Mom’s Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe
A classic rolled sugar cookie recipe from scratch that can be rolled out, baked and decorated with royal icing or frosting.
The absolute best sugar cookie recipe that is perfect for decorating! This versatile dough allows you to roll it out thin and have a crispy cookie or roll it out thick and have a soft and moist cookie!
My mom always made sugar cookies for special occasions. I always remember her making the dough and swearing that it had to chill in the refrigerator overnight before she could roll them out and make them into amazing shapes. She loved them – and so did everyone who ate them. She literally put hours of love into each batch. And because she is a perfectionist, she would honestly make several batches and discard the not absolutely perfect ones. I, on the other hand, am not so patient, nor that big of a perfectionist, so my cookies are not nearly as perfect – sometimes they have brown bottoms, sometimes they aren’t perfectly shaped, sometimes they are too thick or too thin…but they taste the same – and that’s delicious!
PIN these cookies now to save for later!
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I absolutely love using my mom’s recipe (and my grandma’s recipe) and teaching it to my kiddos because I honestly think that recipes are the best way to remember/honor someone. l can only hope that one day my kids will be teaching my grandkids the recipes that I taught them! I hope they share the fond memories they have of making them with me when they were kids…and laughing about all of our mistakes and messes we made along the way! As well as remembering to always have fun and to think of others and give back while using our recipes.

My mom’s sugar cookies are the best for decorating, especially with Royal Frosting. They are a tad crunchy and very sturdy cookies, so it really helps with decorating them all pretty. The thicker you roll out the dough, the softer the cookies will be.
This is an easy sugar cookie recipe with no baking soda in it.
Mom’s Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe
- 1/2c butter
- 1c sugar
- 1/2tsp vanilla
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 2tsp baking powder
- 2c sifted flour
- In a small mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg.
- Sift dry ingredients together and add to cream mixture.
- Chill dough thoroughly before rolling out and cutting with cookie cutters
- Bake on lightly greased sheet 400 degrees 8-10 minutes (possibly less depending on oven. Do NOT let brown)

I would love to see your cookie creations! Share them on my Facebook page HERE and follow my Pinterest board for Cookie Decorating tips and tricks and inspiration!
Tips for Decorating Christmas Cookies
Once your cookies are baked, it’s time to decorate them!! Options include sprinkles, icing; store-bought or homemade, M&M candies, crushed up candy canes and so much more! Being a traditionalist, I like to keep things simple. Below are my tips, tricks and recipes for creating beautifully decorated Christmas cookies!
The Best 3-Ingredient Royal Icing Recipe
The best no fail, 3 ingredient royal icing recipe for decorating sugar cookies.
Here’s the recipe: The Best 3-Ingredient Royal Icing Recipe

Everything You Need To Know About Royal Icing
Royal icing is a frosting used to decorate sugar cookies, cakes, gingerbread houses and more. Royal icing can be made with or without meringue powder and can be made ahead of time or stored in the freezer. In this article we will discuss everything there is to know about royal icing from recipes, how does it taste, how to use, and how to store and more.




Stephanie—home cook, DIY addict, seasonal decor fanatic, and proud chicken wrangler living in a Victorian house that’s always a project. Whether I’m cooking with garden-fresh ingredients, herding mischievous chickens, or tackling another DIY, I’m here to share the fun (and chaos).
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