Slice and Bake Sugar Cookies start with a simple butter, sugar, egg and vanilla dough with a pinch of nutmeg, shaped into a log, rolled in sprinkles and chilled until firm. Slice the log into thin rounds and bake them just until set, and you get soft, tender sugar cookies with a colorful sprinkle edge. The dough takes about 5 minutes to mix, and the recipe makes about 26 cookies.
How to make them: Cream the softened butter and sugar, beat in the egg and vanilla, then mix in the flour and nutmeg just until combined. Shape a tight 8 to 10 inch log, roll it in sprinkles, wrap it and chill at least 2 hours. Slice 1/4 inch thick and bake at 325°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until set but not browned.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Five-minute dough: six ingredients plus sprinkles.
- No rolling pin or cutters: just slice and bake.
- Any holiday: change the sprinkle colors to match the season.
- Bake on demand: keep a log in the refrigerator and bake a few cookies at a time.
Ingredient Notes
Butter: 3/4 cup of salted butter, softened. If you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
Sugar: 3/4 cup of granulated sugar.
Egg and vanilla: 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Flour and nutmeg: 2 cups of all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled, and 1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. There’s no baking powder or baking soda.
Sprinkles: enough to coat the outside of the log; add more as you roll.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Sprinkles, for rolling the log
How to Make Slice and Bake Sugar Cookies
1. Cream the butter and sugar. In a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and the sugar together.
2. Add the egg and vanilla. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until mixed well, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Mix in the flour and nutmeg. Add the flour and nutmeg. Mix just until combined, scraping down the sides once. Be careful not to overmix.
4. Shape the log. Form the dough into a thick log about 8 to 10 inches long. Press the log tightly together so that there are no air pockets in the dough.
5. Roll in sprinkles. Place a long sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and scatter sprinkles on it. Roll the log in the sprinkles until it is completely covered, adding more as needed.
6. Chill the dough. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.
7. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 325°F.
8. Slice the cookies. Unwrap the log. With a sharp knife, cut slices off the log, 1/4 inch thick or a little less. Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, or on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
9. Bake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, just until the cookies are set. Do not let them brown.
10. Cool and store. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes, then move them to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
How to Shape a Round Log and Cut Even Slices
Round, even cookies come from a good log. These small steps make the difference:
- Don’t overmix. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.
- Press out the air. Squeeze the dough firmly into the log shape so there are no air pockets; gaps turn into holes in the slices.
- Shape it in the wrap. The dough is soft at first. Wrap it in plastic, then roll the wrapped log back and forth on the counter to round it out.
- Chill it well. At least 2 hours; a firm log slices cleanly without squashing.
- Use a sharp knife. Cut 1/4 inch thick or a little less so the cookies bake evenly.
- Fix any flat sides. If a slice comes out oval, nudge it round with your fingers before baking.
- Space them out. Leave about 1 to 2 inches between slices on the pan.
The Secret to a Good Sugar Cookie
It’s mostly timing. Take the cookies out as soon as they’re set, before they brown; the longer they bake, the crispier they get. Let them rest on the pan for a few minutes so they firm up before moving them to a rack. Softened butter, a gently mixed dough and well-leveled flour do the rest.
Variations
- Other coatings: roll the log in nonpareils, coarse sugar or sparkling sugar instead of sprinkles.
- Sprinkles inside: fold sprinkles gently into the dough instead of coating the outside; don’t overwork it or the colors may bleed.
- Chocolate-dipped: dip the cooled cookies in melted chocolate and top with more sprinkles, then let them set.
- Almond flavor: add a little almond extract with the vanilla.
Storage & Make Ahead
Baked cookies: Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks, or wrap them tightly and freeze them.
Dough: Keep the wrapped log in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake, then slice off as many cookies as you need.
What to Serve With Them
Put them on a cookie tray with maple cookies with maple icing, Irish cream chocolate chip cookies and carrot cake cookies. For easy bars and no-bake treats, try oatmeal raisin cookie bars or no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, and serve them with a cookies and cream frappuccino.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make slice and bake cookies?
Make a firm cookie dough, shape it into a tight log, wrap it and chill it for at least 2 hours, then slice it into 1/4-inch rounds and bake.
What is the secret to a good sugar cookie?
Mix the dough only until combined and bake just until the cookies are set, before they brown. Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes.
How to improve slice and bake cookies?
Press out all the air pockets, roll the wrapped log on the counter to make it round, chill it well, and slice with a sharp knife.
Can you give me a recipe for slice-and-bake sugar cookies?
Yes: 3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups flour and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, rolled in sprinkles, chilled 2 hours and baked at 325°F for 10 to 12 minutes. The full recipe is above.
Final Notes
Mix the dough in the morning and bake after lunch, or keep a log in the refrigerator for whenever you want warm cookies. If you make them, tell me in the comments which sprinkles you used.
Slice and Bake Sugar Cookies
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- sprinkles for rolling the log; add more as needed
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and the sugar together.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until mixed well, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour and nutmeg. Mix just until combined, scraping down the sides once. Be careful not to overmix.
- Form the dough into a thick log about 8 to 10 inches long. Press the log tightly together so that there are no air pockets in the dough.
- Place a long sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and scatter sprinkles on it. Roll the log in the sprinkles until it is completely covered, adding more as needed.
- Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.
- Heat the oven to 325°F.
- Unwrap the log. With a sharp knife, cut slices off the log, 1/4 inch thick or a little less. Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, or on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, just until the cookies are set. Do not let them brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes, then move them to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
