With their signature cracked tops, sweet sugar sparkle, and melt-in-your-mouth texture, these cookies are everything you want in a classic old-fashioned sugar cookie in texture and flavor.
Best of all, this recipe is simple, timeless, and guaranteed to give you bakery-style results right in your own kitchen.
Unlike most sugar cookies made with all butter, these cookies are made with both vegetable shortening and butter, giving them the perfect soft and chewy center without spreading too thin.
With the addition of both vanilla and almond extracts, you get a flavor that’s warm, sweet, and unforgettable, and our tips below will give you the perfect cookie.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Perfectly Cracked Tops: Rolling the dough into balls and pressing them down before baking creates that classic bakery-style cracked top.
- Chewy Centers, Not Hard Rocks: The shortening locks in moisture, and butter in combination will keep these cookies chewy for days, and the butter will keep them softer. However, be careful not to overbake them, and if you want a hard cookie, use all shortening only!.
- Balanced Flavor: The combination of vanilla and almond extract adds depth and richness
- Easy Recipe: No chilling, rolling pins, or cutters needed—just roll, press, and bake.
- Timeless Treat: Sugar cookies never go out of style, making them perfect for holidays, bake sales, or a simple weeknight dessert.
Some Mix-Ins you may like to add:
- peanut butter chips or butterscotch
- pinch of cinnamon
- toffee chips
- dried fruits like raisins
- top with sprinkles instead of sugar
- white, milk, or dark chocolate chunks
- add funfetti to the batter
- change the extracts to another flavor
- chopped pistachios, pecans, macadamia nuts, coconut
- pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for nut allergies
- cookies can be left plain with granulated sugar or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar before baking
- try some other flavored extracts: coffee, orange, or almond
- chocolate chips of any kind, milk, dark or semi-sweet
Tips for Making Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies
To keep your sugar cookies soft and chewy in the middle (and not hard as a rock), follow these tried-and-true tips:- Don’t Overbake: Remove cookies when the edges are just set. They will continue to bake on the hot sheet pan.
- Using all Shortening, Not Butter: Vegetable shortening creates a softer, puffier cookie that will be crispier.
- Add an Extra Egg Yolk: For even more chewy richness and softness, use an extra egg yolk in the dough.
- Fat: Substitute all butter for shortening for a buttery flavor, and add 1 egg yolk for a more cake-like texture
- Coat or Sprinkle with Sugar Before Baking: Sprinkling sugar on top before baking creates sparkle and enhances the cracked top look, or just roll them in it.
- Store Properly: Keep cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread inside to maintain moisture.
Pin for Later Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies
Final Thoughts on Making Sugar Cookies
These soft and chewy sugar cookies with the distinctive cracked tops are proof that simple recipes often taste the best.
With their simplicity and timeless flavor, along with their irresistible texture and easy preparation, they’ll become your go-to sugar cookie recipe for years to come.
Whether you keep them classic or dress them up with fun mix-ins, they’re guaranteed to satisfy every sweet tooth.
What makes these cookies truly stand out is the balance of flavor and texture, which reminds me of the good old days when Mom baked these for our cookie jar. Those memories are priceless.
The shortening ensures softness, while the sugar topping adds a delightful crunch, but be careful not to overbake them.
The combination of vanilla and almond extracts gives them a unique bakery-style flavor that butter-based recipes just can’t match.
These are the kind of cookies that disappear quickly from any cookie tray because one bite simply isn’t enough, so make a double batch.
Yield: 30
Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies
These are soft and chewy sugar cookies, with cracked tops, sweet sugar sparkle, and the best tasting ever!
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 11 MinTotal time: 21 Min
Ingredients
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening
- 1/2 butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Garnish: Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of the cookies before baking is optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butter, shortening, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and, using an electric beater, mix them for 2 minutes until well blended.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder to a clean bowl and whisk together, and set aside.
- To the bowl with the sugar and shortening, add the egg and extracts and beat again until blended evenly.
- Add the flour mixture slowly and beat until a ball forms.
- Roll into one-inch balls and add to the baking sheets.
- Press them down with the palm of your hand.
- Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar if using.
- Bake 10 to 11 minutes or until the top looks crinkled a bit.
- Cool and store in air-tight containers.
- These freeze well for around 6 months.
- Refer to the tips for perfect chewy sugar cookies below in the notes
Notes
Some Mix-Ins you may like to add:
- peanut butter chips or butterscotch
- pinch of cinnamon
- toffee chips
- dried fruits like raisins
- top with sprinkles instead of sugar
- white, milk, or dark chocolate chunks
- add funfetti to the batter
- change the extracts to another flavor
- chopped pistachios, pecans, macadamia nuts, coconut
- pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for nut allergies
- cookies can be left plain with granulated sugar or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar before baking
- try some other flavored extracts: coffee, orange, or almond
- chocolate chips of any kind milk, dark or semi-sweet
Tips for Making Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies
To keep your sugar cookies soft and chewy in the middle (and not hard as a rock), follow these tried-and-true tips:
- Don’t Overbake: Remove cookies when the edges are just set. They will continue to bake on the hot sheet pan.
- Using all Shortening, Not Butter: Vegetable shortening creates a softer, puffier cookie that will be crispier.
- Add an Extra Egg Yolk: For even more chewy richness and softness, use an extra egg yolk in the dough.
- Fat: Substitute all butter for shortening for a buttery flavor, and add 1 egg yolk for a more cake-like texture
- Coat or Sprinkle with Sugar Before Baking: Sprinkling sugar on top before baking creates sparkle and enhances the cracked top look, or just roll them in it.
- Store Properly: Keep cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread inside to maintain moisture.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
91Fat (grams)
4 gSat. Fat (grams)
1 gCarbs (grams)
13 gFiber (grams)
0 gNet carbs
13 gSugar (grams)
7 gProtein (grams)
1 gSodium (milligrams)
36 mgCholesterol (grams)
6 mgThe default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
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Pin for Later Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies
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