Amish sugar cookies are soft, buttery sugar cookies with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s hard to resist! They’re super simple to make without any chilling. Think of these as a no-fuss alternative to classic cut-out sugar cookies!
If you love homemade sugar cookies and the melt-in-your-mouth texture of meltaways and Snickerdoodle cookies, wait until you try this Amish sugar cookies recipe.
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Old-fashioned Amish sugar cookies are one of my favorite cookie recipes. They’re soft-baked and buttery, made with a combination of vegetable oil, butter, powdered sugar, AND granulated sugar, for a texture that (literally) melts in your mouth. Versions of Amish sugar cookies have been circulating since the 1700s when they originated with the Pennsylvania Dutch. But here’s what makes this recipe the best:
- Soft-baked. I love that these cookies bake up thick and soft without being cakey, and they’re not too sweet, either.
- Easy to make. Amish sugar cookies are drop cookies with zero chilling time. You don’t even need to roll out and cut the dough. Just mix and drop the dough onto a baking sheet, and bake!
- Perfect for any occasion. Whether I’m baking these soft sugar cookies throughout the year or during the holidays, they’re always a hit! Amish sugar cookies are an old-timey, classic cookie recipe that looks great on a Christmas cookie platter.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The combination of ingredients sets Amish sugar cookies apart from other sugar cookie recipes. Below are some quick notes on what you’ll need to grab from the pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card after the post for a printable list.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, at room temperature.
- Vegetable Oil – Or another neutral oil, such as canola.
- Sugar – The secret to Amish sugar cookies’ tender texture is the combination of granulated sugar and powdered sugar in the dough. If you don’t have powdered sugar, blitz granulated sugar in the blender to make a smooth powder.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract, and not the imitation kind.
- Cream of Tartar – Almost every Amish cookie recipe features cream of tartar. Similar to snickerdoodles, cream of tartar gives these cookies a light and fluffy rise and a hint of tang.
- Eggs – Bring these to room temperature, too.
- Dry Ingredients – Your baking essentials, like flour, salt, and baking soda for leavening. Check the date on your baking soda to make sure it’s fresh and not expired.
These are drop cookies, meaning that all you need to do is mix the dough before you scoop the cookies out onto a sheet to bake. It’s super easy and you can have them ready for the oven in minutes. Follow the steps below to make perfect Amish sugar cookies, and scroll down to the recipe card for the printable recipe directions.
- Prepare the cookie dough. Start by creaming the butter and oil with both types of sugar. Next, add the eggs, vanilla, and dry ingredients. Mix until the dough is just combined.
- Scoop! Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the dough into balls. Place the cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake. Finally, bake the sugar cookies in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes, until they’re golden at the edges. Afterward, let them rest on the baking sheet for a bit before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Make the Cookie Dough Ahead
If you’d like to prepare your Amish sugar cookie dough in advance, I recommend freezing. Scoop the dough balls onto a baking sheet, and place the whole sheet into the freezer to flash-freeze. Once solid, transfer the cookie dough to an airtight, freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake the cookies directly from frozen, adding an extra couple of minutes to the baking time.
Tips and Variations
- Use a cookie scoop. I use my large cookie scoop when portioning the dough. It makes each cookie the perfect size and height.
- Don’t overbake. These Amish sugar cookies will only be slightly golden when they leave the oven. They may even appear underbaked, and that’s fine! The cookies finish baking while they rest on the cookie sheet. Whatever you do, make sure not to overbake these cookies. You can bake out the magic (by magic, I mean their irresistibly soft, tender texture).
- Use brown sugar. For a variation of this recipe made with brown sugar, check out my Amish cinnamon brown sugar cookies.
How to Store
- At room temperature. Store these Amish sugar cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze. Once these cookies have completely cooled, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Use pieces of parchment in between layers. Thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 large cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Amish
Description
Amish sugar cookies are rich, buttery sugar cookies with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s hard to resist! They’re super simple to make without any chilling.
Ingredients
- 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
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In your mixing bowl cream together butter, oil and both sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
- Add in baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and mix in.
- Turn mixer to low and add in flour, mixing until combined.
- 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.
- 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
I have made these for 50 years and are, Bar None, my favorite cookie. My recipe calls for 1/2 tsp almond flavoring also. I use a Xmas popcorn can to store them and they stay fine for a very longtime. Also can dip a glass in sugar and flatten them slightly.
I’ve made this recipe several times and they are probably my favorite cookies. However, eggs gross me out and I’ve started replacing eggs in other recipes with flax eggs. I’m just curious if anybody has tried flax eggs in this recipe? If so, how did they turn out?
Can I just skip the cream of tartar?
Not really, it’s essential in this recipe.
Could you pipe the dough using a large star tip, or would they be too dense to pipe? It would make a pretty cookie if you could.
I think the dough might be a little thick, but if you have a strong piping bag it might work!
Could you recommend a frosting for this recipe? I love the big pink sugar cookies available at espresso stands but whenever I frost sugar cookies with a favorite buttercream, I can only stack in a plate single layered. Thanks!
Here’s my recipe! http://cookiesandcups.com/vanilla-buttercream/
I usually only post comments on fabulous or terrible recipes, and let me say, these cookies were AMAZING. I’m not usually a huge fan of sugar cookies, but I keep going back for more! They were VERY easy to make, and I know I’ll be making them again soon!
What a perfect little cookie and it came together so easily. We’re having a “girlfriends’ get-together” late tomorrow afternoon on the porch and by the pool and I wanted to have something sweet to go along with the appetizers and drinks so this will be just the thing! I only wish I had some summery sprinkles for my cookies but I only had silver or red, oh well.
Would adding cocoa powder to these work, or ruin/defeat the point of the recipe? They look gorgeous and delicious as they are! I’m just wondering about the possibility of soft chocolate sugar cookies for valentine’s day 🙂
You could add cocoa powder, yes! They wouldn’t be super intense chocolate cookies, but I am sure they would be good!
These cookies sound delicious! Can’t wait to try them….could you tell me what kind of butter you use? Thanks:)
Just Salted butter…I like Challenge Brand or Land O’Lakes best!
Can u freeze the dough n just take out what u need n bake?
Sure!