If you love soft and chewy sugar cookies, this bakery-style recipe is exactly what you need. These cookies are buttery, tender, and perfectly sweet with thick, chewy centers and lightly crisp edges. A touch of cornstarch keeps them ultra-soft, while chilling the sugar cookie dough helps them bake up thick and puffy—not thin or flat.
Roll each cookie in sugar before baking for that classic sparkle and golden, sugary finish.
Why This Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe Works
- Thick, soft centers from the perfect ratio of butter, sugar, and flour
- Chewy texture from brown sugar
- Cornstarch keeps cookies soft and prevents spreading
- Chilling the dough makes them tall, thick, and bakery-style
- Pantry ingredients and no fancy tools required
- Foolproof recipe for beginners and experienced bakers alike
Whether you’re making holiday sugar cookies, freezer-friendly treats, or a simple everyday dessert, these soft and chewy cookies always deliver.
Ingredients for Thick and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (adds moisture + chew)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (plus ¼ cup for rolling)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
How to Make Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Step 1 — Cream the Butter & Sugars
In a stand mixer (paddle attachment) or with an electric mixer, beat butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Step 2 — Add Egg & Vanilla
Mix for another minute until smooth and creamy.
Step 3 — Combine Dry Ingredients
Whisk flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt in a separate bowl.
Step 4 — Mix Until Just Combined
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix.
Step 5 — Chill the Dough
Cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours. This step keeps the cookies thick and chewy.
Step 6 — Shape & Roll
Scoop into 2–3 inch dough balls and roll in the remaining granulated sugar.
Step 7 — Bake
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 14–16 minutes.
Remove when the centers look slightly underdone—they’ll finish cooking on the tray.
Cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
Variations for Soft Sugar Cookies
- Almond sugar cookies: Top with sliced almonds
- Candied walnut sugar cookies: Add chopped candied nuts
- White chocolate coconut: Fold in white chocolate chips + shredded coconut
- Sprinkle sugar cookies: Roll in sprinkles instead of granulated sugar
Tips for Thick, Chewy, Bakery-Style Sugar Cookies
Chill the Dough
Chilling solidifies the butter and prevents spreading, giving you thicker cookies.
Don’t Overmix
Too much mixing adds gluten, which makes cookies tough and flat.
Use Room-Temperature Butter
Softened—not melted—creates the best texture.
Shape Tall Cookie Dough Balls
Form them higher rather than round to help them bake thick.
Cornstarch Helps Cookies Stay Soft
It keeps the dough tender and reduces spreading.
Storing Thick & Chewy Sugar Cookies
Store cookies in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
To freeze:
Place in a freezer bag with parchment between layers. They keep for 2–3 months and taste freshly baked when thawed.
More Sugar Cookie recipes
Crunch almond-topped sugar cookies
The Best Thick and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Unsalted butter
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar 1/4 for cookie dough and 1/4 to roll dough in before baking
- 1 large Egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp Salt – Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed; cream the butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (2 minutes)
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined (about 1 minute)
- Whisk flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until the dough comes away from the side of the bowl and is well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the sugar cookie dough in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours (the longer, the better, as the flavor will absorb more). This also helps to make the cookies taller.
- Using a large cookie scooper, add cookie dough to a greased baking sheet or use a silicone mat
- Roll cookies in remaining sugar
- Bake cookies in the oven at 375 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Remove when the center still seems slightly underdone. Leave them on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. They will continue cooking, remove them from the pan and transfer them to a cooling rack.
My daughter and I made these, they were super simple and very delicious. Some of the best sugar cookies I’ve had.
Thanks so much Chad! I’m thrilled to hear that you and your daughter enjoyed them!
In the recipe directions stir in 1/2 c coconut and white chocolate.
How much white chocolate do you use ?
Hi Steven – This is my recipe for regular sugar cookies, however there is also a recipe where they have coconut and white chocolate. Which recipe are you wanting to make?
Here’s the regular one – https://2sistersmixitup.com/dessert/the-best-thick-and-chewy-sugar-cookies-2/
Here’s the coconut, lemon, white chocolate version – https://2sistersmixitup.com/dessert/jumbo-white-chocolate-coconut-lemon-sugar-cookies/