Basic Cookie Dough Recipe
A simple, buttery cookie dough you can turn into endless cookie flavors; perfect for cut-outs, slice-and-bake, and gifting.*Quick Note Before You Dive In: This recipe card covers the basics, but if you want to know how to freeze, decorate, and build holiday cookie boxes, scroll back up! Everything you need for foolproof results is in the post.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (297g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt* see note below
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 5 cups (600g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer), beat the butter with the sugar and salt for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the vanilla extract and egg yolks one at a time, adding the next yolk only when the previous one is fully mixed in. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour. (Watch out that it doesn't fly out everywhere). Mix until just combined.
- Transfer the dough onto a sheet of parchment and divide it into 4 equal portions. (If using a scale, they should each measure about 354g). Handle the dough as little as possible so your cookies stay tender, not tough.
- Wrap each portion in a smaller sheet of parchment and then in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Slice, or cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Refrigerate any dough you’re not using immediately; this makes it easier to handle and helps the cookies keep their shape.
- Bake for about 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool enough to handle, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
For slice-and-bake cookies: Shape the dough into a 7-inch log for even slicing.
For cut-out cookies: Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment for easier handling and clean edges.
Thickness: For the best texture, roll or slice the dough to a ¼-inch thickness so the cookies bake evenly and stay tender.
*A note on Kosher salt: This recipe uses kosher salt. If you’re using table salt, use half the amount. Kosher salt has larger, airier crystals that take up more space, so a teaspoon of kosher salt actually contains less salt by weight than a teaspoon of table salt.
Small Batch Tip: If you only want to make one batch of cookies, divide the recipe ingredients by 4. If you want to make the whole batch, you can divide the already-made dough into 4 portions to make 18 cookies or 6 portions to make 12 cookies; this will give you a great variety of small-batch cookies.
Baking in grams: I provide both gram measurements and cup equivalents, but weighing ingredients is always the most accurate. Depending on whether you scoop, pack, or level flour, the amount can vary dramatically when using a measuring cup (leading to dry or inconsistent results). A small digital scale removes that guesswork and will give you better bakes every time.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for professional dietary advice
Nutrition
Serving: 370gCalories: 1748kcalCarbohydrates: 195gProtein: 20gFat: 99gSaturated Fat: 60gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 4gCholesterol: 438mgSodium: 1188mgPotassium: 225mgFiber: 4gSugar: 76gVitamin A: 3096IUCalcium: 76mgIron: 8mg
Enjoy this recipe?Please leave a comment and tag me @aspicedlifeblog on social