There’s something about the smell of these cookies baking that takes you straight back to Grandma’s kitchen. This old-fashioned sugar cookie recipe is simple, buttery, and utterly nostalgic — the kind of treat that doesn’t need fancy ingredients to be unforgettable. Once you try it, you’ll understand why it’s a recipe worth making again and again.
Looking for a classic, no-fuss cookie recipe? This old-fashioned sugar cookie comes together with pantry staples and a short chill time, then bakes up crisp at the edges with a tender bite. It’s the kind of reliable recipe every home baker should have on hand.
Some recipes don’t need reinventing — they just need remembering. This old-fashioned cookie recipe is one of those: simple, buttery, lightly sweet, and cut into whatever shape you like. It’s the taste of Grandma’s kitchen, made easy for yours.
Ingredients
- 560g cake flour about 4 cups
- 200g white sugar about 1 cup
- 10ml cream of tartar
- 2.5ml salt
- 250g butter cold and cubed
- 5ml bicarbonate of soda
- 30ml milk
- 2 large eggs
- 5ml vanilla essence
- 30ml extra sugar for sprinkling
👩🍳 Chef-Style Instructions
- Whisk flour, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt.
- Rub in butter until crumbly.
- Dissolve bicarb in milk. Beat eggs with vanilla.
- Combine wet and dry; mix to a smooth dough.
- Chill, covered, 30 min.
- Roll to 4mm; cut shapes.
- Bake at 180°C, 8–10 min, on a greased tray.
Chef’s Note 👇
Easy Grandma’s Sugar Cookies (Old-Fashioned & Buttery)
Equipment
- Baking Tray
Ingredients
- 560g cake flour about 4 cups
- 200g white sugar about 1 cup
- 10ml cream of tartar
- 2.5ml salt
- 250g butter cold and cubed
- 5ml bicarbonate of soda
- 30ml milk
- 2 large eggs
- 5ml vanilla essence
- 30ml extra sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk together 560 grams cake flour (about 4 cups), 200 grams white sugar (about 1 cup), 10 milliliters cream of tartar and 2.5 milliliters salt in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- Cut in the butter: Rub 250 grams butter, cold and cubed into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Bloom the bicarb: In a small dish, dissolve 5ml bicarbonate of soda into 30ml milk.
- Beat the eggs: In a separate bowl, beat 2 large eggs together with 5ml vanilla essence until well combined.
- Bring the dough together: Pour the bicarbonate-milk mixture and the beaten eggs into the flour mixture. Mix gently but thoroughly until a smooth, soft dough forms.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate to firm up.
- Roll and cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out to an even 4mm thickness — no thicker, or the cookies will be too doughy in the middle. Cut out shapes using your favourite cookie cutter.
- Arrange on the tray: Place the cut cookies onto a greased baking tray, spaced slightly apart. Sprinkle the tops lightly with 30ml extra sugar, for sprinkling.
- Bake to golden perfection: Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C until just set and lightly golden at the edges.
Notes
- Preheat your oven to 180°C before you begin so it's ready when the dough comes out of the fridge. Keep an eye on thickness when rolling — slightly thin is better than too thick for that classic crisp-tender bite. Store in an airtight tin and they'll keep their charm for days (if they last that long).