No Chill Sugar Cookies: Quick Cut-Out Cookies

Name: No Chill Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 107 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter (softened); 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 eggs; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon flavor extract of your choice (see notes); 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened); 3 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons milk; 1/2 teaspoon same flavor extract as used in the cookies

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Perfect no chill sugar cookies maintain their shape during baking and don’t require any chilling time. Plus, use any flavor extract to flavor your cookies however you like!

Several no chill sugar cookies scattered on a countertop next to a glass of milk.

I’m an impatient person. I won’t even pretend otherwise.

I grew up hearing my mother constantly tell me, “Patience is a virtue.” Usually I mentally responded with something along the lines of, “Well, being prompt is also a virtue.”

It’s really no surprise that all of my bosses, especially my restaurant managers, have always loved me for my “great sense of urgency.”

So, when I want cookies…I don’t really want to have to wait for them. The Whirling Dervish over here wants to be able to make them, throw them in the oven, and have cookies in front of my face 12 minutes later.

Waiting for dough to chill? So not my thing.

Turns out, waiting for dough to chill is soooo not my four-year-old’s thing either. A real shocker that we would have that in common.

So it only makes sense that these no chill sugar cookies are the go-to cut-out sugar cookie recipe in our house.

Frosted no chill sugar cookies on a wire rack.

Table of Contents

My favorite no chill cut-out sugar cookies

These no chill sugar cookies are the perfect cut-out sugar cookie recipe.

I spent months fiddling with and tweaking this recipe to make sure that the dough would hold any cutter shape without chilling. I’ve made this recipe into basic shapes (like you see here), as well as with detailed cookie cutters and even my favorite sugar skull cookie stamps.

They’ve all baked up beautifully every time.

I have even used this no chill sugar cookie recipe as a base for Chai Sugar Cookies, Stained Glass Cookies and Raspberry Linzer Cookies.

Plus, you can use any flavor extract you like in your No-Chill Sugar Cookies, allowing you to customize them to the season.

Fall? Try almond extract. Spring? Give lemon extract a try! Winter? Peppermint should do the trick.

Keep in mind that these are not a chewy sugar cookie, but rather a cut-out cookie that is perfect for icing. If you’re looking for chewy sugar cookies, try chewy lemon sugar cookies or grandma’s best sugar cookie recipe.

Bite from a no chill sugar cookie which is being held up to the camera.

I am not a great sugar cookie artist, so royal icing is not exactly my thing.

A simple buttercream icing, though? I’m all about that.

The super simple buttercream icing for my no chill sugar cookies uses the same flavor extract as the cookies for an extra hit of flavor.

While this icing does not harden like a royal icing, it will crust up, allowing you to gently stack the cookies. I do recommend separating layers with parchment or waxed paper, though, to keep things extra clean.

If you want an icing that will harden, try the icing from my chai sugar cookies instead. Or, if you’re feeling brave, you can always try your hand at royal icing!

No chill sugar cookies in star, heart, and circle shapes on a pink plate.

How to make no chill sugar cookies

This recipe comes together so much faster and easier than you’d expect a cut-out sugar cookie recipe to. That means it’s perfect for making with kids, making when you are short on time, or simply making when you are feeling impatient and hungry for cookies.

Ingredients you’ll need

This recipe uses a handful of very basic ingredients, so you probably already have what you need on hand. For the cookie dough, you will need:

1 cup softened unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon flavor extract of your choice
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Ingredients for no chill sugar cookies arranged on a light-colored countertop.

As I mentioned above, you can use your favorite flavor extracts to make these cookies your own. My very favorite is almond extract, but lemon and peppermint are both great options as well.

You can also omit the flavor extract for a simple (but delicious) vanilla sugar cookie. If you do, I recommend increasing the vanilla to at least 1 teaspoon, but you could add as much as 2 teaspoons.

I have also made this recipe with half brown sugar and half granulated sugar for a bit of a twist. They still hold their shape perfectly and are so delicious!

For the buttercream, you will need:

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
3 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon of the same flavorextract that you used in the cookies

Again, if you want to omit the flavor extract, use 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla instead.

Making these cookies

To make the cookie dough, use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes, so don’t try to rush it.

Creamed butter and sugar in a metal bowl.

Eggs added to creamed butter and sugar in a metal bowl.

Add the eggs, vanilla, and flavor extract to the bowl. Beat until well combined.

Now slowly add the flour, stirring until the dough is just combined.

No chill sugar cookie dough in a metal bowl.

Lightly flour a clean work surface. Turn the dough out onto the surface and use your hands to form it into a disk.

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough into shapes using lightly floured cookie cutters.

Shapes cut out of a circle of no chill sugar cookie dough on a floured board.

Place the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets. You can also use silicone mats instead of parchment. Since the cookies won’t spread, you can place them pretty close to each other.

Bake the sugar cookies at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. They are done when the edges just barely start to turn golden.

Baked no chill sugar cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling before you decorate them.

To make the icing, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar, then add the mix and extract.

Buttercream icing for sugar cookies in a metal bowl.

Mix until well combined. Add more milk or powdered sugar as needed if you would like the icing to be thinner or thicker. If you want to add food coloring, do so now.

Spread or pipe the icing onto the cookies and allow it to “crust up” before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Overhead view of iced no chill sugar cookies on a wire rack.

Decorating tips

I’ve already admitted that I’m not always the best cookie decorator. For me, this buttercream icing is the way to go – it gives these no chill sugar cookies a “rustic” look that I’m perfectly fine with.

If you want to use food coloring in your icing, I recommend using gel food coloring. Remember to start with just a couple of drops – you can always add more, but you can’t take it out!

You can also add sprinkles. If using sprinkles, add them immediately after the icing, while it is still wet.

If you want to skip icing the cookies, you can add sugar sprinkles (or decorating sugar) to the cookies before baking.

You could even use frosting and turn these no chill sugar cookies into cookie sandwiches or use them to make piñata cookies.

Round no chill sugar cookie with a bite taken from it, leaning against a glass of milk.

Frequently asked questions

Yes! If you want to make the cookie dough ahead of time, you can form the dough into 1-2 disks, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

You will need to let the dough soften a bit before you’ll be able to roll it out, so pull it out of the fridge 30-45 minutes before you want to start cutting out the cookies.

Absolutely. If you want classic vanilla sugar cookies, simply increase the vanilla extract to at least 1 teaspoon (but sometimes I use 2 teaspoons). Use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in the icing.

I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I typed up the recipe incorrectly because there isn’t any baking powder or other leavening in it.

Nope! These no chill sugar cookies specifically don’t use any leavening so that they hold even the most detailed cookie cutter shapes while baking.

Since there’s no leavening, they won’t puff up in the oven and you won’t lose those cutter details. So feel free to use any of your favorite cookie cutters with this recipe!

You can freeze these cookies before or after decorating.

For freezing undecorated cookies, place the cooled sugar cookies in airtight containers or zip-top freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

For decorated cookies, place the cookies in airtight containers with pieces of parchment or waxed paper separating the layers. Freeze for 1-2 months.

Cookies will thaw quickly at room temperature, usually within 1-2 hours.

You could also chill the sugar cookie dough. Wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and place it in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Let the cookie dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Let it rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before rolling, cutting, and baking according to the recipe instructions.

If you need to make gluten-free cut-out sugar cookies, I recommend using a 1-for-1 gluten-free blend in place of the all-purpose flour in this recipe.

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