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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

Print
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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. GreekPrincess80

    These are the best! But I promise these are better with 3/4 teaspoon tartar. The texture is perfect!

  2. GreekPrincess80

    I’ve been making these for years! I promise that 3/4 teaspoon tartar is actually better with the texture!

  3. If you like a soft, “melty” (I don’t think that’s even a word, but oh well!) sugar cookie…look no further! Seriously, this recipe was so easy and the outcome is AWESOME. My husband isn’t much of a sweets person and he specifically asked for these this year when I started my Christmas baking. *QUESTION: many times I make cookie dough, roll out the cookies and freeze them so I can just pop them in the oven and bake at my convenience. Does anyone know if I can do this with this dough? I questioned it since the the dough is so (amazingly) soft. I’d appreciate any help!

  4. Just made these cookies and OH EM GEEEEE I have never EVER made cookies this amazing before!!! They literally melt in your mouth. The texture is crazy! Thank you so much for the recipe!!!!! <3

  5. Donna Carroll

    I make something very sinilar. Instead of buttee AND oil, i use 2 c Crisco shortening( not buttery one) and for the sugar, 2 c of powdered (no granulated) And NO eggs. Once on cookie sheet use a fork and make cris cross design. Add sprinkles. These will truely melt in your mouth.
    ODpp






  6. these are delicious I grated up some dark chocolate and sprinkler on top when I removed form the over so good, thank you for sharing ! 🙂

  7. In the recipe, you say you used a tablespoon amount, but your large cookie scoop = 3 tablespoons. Which is the correct one? I’m so excited to try these cookies 🙂

    1. You can certainly make these cookies as large or small as you prefer, I make mine large, using my large cookie scoop, so I adjusted the wording to be more clear! Thanks!!

  8. I am not a huge oil fan…can you substitute melted butter for the oil? I have done that in other recipes successfully.

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