Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies for Decorating

Cream cheese and cake flour keep these rolled sugar cookies tender, and chilling the rolled dough helps them hold their shape with a smooth, flat top for decorating.

This recipe for soft cut-out sugar cookies is my go-to for a versatile cookie that’s tender, melts in your mouth, and holds its shape without spreading. The smooth, flat surface makes these cream cheese sugar cookies the perfect canvas for icing, glazes, and decorations.

This is my go-to dough whenever I need a cookie that works as a blank canvas. The cream cheese adds moisture and a gentle tang, cake flour keeps the crumb tender, and the cookies bake up pale with a smooth, flat top that takes icing, glaze, and other decorations well.

Use it for Christmas cookies, Valentine’s Day hearts, Halloween shapes, birthdays, or any occasion that calls for cut-outs and color. Below I’ll walk through what keeps them soft, how thick to roll the dough, and the chilling method that keeps the shapes from spreading.

Recipe at a Glance

What it is: Soft, cream cheese sugar cookies rolled 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick and cut into shapes for decorating.

Why it works: Cream cheese adds moisture and tang, cake flour softens the crumb, and chilling the rolled dough keeps the butter firm so the cut-outs don’t spread.

Time: 15 minutes prep, 15 to 20 minutes chilling, and 8 to 9 minutes per batch in the oven.

Make-ahead: Freeze the unbaked dough for up to 2 months, or bake the cookies up to a week ahead. Wrap baked cookies tightly, store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer, and bring them to room temperature before serving.

Serve with: Your favorite icing, glaze, or sprinkles. They’re a natural fit for holiday cookie trays and cookie-decorating afternoons.

Flavor options: Swap in 1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest, or use 1 teaspoon peppermint or lemon extract in place of the vanilla and almond extracts.

Why These Cut Out Sugar Cookies Stay Soft

Three things keep these soft: a moist dough, a thicker roll, and a short bake.

The dough gets extra moisture from cream cheese, and cake flour gives it a finer, more tender crumb. Rolling it at least 1/4 inch thick leaves enough cookie in the middle to stay soft. And taking the cookies out while they’re still pale keeps them from drying out. Overbaking will result in a drier, tougher cookie.

How Thick Should Cut Out Sugar Cookies Be?

Roll the dough 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick, and no thinner. Thinner dough bakes through too fast and turns hard and crunchy. At 1/4 inch or more, the cookies bake through while staying pale and soft inside.

Bake time matters just as much. You want the cookies baked through but still pale, with a smooth, flat surface. If you see cracks on top, they were overbaked, or the oven was too hot, so shorten the time or lower the temperature on the next batch.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

• Cream cheese: adds moisture and a tangy flavor to an otherwise mellow cookie. Soften it to room temperature first.
• Unsalted butter: makes the cookies tender and adds rich, buttery flavor.
• Granulated sugar: sweetens and creams with the butter and cream cheese into a pale, fluffy base.
• Egg: one large egg binds the dough.
• Vanilla and almond extract: the classic sugar cookie flavor. See flavor swaps below.
• Cake flour and all-purpose flour: the cake flour gives a softer, more tender crumb; the all-purpose flour adds structure.
• Baking powder: the leavener. Use baking powder, not baking soda.
• Salt: a pinch balances the sweetness.

How to Keep Cut Out Sugar Cookies from Spreading

Chill the dough before it goes into the oven. Cold butter holds its shape; warm butter melts and spreads, taking your edges with it. There are three ways to do it, and any of them works.

• Option 1, wrapped dough: Divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal parts and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes or the fridge for 20 minutes, then roll and cut.
• Option 2, rolled sheets (my favorite): Working in 2 or 3 batches, roll the dough 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper. Chill the flat sheets in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes, then cut. The parchment keeps the soft dough from sticking and makes it easier to roll.
• Option 3, chilled cut-outs: Cut shapes from the dough, place them on parchment paper, chill in the fridge for 15 minutes, and bake them straight from the fridge in a preheated oven.

If you love baking from scratch, browse more of my baked goods and desserts.

How to Make Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies

1. Soften the butter and cream cheese. Let both come to room temperature so they cream smoothly. In a hurry, microwave the cream cheese in 15-second bursts until soft.

2. Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Beat them with a mixer until the sugar granules have dissolved and the mixture is pale and fluffy.

3. Add the egg and flavorings. Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. If you’re using zest or a different extract, add it now.

4. Add the dry ingredients. Sift in the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt, then mix until just combined.

5. Roll between parchment. Working in 2 batches, place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. The parchment keeps the soft dough from sticking.

6. Chill the rolled dough. Slide the flat sheets into the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm. Cold dough is what keeps the shapes from spreading. Preheat the oven to 350°F while it chills.

7. Cut out the shapes. Dip your cutters in flour before each press so the dough releases cleanly.

8. Bake until set but pale. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes. The cookies should be pale with a smooth, flat surface.

9. Cool, then decorate. Let the cookies cool completely before icing.

Flavor Variations

The base dough is vanilla and almond, but it’s easy to change. Choose one:

• Citrus: add 1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest along with the egg and extracts.
• Peppermint: use 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and leave out the vanilla and almond extracts.
• Lemon: use 1 teaspoon lemon extract and leave out the vanilla and almond extracts.

Storage and make-ahead

Baked cookies: Make them up to a week ahead. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or a zip-top bag, then place them in an airtight container. Double wrapping keeps them soft and limits air exposure. Store them in the fridge or freezer and let them come to room temperature before serving.

Unbaked dough: Freeze it for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Bakes to Try

If you’re in a baking mood, try my giant flourless chocolate cookies, a moist easy sponge cake, my chocolate Swiss roll, or, for a party dessert, my blueberry cheesecake.

Want more recipes like this? Subscribe to my newsletter to get new recipes sent straight to your inbox, and save these cookies to your holiday board on Pinterest.

If you bake a batch, leave a comment and rating below. I’d love to see your shapes.

Thanks so much for stopping by!