These cookies have earned their title as Perfect Vanilla Cut-out Cookies. They are easy, fuss-free, and retain their shape nicely after baking. It’s a buttery, chewy, tasty cut-out cookie that can be decorated to your heart’s content.
How to make Perfect Cut-Out Cookies
While I was making last minute cookie plans this year, the ever-important question of whether or not to do cut-out cookies came up. I hold these crucial debates within myself from time to time.
That internal deliberation lasted approximately 11 seconds. These soft, buttery cut-out cookies are known to be so good, they doesn’t even need frosting or sprinkles or…. dare I say it…chocolate. In fact, you only need 7 ingredients and some fun cookie cutters in order to make a cookie party happen.
Let’s talk about how to make cut-out cookies so good, you’ll want to eat them straight out of the oven.
Vanilla Cut-Out Cookies are packed with flavor
I’ve made cut-outs from soft sugar cookies and these reliably wonderful gingerbread cookies every year. It’s the season, and all the cookies beg to be made.
Aside from your usual cookies for that cookie exchange or dessert tray, amp up the flavors with these vanilla cut-out cookies this year. These little treats are perfectly shape-able with your selection of cookie cutters.
The secret: almond extract. It’s a non-negotiable ingredient that provides absolutely amazing flavor that sets these sugar cookies apart from all others.
Make these cut-out cookies big or small. Of course, bake times will vary for bigs vs. smalls, so it’s best to place similar sized cookies together on the same tray.
KEys to Successful cut-out cookies
These cookies are super easy as far as cut-out cookies go. They keep their shape really well after baking, as long as they go straight from a mini freeze session straight to the hot oven.
- Don’t skip the 10-minute freeze time prior to baking, as that helps cookies to bake without puffing/spreading away their shape.
- Be sure to measure flour accurately, using scoop/level method, described here. Your cookie dough should end up with a texture similar to play dough; not sticky nor crumbly, but soft and malleable.
- Take care not to over bake these cookies. They won’t brown much at all, and should appear slightly under-baked when you take them out of the oven. Your adorable cookies will set upon cooling.
- Because every oven and every cookie-cutter size is different, it will be important to watch your first batch carefully so you know how long your specific cookie shapes should bake for. A good way to test this is to bake a small batch first to determine your best bake time.
Decorating Your Cut-Out Cookies
These cookies are tender, buttery, and lightly sweet with a delicious infusion of vanilla and almond – though they don’t contain actual almonds, the bit of extract goes a long way in providing that aromatic almond flavor.
These cut-out cookies are genuinely so good on their own, we don’t often do much besides sprinkle some coarse sugar on top for a bit of texture.
That said, feel free to decorate your cookies to your heart’s content, because you can. Some super easy and fun ideas include:
- Colorful sprinkles added into your cookie dough; red/pink/white for Valentines, green/red/white for Christmas, or choose a funfetti style. Get creative and have fun!
- Melt white chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, transfer to a baggie, cut a tiny hole in the corner, and drizzle onto cooled cookies.
- Of course, your favorite frosting or icing can be used on cool cookies – you may want bigger shapes for this.
These Buttery Jam Thumpbrint Cookies are an all-time favorite:
Perfect Vanilla Almond Cut-out Cookies
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 8
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 48 1x
Description
These Cut-out Cookies are easy, keep their shape well after baking, and are tender and buttery. They are light in color even after baking, which makes them a great canvas for your decorating whims.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, cold & cut into chunks
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350, with rack on lower middle position. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. It’s important to measure flour accurately; use scoop/level method to ensure proper measurement. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, at least 2 minutes; use rubber spatula to scrape down sides as needed. Be sure to mix the full amount of time or longer. Add the egg and extracts and mix to fully incorporate.
- Switch to low speed. Gradually add the flour mixture gently mixing just until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Do not over-mix.
- Use hands to work cookie dough into a smooth ball for rolling; if flour was measured accurately, texture will be similar to soft play-dough. It should not be sticky nor crumbly, but soft and pliable.
- Roll dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4″ thick and cut into shapes. Place cookie shapes on parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze entire cookie sheet for 10 minutes, which helps retain shape when baking. (If you live in a cold region, you may even be able to place it outside. Otherwise, you can place in freezer in smaller batches if needed.)
- Transfer sheet of semi-frozen cookies straight into the preheated oven (only bake 1 sheet at a time.) Bake larger/thicker shapes (3.5 to 4 inch diameter) for 9-11 minutes and smaller shapes 7-8 minutes. *It’s important to watch your first batch closely so you know how much time to bake your particular sized/shaped cookies. If they’re baked a bit long, they’ll be more likely to lose their shape. Cookies should be removed from oven when they seem slightly under-baked. They will set upon cooling.
- Let cool a few minutes on baking sheet and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cookies cool completely before decorating.
Notes
Worth repeating: these cookies won’t brown much, so be sure to take them out even when they look slightly under-baked and pale. As cookie shapes/sizes vary greatly depending on cookie cutters, watch your first batch of cookies carefully to become familiar with how long to bake your cookies without them losing their shape.
Yield amount states 48 cookies, but actual amount of cookies will vary depending on size of cookies/shapes.
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cut out cookies, vanilla cookies, sugar cookies
Tried-and-True holiday cookies for you:
- Soft, Chewy, Ginger Cookies. These always turn out awesome. They’re chewy and soft, but we’ve certainly modified them for cut-out style cookies too!
- Gingerbread Biscotti. These are coffee dunkin’ great! I love making these yummy crispy treats for Christmas gifts, because they keep SUPER well and taste outstanding.
- Thick and Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies. Nobody will be able to turn these down. Dense, thick, chewy, and chocolate lovers’ dream.
- Bakery Style Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are one of my top cookies ever. They’re like the ones you’d pay $2 each for at the mall.
I am planning on baking a lot of cookies this holiday season, anything that I can prep ahead of time is key! Can the dough be frozen then thawed before baking? Can the cookies be frozen after they are baked and cooled?
Hi, Michelle! Prep ahead is key during holiday season for sure. Yes, the dough can be frozen and thawed in fridge before baking. They can also be baked and kept airtight in freezer until ready to use. Enjoy and have a wonderful Christmas season! 🙂
Hi, just for further clarification about freezing and prepping ahead– can I roll and cut out the dough and freeze the shapes until ready to bake? If so, can they then go straight from freezer to oven? Thanks! 🙂
Yes, Tricia, you can do that, but you may need to adjust bake time. The flavor should be unaffected. Enjoy and happy holidays! 🙂
Can you substitute coconut oil for the butter?
Kat, I haven’t tried that and would be a bit hesitant to fully sub it out, since these cookies are largely based on butter and they’re known for their buttery flavor 🙂 If you really want to try it, you could start with maybe two-thirds part butter and one-third part coco oil. I can’t say that they would rise or bake up as nicely, but you can certainly give it a shot and let me know how it turns out 🙂 Thanks for coming over today; we’re so glad you’re here!
Ok… me again.. Like I said, Im new. Rolling out dough is not my forte.. Would this dough be able to go through a cookie press? I have never used one of those either but I have nightmares of the press exploding in my hands from using the wrong dough recipe in it.. lmao..
Shannon, I’m not sure about cookie press, as I haven’t done it that way with this particular recipe before. I’d be afraid to give advice if I haven’t done it myself first 🙂 I do know these make a mean cut-out cookie, though! Hope you love these, Shannon, and feel free to ask any questions anytime! 🙂
Shannon. Roll a quarter of the dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap. Remove top piece of plastic wrap, dip cookie cutter in flour and cut away. Lift up bottom plastic wrap easy, you should be able to place your cookies on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake Have fun. It is away good to try new things.
I’m curious…are these more of a soft, chewy cookie or more firm and crisp?
Andrea, they’re definitely not firm and crispy…more on the soft/chewy side, but firm enough for cut-outs and won’t lose their shape, if that makes sense 🙂 Enjoy!
Excellent! I can’t wait to try them for some Easyer cookies this weekend 🙂
Or Easter! Hazard of trying to type on my phone.
Perfect for Easter, Andrea! Sounds like a good idea 🙂 Enjoy and thanks for coming over!
I need 2 batches- would it be best to double or make 2 seperate batches?
Kelly, you can just double the dough, prepare the cookies, and bake in separate batches. Thanks for coming over today. Enjoy! 🙂
How long will these cookies keep (not frozen)? After decorated if kept in tupperware?
Hi, Stacy! They should keep nicely for several days, up to a week. Enjoy!
Can this recipe be cut in half? How do I do the egg?
Stacy, yes, you can cut recipe in half. You could use a smaller egg, or just go ahead with the same amount of egg; it will likely make a very small difference. Alternatively, you could make the full amount of dough, but wrap and freeze 1/2 of the dough for later use. Enjoy and thanks for coming over today! 🙂
Made these today with my kiddos! Even my teenagers were excited to help! They turned out beautifully and are delicious! This will definitely be on our cookie list every year. Thank you for posting the recipe!
Yay! Brings a smile 🙂 Thanks for coming over to let us know; Merry Christmas!
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂 Just wondering how disastrous it would be to swap out the butter for margarine. My mom is lactose intolerant and it is always hard to find recipes that don’t use butter.
Leah, I’ve only tried it with real butter, so I can’t tell you for certain…but my guess is that you can make the swap without it being too disastrous 🙂 Would love to hear how this turns out, if you try it. Happy holidays!
hi there! I made these a few weeks ago and they were delicious but my dough was also to crumbly. I couldn’t roll it properly because it was that crumbly. Not sure what I did, just wondering if you has a solution to this problem/anyone else had this happen and if so what did you do.
thanks!!
My main thought is flour ratio. Try the scoop and level flour method, to ensure it is the right amount? Glad you liked the flavor! I think I’ll redo these sometime soon and see if I can’t figure out what may be happening. Thanks, and Merry Christmas!
Just made the cookies this Christmas. Loved them! I will definitely add this recipe in my collection of recipes. Kisses!
Yay, Irina! So glad you guys loved these 🙂 Happy New Year!
Delicious sugar cookies! I love almond extract so I doubled the amount and they turned out fantastic. These remind me of the cookies my mom used to make.
Hi, can these be made into lemon flavored cookies by just switching extracts?
Thanks
Oh, that sounds like a nice idea! I am thinking it could work
I just made with lemon extract instead of almond and they are delish!
Yay, Tammy, so glad to hear it!! 🙂
Would these cookies hold a cookie stamp on top after baking?
Lindsay, what a great question! I know these come out exactly as shaped after baking, but I’m not sure about stamping as I haven’t yet tried that. But now you’ve got me thinking that would be a fun experiment! I can’t confidently give you an answer without having tried it, but if it works for you, I’d love to hear back. Happy baking and happy holidays!! 🙂
Do you have an icing suggestion for the vanilla almond sugar cookies?
This recipe is absolute perfection! I have used it to make Christmas cookies with my family and for my coworkers for the past 2 years, and everyone LOVES these. The cookies get rave reviews every. single. time. Especially for flavor, but also for appearance! The dough is super easy to work with, and my cookies are always perfect cut-outs. I love decorating them with my nieces and nephew every year! I’ve also used gluten free flour instead of APF with great results.
Yipeee!! So happy to hear it, Lexie! Thank you for taking the time to come over and let us know. Happy holidays!
Cookies tasted great, however the shape was was nothing like the pictured cookies. They turned out bulkier than I anticipated. I followed the recipe to the T. I’m speculating the the reason for that was the amount of the baking powder, which was far too much. Similar recipes require a quarter of the amount. Overall it’s a decent recipe for almond butter cookies with some adjustments.
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So sorry yours turned out bulkier, Jonny. You can definitely try decreasing the amount of baking powder, though the recipe as written works really well for me every time. I wonder if your cookies would have been flatter if they baked for just a minute less? With baking…oven temp, ingredient temp, and room temp varies, which may have resulted in over-baking by just a tad? Also – did you have time to freeze them for a bit prior to baking? I’m super happy you liked the flavors!
I love me some cookies! The almond ones look so delicious, and I love anything chewy!
I LOVE cookies. I’m also going to have to try those chewy chocolate ones.
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These cookies look delicious and the perfect sweet treat! I love the pairing of vanilla and almond.
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Been researching for recipes for cut-out cookies like this for Christmas as we love to bake and I want my kids to help do the icing for the decoration, so saving your recipe for next week.
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This recipe is perfect! It would be great for our Christmas cookies. We have lots of relatives coming over and it would be a great treat!
These aren’t too fancy and looks simple and easy to make. I think this would make great party cookies.
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Vanilla and almond were literally created to be put together!! They look so cute and soft and just delicious! I bet they’d be perfect paired with a hot chocolate.
Agreed! Vanilla and almond are a dreamy match!
These look so amazing! I love when cookies come out of the oven perfectly shaped. Thanks for sharing this just in time for the holidays!
hi:
do i use butter right out of the fridge? most sugar cookie recipes say to use softened. does it matter? and i only have unsalted butter .. is this okay?
Yes, the butter should be cold. It will be creamed together with sugar in mixer for several minutes until “fluffy” 🙂 Unsalted butter is fine, but you may want to add about 1/4 tsp salt to the mix. Happy baking, Janice!
Best recipe for icing the cookie so coloured sugar will stick? I don’t want to use corn syrup or meringue. Thanks!
Janice, here’s the one I love best. https://www.chewoutloud.com/best-big-soft-sugar-cookies/
Fabulous sugar cookie for decorating!! I followed the recipe directions to a tee and the cookies were the best I’ve ever baked. Highly recommend this sugar cookie recipe-the cookies are absolutely delicious!
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Yay! So so happy you all loved these cookies! Super awesome, Patricia 🙂
These cut out cookies look so perfect and have nice sharp edges. I can never seem to get them like that so I just roll them into a log and cut them into rounds. It’s so much less work!
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Yes, these would make great sliced cookies as well. Thank you 🙂
These are for sure the perfect cut out cookie! Making another batch today. Thanks for this great recipe!
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These are simple to make, delicious, and a great way to use festive cutouts. You don’t even need much to make these perfect holiday cookies because they taste great and if you are using a good cutout, you are good to go. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
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You’re so welcome, Ben!
I love this recipe. It is simple, straight forward and delicious. My boys decorate a batch and leave the rest to enjoy as is. Happy Holidays!
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That’s so great, Sandhya! Happy holidays to you, too 🙂
Ooooh my mouth is watering right now! These cookies look so delicious and those shapes are wonderful.
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Everyone should have a cookie recipe like this in their back pocket that takes so few ingredients, likely already in the pantry, and leaves so much room for imagination. Yum.
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We just did another 3 batches: coarse sugar…sprinkles…and drizzled white chocolate. So much fun!
Yes, I agree; these are the perfect vanilla almond cookies. They came out fantastic and were so easy. I will make them again this week, people in the house have demanded it! Thanks so much for your recipe!
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Awesome, Jenny! When they demand it, we bake it 🙂 🙂
I made two batches this weekend! One of the batches I replaced the flour with Bob’s RedMill all purpose gluten free flour (and added a little bit of xantham gum). The gluten free ones came out just as delicious! This will definitely be my go-to cut out cookie recipe!
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Yay, Melanie! So happy to hear you all enjoyed these 🙂
These almond and vanilla cookies look like they have the perfect thickness and taste! they look so perfect and pretty. I cant wait to make these.
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These are perfect cookies to decorate for the holidays! I was looking for a similar recipe, going to try yours tomorrow.
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My kiddo just made these yesterday again…it’s a tradition around here! Enjoy 🙂
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe. I’ve made it several times.
I don’t always have room in my freezer to chill the dough for the 10 minutes. What happens if you don’t ‘freeze’ the cut-out dough, or instead pop them into the fridge? I also notice that this dough doesn’t call for a rest period, would that help or make a difference?
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So happy you’ve been making & enjoying this! The dough doesn’t need a rest period, though the chilling allows it to keep shape better. If it’s not possible to freeze, you can place them in fridge for a bit longer to ensure they’re fully cold.
Hello: Thank you for this recipe! I have been using this recipe each time my family and friends ask me to make some for their parties. I have just one question though, there are times that I noticed the cookies are puffing up. It is not always though… what am I doing wrong that is causing this? I always put the cookies in the freezer before baking them.
Hello:
I’ve been using this recipe for quite sometime now and the recipe is delicious! However, I noticed that my dough doesn’t hold to its shape after I cookie cut them.
I would almost always end up with a cookie puffing up before I even put them in the freezer. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Please help. Thanks!
Jackie, typically if I bake a tiny bit longer, it starts puffing up a bit. But if I keep it “just done” or even a bit under-baked, it stays flat. Otherwise, I’m not quite sure what the culprit is, if you are always freezing the same amount of time every time. Could also be the size of the cut-outs in relation to bake time. Hope that helps a bit? Thanks for coming over, and I’m so glad your family and friends enjoy it! 🙂
I realize sites like these are designed and setup to lure us with the super long descriptions and close up photos, which I can appreciate, as well as obviously make money with all of the ads, which I don’t appreciate. I hate being a negative Nancy, or Scrooge this time of year, but Bah Humbug! It would be nice to just go to a baking site or Google a recipe and get it without the all the fluffy of long drawn out descriptions, have to scroll way, way down and endure Google ads that pop up and block trying to read your recipe. A major turn off! So, back to searching for another quick Christmas cut out recipe. Just figured I would let you know. Maybe I’m just to much old fashion and you’re not the only one. I guess it is cooking blog thing?
I agree this site is almost impossible to read a recipe. The number of ads is absolutely ridiculous. I guess it’s all about the money someone needs to get paid for free recipes and to get paid for her time. I move on to less chaotic sites and I know my friends do too. I guess this is part of chaotic California where she’s from!
Thanks for letting us know about this. We’re working with our technicians on revamping the site and will definitely tackle this. — from the Midwest 😉 🙂 🙂
…I literally just planned an entire Sunday (midwest, too) dinner on my phone using this website and the Walmart app – your site is perfect as is. Ads = revenue = amazing recipes still coming out. I will GLADLY deal with all the ads if it means you still get paid to give us alltherecipes lol.
Chicken shawarma on greek salad with cookies for desert – it’s gonna be awesome. Couldn’t have done it without you!!
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Awww, thank you so much, Elizabeth! That means so much 🙂 🙂 🙂