These easy no roll Sugar Cookies are a cinch to make!  Simply mix the ingredients together and bake; no chilling, no rolling pins and no messy floured counters!

 a single sugar cookie with a title

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‘Tis the blissful season for sugar cookies (and shortbread cookies and Nanaimo Bars and Fudge) and this easy recipe is a favorite to add to our holiday cookie plates!

Sugar cookies are a classic.  In the past we’ve made rolled sugar cookies which are perfect for decorating but sometimes I just want the cookie without all of the fuss! This dough is also great for freezing!

This sugar cookie recipe is the perfect solution.  Not only do they not require rolling the dough, they don’t require chilling time or hours of work.  Just a simple cookie dough mixed and baked.
a stack of sugar cookies with a bite out of it

These cookies are baked at a lower temperature than a traditional sugar cookie and the result is a beautifully soft cookie (you’ll want to ensure the edges don’t brown).

Using both butter and shortening gives these cookies a slightly crisp outside with a soft chewy sugar cookie center.  We like them plain but they’re also delicous frosted with lemon buttercream or your favorite buttercream flavor and sprinkles.

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
a stack of sugar cookies with a bite out of it
4.86 from 34 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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No Roll Sugar Cookies Recipe

These easy no roll Sugar Cookies are a cinch to make! Simply mix the ingredients together and bake; no chilling, no rolling pins and no messy floured counters!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 24 cookies
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Ingredients  

  • ½ cup butter unsalted
  • ½ cup shortening (not butter flavored)
  • 1 ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • Cream butter & shortening on medium until combined. Add sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Continue beating until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add in egg yolks & vanilla until combined.
  • Beat in flour a little bit at a time. Divide into 24 even pieces and roll into balls.
  • Bake 15-17 minutes or just until set (you do not want the cookies to brown). Cool on the cookie sheet about 3 minutes and cool completely on a wire rack.
4.86 from 34 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 166 | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 32mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American

If you’re going to be hosting or participating in a Cookie Exchange, I have some free printable invitations & recipe cards you’ll want to check out!

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a stack of sugar cookies with a title and a single cookie
a stack of sugar cookies with a title and a single cookie

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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4.86 from 34 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Oh my, these were absolutely delicious! I love a crispy sugar cookie and this is just what I was looking for . I dipped them in sanding sugar before baking. Thank you!5 stars

  2. I have been in heaven since finding this site with so many fantastic recipes. I love to bake especially during the holidays. Sugar cookies can be tedious but they are my husband’s favorite and I have yet to find a good recipe until now. This recipe is easy when you follow the instructions and the cookies melt in your mouth.
    My search is over. Thank you!!5 stars

  3. I used coconut oil instead of shortening, and it was amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe; so much easier than rolling out the dough.5 stars

    1. Thanks, good to know! I don’t have shortening but do have coconut oil and I’m dying to try these cookies!

  4. This recipe is perfect! It kills me when people fail to follow directions, then blame the recipe. One commenter said the cookies didn’t come out properly because she used butter flavored Crisco, something the recipe explicitly advises NOT to do. If your cookies didn’t turn out right, I can guarantee you it’s user error. Baking is a science. You need quality ingredients, the right temperatures (ingredients and the oven), and the correct measurements. Use liquid measuring cups for liquid and dry measuring cups for dry ingredients, not vice versa. Stop blaming the recipe!5 stars

  5. I made these with just butter because that is what we had. They were wonderful! They didn’t need frosting but we used Spend with pennies cream cheese frosting with them and the combination was great. It was the way you think that store bought cookies should taste but never do! They had a nice texture, not too crisp but not chewy. Thanks!5 stars

  6. Unfortunatey for me these were a bit too crumbly for me. I baked them for only 15 min. and divided the dough into 23 portions. They look the same as the picture but I didn’t get the results I was looking for.3 stars

  7. This is an awesome quick sugar cookie recipe. Made 27 cookies using my large Pampered Chef scope. Came out perfect. Thanks and a Merry Christmas

  8. While these are easy to make & bake I don’t like the taste of the butter & Butter Flavored Crisco, If I make these cookies I will change the amount of butter & Crisco ratio. My husband who is a cookie monster also didn’t like this recipe. I needed to adjust the baking time to 18 minutes for my oven. I used my medium Pampered Chef scoop which worked really well and every cookie was the same size. I’m very glad this recipe worked out very well for all the other ladies :-)2 stars

  9. These were my dad’s favorite cookies. I would double the recipe because he loved them so much. They baked up so light and fluffy and barely crisp around the edges. So wonderful. They are the perfect sugar cookies. No rolling and every batch is the same. I can’t say enough about these cookies. Yummmmm..5 stars

  10. Cam out amazing! I use to work in a cookie store, and these reminded me of the recipe for our snickerdooles. I baked half as is and rolled the other half in cinnamon sugar. Both tasted excellent.

  11. Great recipe! Good substitute when you only have an hour to make sugar cookies, tasted great! 5 stars

  12. I need to bake a really large amount of cookies for a community function. Can I freeze the dough? Thanks

    1. I haven’t tried freezing the dough Joyce. If you do try it, please let us know how it works for you!

  13. I don’t have any Crisco vegetable shortening in the house right now but I have solid coconut oil. Do you think I could substitute it? I know it will probably give up off a coconut flavor but I’m willing to take the chance. I just want your opinion on whether the texture will be the same

    1. I think it will change the texture and flavor. But, if you like coconut, that may be a pleasant change.

  14. I ran out of butter on my cookie day with a friend. I found this recipe in a search for shortening recipe. I used 1 cup of shortening and they turned out amazing!5 stars