Our Most-Saved Holiday Cookie Is ‘Hands Down the Tastiest, Softest, and Best’

Cookies take center stage during the holidays, and our most-saved holiday cookie of all time is a true classic: Best Rolled Sugar Cookies. With more than 8,000 five-star ratings and nearly 9,000 reviews, it’s dependable, delicious, and always a crowd-pleaser.

“This is the best sugar cookie recipe and the only one I use,” says J Saunders. “Whenever you make these cookies for someone, be sure to bring along several copies of the recipe—you will be asked for it.”

How to Make Our Most-Saved Holiday Cookie

This recipe uses six ingredients: sugar, butter, eggs, flour, baking powder, and vanilla extract—plus a little salt, as every good cookie needs.

Beat the sugar and butter until smooth, then mix in the eggs (one at a time) and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until combined.

The dough needs to chill for at least an hour (or overnight). Once chilled, roll it out, cut into shapes, and bake for 6–8 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Homemade Frosting and Icing Recipes

A great sugar cookie needs an equally great icing. The store-bought versions are delicious, but if you want to make a homemade cookie through and through, try any of these top-rated recipes.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

Take it from our community: This recipe is a keeper. Here’s what a few 5-star reviewers have to say:

• “This is the BEST,” says reviewer Heather Knight. “I will never give this recipe up. Everyone loves it. Make sure you underbake the cookies,” leaving them in the oven for about six minutes rather than eight.
• “The best sugar cookies recipe I’ve tried. We have been making these for years for all the holidays,” says one Allrecipes member. “The only tip I have is that I prefer only chilling the dough for an hour instead of overnight. The cookies come out better in my opinion this way. My daughter and I usually cookie cut them according to the holiday and then dip them in colored melted chocolate.”
• “Came out just as I hoped—the closest recipe to my grandma’s I’ve found yet,” says one reviewer. “Since some of the other reviews mentioned that they were perhaps a bit bland, I upped the vanilla a touch and threw in a dash or two of cinnamon and nutmeg. They came out very tasty and perfect for the holidays.”