I love making this from-scratch, simple Butter Cookies Recipe! It's a versatile New England favorite that makes tender cookies with lots of buttery flavor. These cookies are perfect for the holidays or just because.
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Here's a simple little recipe for a simple little cookie, from me, a simple New England gal and home baker. Butter Cookies, though simple, are really delicious. The buttery cookies are perfect alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea, or even a mug of chocolaty hot cocoa!
You only need five ingredients to make this best Butter Cookies Recipe, including butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: A simple and delicious, five-ingredient cookie that lets the pure, rich flavor of good butter shine through, perfect with a cup of afternoon tea.
- You'll love this part: Butter cookies are sturdy enough to decorate for New England holiday parties and gift-giving, and the simple dough is a perfect base for adding your own flavorful mix-ins.
- How it's made: Cream butter and sugar, mix in the flour and flavorings. Then chill, roll, and cut the dough into shapes before a final chill. Then bake!
Jump to:
Notes from fellow cooks:
"I lost my family's Christmas cookie recipe that I've been making for the last 50 years and was desperately trying to find a similar butter cookie. I'm so thankful you posted this." — Lori E.
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Why you'll love my Butter Cookies recipe
One thing to love is that homemade Butter Cookies are delicious all on their own. The pure flavors of butter and vanilla shine through, making quite a tasty treat! Should you decide to add dried fruit, nuts, zest, or spices, the cookies will be all the better for having begun with such a delicious base.
Roll out the dough and use your favorite cookie cutters to create shapes for Christmas or any holiday—or just for fun.
The cookies are sturdy enough to give as gifts or to ship. Make my butter cookies recipe for Christmas cookie exchanges or to cheer family and friends living far away.
Put your own spin on these Butter Cookies
This is a great cookie to customize with other flavors or coatings. Fold chopped nuts, dried fruit, or citrus zest into the dough. Use butter cookies to sandwich fillings like jam, ganache, and buttercream frosting. Dip the cookies in regular or white chocolate.
I used this simple butter cookie recipe as the base for recipes like:
🔪 How to make this Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients:
- Butter: It's the most important ingredient in these cookies. If you can, choose a good, flavorful brand of butter like Cabot, Vermont Creamery, or Kerrygold.
- Confectioners' sugar: It dissolves quickly in the cookie dough and creates a velvety texture in the baked cookies.
- Vanilla extract: Use a pure extract from a high-quality brand like Nielsen-Massey vanilla.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this recipe—my go-to brand is King Arthur Flour.
- Salt: Just a little salt enhances the overall flavor of these simple cookies.
Make the dough
Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add in the flour and salt.
Chill
Squeeze the dough together with your hands a few times, then wrap and chill it.
Roll and cut into shapes
Roll out the chilled dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Cut out your desired shapes using cookie cutters and place them on a lined baking sheet.
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Chill again, then bake
Chill the cut cookies one more time. Use a fork or toothpick to prick holes in the surface.
Tip!
The reason I prick holes in the surface is so that steam can escape from underneath the cookies as they bake. (This is called docking, the same process used to make crisp crackers.) Without the holes, the cookies will be rounded on top or have bubbles, instead of nice and flat. Use the tines of a fork to make a neat line of holes, or a toothpick to make any pattern you wish.
Bake!
Bake the cookies until they're golden brown. Let them cool, then enjoy them or decorate.
Butter Cookies FAQs
While good butter can be more expensive, for some recipes, it's really worth it—like this cookie recipe. Good butter is typically made in smaller batches using milk from happy cows, resulting in butter with a richer, more delectable flavor. Quality American brands to try are Cabot, Kate's, and Vermont Creamery. European butters tend to have a higher fat content, which will create an even more tender cookie, so they're good choices, too. Kerrygold from Ireland is a favorite.
Butter cookies should be stored in an airtight container and kept at room temperature. They should keep well for at least a week.
Yes, and there are two ways to do this. You can freeze the cookie dough: after making the dough, divide it into two flattened disks. Wrap them well and freeze them. Allow them to thaw in the fridge 24 hours before you want to use them. Or, freeze the cookies after baking: place the cooled cookies inside a sturdy freezer-proof container, with layers of wax paper or parchment paper between layers. To thaw them, let the cookies defrost in the fridge overnight. The dough or baked cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
Shortbread cookies are made with more butter in proportion to flour and sugar. They're very tender and also crumbly. Butter cookies are made with a lot of butter too, but have more flour in the mixture. This makes them ideal for rolling and cutting into shapes. They're both buttery and absolutely delicious!
Tips:
- Use the best quality butter you can afford here. The flavor really shines in these cookies, so it's worth using the good stuff.
- This recipe has two chilling times: one to firm up the dough for easier rolling and cutting, and the second to keep the cookies from spreading too much while baking. These chill times are important so don't skip them!
- If the dough seems too crumbly, you can add a teaspoon or so of water to the dough. For dough that seems a little too crumbly after chilling, sprinkle a little water over the dry spots, and fold the dough a few times to work it in.
- The yields listed in the recipe below are based on using a 2-inch cookie cutter. If you use a smaller or larger cookie cutter, the total number of cookies will change.
Don't just take my word for it...
"Excellent recipe! These are crunchy, buttery, delicious cookies with a texture similar to shortbread. I love them as is!" — Tiensirin
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Give easy Butter Cookies a try all on their own. They are quite satisfying in their own, unassuming little way. Once you get hooked on them, you can play with adding ingredients or dipping them in chocolate!
The Butter Cookies Recipe is below. And here are just a few recipes made with this buttery dough:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Butter Cookies Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Cream together the 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened and 1 cup confectioner's sugar for 3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the bowl a couple of times during the mixing, it should be smooth. Add in the 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and beat the mixture on low to incorporate it.
- Whisk together the 2¼ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon salt in a separate bowl. Add this dry mixture into the butter mixture; mix them together on low speed, scraping down the bowl often, until the dough has come together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured area. Squeeze the dough together just a couple of times so that it is smooth.
- Note: If the dough seems too crumbly, you can add a teaspoon or so of cold water to the mixture.
Chill:
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Roll and cut:
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The cut cookies will need to chill before baking so be sure the baking sheet can fit in your fridge.
- Unwrap the chilled dough and use a knife to cut it in half. Rewrap one of the halves and hold it in the fridge. Place the other half on a large piece of parchment paper.
- Move the dough to one side of the parchment and fold the other half of the parchment over the top of the dough. Roll the dough inside the parchment to a ¼-inch thickness. (If you don't want to use parchment paper keep the work surface and rolling pin lightly floured.)
- Note: If the dough seems too crumbly, sprinkle a little cold water over the dry spots, and fold the dough a few times to work it in.
- TIP: on a toothpick, measure up from the tip ¼-inch and mark it with a Sharpie. To see if your dough is at ¼-inch thickness, poke the toothpick into the dough and check it against the mark.
- Use a 2-inch cookie cutter (square, circle, your choice) and cut cookies from the dough. Place the cookies onto the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.
- Roll scraps together and continue cutting cookies to fill the baking sheet.
- Prick the top of each cookie three times with the tines of a fork.
Chill again:
- Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator for 15 minutes. If you have unused dough, wrap this in plastic and refrigerate it also, until you're ready to roll and cut the next batch.
Bake:
- Put the cookies in the oven and bake them for about 18-20 minutes: check them after 18 minutes; bake the cookies only until the edges and tops have very lightly browned.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Finish rolling, cutting and baking any additional dough you have left.
- The cooled cookies can be stacked and sealed in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This recipe makes about 38 2-inch cookies.
Variation: Pistachio Butter Cookies
- After mixing the dry ingredients in with the butter-sugar mixture, mix in ⅓ cup of chopped, salted pistachios.
Variation: Lemon Butter Cookies
- Reduce the vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon; add to this 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. After mixing the dry ingredients in with the butter-sugar mixture, mix in 1½ tablespoons of lemon zest.
Notes
- Use the best quality butter you can afford here. The flavor really shines in these cookies, so it's worth using the good stuff.
- This recipe has two chilling times: one to firm up the dough for easier rolling and cutting, and the second to keep the cookies from spreading too much while baking. These chill times are important so don't skip them!
- The yields listed in the recipe below are based on using a 2-inch cookie cutter. If you use a smaller or larger cookie cutter, the total number of cookies will change.
- Freezing: There are two ways to freeze these cookies.
- Freeze the cookie dough: after making the dough, divide it into two flattened disks. Wrap them well and freeze them. Allow them to thaw in the fridge 24 hours before you want to use them.
- Freeze the cookies after baking: place the cooled cookies inside a sturdy freezer-proof container, with layers of wax paper or parchment paper between layers. To thaw them, let the cookies defrost in the fridge overnight.
- The dough or baked cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
Nutrition
Pam says
It may be that I did something wrong but the dough was crumbly and dry. What might I have done that would cause this?
Nancy Mock says
Hi Pam, It does happen sometimes that the butter cookie dough will get a little dry and crumbly in places, so I don't think you did anything wrong. A lack of humidity in the air is one reason this happens, especially during winter when the air is so dry. If the dough seems crumbling when mixing it together, you can add a teaspoon or so of cold water to help bring it together. If the dough seems a little crumbly after chilling, sprinkle a little water over the dry spots, then fold the dough over a few times to incorporate it. I appreciate you trying my recipe, and I hope this helps with the next batch!
Tiensirin says
Excellent recipe! Crunchy buttery delicious cookies! Have similar texture to the shortbread cookies. I was a little worry that it doesn't have eggs, but I LOVE LOVE it as is!
Nancy Mock says
Ah, best feedback ever! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for your 5-star review, I'm thrilled to hear that you liked them! Happy Holidays!
Lori Engelbrecht says
I lost my family’s Christmas cookie recipe that I’ve been making for the last 50 years. I always keep it in the same spot, but this year it was gone. I was desperately trying to find a similar butter cookie cut out, but most of the recipes are sugar cookies. I knew what the ingredients were, but I didn’t know the amounts. I think that this is the same recipe except I put in a quarter teaspoon of almond extract instead of the vanilla. Anyway, I’m so thankful that you posted this and I’m going to give it a shot.
And to answer someone else’s question, you absolutely want to frost these and definitely use almond extract in the icing. Just be careful because a little bit goes a long way.
Nancy Mock says
Hi Lori, I'm sorry to her your family recipe went missing. I hope that my butter cookies recipe came as close as possible to that cookie and flavor you cherish. I like your idea of using almond extract in the cookies and frosting; you can also use a combination of the two, they're very good together. Thank you so much for choosing my recipe, and I hope it's one you'll save in your recipe box for next year, too. Merry Christmas!
Mary P Gomella says
Thank you so much for the quick reply, I tried three recipes and liked these the best, so I want to freeze them for an event I am having.
Nancy Mock says
You're very welcome, and I'm glad you liked this recipe above the others!
Mary P Gomella says
Do u have to prick them? Most cookies dont have this step. I am making cut out cookies and think it will look weird if they have all these holes in them. What will happen if I leave that step out?
Nancy Mock says
Hi Mary,
I prick the butter cookies so that steam can escape from underneath them, and the cookies can stay flat during baking. I find when I don't prick them, the cookies have a somewhat concave shape from the steam pushing the dough up from the bottoms.
Here are a few things you can try: if you're planning to serve the cookies plain, add the holes in a decorative pattern. A fork makes a neat line of holes; you can also use a toothpick to add them in a different pattern. If you're planning to ice the cookies or dust them with powdered sugar, it doesn't matter because the holes likely won't be noticeable.
If you want, you can bake just two test cookies to start, one with holes and one without. That way you can see how they bake up and decide if you need them or not. I hope these tips are helpful!
Paula McCammon says
I made these, very very good. can you frost these?
Nancy Mock says
Hi Paula, I'm so happy to hear you like them! Yes, these butter cookies can be frosted. You can make a cookie icing to flood them or to drizzle over the top. You can also spread buttercream frosting over the tops, or use it to sandwich two cookies together. (My recipe for Strawberry Lemon Sandwich Cookies is one example.) Have fun and thanks for letting me know that you made them!
Mary P Gomella says
Can you freeze these cookies?
Nancy Mock says
Hi Mary, That's a great question, and the answer is, yes! There are two options: first, you can freeze the cookie dough. Divide the dough into two flattened disks, wrap them well, and freeze them for up to three months. Allow the dough to thaw in the fridge 24 hours before you want to make the cookies. The second option: freeze the baked cookies. Place the cookies in a sturdy, tightly-sealed, freezer-proof container, with parchment or wax paper between layers. Freeze them for up to three months. Let them defrost overnight in the fridge before serving or decorating.
I added these freezing instructions to the recipe post and recipe card. Thanks for your question; please let me know how the cookies turn out!