Cut Out Sugar Cookies (No Chill)

If you’re craving classic cut out sugar cookies without the wait, this quick no chill dough is exactly what you need! These cookies bake up soft and flavorful, hold their shape amazingly well, and can be made in under 1 hour. Pair them with my easy royal icing for picture perfect cookies every time.

What I love most about this recipe is the fact that you don’t have to chill the dough before and after cutting out the cookies. This recipe uses a higher ratio of flour to butter to prevent spreading in the oven. If you’ve ever made cookies with children who just want to decorate and eat as fast they can, not needing to wait for cold dough is a life saver.

I developed this recipe for no chill sugar cookies that hold their shape, making it easy to roll, cut, and bake right away, so you can spend less time waiting and more time decorating.

These cookies are different from my Christmas sugar cookies as these are made with more flour and rich European style butter for a cut out cookie dough that doesn’t require any chilling time. The extra fat from the European butter works to create a buttery classic sugar cookie, even with the added flour.

They’re sturdy enough for decorating but still tender when you bite into them. The dough rolls smoothly, bakes evenly, and holds crisp edges without becoming dry or crumbly. Exactly what you want in a cut out sugar cookie!

For decorating, I love using my go to royal icing made with egg whites, it’s quick, reliable, and perfect for piping details. You can also keep things simple and frost these cookies with any frosting you love.

Key Ingredients & Test Notes

• All Purpose Flour: For a tender crumb, use all purpose flour with roughly 10–11% protein.
  • Test Note: Too much flour will make the dough dry, so make sure to weigh for accuracy.
• Baking Powder: Just enough to give the cookies a slight lift while keeping the texture tender rather than cakey.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetends the cookies while providing structure. Cream completely with the butter for the best texture.
• Unsalted Butter: European-style butter (82% fat) creates richer flavor and a slightly more tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. Softened butter should be at 65F (18C) to easily cream with the sugar.
  • Test Note: I like to use President, Plugra or Kerrygold butter for this recipe. But, if all you have is American style butter 80% butterfat, reduce the overall flour weight by 32 grams.
• Egg: Adds moisture and binds the dough. Make sure the egg is at room temp so it incorporates smoothly into the creamed butter.
• Vanilla Bean Paste + Almond Extract: Vanilla adds warmth and depth, while a touch of almond extract enhances the buttery flavor.
  • Test Note: My mom always added almond extract to her sugar cookies and to me they just don’t taste the same without it. If you’re not a fan just leave it out, or use only a 1/4 teaspoon instead.

How to Make Cut Out Sugar Cookies

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with two layers of parchment. Silicone mats can cause spreading.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. Cream Butter & Sugar: Beat the sugar with the softened butter until light and creamy.
4. Add Egg & Extracts: Mix in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract.
5. Add Dry Ingredients: Spoon the dry mixture into the mixer on low, then mix just until a soft dough forms. Make sure to add the flour in slowly, so the egg and sugar mixture absorbs the additional flour. Adding all the flour at once could make the cookie texture crumbly.
6. Make a Disc: Pack the dough into a disk with your hands.
7. Roll Dough: Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
8. Cut Cookies: Cut with your favorite cookie cutters and transfer to the lined baking sheet.
9. Bake: Bake 7–9 minutes, until set but still pale. It’s ok if the edges are lightly golden, but don’t bake any longer or the cookies won’t be as tender.
10. Cool: Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
11. Repeat: Re-roll scraps and continue until all the dough is used. Bake on cooled pans for best results.
12. Decorate: Pip or spread my Easy Royal Icing or maple buttercream onto the cookies.

Leftovers & Storage

Room Temp:
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5–7 days.

Freeze baked cookies:
These cookies freeze beautifully. Cool completely, stack with parchment between layers, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Make the dough ahead (up to 3 days):
Prepare the dough, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for 10–15 minutes to make rolling easier.

★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!