Finally, an easy sugar cookie recipe that makes a small batch of just 6 cookies. I absolutely love that the dough doesn't require any chilling, plus it's made with melted butter. So, if you forgot to soften the butter for your cookies, it is not a problem! This is such a great recipe to make with kids, too.
This small batch cookie recipe is a classic sugar cookie. It is a simple, easy cookie recipe with a base of sugar, butter, and flour.
This is the Best Sugar Cookie Recipe!
I consider this one of my easy cookies recipes with few ingredients (6 total not including salt), that makes a small batch of sugar cookies.
Another reason this cookie recipe is quick and basic is that there is no chilling required for these sugar cookies. No chilling required sugar cookies can go from bowl to bake without any wait time in between.
If you're looking for an eggless sugar cookie recipe, I have that, too.
What you'll need for Small Batch Sugar Cookies
- Butter. I prefer unsalted butter for baking. In the case of this easy sugar cookie recipe, we will melt it before using, so it's okay if it's frozen or cold from the fridge. We only need half a stick, or 4 tablespoons/ 2 ounces.
- Granulated Sugar. When you read ⅓ cup of sugar, you might think that's a small amount, but remember we're only making 6 cookies.
- Egg Yolk. Please, do not use the whole egg for this recipe. We only need the egg yolk. Separate the egg and save the egg white for any of these recipes that use egg whites. If you double the recipe, use two egg yolks only. Similarly, if you triple, use three egg yolks. The reason I don't use egg whites in my small batch sugar cookies is because the fat of the egg yolk makes for superior chewy cookies. I happen to love the crisp edge and chewy center style of cookie.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Flour. All-purpose regular flour that has been fluffed, scooped and leveled with a knife in the measuring cup.
- Baking Soda. We need a small amount of baking soda and a pinch of salt to round out this recipe.
Equipment
The best pan to use for these easy small batch sugar cookies is a quarter sheet pan. It's what you see in the photos here, and I happen to love them.
I recommend baking this easy sugar cookie recipe on parchment paper or a silicone mat. Using a nonstick surface on top of your cookie sheet keeps the cookies from sticking to the pan, but there is another benefit. Using these items helps with even heat distribution while baking. This makes the cookies spread uniformly and cook evenly, similar to the benefits of roasting the pan half-way through baking.
How to make Sugar Cookies
First, preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit, and have your favorite cookie sheet pan ready. I like to line with parchment paper or use a silicone reusable mat.
Stir together the melted butter, the granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla in the mixing bowl very well.
Next, sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt evenly over the surface of the bowl, and stir everything together to combine.
Once the dough comes together, I have a trick for making all the cookies the same size that doesn't require a scale. Use your spatula to press the dough into a flat disk in the bowl. By eye, divide the dough in half, making a line down the center of the dough with the spatula. From each half, you need to get 3 cookies, for a total of 6 cookies.
Evenly space the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. The cookies are done when they spread and start to crackle on top.
They might puff up in the oven, but as they cool, they will deflate and crackle beautifully. You can press a chocolate candy on top as they cool, if you like.
This recipe is based off the sugar cookie recipe in my third cookbook: Sweet & Simple: Desserts for Two, and so if you love a simple small batch recipes, you should really grab a copy. All of the recipe have less than 10 ingredients to make sweet, simple desserts.
Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe FAQs
These sugar cookies bake up crackly, which isn't the type of sugar cookie that you decorate with royal icing. If you're looking for a small batch sugar cookie to decorate, I can absolutely help you there.
Yes, you can absolutely double and triple this recipe, but be sure to follow the recipe exactly. This means use two egg yolks, not a whole egg, for a double batch. For a triple batch, use three egg yolks--do not use egg whites in this cookie recipe.
This isn't the sugar cookie recipe to use with cookie cutters. My Small Batch Cut-Out Sugar Cookies is the recipe you're looking for. Don't miss my Christmas Sugar Cookies that are made for that, too. If it's fall, try my Cut-Out Gingerbread Cookies. A very basic Chocolate Chip Cut-Out Cookies recipe is fun for any time of year, too!
Yes, absolutely! You do not need to chill this dough. Just melt the butter, stir together the dough, scoop out the cookies and bake.
When it comes to sugar cookies, we all want soft, chewy cookies that have slightly crisp edges. However, if you over-bake the cookies, the result is a dry, hard cookie. Remove them from the oven just when the edges begin to set, and then let them cool on the pan for a few minutes. Once the cookies are just firm enough to be removed with a spatula, move them to a wire rack to cool completely. I hardly ever recommend letting cookies cool completely on a baking pan, because the residual heat from the pan will cause them to over-bake. To prevent your freshly baked cookies from turning hard over the next few days, be sure to store them in an airtight container with a slice of bread to maintain moisture.
The reason sugar cookies puff up is because of the leavener used in the dough (in our case: baking soda), and because the heat in the oven evaporates the water in the butter. As the steam escapes the butter, the baked good left behind is puffy and tender.
With this recipe, it’s not necessary to chill the sugar cookie dough. Even though we’re starting with melted butter, the recipe contains enough flour to hold the cookies together. Sometimes, people chill cookie dough to make sure it doesn’t spread too much in the oven. You won’t need to do that with this recipe. However, if the resulting cookies aren’t perfectly round, try using a large round cookie cutter to gently nudge the edges into the desired shape right when they come out of the oven.
Butter is always king in my kitchen. The flavor of butter makes all baked goods taste so delicious. Shortening is typically a tasteless fat that provides moisture but very little flavor. Also, butter and shortening are not interchangeable. This recipe is for melted butter only.
While I always encourage humility, in this particular case, I feel confident saying I make the best homemade sugar cookies in the world, ever. They are soft, chewy, easy and quick. I understand this is a bold statement, but it’s one I am committed to stand behind for the rest of my life.
Scroll through the comments and hundreds of 5-star reviews on this recipe below, if you’re inclined not to believe me. Also don't miss my lavender cookies, which have the same dough.
How to store this Sugar Cookie Recipe
This easy sugar cookie recipe makes cookies that keep well at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Although, if the container isn't completely air-tight, they could dry out, so make sure to use something that snaps tightly. I don't recommend freezing these cookies once baked.
I also don't really recommend freezing the dough, because it will add several minutes to the baking time. You might end up with puffy, not crinkly cookies if you bake these from frozen. Truly, these small batch sugar cookies are so quick and easy to whip up, you don't need to make them too far in advance.
Other Easy Cookie Recipes:
More Favorites from Dessert for Two
Simple Sugar Cookie Recipe
Small batch sugar cookies recipe for two.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (70 grams) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 large egg yolk, egg white reserved for another use
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (76 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper (or use a silicone mat).
- Stir together the melted butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Stir very well to combine.
- Next, sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt evenly over the dough, and stir just to combine.
- Press the dough flat and evenly in the bowl, and then divide it in half by eye. You should get 3 cookies from each half.
- Roll each dough ball in your hands, roll lightly extra granulated sugar, and then space evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes, until they spread, start to crackle and appear dry on top.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- After the cookies have cooled for 10 minutes, you can press a chocolate heart into the center of each cookie, if you like. Move the cookies to the fridge (so the hearts don't melt too much) to set for 30 minutes.
- Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Egg Yolk: This recipe does not use the whole egg for this recipe, just the egg yolk. Separate the egg and save the egg white for another recipe. If you double the recipe, use two egg yolks only. Similarly, if you triple, use three egg yolks. Never use the egg white for this recipe if you want perfect, chewy cookies.
Flour: All-purpose flour that has been fluffed in the bag or jar, scooped and leveled with the back of a knife in the measuring cup.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 170mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 4g
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Vicki says
I ran out of butter and used coconut oil instead. Still amazing. Best sugar cookies on the planet.
Rebecca says
Could I make this in a small cast iron skillet?
Christina Lane says
I definitely think so! Keep an eye on the edges. Take it out of the oven when they start to turn golden brown. The pan will retain heat and continue to cook it for up to 10 minutes after you pull it from the oven.
Hailee says
These are some of the best sugar cookies I’ve ever eaten! They were thick and stay gooey in the center, but the edges were crisp. They come together super quick too. Literally perfect!
Matthew Thornton says
I made these tonight as a treat for my wife and I. They were fantastic. I dusted them with cinnamon and sugar in the last couple minutes of baking and they reminded me of snickerdoodle’s. Will definitely be making them again. So fast and delicious.
Mark Wilson says
Fantastic cookies! Very chewy and delicious. Not only are you very pretty…but you are a pretty good baker.😃 I baked these for my son’s middle school faculty and support staff. He’s a math teacher. I bake cookies every Wed. for them. I increased the recipe tenfold, and they turned out fabulously. Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth says
would this dough recipe work with cookie cutters?
Christina Lane says
It won't; it's too soft. But I have that a small batch cut-out sugar cookie recipe here: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/1-dozen-cut-out-sugar-cookies-2/
Kelliejo says
These cookies saved me! I didn’t want to make a big mess in my kitchen but wanted a little treat for watching Hocus Pocus. They turned out so amazing! I only had a small amount of butter on hand and was so delighted when I found this recipe and had everything needed. These cookies have that nice golden bottom and a soft chewy texture that are so heavenly. Thank you for sharing this recipe! They turned out so picture perfect!
Nancy says
I've been making this recipe since I found it (a year or 2 ago?) because it's amazing! I'm wondering what will happen if I use softened butter instead of melted, and can I use salted butter instead of unsalted? And, also, what happens if I do use both softened and salted butter?
Sarah says
It should be fine to use salted butter, just leave out the salt it says to add with the flour and baking soda.
Kiara Villalona says
I can't wait to try this recipe, but I have two questions! Can I put frosting on the cookies? Can I double or triple this recipe, so instead of six I make twelve?
Christina Lane says
You can absolutely spread frosting on them after they cool. And yes, double it, but follow it exactly--use two egg yolks, NOT the whole egg.