Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe for Soft, Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies

These chewy sugar cookies are buttery, soft, and perfectly tender. They’re a drop-style cookie — instead of rolling and cutting, the dough is formed into balls and rolled in sugar. No chilling required, and you get delicious sugar cookies with a chewy, flavorful center and a crackly sugar exterior.

Updated December 11, 2025 with new photos and recipe tips. The recipe remains the same.

What’s a Drop Cookie?

This recipe is for drop sugar cookies. A drop cookie is a cookie where the dough is portioned into balls or mounds and dropped onto a baking sheet; the dough spreads and flattens as it bakes. Drop cookies are faster and less fussy than roll-and-cut cookies or cookies that require a press or chilling in a log.

Ingredients Needed

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (344 g). Measure carefully: whisk first, then spoon into measuring cups and level, or weigh for best accuracy.
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour). Adds tenderness.
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (omit only if using salted butter and you prefer less salt).
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened but not melting.
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar for the dough (267 g).
• 1 large egg, room temperature.
• 1 large egg yolk (in addition to the whole egg). Using two whole eggs makes the cookies spread too thin.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional — brightens the flavor).
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 g) for rolling the dough balls.

Method – with Photos

1. Preheat and line pans. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats to prevent over-browning on the bottoms.
2. Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter with 1 1/3 cups sugar until fluffy and slightly lighter in color, about 2–4 minutes.
4. Add eggs and extracts. Beat in the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
5. Combine with dry ingredients. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in portions. The dough will be thick.
6. Prepare rolling sugar. Pour 1/3 cup sugar onto a plate or shallow bowl for rolling the dough balls.
7. Form and roll. Scoop dough into portions about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons each (roughly 1 ounce / 28 g). Roll each ball in the sugar and place about 2 inches apart on the lined sheets.
8. Bake. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 9–12 minutes, until the tops look set but centers remain soft.
9. Cool. Let cookies cool on the sheet for at least 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

The Secrets to Chewy Sugar Cookies

• Use softened butter that isn’t greasy or melting; overly soft butter produces crispy edges.
• Measure flour accurately — too much leads to dry, flavorless cookies. Weighing ingredients is best.
• Cornstarch adds a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• An extra egg yolk increases tenderness without causing excessive spread.
• Don’t press or flatten the dough balls — they’ll level naturally while baking.
• Rolling the balls in sugar creates a pleasant crunchy exterior that contrasts the soft center—don’t skip it.

Freezing Instructions

Freezing dough or baked cookies is great for holiday prep.

• You can make the dough, cover, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When ready, form balls and bake as directed.
• To freeze dough balls: make the dough (up to forming balls), portion the dough onto a tray, chill 30 minutes, then transfer the firm balls to a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Roll frozen balls in sugar and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
• To freeze baked cookies: after fully cooled, store in an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.

More Sugar Cookies to Love

• Sugar Cookie Bars — soft and tender with a thick layer of frosting.
• Chocolate Sugar Cookies — an alternative rolled cookie with chocolate flavor.
• Sour Cream Sugar Cookies — a cut-out version similar to Lofthouse-style cookies.
• Brown Sugar Cookies — rolled sugar cookies made with brown sugar for deeper flavor.

Chewy Sugar Cookies