Easy Drop Sugar Cookies – Soft, Chewy & No Rolling
These easy drop sugar cookies are soft, chewy, buttery, and ready in about 15 minutes! There’s no rolling dough, no cookie cutters, and no chilling required. Just mix, scoop, and bake for a simple homemade sugar cookie whenever the craving hits.
This has been my go-to sugar cookie recipe for years because it is ridiculously easy and always delicious. Unlike traditional cut-out sugar cookies, these are made just like a drop cookie. Scoop the dough directly onto the baking sheet and pop them in the oven.
They’re soft and chewy in the middle with lightly golden edges and that classic buttery vanilla sugar cookie flavor. You can leave them plain, roll them in sugar or sprinkles, or even turn them into an incredibly easy snickerdoodle.
Why You’ll Love These Drop Sugar Cookies
- Gluten-free and dairy-free options. A couple of simple substitutions make this recipe easy to adapt.
- No rolling or cookie cutters. Scoop the dough and bake.
- No chilling. The cookies can go straight into the oven.
- Ready in about 15 minutes. Perfect when you want homemade cookies without a project.
- Soft and chewy. Pull them from the oven when the edges are just beginning to turn golden.
- Easy to customize. Add sprinkles, colored sugar, cinnamon sugar, or frosting.
What Are Drop Sugar Cookies?
Drop sugar cookies have the classic buttery vanilla flavor of a traditional sugar cookie without the extra work of rolling and cutting the dough.
Instead, the soft cookie dough is scooped or “dropped” directly onto a baking sheet, much like chocolate chip cookies. That makes them perfect when you want homemade sugar cookies but don’t want to get out the rolling pin and cookie cutters.
Tips for the Best Drop Sugar Cookies
Use softened butter. Softened butter creams properly with the sugar and helps create the light, soft texture of these cookies.
Cream the butter and sugar well. Give them a few minutes in the mixer until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Don’t overmix the flour. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix only until everything is combined.
Watch the edges, not the tops. Bake the cookies until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. The centers may still look soft when you remove them from the oven.
Keep the cookie size consistent. A cookie scoop makes this easy and helps the cookies bake evenly.
Easy Variations
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how easily you can change it.
Sugar or Sprinkle Cookies
Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar, colored sanding sugar, or sprinkles before baking. This is an easy way to turn the same recipe into cookies for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, or any other occasion.
Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies
Roll the cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar before baking. You get an incredibly simple snickerdoodle-style cookie without making another batch of dough.
Frosted Sugar Cookies
Let the cookies cool completely and top them with your favorite buttercream or cookie icing.
Gluten-Free Drop Sugar Cookies
These drop sugar cookies are easy to make gluten-free. Substitute a good 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose baking flour for the regular flour.
Be sure to check the labels on your other ingredients, including vanilla, if you’re baking for someone who needs to strictly avoid gluten.
Dairy-Free Option
For dairy-free drop sugar cookies, replace the butter with your favorite dairy-free baking butter or margarine. Coconut oil can also be used, although it may change the flavor and texture slightly.
Can You Freeze Drop Sugar Cookie Dough?
Yes! This is a great cookie dough to keep in the freezer.
Scoop the dough into individual cookie portions and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe container or bag.
That way you can pull out just a few whenever you want fresh homemade sugar cookies.
How to Store Drop Sugar Cookies
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. For the best texture, enjoy them within several days.
You can also freeze the baked cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container and thaw them at room temperature when you’re ready to eat them. More tips on frozen cookie dough
Drop Sugar Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl combine all the dry ingredients.
- In the mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (This will take a few minutes on high)
- Beat in egg and vanilla until blended.
- Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture just until combined, scraping the bowl with a spatula.
- Drop dough by heaping teaspoons, 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until just brown around the edges.
- Cool and serve!
- Makes about 21 cookies depending on the size.
Gluten Free
- Substitute a gluten-free baking mix & gluten free vanilla
Dairy Free
- Use a dairy free margarine or coconut oil.
Video
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I’ve been looking for a good drop sugar cookie recipe and i found this on pintrest, so I was like “oh hey, lets give it a go” They didnt spread as much as i expected, which is good because they’re nice and fluffy, but that also makes them hard to decorate. I didn’t have parchment paper so I used cooking spray and flour, which worked pretty well. I have a light cooking sheet so i needed to add 20 degrees. they’re nice and soft and chewy, and i love them!
Found these on Pinterest and they are delicious! Had to bake mine longer and made 29 cookies using a teaspoon scooper. Thanks for sharing!
Made these and ate all of them the same day. Im making them again right now and im doubling the recipe ☺
These are great! I was kind of skeptical at first but decided to try them. So glad I did? This is my new “go to” sugar cookie recipe. (unless I want cut outs, of course ?)
Literally just made these and I am amazed! I am not a sugar cookie can but these are delish!! Made 12 large cookies, only had to take extra 3 minutes, and used dark brown sugar instead, it’s what I had on hand. They taste like caramel cookies! Going to double batch of next time!
They were amazing and i rolled them in colored sugar.
I made the gluten free version of these cookies and they are DELICIOUS! I used Cup 4 Cup flour. I love lemon so I substituted lemon extract for the vanilla. I baked my cookies in the convection oven, and they did spread quite a bit. I was looking for a no-fuss gluten free cookie recipe without a million complicated ingredients, and this fits the bill perfectly. This recipe is a definite keeper!
Had fun making these cookies with my two year old son. They turned out fluffy and chewy. Delicious recipe!
Love them! Had to cook them a few minutes longer but came out great. Hiding them for Thanksgiving! My grandkids don’t care for pie.
These cookies are easy to make and so good .I put icing on half of them. Only problem is I want to eat all of them.
I just made these today & they are delicious! I doubled the recipe & rolled some in sugar. I also had to cook them longer … but, maybe it’s because mine were larger. Thank you for posting this recipe. Yummm!
I made these today and they are great, but are they supposed to be really chewy inside, and didn’t spread much. Wondered if a bit underdone, even though I followed to a T. I also rolled some in cinnamon sugar and some in sprinkles and colored sugar. The rest I left plain. All are yummy!
Quick and simple recipe. Made them and they are good. Added butterscotch chips on top of some, sprinkle on others.