Simple butter cookies made with just six ingredients. Perfect for decorating with sprinkles or icing. These cookies can be served any time of year, depending on the cookie cutter shapes you use.
Butter Cookies Overview
These butter cookies are super simple and only require six main ingredients (plus a bit of milk, only if you need to make the dough softer). Similar to my Christmas sugar cookies, these can be easily decorated to suit any holiday or celebration.
Recipe Ingredients
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter - softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, or cake flour – sifted
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp milk - only if needed
How To Make Butter Cookies
Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
STEP 1: Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix ⅔ cup unsalted butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light at fluffy, about 3 minutes.
STEP 2: Now mix in 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
STEP 3: Sift in the 2 cups all-purpose flour and ¼ tsp salt. Gently mix by hand with a wood spoon until combined. Do not overmix in this step.
STEP 4: Add 1 or 2 Tbsp of milk (only if needed) until the batter sticks together and forms a soft cookie dough. Let the cookie dough chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
STEP 4: Gently knead the cookie dough into a ball using your hands. Next, roll out the cookie dough on a floured surface. Use cookie cutters to create desired shapes or twist them into a pretzel shape. Place each one on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press sprinkles and granulated sugar into the tops if desired.
STEP 5: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies for 6-8 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
How To Make The Bow Shape
If you want to make the bow shape, simply roll out a long piece of dough using the palm of your hand. Take one side and twist it around. Repeat with the other side. Trim off the edges with a knife to the desired length.
Recipe Tips
- For a softer chewy texture, roll the cookie dough as thin. For crisper cookies, roll the cookie dough ½" thick.
- The cookies should be slightly underbaked as they will harden more as they cool.
- I used mini cookie cutters to create these cookies. If making mini cookies, they will need to be cooked for less time, about 4-5 minutes.
- This cookie dough can be prepped in advance before baking, and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months. Tightly wrap the cookie dough ball with plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible.
How To Store Leftovers
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- I love to freeze my cookies! They stay nice and fresh and we tend to take longer to eat them. Just add them to a large freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. They will last up to 6 months.
Free Workshop: Dinner Made Easy
End the 5PM dinner panic once and for all.
Join me in this free online workshop where I’ll show you my simple 3-step system to make dinner stress-free (and actually get your family to eat it).
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter - softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour or cake flour - spooned - leveled then sifted
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp milk - only if needed
Instructions
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix ⅔ cup unsalted butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light at fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Now mix in 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- Sift in the 2 cups all-purpose flour and ¼ tsp salt. Gently mix by hand with a wood spoon until combined. Do not overmix in this step.
- Add 1 or 2 Tbsp of milk (only if needed) until the batter sticks together and forms a soft cookie dough. Let the cookie dough chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Gently knead the cookie dough into a ball using your hands. Next, roll out the cookie dough on a floured surface. Use cookie cutters to create desired shapes or twist them into a pretzel shape. Place each one on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press sprinkles and granulated sugar into the tops if desired.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies for 6-8 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
