The Ultimate Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe: Soft, Thick, and Perfectly Sweet

Welcome to the world of perfect sugar cookies! If you’ve been tirelessly searching for a recipe that delivers true softness – one that doesn’t result in flat, crispy disks – your quest ends here. This recipe is specifically engineered to produce the thickest, softest, and most sensationally Chewy Sugar Cookies you will ever make. Forget the traditional cut-out cookies that turn brittle; these are the deeply satisfying, bakery-style soft sugar cookies that melt in your mouth and stay soft for days.

What sets this recipe apart is a clever combination of ingredients designed for moisture retention and minimal spreading: the magic of brown sugar for richness, an extra egg yolk for tenderness, and precise timing during the mixing and baking stages. We’ll walk through every step, ensuring your homemade sugar cookies transition from dough to delightful perfection. Get ready to bake the best batch of cookies that will become a year-round staple in your kitchen.

Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Chewy Sugar Cookies

There is a vast difference between a standard sugar cookie and a truly outstanding Chewy Sugar Cookie. This recipe doesn’t just promise chewiness; it guarantees it through strategic ingredient choices that modify the structure and hydration of the dough. If you are tired of recipes that over-promise and under-deliver on texture, prepare to be amazed by the results we achieve here.

The Texture Triumph: The primary reason bakers adore this recipe is the incredible texture. It strikes the perfect balance: slightly crisp edges that hold their structure, giving way to a luxuriously soft, dense, and chewy center. This isn’t just achieved through the baking time; it’s engineered by adding an extra egg yolk. The yolk contributes pure fat without extra liquid, creating richness and preventing excessive gluten development, resulting in a more tender crumb. This is the secret to moving from basic homemade sugar cookies to exceptional ones.

Flavor Depth: Traditional sugar cookies rely solely on butter and vanilla, which is lovely but can sometimes be one-dimensional. Our secret weapon for flavor (and texture!) is the addition of light brown sugar alongside the standard granulated white sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar introduces a subtle caramel note and deepens the flavor profile, making these cookies taste complex and wonderfully addictive. This blend of sugars ensures moisture retention, key to maintaining the soft sugar cookies texture even after they cool.

A Treat That Lasts: Nobody wants a cookie that turns stale the next day. Thanks to the high moisture content provided by the brown sugar and the extra yolk, these Chewy Sugar Cookies maintain their incredibly soft texture for much longer than most cookie recipes. Stored in an airtight container, they can stay perfectly soft and satisfying for up to five days, making them perfect for meal prep or baking ahead for parties and events.

Versatility and Simplicity: While the result is gourmet, the process remains straightforward. These cookies are beautiful simply rolled in sugar for that delightful sparkly crust, but they also serve as a perfect foundation for frostings, sprinkles, or flavor additions. Whether you are baking for a quick weeknight dessert or prepping for the holidays, this best sugar cookie recipe offers reliability and maximum reward for minimal effort.

Why You Should Try This Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Now

In a saturated world of dessert recipes, deciding which one to tackle next can be challenging. However, if you are looking for a recipe that promises instant satisfaction and consistently excellent results, tackling these thick, soft Chewy Sugar Cookies is your next culinary adventure. This recipe isn’t just about making cookies; it’s about mastering the science of the perfect chew.

Achieving Professional Thickness Without Spread: One of the most frustrating aspects of baking homemade sugar cookies is when they spread thin, losing that desirable height. We tackle this issue head-on. The combination of cold ingredients (post-chilling) and the strategic ratio of flour to fat ensures that these cookies bake up tall and plump. They retain their shape beautifully, resulting in a professional-looking cookie every time. If you’ve tried other recipes and ended up with flat sugar cookies, this method – which includes precise creaming and mandatory light chilling – will revolutionize your baking.

A Quick Path to Comfort: While we recommend a minimal chill time (30 minutes) for ultimate results, the active preparation time is incredibly fast. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples, meaning you can decide to bake these Chewy Sugar Cookies on a whim and have warm, comforting treats ready within the hour. Nothing beats the aroma of vanilla and warm butter filling your kitchen, especially during cozy evenings or holiday gatherings. For other delicious comfort treats perfect for the holidays, you might also enjoy our recipe for Crispy Gingerbread Cookies or perhaps something rich like Chewy Pecan Pie Cookies.

The “How to Make Sugar Cookies Chewy” Masterclass: This recipe serves as a detailed guide on how to make sugar cookies chewy by focusing on key baking techniques often overlooked in simpler recipes. We emphasize the technique of “spooning and leveling” flour to avoid dry dough, the critical importance of properly creaming the butter and sugars (incorporating air), and ensuring you stop mixing exactly when the dough comes together. Mastering these steps guarantees that your final product is inherently soft and chewy. It’s a great skill-builder for any home baker.

Crowd-Pleasing and Allergy-Friendly Base: Since these are fundamentally sugar cookies, they avoid common allergens like nuts or chocolate chips, making them a safe bet for school functions, large gatherings, or gifting. The exterior sugar crust gives them a beautiful sparkle that appeals to everyone, young and old. If you want a reliably perfect cookie that requires minimal fuss but yields maximum flavor and texture, this is the recipe you need to bookmark immediately.

Ingredients and Necessary Utensils: Mastering the Chewy Sugar Cookies Formula

The success of these thick, soft Chewy Sugar Cookies relies heavily on the quality and preparation of a few specific ingredients. Pay close attention to temperature and measuring techniques, especially when handling the flour and butter.

Precise Ingredients for the Best Chewy Sugar Cookies

The following precise measurements are vital. Remember the golden rule: for consistent baking, use a kitchen scale whenever possible, but if using volume, always spoon and level your flour.

• 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour: (Spooned and leveled). Flour is the structure. Spooning it lightly into the measuring cup ensures you don’t compact it, which can result in too much flour and a dry, crumbly cookie. Too much flour is the number one cause of tough sugar cookies.
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder: This leavening agent gives the cookies their lift and contributes to their desirable thickness. We rely on baking powder here, rather than baking soda, for a softer, more cake-like internal structure.
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt: Essential for balancing the intense sweetness and enhancing the flavors of the butter and vanilla.
• 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter: Softened to room temperature. This is crucial for the creaming process. Butter that is too cold won’t incorporate air; butter that is too warm will make the cookies spread excessively. It should yield slightly to gentle pressure.
• 1 cup Granulated White Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps create the crispy edges.
• 1/4 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar: The secret weapon! The molasses in brown sugar adds moisture, depth of flavor, and is acidic, reacting slightly with the baking powder to enhance the rise. This ingredient is non-negotiable for achieving that signature chewy texture.
• 1 large Egg: Acts as an emulsifier, binding the ingredients together.
• 1 large Egg Yolk: The ‘Extra Fat, No Water’ rule. This added yolk boosts richness, chewiness, and density without adding liquid, which would encourage spreading. This is one of the most important sugar cookie tips for chewiness.
• 1 Tablespoon Milk: A touch of liquid ensures the dough is just hydrated enough, contributing to the final soft texture.
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract: Use high-quality pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• 1/4 cup Granulated White Sugar (for rolling the dough): This is used externally to create that beautiful, sparkling, slightly crunchy crust that contrasts perfectly with the soft interior.

Essential Tools for Perfect Soft Sugar Cookies

While this recipe is simple, having the right equipment ensures consistent results and makes the process seamless. Investing in good baking tools pays off, especially when striving for the thick, uniform shape of these Chewy Sugar Cookies.

• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer: While possible to mix by hand, a mixer is necessary for the critical creaming step (Step 2). You need sufficient power to incorporate air into the butter and sugar, which is essential for texture and lift. If using a stand mixer, ensure you use the paddle attachment.
• Rubber Spatula: Necessary for scraping down the bowl during creaming and, most importantly, for folding in the final streaks of flour by hand. This prevents overmixing.
• Medium and Large Mixing Bowls: One medium bowl for whisking the dry ingredients and a large bowl for the wet ingredients/final dough.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons (or Digital Scale): Accuracy is paramount in baking. If you are serious about achieving the best results consistently, a digital scale will ensure your flour measurement is always spot on.
• Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats: Absolutely essential. They prevent sticking, ensure even baking, and make cleanup a breeze. Do not grease the pan directly; use parchment or mats.
• 1.5 Tablespoon Cookie Scoop: Consistency in size is key to consistent baking time. Using a scoop ensures every cookie is the same diameter, leading to a uniformly baked batch of thick sugar cookies.
• Wire Cooling Rack: Allowing the cookies to cool completely on a rack stops the cooking process and prevents condensation (which would make the bottoms soggy).

By respecting the roles of these ingredients — especially the brown sugar and the extra egg yolk — and utilizing the proper tools, you are setting yourself up for success. Remember, room temperature butter and measured flour are the bedrock of these incredible Chewy Sugar Cookies.

Detailed Recipe Steps for Thick and Chewy Sugar Cookies

Following these steps precisely, with special attention paid to the mixing and baking times, is how we guarantee the exceptional, soft texture of these homemade sugar cookies.

Step 1: Preparation and Dry Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Oven temperature is vital; baking too high can result in crisp edges and raw centers, while too low can cause excessive spreading. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This prevents sticking and ensures easy removal.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour (remember to spoon and level!), the 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Whisking ensures that the leavening agent is evenly distributed throughout the flour, which leads to a uniform rise. Set this mixture aside.

Step 2: Creaming the Fats and Sugars (The Key to Volume)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer), combine the softened butter, the 1 cup of granulated white sugar, and the 1/4 cup of packed light brown sugar.

Beat these ingredients together on medium speed until the mixture transforms. This process — called “creaming” — is where air is whipped into the fat and sugar crystals. This process takes about 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture must look noticeably lighter in color, pale yellow, and fluffy in texture. Stop the mixer halfway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is fully combined. Under-creaming leads to denser, flatter cookies, while perfect creaming creates lift and tender results.

Step 3: Adding Wet Ingredients (Extra Chew)

Add the large egg, the extra egg yolk (critical for chewiness!), 1 tablespoon of milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Beat on medium-low speed until the ingredients are just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Crucial Tip: Be careful not to overmix at this stage. We only want to blend the egg and liquids in; overmixing after the eggs are added starts developing gluten early, which can make your final Chewy Sugar Cookies tougher rather than tender.

Step 4: Combining Wet and Dry (Dough Management)

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture (flour, baking powder, salt) to the wet ingredients. Mix only until the flour streaks have almost disappeared. The dough will look shaggy and slightly sticky.

Stop the mixer immediately just before the dough is fully combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the remaining dry ingredients by hand. This final manual mixing step is essential to prevent developing too much gluten, ensuring the resulting soft sugar cookies are tender and not tough. Do not knead the dough.

Step 5: Chilling the Dough (Recommended for Thickness)

Cover the bowl snugly with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This step is optional but highly recommended for superior texture. Chilling the dough solidifies the butter, which significantly limits spreading during baking. This guarantees the cookies hold their shape, resulting in a thick, uniform, and satisfyingly Chewy Sugar Cookie.

Step 6: Shaping and Rolling for Sparkle

Place the remaining 1/4 cup of granulated white sugar into a small, shallow bowl. Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop (or rolling balls approximately 1.5 inches in diameter), scoop the chilled dough.

Roll each dough ball in the bowl of sugar until it is completely coated. This not only gives the cookies their signature sparkle but also adds a desirable slight crunch to the exterior, contrasting beautifully with the soft interior. Place the sugar-coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

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Step 7: Baking and Cooling (The Final Touch)

Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 11 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Rotate the pan halfway through if your oven has hot spots.

The key to mastering these thick, chewy sugar cookies is recognizing when they are perfectly baked. The cookies are done when the edges are lightly golden brown, but – and this is critical – the centers still look slightly soft, puffy, or underdone.

DO NOT OVERBAKE! If you bake them until the centers look set and golden, they will be crisp once cooled. Pulling them out when the centers are slightly soft ensures they carry residual heat, which finishes the cooking process on the pan, resulting in a truly chewy result. Let the baking sheets sit out of the oven for 5 minutes before carefully transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Tips and Variations for Your Chewy Sugar Cookies

Once you master the base recipe for these amazing Chewy Sugar Cookies, you can easily modify them to suit any taste or dietary requirement. Use these tips to guarantee success and explore exciting new flavor combinations.

Troubleshooting and Essential Sugar Cookie Tips

Why Did My Cookies Spread Too Much? This usually happens due to overly warm butter, insufficient chilling, or using too much flour substitute. Ensure your butter is only softened, not melted. If your kitchen is hot, chill the dough for 45-60 minutes instead of 30. Also, ensure you are spooning and leveling the flour — excess moisture can lead to spreading, but incorrect flour measurement (too little) is also a culprit.

My Cookies Are Tough/Dry: This is a sign of overmixing the flour. Once the flour hits the wet ingredients, mix only until “just combined.” Use the rubber spatula to incorporate the last flour streaks by hand. The final dough should be mixed as little as possible to prevent gluten development. Remember, a tough cookie is an overmixed cookie.

For Maximum Thickness: After rolling the chilled dough balls in sugar and placing them on the baking sheet, flatten them slightly with the bottom of a glass or the palm of your hand. This helps ensure they cook evenly and guarantees a thicker, denser final product.

Flavor and Texture Variations

Lemon Zest Sugar Cookies: For a bright, fresh flavor, add 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 large lemons) along with the vanilla extract in Step 3. The citrus oil elevates the flavor profile beautifully, making these soft sugar cookies perfect for spring and summer.

Almond Extract: Substitute half of the vanilla extract with almond extract (use 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract) for a strong, classic bakery flavor. This variation pairs particularly well with powdered sugar glaze.

Making Them Gluten-Free: You can easily adapt this recipe. Substitute the all-purpose flour with a high-quality, cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend (ensure it contains xanthan gum). Follow the instructions precisely, noting that gluten-free dough tends to be slightly more fragile and may require a longer chill time (up to 60 minutes) to hold its shape perfectly.

Adding Sprinkles: If you want colorful homemade sugar cookies, use sanding sugar (coarser than regular granulated sugar) for rolling, or mix in 1/4 cup of nonpareils or sprinkles into the dough in Step 4. For holiday cheer, this recipe works great alongside other festive treats like Sugar Cookie Fudge.

Vegan Chewy Sugar Cookies: While this specific recipe relies heavily on dairy butter and the egg yolk for chewiness, you can substitute the butter with a high-quality vegan butter stick and replace the egg and yolk with a flax egg (1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water per egg needed) plus a teaspoon of cornstarch to replicate the tenderizing effects of the extra yolk. Results may vary slightly, but the brown sugar base will still ensure high moisture.

Freezing and Storage Tips

These Chewy Sugar Cookies freeze exceptionally well, either as baked cookies or as raw dough:

• Freezing Dough: Scoop and roll the dough balls (in sugar or plain), place them on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid (about 2 hours). Transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight zip-top freezer bag. They can be stored for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place them directly on a prepared sheet and add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
• Freezing Baked Cookies: Once the cookies are completely cool, place them in a single layer in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. They maintain their fantastic texture even after thawing.

Nutritional Values and Benefits of Homemade Chewy Sugar Cookies

While cookies are undeniably a treat, understanding the components of this homemade sugar cookies recipe allows you to appreciate the quality of what you are consuming. When you bake from scratch, you control the ingredients, avoiding unwanted preservatives or fillers common in store-bought options.

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided below is an approximation based on the average size and yield (approximately 30 cookies) of this specific Chewy Sugar Cookies recipe. Actual values may vary based on ingredient brand and precise measurements.

Estimated Nutritional Profile (Per Cookie – approx. 30 servings)

Ingredient Benefits and Quality Control

The Energy of Carbohydrates: These cookies are primarily carbohydrate-based, providing readily available energy. When consumed in moderation, especially as a treat, the sugars and starches offer a quick metabolic boost – perfect for satisfying that afternoon craving or for a post-dinner indulgence. Since you are baking the best sugar cookie recipe yourself, you know exactly what kind of energy you are fueling your family with.

The Power of Eggs and Yolk: Eggs are rich sources of high-quality protein, choline, and essential vitamins. By adding an extra egg yolk, we increase the fat content, crucial for chewiness, but also boost the micronutrient contribution. The yolk is especially high in fat-soluble vitamins and lecithin, which acts as a natural emulsifier, contributing to the cookie’s smooth internal structure.

Healthy Fats in Butter: While often demonized, butter is a whole food that contributes essential fatty acids and flavor. Using unsalted butter allows us to control the exact salt content. In baking, fat is crucial not just for flavor, but for preventing the formation of excessive gluten strands, ensuring the Chewy Sugar Cookies remain tender and soft.

Homemade Control: The greatest benefit of baking these thick sugar cookies at home is quality control. You select fresh, high-quality ingredients, avoiding hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, and high-fructose corn syrup often found in mass-produced baked goods. This commitment to fresh ingredients is what elevates simple recipes like this one for Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies or any favorite sweet treat.

Enjoy these treats responsibly, knowing that they are made with love and the best ingredients your kitchen has to offer!

Conclusion: Your New Go-To Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe

You have now unlocked the secrets to baking the most exceptional Chewy Sugar Cookies. We’ve covered every detail, from the importance of the extra egg yolk and the moisture-rich brown sugar, to the critical technique of stopping the mixer just in time to preserve tenderness. This is more than just a recipe; it’s a foundation for crafting bakery-quality soft sugar cookies right in your own kitchen.

Remember that the success of these cookies hinges on three main pillars: precise measurement of the flour, thorough creaming of the butter and sugars, and resisting the urge to overbake. By pulling them out when the centers are still slightly puffy, you ensure that dense, satisfying chewiness that sets this recipe apart from every other dry, crisp sugar cookie out there.

Whether you roll them in sparkling sugar for a beautiful presentation or use them as the base for a simple vanilla glaze, these homemade sugar cookies are guaranteed to impress. They are perfect for every occasion, highly adaptable, and maintain their incredible texture for days — if they last that long!

We encourage you to try this best sugar cookie recipe today. If you love discovering comforting, decadent recipes, make sure to explore our collection of other baking triumphs, such as our recipe for Whipped Shortbread Cookies or our seasonal favorite, Soft Pumpkin Snickerdoodles. Bake a batch, savor the moment, and don’t forget to leave a comment below telling us how much you loved the chewiness!

Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies (No Chill Required Option)

This recipe delivers incredibly thick, soft, and satisfyingly chewy sugar cookies thanks to the addition of light brown sugar and an extra egg yolk. Perfect for rolling in sugar for a crackled, sweet crust.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 24 cookies

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Baking

Calories: 195

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Dry Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Wet Ingredients and Sugars

• 1 cup Unsalted Butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
• 1 cup Granulated White Sugar
• 1/4 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
• 1 large Large Egg
• 1 large Egg Yolk
• 1 Tablespoon Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For Rolling

• 1/4 cup Granulated White Sugar (for rolling the dough)

Equipment

• Stand Mixer (or Hand Mixer)
• Rubber Spatula
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Baking sheet

Method

 

Preparation and Mixing

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set the bowl aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a large bowl and a hand mixer, beat the softened butter, 1 cup of granulated white sugar, and the 1/4 cup of light brown sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale yellow, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stop the mixer halfway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the large egg, the extra egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Beat on medium-low speed until the ingredients are just combined, scraping down the sides as necessary. Be careful not to overmix at this stage.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing only until the flour streaks have almost disappeared. Stop the mixer just before the dough is fully combined; use a rubber spatula to fold in the remaining dry ingredients by hand to prevent developing too much gluten.
5. Optional Chill: For truly thick, uniform cookies, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. (If skipping the chill, proceed directly to shaping.)

Shaping and Baking

1. Place the remaining 1/4 cup of granulated white sugar into a small, shallow bowl. Scoop the chilled dough using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop (or roll balls approximately 1.5 inches in diameter). Roll each dough ball in the bowl of sugar until it is completely coated.
2. Place the sugar-coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 11 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers still look slightly soft or puffy. Do not overbake if you desire a truly chewy result.
3. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Using brown sugar and an extra egg yolk increases moisture and richness, which is the key to maintaining a soft, chewy texture even after cooling. If you prefer flatter, wider cookies, omit the chilling step and gently press the dough balls slightly before rolling in sugar.