Slightly crispy on the outer edges and chewy in the center with a hint of vanilla, these sugar cookies are the easiest to make! With just four ingredients, these sugar cookies are ready in about 20 minutes. 
After two days of dealing with website issues, I really needed a batch of these crispy yet chewy sugar cookies to make me feel better. The issue of posts and images not loading properly appeared for some readers and not for others. I’m not sure why that was, but I knew there was a problem. Especially since I couldn’t even log into my dashboard. It took me awhile to convince the technicians that something was wrong. I spent most of yesterday on the phone, emailing, and online chatting with 8 technicians. I think I finally figured out what went wrong with the site, and I’m now ready to post. Crossing my fingers that the issue has been resolved. =)
For readers who might still encounter an issue with the blog, let me know. You might need to clear your cache/cookies. Sometimes the browser temporarily saves a copy of the old data so you might still see the page not load properly even if the problem has been resolved. I’m an expert at clearing cookies/cache now. I must have done it a few dozen times yesterday.
I’m also trying to implement Ziplist so that readers can save recipes into a recipe box online. I’ll keep the PDF version online in case you prefer that. And I’ll continue to add my green recipe card as thumbnails at the very end. Let me know what you think of the new format, or what you prefer. =)
Sugar cookies are one of my favorite cookies of all time. There’s something about its simplicity that appeals to me. Sugary, buttery, with the slightest hint of vanilla, they’re far from healthy but every once in awhile, they’re the perfect splurge. There’s so much you can do with them too. You can add sprinkles on top, colored sugar, icing. The possibilities are endless! But ultimately, I think what I love most about sugar cookies is that it brings back such good childhood memories.
In elementary school, during holiday parties, or potlucks, sugar cookies always made an appearance as dessert. To be honest, I probably contributed to that. It was just so easy to buy a box of cookies from Safeway. I didn’t bake or cook back then. 
Sugar cookies are always customized for the holidays. Have you noticed? Valentine’s Day means pink cookies with red sugar sprinkles. Easter usually means sugar cookies with green sprinkles, or maybe egg shaped cookies. Independence Day sugar cookies are decorated with red, white and blue. Halloween with pumpkin shaped cookies. Thanksgiving means turkey shaped cookies. And Christmas, oh my gosh, Christmas always has the best designs. See? Sugar cookies bring back such good memories.
These sugar cookies are so very amazing, one of my favorite recipes. Slightly crispy on the edges with a chewy center, it’s just the way I like my cookies. Hope it’s what you’ll like too. If you want a twist on these sugar cookies, try these Green Tea Cookies. 
First, preheat the oven to 375oF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream the butter. I’ve tested this recipe with both regular butter and with vegan butter. The vegan butter by Earth Balance is made of mainly palm oil. You can taste a little bit of the oil when you bake with vegan butter. But it is an alternative for vegans and those who prefer a healthier substitute. Add in the white sugar and vanilla. Mix until the sugar is just incorporated with the butter. 
Add in the flour. Mix the flour with the sugar and butter until the batter becomes crumble like.
Roll the batter into little balls. It may be a little crumbly but just press them together as best as you can to make them hold together. Place them onto the baking sheet. 
Bake them for about 7-8 minutes until they become golden brown.
Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes.
Serve the cookies warm or cold. Enjoy! 
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For a PDF version of this recipe, click here.
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What’s your opinion with which flour is the best? e.g. coconut flour, almond flour?
I haven’t used these flours before. I think it really depends on your preference. And I do know that coconut flour absorbs liquid so you have to use less. And with almond flour, they’re best for quick bread, cookies, and crusts. But again, I haven’t used these flours before so I can’t really form an opinion. Good luck experimenting with them =)
I personally LOVE coconut flour but you don’t want to put to much in (it gets really fluffy when baking)
I love a 4 ingredient recipe, especially one for cookies! I’ll be trying these out ASAP.
I hope you’ll like them =)
Wow, these look incredibly simple and delicious. Here in Germany there is a cult like obsession with having an afternoon coffee and sweet treat. I think I will bake these for the weekend as a nice surprise for the people coming to help work on the bungalow. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you and the people working on your bungalow will like the cookies! Have a great weekend!
Why is palm oil healthier than butter?
To be honest, it’s just slightly healthier. Palm oil is the vegan version of butter. So it’s an alternative for those who are vegan. And the only reason palm oil is slightly healthier is because it has less saturated fat, which is what causes heart problems if you consume too much. However, I like the taste of butter more than palm oil. It’s just a suggestion for an alternative. I hope that helps =)
Well, I guess that is one of those things where we have to decide what we believe for ourselves. Because there was this study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16825681 that showed Palm oil RAISED the LDL. So, like so many things we need to decide what is best for our own bodies (I am not a fan of Canola oil either), I was just wondering why you think it is healthier. Thanks for taking the time to share! I am sure we can cite study after study supporting both sides.
Hm… I’ll have to keep the article in mind the next time I post about vegan butter. Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention =)
I think that there is so much information out there one can find counter (information) to everything now-a-days. It seems to me that the key thing is moderation. Since so many things are made with so much over processed ingredients it must be consumed in moderation. I am fully aware of that, but I need to work on it (moderation). 🙂
I agree. Moderation is the key to good health and healthy eating. I have to work on it too lol
There really is nothing like a great sugar cookie! These look like a keeper!
Thank you! I hope you’ll like it =)
These look great and so simple!
Thank you! I hope you’ll like the cookies!