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Soft Amish Sugar Cookies

These Soft Amish Sugar Cookies are hands-down my new favorite sugar cookies recipe. They’re so simple and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, you have to stop what you’re doing right now and make these!

Easy Amish Sugar Cookies

I’ve developed quite the sugar cookie collection over the years. Looking for a foolproof Cut Out Sugar Cookie recipe? Covered! Or Easy Soft Sugar Cookies WIth Frosting? I gotcha. And if you’re looking for the BEST soft, no fuss sugar cookie recipe, allow me to introduce you to my new favorite: Amish Sugar Cookies!

This easy sugar cookie recipe is all kinds of old-fashioned and nostalgic, and I love it. The texture of these cookies quite literally melts in your mouth. It’s unreal! They’re thick and soft without being cakey, perfectly buttery and sweet – everything you want a sugar cookie recipe to be!

Amish sugar cookies in a basket, with more cookies scattered around.

What Makes these Cookies Unique?

Rumor has it that versions of these sugar cookies have been circulating since the 1700s, when they originated with the Pennsylvania Dutch. This old-timey cookie recipe includes vegetable oil and powdered sugar in addition to butter and granulated sugar. 

Healthy? Maybe not. However, this unusual combination is what makes Amish sugar cookies uniquely melt-in-your-mouth and oh-so-amazing!

The ingredients for soft amish sugar cookies.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Butter: Salted or unsalted, at room temperature.
  • Vegetable Oil: Or another neutral oil, such as canola.
  • Sugar: Both granulated sugar as well as powdered sugar is what gives these cookies a particularly tender texture.
  • Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract, and not the imitation kind.
  • Cream of Tartar: Almost every Amish cookie recipe features cream of tartar, which reacts with baking soda to provide the leavening. This gives these cookies a light and fluffy rise.
  • Baking Soda
  • Eggs
  • Flour
  • Salt
Sugar cookie dough in a mixing bowl.

How to Make Amish Sugar Cookies

Make the Dough: Cream together the butter, oil, and sugars. Next beat in the eggs and vanilla, followed by the baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Slowly add in the flour, continuing to mix the dough until just combined.

Sugar cookie balls on a baking sheet next to a cookie scoop.

Scoop the Dough: Use a cookie scoop to scoop dough balls out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Rows of amish sugar cookies on a baking sheet.

Bake: Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven, until the edges are just golden. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Amish sugar cookies tucked into a cloth.

Tips for the Best Cookies

  • Use a Cookie Scoop: I used my large cookie scoop to make these the perfect size and height. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, here’s the link to my favorite!
  • Don’t Over-Bake the Cookies: These cookies will only be slightly golden when they leave the oven. They may even appear under-baked – and that’s fine! Whatever you do, make sure to not over-bake these sugar cookies. You can bake out the magic. It’s a fact. Besides, they’ll continue to bake as they rest on the sheet!
A stack of sugar cookies next to a jug of milk.

How to Store Extras

Store these Amish sugar cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can I Freeze These?

You can freeze both the unbaked cookie dough as well as the baked cookies for up to 3 months.

To Freeze Cookie Dough: Scoop the dough balls out onto a baking sheet, and then place the whole sheet into the freezer to flash-freeze. Once solid, transfer the dough to an airtight, freezer-safe bag or container to store them. Bake the cookie dough directly from frozen, adding an extra couple of minutes to the baking time.

To Freeze Baked Cookies: Store the baked cookies airtight once they’re completely cooled. Use pieces of parchment paper to separate the layers as needed. Freeze the cookies, and let them thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to serve them.

A sugar cookie is dunked into a glass of milk.

More Sugar Cookie Recipe to Try

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Amish sugar cookies on a plate.

Soft Amish Sugar Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 14 reviews
  • Author: Shelly
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 24 large cookies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Amish

Description

These Soft Amish Sugar Cookies are hands-down my new favorite sugar cookies recipe. They’re so simple and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, you have to stop what you’re doing right now and make these!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  • *optional sprinkles to garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. In your mixing bowl cream together butter, oil and both sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  4. Add in baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and mix in.
  5. Turn mixer to low and add in flour, mixing until combined.
  6. Using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) dough onto lined baking sheet. Add sprinkles now if desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges just start to golden.
  7. Allow to cool for 3 minutes on baking sheet and transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

recipe adapted from Taste of Home Magazine

store airtight for up to 3 days

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 249
  • Sugar: 12.5 g
  • Sodium: 158.7 mg
  • Fat: 12.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 30.5 g
  • Protein: 3 g
  • Cholesterol: 40.5 mg

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 **NOTE** When I first posted this recipe I left out the eggs on the printable recipe as an oversight.  The recipe is corrected now.  Thank you so much for the emails letting me know!!**

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153 comments on “Soft Amish Sugar Cookies”

  1. I’m not normally the type of person to pick a sugar cookie, but these are phenomenal. I’ve been making these for years, and everyone loves them. They’re soft, buttery, and fluffy – absolute perfection. I’ve added sprinkles, nonpareils, and even Red Hots to these, but they’re great just plain, too. I can’t recommend these enough!






  2. my go to recipe….this recipe makes about 6 dozen using a small cookie scoop, the perfect size for us. Today I experimented a little and divided the dough in 3…made 1 part plain with sprinkles, mixed chopped pecans into another portion, and mini choc chips into the third portion. All 3 kinds are awesome!






  3. These cookies were amazing! they have a nice soft inside with a kind of crunchy edge! Highly recommend!






  4. I grew up with these cookies as a family recipe, only the original recipe of my childhood calls for vegetable shortening instead of butter. But butter is so much better! I never thought of using butter till I saw this recipe. The cookies are just awesome. So tender, yet crisp, they really do melt in your mouth. I flatten mine with the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar rather than with a fork. It produces perfectly smooth, gorgeous cookies. These guys are too fragile to frost (if you did manage to spread frosting on without breaking them, they would absorb the moisture from the frosting and turn unappetizingly soggy) but colored sugar sprinkles is an option.






  5. I don’t normally post reviews but I just had to on this one. This is by far my family’s favorite sugar cookie. I have made several of your recipes and they all have been a hit. Thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful recipes.

  6. I love the Amish cookie recipe, I made it years ago, so I was happy to find this one. I do add pecans though. Can you make this ahead & freez them for later? Going out of state for Christmas. & want to get baking done early!

  7. I just made these. I have been looking forever for the best soft sugar cookie recipe and this is it!!!! Finally I am completely happy with this soft sugar cookie. Unbelievably the best ever. I made a half recipe and used the medium scoop. Got a little over 2 dozen. Thank you so much.

  8. I love sprinkles on the cookies. I use a cookie scoop and release the ball into my hand and then dip it into sprinkles. Easy! Love this way of decorating cookies.

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