This no chill sugar cookies recipe makes pillowy soft, tender, cookies with a rich buttercream frosting. They’ll send your taste buds into overdrive!  They’re the type of Christmas cookies you look forward to serving because they’re just that good.
Our recipe is a quick no-fuss version of traditional Christmas sugar cookies – the main difference being there’s no required chill time to make them and they don’t need to be rolled out. Now that’s a double win!!
I mean, who hasn’t set out to make sugar cookies with the kids only to have them need to wait for at least an hour before they can get started. Talk about a buzz kill! Not with these babies.
How about a few more recipes to round out your cookie tray? These lemon sugar cookies are perfect at any time of the year. Soft and moist and drizzled with a lemon glaze.
And who doesn’t love making spritz cookies? These spritz cookies make deliciously beautiful cookies perfect to decorates with fun, festive color sprinkles.
Alright, my friends – let’s bake cookies!
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What I Love About This No Chill Sugar Cookies Recipe
I love, love, love that these no chill sugar cookies are light, airy and totally scrumptious but they’ve got other great qualities too!
- Convenient and fast
- No chill time
- No roll
Recipe Notes
This recipe is probably one of my simplest and yummiest recipes. It’s ready in under 30 minutes and is similar to these awesome sugar cookie bars (ya gotta’ try these!). But there are a couple of little tricks to help ensure sweet crumbly cookie bliss that just calls to people.
- Size: this soft sugar cookie recipe bakes up best if you flatten them to about 3/8 of an inch thick before baking. It’ll give the edges a delicate crisp while leaving the centers soft and chewy.
- You can go just a little thinner for more of a chewy sugar cookie recipe but if you get to ¼ of an inch, they’ll be crunchy.
- Overbaking: Also, it’s important to know that these cookies should not brown. If you bake them until the edges start to brown, they’ll be dried out and overdone.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
When I frost these, I tend to err on the side of caution and keep them in the fridge.
This recipe and even my classic sugar cookie recipe keep best in a sealed container instead of a plastic bag (it keeps them from breaking). I like to toss half a piece of bread in the container to help keep the cookies fresh.
Can You Freeze This?
Yes! You can freeze the baked cooled cookies, or you can freeze the raw cookie dough and make the frosting when you bake the cookies.
I like to slide the cookies into the freezer on the cookie tray to let them harden. Then I just pop them into a freezer bag and they’re good to go!
Raw cookie dough can last up to 2 months in the freezer. The baked ones will last for 6-12 months.
Don’t forget though – this sugar cookie recipe is ready to eat in 30 minutes, so you may not need to freeze ‘em.
Make Ahead Tips
Since these only takes 25 minutes from start to finish, there really isn’t much to do ahead unless you go the freezer route.
The frosting will hold up for 3-5 days in the fridge if you want to have it ready to go. You can even store it in your piping bag to make it easier. I find it spreads easier when it’s first made and it only takes a minute or two to whip up.
Serving Recommendations
Drink a cup of hot chocolate, tea, or coffee while munching a dozen no chill cookies. For adults, spiked hot chocolate and pumpkin pie martini are the best options.
Recipe Variations
- Use cream cheese for the frosting. Swap the buttercream frosting for cream cheese or grab a can of pumpkin and bake up some pumpkin sugar cookies that’ll rock their world.
- Add almonds. Put some sliced almonds on top to serve or try my almond shortbread cookies instead.
- Use chocolate frosting instead. Add a sweet rich pop of chocolate frosting or go all out and turn them into scrumptious reindeer cookies for the holidays.
More Christmas Cookies Recipes
- Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies
- Christmas Crack
- Italian Christmas CookiesÂ
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Christmas Butter Cookies
- Sour Cream Cookies
No Chill Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs well beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- pinch salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with silicone baking mat or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, beat together powdered sugar, granulated sugar, and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in oil, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.
- Roll dough into ping pong sized balls. Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in sugar.
- Bake 9-12 minutes or until center is set. Cookies will not brown! Don't overbake.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting; with an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined. Add milk and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Spread over completely cooled cookies and top with sprinkles.
Perfect this Christmas!
These sugar cookies are fantastic! I can’t believe they’re super easy to make ??
Hi! I just got done making the cookie dough & something came up. Will it be alright to put the dough in the fridge for a couple of hours? Thanks so much. Can’t wait to get back & bake them!! 🙂
Hi Jane. Isn’t that always the way things go! Lol. Yes, that should work out just fine. Happy baking <3
Can you use salted butter instead of unsalted?
Hi Sharon, yes you can.
No you cannot substitute baking powder. They are for different uses.
The cream of tartar gives a “short” taste. Baking powder is for rising evenly.
Thanks so much Darleen 🙂
can you substitute baking power for cream of tarter
Hi Jan. Sorry but I’m not sure. I’ve always used cream of tarter.
I agree. I have had a similar recipe for years that one of my dad’s employees brought to work every Christmas and these Sugar cookies are my favorite. The only difference between the two recipes is the fat-where you used oil, she used shortening. Her’s used a little less flour also, but it’s the same recipe. I had never seen it or tasted it anywhere else. So glad to see it here. Try them, it will become your favorite recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing that Sarah!