Soft Sugar Cookies
Eggs, butter and vanilla extract come together in this vegetarian — 60 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for oven and whisk. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Cream the softened butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract until fully combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk, mixing only until a soft dough forms.
- Gather the dough into a disc, wrap it, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour until firm enough to handle.
- Preheat the oven to 190 C and line two baking sheets with parchment, then roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1 cm thick and cut into rounds.
- Arrange the cookies a few centimetres apart and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tops look set but the edges are still pale; do not let them brown.
- Let the cookies firm up on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely, then ice or dust with sugar as desired.
You'll use: Oven · Whisk · Mixer · Baking sheet
Ingredient substitutions
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Soft Sugar Cookies take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of eggs?
Try ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Soft Sugar Cookies vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Soft Sugar Cookies is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: 2023-04-08 16 48 29 Kimberley's Bakeshoppe mini-frosted vanilla soft sugar cookies in Westampton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.jpg by Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.