Category: recipes

The Best No-Spread Sugar Cookies

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The best, SOFT cut out sugar cookie recipe that doesn’t spread! Perfect for any occasion, these soft & pillow-y cut out sugar cookies with real vanilla bean flecks are perfect for Christmas, Valentines, and birthday cookies!

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Sugar cookies are so much fun! They are versatile, you can make them any shape and almost any flavor. You can use them for birthdays, baby showers, weddings, or any time at all! I can remember being a kid and always looking forward to the holidays, because that was the only time of year I got to see my grandma. As you all know, grandma = cookies!

Since then, my cookie recipe has changed a few times. This is my recipe for my signature vanilla almond sugar cookies, and the one I use for almost all my orders for my cookie side gig. It is soft and pillow-y, and a beautiful uniform color (so now brown edges). The cookies aren’t too sweet, which is what you want when you are planning on piling on the icing!

This recipe requires minimal chilling (it’s actually optional), and they don’t spread! No-spread cookies are important when using intricate cutters, because you don’t want a blob where your pretty flower was supposed to be (Pinterest fail, anyone?).

I use a food scale for my sugar and flour measurements, but if you don’t have one, you can definitely just use measuring cups. Okay, let’s get to it!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 sticks of room temperature salted butter (or 1 cup)
  • 175 grams of powdered sugar (or 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste (vanilla extract is fine if you don’t have this)
  • 1/2 tablespoon of almond bakery emulsion (if you don’t want to use almond, you can make this vanilla or another flavor)
  • 420 grams of all-purpose flour (or 3 1/4 cups)
  • 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder
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First, you are going to cream the butter and powdered sugar together. Slowly add the sugar to the butter a little at a time until fully incorporated. Mix on medium speed until the butter is almost white, light, and airy.

Next, you are going to add in your egg, vanilla bean paste and almond extract.

Look at those vanilla bean flecks!

Mix on low-medium speed until well mixed and batter is even. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Sift your flour and baking powder together, and add it to the mixing bowl one cup at a time on low speed until all your flour is coated.

Bump up your mixer speed to low-medium and mix until the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl and begins sticking to the paddle. You should be able to grab the dough and make an indentation without it sticking to your fingers.

Optional tip: Cover your dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes to let it firm up some. This will make it easier to work with.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out your dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4″ thickness. I use this rolling pin to ensure my cookies are even every time.

Optional tip: Place your rolled out dough into the freezer for 5-10 minutes with the parchment paper still attached. This will make it much easier to cut your dough into your desired shapes.

Cut your cookies with your cutters and transfer them to a baking sheet.

Optional tip: You can pop your cut shapes back into the freezer for another 5 minutes just to let them firm up. This will ensure the absolute minimal spreading occurs while baking if you are using an intricate cutter with lots of detail.

Line your baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sugar cookies bake at a very quick rate, so make sure you keep your eye on them! I take them out right at the 8 minute mark. You will want them to be a tiny bit shiny in the center, this will go away as the cookies continue to bake outside of the oven.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. If you are decorating them the same day, make sure you allow the cookies to fully cool before applying icing, or it will melt.

Enjoy your cookies! Store them in airtight container, they will keep for 5-7 days.

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The Best No-Spread Sugar Cookies

This super easy sugar cookie recipe is perfect for the holidays, birthdays or just making cookies to decorate with the littles! The best part? They don't spread!
Course Dessert, Snack
Keyword cookie, cookies, dessert, no spread, recipes, sugar
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Chill Time 10 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes

Equipment

  • stand mixer (a hand mixer will work if you don't have one)
  • spatula
  • measuring spoons
  • food scale

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks salted butter room temperature. if you're using unsalted butter just add a dash of salt to your dry ingredients
  • 175 grams powdered sugar or 1 1/2 cups
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste you can use regular vanilla extract if you don't have this
  • 1/2 tablespoon almond emulsion if you don't want to use almond, you can make this vanilla as well (or any other flavor)
  • 420 grams all-purpose flour or 3 1/4 cups
  • 1/2 tablespoon baking powder

Instructions

  • Cream butter and sugar together, slowly adding the powdered sugar to the butter on medium speed until fully incorporated. The butter should be very light and no longer yellow.
  • Add egg, vanilla bean paste and almond emulsion and mix on low-medium speed until fully blended.
  • Scrape down sides.
  • Sift flour and baking powder together (you will add your dash of salt here if you are using unsalted butter). Add it to your wet ingredients one cup at a time, scraping down sides every so often on low speed until mixed.
  • Turn up the speed to low-medium and mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and begins to stick to the paddle.
  • Optional: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30-ish minutes. This will allow the dough to firm up and make it easier to work with.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Roll out cookies to 1/4" between two sheets of parchment paper. I use this rolling pin to make ensure my cookies are perfect height.
  • Optional: Pop the rolled dough into the freezer (with parchment paper still attached) for 5-10 minutes. This will make it much easier to cut and transfer your cookies.
  • Cut your cookies out!
  • Optional: Put your cookie shapes into the freezer for another 5 minutes before putting them into the oven. This is just an extra step to make sure your cookies spread as little as possible, especially if you are using an intricate cutter shape.
  • Line your baking sheets with a silicone baking mat (or parchment paper) and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Sugar cookies bake at a rapid pace, so keep your eye on them! You will want them to look a tiny bit shiny in the center, this will go away as the cookies continue to bake outside of the oven.
  • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Make sure your cookies are completely cooled before decorating them, or the icing will melt.
  • Enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? Was it delicious? Comment below to let me know and share it with your friends!

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Chocolate Chip Mug Cookie | In Under 5 Minutes!

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This post may contain affiliate links. That means we may make a small commission on items purchased through links in this post at no extra cost to you!

This decadant ooey-gooey, single serve chocolate chip mug cookie is perfect for any night of the week, and you can have it in under 5 minutes!

Do you ever just need a cookie? You’ve finally got the kids to bed, and the little voice in your head and stomach are telling you to eat something sweet. Well, I do! I’m weak, so I listen to those voices, but i’m also lazy. The last thing I want to do at 10:30 PM is bang around the kitchen with baking sheets and mixing bowls (not to mention I would probably eat half a tray of cookies if they were there)!

That was me, sitting on the couch when my thoughts became words, innocently floating across the room to my husband reading. “I want something sweet…” He looked over to me with knowing eyes, fulling supporting me, but only if he got some too!

The solution: A cookie in a MUG that is ready in under 5 minutes and is perfectly gooey, sweet, and all the things your cookie dreams are made out of. The best part is that you probably have all of these ingredients in your kitchen already. Did I mention you don’t have to pre-heat your oven? Yes, exactly. You’re welcome.

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So now you’re hooked. Your little late night treat voice is begging to be given this cookie, almost as bad as your son wanted you to pay another $4.99 for Minecraft. Give the voice what it wants! Okay, down to business.

Here is what you’ll need:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
  • 2 tablespoons of lightly packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk (don’t throw the whites away, add them to your eggs in the AM!)
  • 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
  • a dash of salt (if you are using salted butter, omit this step)
  • 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips (I used mini chips, because that’s what I had)

You can use whatever kind of butter you have, salted or unsalted. If you use salted butter, just skip the dash of salt when you add your flour. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can use regular white sugar, but your cookie won’t be as true-to-taste. Even though eggs are super cheap, I hate throwing anything away if I can use it! Whenever I have a recipe that calls for just yolks or whites only, I always throw the leftovers into a mini container and use it later (and the shells go into compost for my garden!)

If you are wanting to make two cookies like I did, just use an extra mug and microwave it separately, don’t try to double the recipe in one mug!

First, we will microwave our butter until almost melted. From cold butter, it took me ten seconds. Then, add in your brown sugar, egg yolk and vanilla.

Once you have all of that combined, stir in your all purpose flour (you’ll add your dash of salt here as well, if you are using unsalted butter)

Then, mix in your chocolate chips. Using a fork will work fine, but I have the most adorable mini spatulas that I break out every chance I get. Make sure you scrape the sides of your mug and even out your cookie layer as best as possible.

Next, stick her in the microwave. Like I said earlier, don’t try to double the recipe in one mug, or put more than one mug in the microwave at once. You will want to reduce your microwave’s power to 50% (some microwaves won’t do this unless you already have your cook time set) and microwave for 60-90 seconds. Every microwave is different, so start at 60 seconds and go from there, adding 10 seconds each time. If you need to microwave for additonal time after the inital 60 seconds, make sure you reduce the power to 50% each time.

This will not look like a traditional oven baked cookie, so be careful not to over do it. You will want the top of the cookie to look just set, and not shiny.

And that’s it! Enjoy! I threw a little bit of biscotti ice cream on top, because that’s all I had, but vanilla ice cream or no ice cream will work too!

P.S – the inside of the cookie will be very hot when it first comes out of the microwave, take care not to burn yourself!

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5 Minute Chocolate Chip Mug Cookie

The perfect ooey-gooey single serve chocolate chip cookie, when you just need a treat but don't want to deal with making a full batch of cookies, in under 5 minutes!
Course Dessert
Keyword 5, chip, chocolate, cookie, cookies, dessert, minute, mug
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Servings 1

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (lightly packed) light or dark will work, you can use white sugar but the brown sugar really makes it delish
  • 1 large egg yolk separate the yolk from the white, I saved mine to add in with morning eggs.
  • 1/8 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste i'm obessed with vanilla bean paste, so that's what I used, but regular vanilla extract will work perfectly as well
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • dash of salt if you are using salted butter, omit this step
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate chips (I used mini chips)

Instructions

  • Add butter to a microwave safe mug and microwave until almost completely melted. It took me under 10 seconds from cold butter.
  • Mix in the brown sugar until combined.
  • Mix in the vanilla and egg yolk.
  • Stir in the flour, and add a dash of salt if you are using unsalted butter.
  • Mix in your chocolate chips. I used a mini spatula, but a fork will work fine.
  • Reduce your microwave power to half, and microwave for 60-90 seconds. Every microwave is different, so start with 60 seconds and go from there. You only want the top of the cookie to look just set, otherwise it will be dry and not ooey-gooey. Don't use regular high power, or you will burn your chocolate. This will not look like a traditional oven baked cookie, so be careful not to over microwave your dessert.
  • Enjoy your not-so-hard work! I added a tiny bit of ice-cream to mine. (Be careful, the cookie will be HOT when it first comes out of the microwave, so don't burn yourself!)

Did you try this recipe? Was it delicious? Comment below to let me know and share it with your friends!

MORE TO READ:

How I Bought a House At 23, By Myself (As a Waitress)

How to Start A Blog, So You Can Work From Home

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