Grandma's Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Recipe (2024)

If you enjoy baking vintage homemade cookie recipes, try Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Recipe! This is a traditional sugar cookie that uses few ingredients and is not complicated to make. This is a great cookie for all occasions.

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Recipe

Cookies are such a versatile little dessert and are very similar to muffins and cupcakes in that they have countless flavor options. That is why so many cookie flavors can be made into a cookie bar, muffin, or cupcake flavor.

This is an old-fashioned recipe. The ingredients are pretty true, but be aware that the baking times may vary with your oven, as well as how thickly (or thinly) you have rolled out these cookies.

How to Make Great Grandmother’s Sugar Cookies

1. Make the dough – Cream together the butter and sugar. Whip the mixture, adding in one egg at a time. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.
2. Chill – Chill until the dough can be handled without making a mess.
3. Roll out – Roll out the dough, cut out shapes if desired. Add sprinkles at this time.
4. Bake – Bake on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 5-8 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Tips and Variations for making this Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Recipe:

● My usual method is to roll out some dough, cut, and then take the scraps from that roll and add some new dough to it. That way you do not have an over-floured dough that will make your cookies too dry/tough.
● Skip the cookie cutters – If you do not have or do not want to use cookie cutters, simply roll the dough into 1-inch balls and flatten them a bit with a sugared round glass bottom.
● Color the sugar! This is a great tutorial on how to make colored sugar at home.
● These cookies do not frost well as they are not as dense as some sugar cookie doughs, which is why the sugared tops make for easy decorating.
● To color the dough, just add some food gel or food coloring to the batter to get the color of cookie you desire. However, be aware that some food gels may make the batter a little sticky. This will make it harder to work with.
● Change up the flavors – Use other extract flavors to easily change up the flavor profile of the cookies. For example, instead of vanilla extract, you can use lemon, orange, hazelnut, rum, etc. If you want a stronger flavor profile, double the extract amount.
● Make them chewy – If you like a chewier cookie, you can always add one more egg. If you like your cookies a little crispier, keep the recipe as is.
● Storage – Place in an airtight container and place in a cool, dry place, in the fridge, or in the freezer. Store these cookies separated by wax or parchment paper in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and outside the fridge for up to 5 days.
● Reheating – don’t do it.

Common Questions About Great Grandmother’s Sugar Cookies

Why Are My Sugar Cookies Hard?

You have either overcooked the cookies or when you have rolled the dough you have added too much flour. Use this tip: My usual method is to roll out some dough, cut, and then take the scraps from that roll and add some new dough to it. That way you do not have an over-floured dough that will make your cookies too dry/tough – to decrease tough cookie dough.

Are Snickerdoodles and Sugar Cookies the Same?

Many snickerdoodle recipes call for a base cookie mixture that is similar to sugar cookies. The biggest difference between snickerdoodles and sugar cookies is the fact that snickerdoodles are coated in a cinnamon-sugar mixture before being baked, and snickerdoodles puff up. Sugar cookies are much more versatile and are often frosted, covered in sprinkles, etc.

If you like homemade cookie recipes, try these:

● Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
● Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
● Spiced Molasses Cookies Recipe

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Recipe Ingredients:

● 1 cup Butter
● 1 cup White Granulated Sugar
● 3 Eggs
● ½ tsp Vanilla
● ½ tsp Nutmeg
● 2 tsp Cream of Tartar
● 1 tsp Baking Soda
● 3 cup Flour

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Mise en Place:

● Measuring Spoons
● Measuring Cup
● Stand Mixer (bowl, beater, etc)
● Cookie Sheet(s)
● Wire Rack

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Recipe Directions:

1. Using a stand mixer, cream butter, and sugar together.

2. Add eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy.

3. Add vanilla, nutmeg, cream of tartar, baking soda, and flour. (You may want to put the nutmeg, cream of tartar, and baking soda in with the first cup of flour, mix and then add the rest of the flour slowly. I usually end up mixing the last cup of flour in by hand.)

4. Chill until easy to handle. If chilling the dough overnight, cover with plastic wrap.

5. Roll out small portions of cookie dough onto a floured table to about 1/8″ thick.

6. Cut with a cookie cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Sprinkle with colored sugar.

8. Bake at 425°F for 5-8 minutes.

9. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

● For more Recipes on Ann’s Entitled Life, click here.

● If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for the Ann’s Entitled Life weekly newsletter, and never miss another article!