, sweet, buttery melt in your mouth recipe for my Amish sugar cookies with a soft, tender bite. This easy recipe 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. They require no rolling pin, cookie cutters or decorating skills – just simple staple ingredients.
These have to be the best sugar cookies I have ever had, let alone ever made. I have been baking more lately and I am still getting better and better. I must say I baked these to perfection, they definitely hit the spot. Great job with this recipe. Thank you for making me look like a pro with these cookies!
★★★★★
– amber –
In my early catering career, I learned all the best secrets for amazingly buttery cookies. I’ve spent years perfecting my favorite sugar cookie recipes and sharing them here.
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 round, fluffy melt in your mouth sugar 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 my favorite buttercream frosting recipe, 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.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and Delicate – So incredibly moist, they’ll melt in your mouth.
- Quick and Easy – No special cookie cutters or tools involved, so they take just a few minutes of hands on time.
- Keep Well – Amish Sugar Cookies keep incredibly well! You can freeze the dough or cookies to enjoy them months later!
Ingredients
- 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.
- Baking Soda – The leavening agent.
- Salted Butter – Soften butter quickly with my favorite tips!
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar. Learn how to make powdered sugar from granulated!
- Milk – I like to use whole milk here, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Use heavy whipping cream in place of the 2% milk in the frosting for even more decadence.
Variations
- Extract – Replace the vanilla extract with almond extract for a different spin.
- 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.
Tool to Use
We used an extra large cookie scoop for these cookies for a bakery style finish!
Frosting Variations
These melt in your mouth sugar cookies are delicious with a variety of incredible frosting options!
Tips from My Test Kitchen
- Chill Dough – Refrigerating the cookie dough prevents them from spreading too much.
- Round (or Flatten) – These cookies will rise with a pretty peak, but you can flatten them just before baking if you prefer a thinner cookie.
- 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.
Amish 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 large eggs
- 4½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Optional: Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk (whole is preferred but whatever you have on hand will work)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda together. Set aside.4½ cups all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, sugars and vanilla until smooth. Blend in eggs.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup white granulated sugar, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
- Gradually fold dry mixture into wet mixture until just combined.
- Cover and refrigerate dough 1+ hours.
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Roll dough into large golf ball sized balls using a large cookie scoop (I used a 4 tablespoon scoop for 6/cookie sheet)
- Bake 9-10 minutes until cookies appear set and are slightly golden brown around the edges.
- While cookies are in the oven, make frosting. In a medium mixing bowl (or the fitted bowl of your stand mixer) beat butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, followed by milk.1 cup unsalted butter, 5 cups powdered, ¼ cup milk
- Allow to cool 1 minute on cookie sheet and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before icing.
Julie’s 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
Substitutions
- No cream of tartar? No problem! You can substitute using 2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Use heavy whipping cream in place of the 2% milk in the frosting for even more decadence.
Storage Notes
These Amish sugar cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. Generally, sugar cookies don’t require refrigeration and it often causes the frosting to hard and colors to bleed. You can freeze these cookies! It’s best to freeze them without frosting. Simply wrap in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. Likewise, you can freeze the dough for up to 6 months. Make dough balls, line in an airtight container and freeze.Video
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
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!