Can I tempt you with the best sugar cookies? This easy recipe shows you how to make a delicious homemade vanilla sugar cookie, perfect for hygge moments now during the festive season but also all year round. Just get creative with shapes and decor depending on the season; I went for simple tree shapes this time to create a little forest of goodness frosted with white snow-like icing to add a bit of a winter theme.
This dough does not spread when baking, so no matter the shapes you decide to make – your cookies will keep their defined shapes.

Ingredients
- 230 grams unsalted butter (softened)
- 200 grams sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 315 grams flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Leave the butter out until it softens (about 30 min.)
- Add the butter and sugar in a large bowl, and beat until creamy either with a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- Then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix for about 5 min.
- In a separate bowl, measure up the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.
- When the dough is ready, you need to roll it into a ball and cover it with cling film.
- Add the cling-film wrapped dough into your fridge and chill for minimum 2 hours. Do not worry that the dough is quite sticky, it will get firm afterwards.
- When the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 175C.
- Dust your kitchen surface with flour and take a part of the dough to roll out. You might need to add more flour at this point if the dough is still too sticky, but my tip is to be gentle with it while rolling out.
- I rolled my dough out about 3 mm, which resulted in a soft texture and buttery flavour. But if you prefer a more caramelised taste and crispier texture just make them thinner.
- Cut the dough with cookie cutters of your choice.
- Transfer the cookies onto a baking sheet with parchment paper on, and put them in the oven.
- Bake at 175C for about 9 minutes (when the edges of the cookies turn slightly golden.)
- Let the cookies cool down and enjoy - or east immediately if you cannot wait ;)
Notes





They are hard to resist, but this recipe will make enough so you have cookies for a while!
- I couldn’t find the exact cookie cutters I used, but this set of 5 plastic tree shaped cookie cutters are quite similar.
// Photo credit: Ingrid Opstad
Have you tried to make my recipe? Share a photo on Instagram and tag me so I can see and feature you!