If you’re looking for a dairy free recipe for classic soft and chewy sugar cookies, you’ve come to the right place. These sugar cookies are buttery, soft, and chewy with just the slightest crisp on the edges. These cookies give you all the buttery goodness you want in a sugar cookie, with none of the dairy!

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These soft and chewy sugar cookies are one of my favourite cookie recipes. They are almost impossible to mess up AND they are an all-season cookie so you can enjoy them during the holidays or in the heat of summer.

Chilling the dough

This easy soft sugar cookie recipe only has 8 ingredients, so its low effort, high reward.

But, here’s the thing: the dough HAS to be chilled. I KNOW I’M SORRY, I DON’T MAKE THE RULES. Well, it’s my recipe so I guess I technically do make the rules, but I don’t make the rules when it comes to the science of baking. Chilling the dough helps get those slightly crisp edges, while still achieving a perfect soft middle.

So yes, the dough needs to be chilled for 30-60 minutes. Just think of it as your guarantee that you’re going to get delicious buttery goodness as a reward for your patience.

How to make soft and chewy sugar cookies

Alright, as I mentioned before, this is a super easy recipe so there really aren’t many steps!

First, in the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add in the egg and vanilla extract and cream together until light in colour, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.

Next, add in all the dry ingredients and continue to mix until fully incorporated, again scraping the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl and place the dough in the fridge to chill. The dough should be chilled for at least 30 minutes, but if you can wait longer, a full 60 minutes is ideal!

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven. Once the dough has chilled, use a medium sized cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop out 1 1/2 tbsp sized balls of dough onto the baking sheets. These cookies aren’t puffy, they are flatter and will spread out a fair amount. So even though the dough might look small, make sure to space it out on the baking sheet so they don’t smush into each other! Around 4 inches between each cookie should be perfect.

Bake for around 9-11 minutes, or until the edges look set. The edges will be the teeny tiniest bit golden brown, and the middles will look soft and almost under-baked. Leave them on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. That’s it! I told you, so easy!

Can I freeze these sugar cookies?

Absolutely! These are one of my go-to freezer stash cookies, so sometimes I will bake half the dough, then freeze the rest (because I don’t always need 24 cookies staring me in the face).

To freeze these sugar cookies, simply make the dough, roll it into a big ball, and wrap in tightly plastic wrap. Then place it in a ziploc bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.

When you’re ready to bake the cookies again, transfer the dough to the fridge and let it thaw out for 2-3 hours. Then, voila! Soft and chewy sugar cookies that are so buttery that you’d never even know they are dairy free!

More Recipes You’ll Love

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Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

Gabriela Dasilveira

These dairy free sugar cookies are buttery, soft, and chewy with just the slightest crisp on the edges. So easy to make, and these cookies give you all the buttery goodness you want in a sugar cookie, with none of the dairy!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr 10 mins

Bake Time 10 mins

Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 145 kcal

Ingredients

1 cup butter (vegan or regular)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2¼ cup all purpose flour

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, combine butter and sugar, mixing until light and fluffy.
Add in the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until combined and light in colour.
Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
Cover the mixing bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, ideally for 1 hour.
Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop 1-1.5 tbsp sized balls onto the baking sheets. Be sure to leave at least 4-5 inches between each ball of dough, as the cookies will spread out.
Bake one tray at a time for 9-12 minutes, until edges look set and slightly golden. The middles will look soft.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Keyword Dairy Free