Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies (without baking powder!)
These soft and chewy cookies are made without baking powder, have a quick mix, no chill dough, and can be decorated with colorful sugars to celebrate any occasion in style!
Prep and line: preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.*1
Cream butter, sugars, and vanilla: cream together the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla extract for 1-2 minutes until very light and fluffy on medium-high speed using a hand or stand mixer.
Beat in the egg: add in the egg and beat for 30 seconds more on medium-high until the batter is smooth, opaque, and slightly fluffy.
Mix in dries: stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl until blended. Add that dry mix to the batter, and mix on low speed until fully combined, then beat briefly on medium-low for just 30-60 seconds to bring everything together (be sure to scrape the bowl really well about halfway through mixing!)
Scoop and decorate: place at least a ¼ cup of each colored sugar in its own small, wide bowl (or alternatively 1 cup of granulated sugar in a bowl). Scoop dough into about 1 ½” round balls, using about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (an ice cream scoop works well for easy portioning). Roll dough balls between your hands to fully round (if not using an ice cream scoop), then roll in the sugar until fully coated.*2
Tray and bake: place cookies on prepared trays, at least 2” apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes for doughy centers, just until the edges have a hint of golden-brown, the bottoms have browned and the tops are puffed and crackled, but not fully set on top. (You do want these cookies to be a little under-baked for the tastiest texture and brightest colors.)
Knock em' down: knock each tray firmly on the counter or stovetop several times immediately after removal from the oven to collapse the dome and get that perfect cookie crackle.
Cool, share, and enjoy: allow cookies to cool as long as you can (so those doughy middles can set up to a perfectly chewy center, and the edges can get deliciously crisp). Then pass around these colorfully delicious treats that will put a smile on any kiddo's face!
Notes
*1Bake them to your preference! The 350°F bake for 8-10 minutes will result in a pretty doughy cookie (which is my personal favorite where you still have that almost "cookie-dough-like" flavor). However, if you'd like your cookies to be more on the crispy side, you can just bake until they are golden brown on the full surface (an extra 2-3 minutes).
*2A not-so-sticky situation: this dough has to be stiff enough to keep its shape and give you that beautifully crackled look, but also sticky enough to hold the sugar coating. If your dough isn't quite sticky enough when you roll it in your sugar bowl, you can use your hands to gently press the sugar into your dough balls and patch any naked spots while they’re in the sugar bowl, and don’t worry if the coverage isn’t perfect! Making sure you roll the dough balls immediately after scooping will help to make the sugar stick as well (the dough will dry out if you let it sit for even a minute or two after scooping, making it harder to get the sugar to stick).
Coarse sugar for crunch: if you’d like an extra crunch, you can also use a coarse colored sugar on the outside of your cookies instead.
Color to your occasion: feel free to switch up the sugar colors or use a single multi-colored sugar for ease.
Add an almond twist: for a hint of almond which is not uncommon in sugar cookie recipes, add a ¼ teaspoon almond extract in the first step.
Add a lemon twist: for a fresh lemony note in these cookies, simply add the zest of one lemon to your butter in the first step.
Storage: store these cookies at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to a week.
Chilled/Frozen Dough: you can chill the dough balls for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to a month. For best results, thaw the dough to room temperature before baking. To bake from the freezer, fridge, or once rethawed, follow recipe instructions, but just know you may need a minute or two extra on your bake time, and your cookies will be a little taller and a little less chewy than fresh mixed ones.
It’d mean so much to me if you could please give the recipe card a ⭐ rating on the site and leave a comment to help others find this sweet recipe! Xo, Jocelyn @ Mint+Mallow