Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are overrated.

There. I said it.

Unless they're in the form of a pizzookie with a giant dollop of melting vanilla ice cream.....I can take a pass on them pretty easily.  Unpopular opinion, I know.  But I also HATE apple pie so I'm used to this sort of judgment.

But a sugar cookie?  Girrlll....pass them this way.  Frosted, plain, cakey, chewy....I'll take any form of sugar cookie.  Call me plain, vanilla....boring.  I'll take it.  I stand in my power.  (I hope someone, somewhere knows what cringey reality TV scene I am referring to with that and laughs)

I have two different sugar cookies in my arsenal. Both are delicious but serve two totally different purposes.  One is a thicker and a tiny bit on the cakier side.  It's perfect for cut out cookies for frosting and decorating.

The other other that I am sharing today is soft and chewy and your basic scoop and drop type cookie.  While you could totally frost them if you really wanted to, they don't need it the way the other ones feel sort of incomplete without it.  

I have been tweaking this recipe little by little for the last few years.  I'm finally calling it (for now) and ready to share! They have that crisp edge with a perfectly chewy center. While the almond extract is completely optional, it is sooo good!  You can add less if you would like but it adds a little sumthin' sumthin.  If you're looking for a plain cookie just skip the sprinkles too, but who doesn't love funfetti??

Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies


1 cup room temperature butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla 
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. corn starch
1/2 cup sprinkles (optional)


Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times.  Beat in eggs one at a time until incorporated smoothly.  Stir in extracts.

Whisk together the dry ingredients (minus the sprinkles) in a bowl (bonus points if you sift them).  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, about a third at a time. Stir in sprinkles at the very end. 

Refrigerate dough a minimum of 2 hours (I prefer to make it to make it the night before I intend to bake it)  Scoop walnut sized cookies onto baking sheet and bake for 9-13 mins at 350° depending on your oven and how crisp you like them.