Thick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

These Thick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are the kind of old-fashioned cookies worth keeping in your recipe box. Rolled to a generous ½-inch thickness, they bake up soft, tender, and substantial rather than thin or crisp. Plenty of butter and extra egg yolks give the cookies a rich flavor and delicate crumb, while vanilla keeps that familiar bakery-style sugar cookie aroma front and center.

What makes this collected recipe especially useful is the big-batch yield. Six dozen cookies is plenty for Christmas cookie trays, classroom parties, birthday celebrations, or an afternoon of decorating with the kids. The dough needs a full hour in the refrigerator, but that chilling time makes these thick cookies much easier to roll and cut cleanly. I also like that the frosting is intentionally simple; you can spread it over the cookies while they’re still warm, then add colored sugar or sprinkles before it sets.

These aren’t fussy, picture-perfect bakery cookies; they’re big, soft, frosted sugar cookies made for sharing, and that’s exactly their charm.

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Ingredients

Cookies

2 ⅛ cups granulated sugar

2 cups unsalted butter, softened

4 large eggs

6 large egg yolks

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

7 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Frosting

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp hot water, plus more as needed

Colored sugar or sprinkles (Optional)

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth, creamy, and well combined.
2. Add the eggs. Beat in the 4 whole eggs one at a time. Add the 6 egg yolks one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
3. Finish the dough. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until a thick, uniform dough forms.
4. Chill. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This firms the butter and makes the thick dough easier to roll and cut.
5. Prepare the oven. Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
6. Roll and cut. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the chilled dough to approximately ½ inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and arrange the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared pans.
7. Bake. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should look set but remain pale and soft in the centers. Avoid waiting for them to become deeply golden.
8. Cool briefly. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack.
9. Make the frosting. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, and 1 tbsp hot water until smooth. Add additional hot water a little at a time only if needed to create an easily spreadable frosting.
10. Frost while warm. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the still-warm cookies. Immediately decorate with colored sugar or sprinkles, if desired, then allow the frosting and cookies to cool completely.

Cooking Notes

Keep the dough thick. The ½-inch thickness is intentional. Rolling it thinner will produce a very different cookie with less of the signature soft, substantial center.

Don’t overbake. These cookies should remain fairly pale. If you wait until the entire cookie is golden brown, the finished texture can become dry rather than tender.

Work with chilled dough. If the dough becomes sticky or overly soft while you’re cutting shapes, refrigerate it again for 10-15 minutes.

Use the water carefully. Add extra hot water to the frosting by the teaspoon. Too much at once can turn a thick frosting into a runny glaze.

Make ahead: The dough can be prepared and refrigerated in advance. Let very cold dough soften briefly at room temperature if it’s too firm to roll.

Nutrition

The recipe makes approximately 72 large cookies, or 6 dozen, with one cookie representing one serving. Because cookie size, dough thickness, frosting coverage, and baking moisture loss vary, the values below should be treated as estimates rather than laboratory nutrition analysis.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

Calories: 148 kcal
Fat: 6.0 g
Carb: 21.0 g
Protein: 2.0 g

Recipe Science

These cut-out cookies use a high proportion of butter, sugar, eggs, and additional egg yolks to create a rich dough capable of remaining tender even when rolled substantially thicker than an ordinary crisp sugar cookie. Chilling is particularly important because it firms the butter and hydrates the flour, making the dough easier to cut while helping the shapes remain more defined during baking.

The additional yolks supply fat, protein, and emulsifiers, contributing to a richer, softer crumb. Baking powder provides controlled lift, while the relatively short baking period helps preserve moisture in the center. Applying the confectioners’ sugar frosting while the cookies are still warm allows it to spread easily and settle into a thin coating.

For everyday planning, the unusually large yield makes this recipe particularly appropriate for holidays and group events. Completely cooled cookies should be stored in an airtight container, with parchment between layers if the frosting remains delicate. The finished cookies can also be frozen for longer storage.

Dietary Notes & Health Alerts: Based on the provided nutrition information, saturated fat is approximately 4 g per cookie, or 20% of the FDA Daily Value of 20 g. Added sugars are also estimated to exceed 20% of the 50 g Daily Value because both the cookie dough and frosting contain substantial added sugar. These nutrients therefore qualify as High at approximately one serving. Sodium, at about 69 mg, is comparatively low. For a lighter serving, consider enjoying one cookie without additional sugary decorations or applying a thinner layer of frosting.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Extra-Thick and Soft: Rolling the dough to ½ inch gives each cookie a substantial, tender center rather than the crisp texture of thin cut-outs.
• Made for Decorating: The simple vanilla frosting is easy to spread and provides the perfect surface for colored sugar and sprinkles.
• Party-Size Batch: One recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies, making it practical for holidays, bake sales, school celebrations, and cookie exchanges.
• Classic Butter-Vanilla Flavor: Butter, vanilla, and extra egg yolks create a rich but familiar sugar cookie that works with virtually any decorating theme.
• Freezer-Friendly: The large batch can be divided so some cookies are enjoyed immediately and the rest are saved for later.

FAQ

• Why is my dough sticky? The butter may have become too warm. Chill the dough until firm enough to roll, and use a light dusting of flour on the work surface and rolling pin.
• Can I roll these thinner than ½ inch? Yes, but they’ll bake faster and won’t have the same thick, soft texture. Begin checking thinner cookies earlier.
• Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes. Keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator, then let it sit briefly at room temperature if it becomes too hard to roll.
• Why did my cookies turn hard? Overbaking is the most likely culprit. Remove them when they’re set but still pale and soft rather than waiting for pronounced browning.
• Can I freeze the finished cookies? Yes. Let the cookies and frosting set completely, layer them carefully in an airtight freezer container, and thaw at room temperature before serving.

Conclusion

These Thick & Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are exactly the kind of dependable, generous recipe I like keeping around for celebrations; buttery, soft, easy to decorate, and big enough to feed a crowd. Cooking and baking are always a little personal, so don’t be afraid to choose your favorite shapes, frosting colors, and decorations and make this batch your own.

What colored sugar or sprinkles would you use to decorate yours? Happy baking, friends!