Do you have kids that love making sugar cookies? The only probably is that nearly every recipe out there makes an exorbitant amount. That’s fine when your kids are older or you are giving them away, but for all those other occasion you need this small batch sugar cookie recipe!
This is manageable. I no longer have to spend hours supervising mixing, rolling, cutting, baking, and frosting. Instead sugar cookies are actually an enjoyable small project!
Score! We don’t need more stress, am I right?
If sugar cookies are your jam and you actually enjoy the whole process (I’m not that person), by all means double or triple this small batch sugar cookie recipe! Otherwise, make your kids excited and still keep thing simple for you.
We enjoy Christmas sugar cookies but the kids love to make them many other times during the year:
- Birthdays
- Easter
- Autumn
- Thanksgiving
- Valentine’s Day hearts
- Dinosaurs
The possibilities are endless! If you want to go down a rabbit hole, just search online looking at all the types of cookie cutters there are.
Time to get into the particulars of this small batch sugar recipe! It’s simple and easy (because it’s what I need in my life) and everyone gobbles these up.
SMALL BATCH SUGAR COOKIES INGREDIENTS:
- Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Butter
- Egg
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Lemon Juice
- Baking Soda
- Cream of Tartar
SMALL BATCH SUGAR COOKIES INSTRUCTIONS:
This recipe is put together like most other sugar cookies.
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon juice.
- Add the dry ingredients.
- Let chill in the refrigerator.
- Roll out, cut, bake, cool, and frost!
Depending on how thick you roll out the dough and what size cookie cutters you use, this should make between 16-20 cookies.
Sugar Cookie Frosting:
Once again, I want easy and I want them to taste good. So I have two recommended options for you, both of which we use.
- A buttercream type of frosting. Combine butter, powdered sugar, and a drop of vanilla. Add cream until desired consistency. Color with food coloring of choice. Of course buttercream is delicious, but you won’t be able to stack these cookies.
- A thinner powdered sugar and milk/cream/water icing. Put powdered sugar in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of milk or cream and food coloring. Add additional liquid of your choice until it has your desired consistency. It will drizzle from the spoon when you lift it but still be spreadable on the cookie. It will dry firm. This is what I used in the cookies in these photos.
If you don’t have time to chill the dough, increase flour by another 2 tablespoons and be sure to keep your counter well floured.
Small Batch Sugar Cookie Recipe
- 1½ cup + 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- scant ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- milk/cream/water
- drop of vanilla extract, optional
- Cream room temperature butter and sugar together. Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat well.
- Add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt to the bowl and mix well to combine.
- Form dough into a ball and put in bowl. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Roll dough out on a floured counter to desired thickness. Between ⅛ and ¼ of an inch. Cut out with desired cookie cutters and place on baking sheet. (Will make 16-20 cookies depending on thickness of dough and size of cookie cutters)
- Bake for 7-9 minutes (depending on thickness and size of cookies). Cool on pan a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack.
- Cool completely and frost.
- See notes in post for another frosting options.
- Put powdered sugar in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of your desired liquid and a small drop of vanilla, if desired. Stir. Add additional liquid one teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Frost and decorate the cookies.
This recipe is THE BEST!!
I’m so excited to make sugar cookies now haha.
I love being able to make a small amount and so quickly. And this dough rolled out *perfectly*
Thank you!!!!
Yay!!! I’m SO glad you liked them as much as we do. Thank you for letting me know, it made my day. I love the small amount too, though for Valentine’s Day we ended up tripling it so we could drop cookies off at friends’ houses.