Old-Fashioned Amish Sugar Cookies
Soft and tender Amish Sugar Cookies are just what you need with your glass of milk! A perfect treat for any occasion.
I decked out these melt-in-your-mouth Soft Sugar Cookies in red and green sprinkles for the holidays, but they’re just as delicious rolled in simple granulated sugar or any kind of sprinkles your heart desires!
Why You Must Make
- This is a beloved sugar cookie recipe that’s been around since the 1700s originating with the Amish or Pennsylvania Dutch.
- Soft sugar cookies are always a hit. There are those who don’t like chocolate, ginger or mint, but buttery, vanilla-flavored sugar cookies are universally loved.
- They can be jazzed up with sprinkles for any holiday.
Ingredient Notes:
- Pantry Staples – Sugar, Flour, Salt
- Powdered sugar – The cornstarch in powdered sugar helps make tender cookies.
- Butter – At room temperature for easy incorporation. It shouldn’t be so soft that it looks oily. Provides the classic, buttery flavor. Some recipes use shortening instead, but they definitely don’t taste as good.
- Vegetable oil (I used canola) – Adds moisture to the cookies.
- Eggs – Also at room temperature for easy incorporation
- Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract for the best flavor. Artificial vanilla will taste fake.
- Baking soda – Helps the dough rise. But it also needs an acid in the recipe to be activated.
- Cream of tartar – Provides the acid (tartaric acid) needed to activate the baking soda. If you don’t have this on hand, use 2 teaspoons of lemon juice for every 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar in a recipe.
Expert Tips
My family loves the classic, frosted, cut-out sugar cookies for the holidays. There are also these festive Pinwheel Cookies which are also sugar cookies but made of two different colored doughs layered, rolled, and cut to make beautiful spirals. These Amish cookies are just as delicious, but with a totally different texture.
Not chewy like my frosted cookies, nor “short” like the classic shortbread cookies, but uniquely wonderful. Despite the lack of frosting, they got rave reviews from the troops. If you’re looking for a new, classic cookie to bake, give these homemade cookies a try!
- Besides butter, these old-fashioned sugar cookies have a cup of oil as one of the ingredients. I used canola oil, but any mild vegetable oil would work.
- Some recipes use shortening, but butter provides a much better flavor, so always use butter.
- PRO-Tip: An overnight chilling helps the flavors meld and the gluten settle. Don’t try to bake them without chilling first as the cookies will be too flat and not as tender.
- PRO-Tip: I used a Cookie Scoop (affiliate link) so that all the cookies would be the same size, then rolled the dough into balls.
- I did not need to dip the glass into oil when I rolled the cookies in sprinkles but definitely do that when pressing down on the plain cookies.
- Find a flat-bottomed glass to do the pressing.
- The key is to press the cookies just until the edges start to separate slightly. The plain ones above were pressed too thin. But, thankfully, I had 5 dozen to practice on!
- Like with most of my cookies, I baked these on Half Sheet Pans lined with Parchment Paper Baking Sheets. The parchment prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, just make sure to press the dough with an oiled glass so they bake up with a flat surface that will make frosting them easier! Don’t roll in sprinkles if you plan to add frosting, but you can dust the frosted cookies with sprinkles before the frosting sets.
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Yes, these freeze well. You have two options. Freeze baked cookies in airtight containers or freezer Ziploc bags with the air removed for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. If you use sprinkles, do a test run with a cookie or two to make sure the brand of sprinkles you use doesn’t bleed when defrosting.
Alternatively, you can scoop out dough balls, freeze them on a baking sheet for 1-2 hours, then put them in a freezer Ziploc bag, removing excess air. The dough will also keep for about 3 months. Defrost the dough balls in the bag in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
You May Also Like:
- Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies from Saving Room for Dessert
- Molasses Cookies AKA Chewy Gingersnaps!
- Rosettes Cookies
- Meringue Cookies
- Pecan Tassies or Mini Pecan Pies
- Plus How to Host a Cookie Exchange
- More Holiday Recipes
Amish Sugar Cookies Recipe
These Amish Sugar Cookies are the comforting, delicious cookies your grandmother used to bake!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 ¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix together the sugar, powdered sugar, butter, and vegetable oil. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
- In another bowl, whisk together, the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture until it's all incorporated.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or overnight.
- To make, line baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 325º.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in colored sugar or sprinkles if desired.
- Place on baking sheets.
- With a flat bottom glass, first dip the glass in vegetable oil, then sugar before flattening each dough ball. Press down just until the edges separate slightly. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Notes
For more decorative cookies, roll dough balls in festive colored sugar or sprinkles.
If your cookies are covered in sprinkles, you won't need to dip the glass in oil to compress the dough balls as the glass won't stick.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
2 cookiesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 228Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 166mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g
73 Comments on “Old-Fashioned Amish Sugar Cookies”
I have baked these cookies for years and we all love them. Would it be possible to freeze the dough?
Hi, Erena, Yes, I think it would freeze nicely. Wrap well and defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using. Enjoy!
These are sublime and loved by everyone. I like to use 1/4 cup scoop for big cookies. Some recipes use 4 1/2 cups of flour. Yours uses 4 1/4 cups. It would be wonderful to have that measurement in grams for consistency. Thank you for this!
Hi, Eileen, I’ll weigh the flour the next time I bake up a batch.
I refrigerated overnight for the first time instead of just a couple hours and we can’t get the sprinkles to stick to the dough. Andy thoughts or ideas? I have made this recipe several times and we love the cookies but they aren’t as festive without the sprinkles:)
Just let the dough warm up a bit and I think they’d stick. Maybe roll out dough balls, cover with plastic and give them a half hour or so to sit out. Hope that will work for you!
Can i use an alternate oil to vegetable oil? Olive or coconut maybe?
Hi, Audra, I think olive oil will be too flavorful, but I think the coconut flavor would be OK even if you have a subtle taste of it after they’re baked.
Hands down BEST sugar cookies EVER. Thank you for this recipe! They are so pretty and so yummy, buttery, crisp and chewy all at the same time. AND the toddlers could all help and we actually had FUN! This is going into my must have at Christmas list! I’m making another batch to send to school tomorrow. Happy Christmas!
Question: do these freeze well? Thanks!
Yay!! I’m so glad they were a hit. Yes, they should freeze very well (unless you use sprinkles that might bleed as they defrost)—for up to 3 months. Merry Christmas to you, too!
My husband is Amish and I love finding recipes that he remembers when he was a little boy
Do you know what our favorite part is? Biting into the chewy cookie but having the little crunch from the sprinkles. It’s such an addictive texture.
These cookies not only look pretty stacked on top of each other with their matching colors, they look delicious as well. Love!
Amalia
xo
This has always been a favorite treat at my house! Always a hit whenever I make them!
Can this be doubled? How should they be stored and for how long ? Hopeful this is long lost recipe I got from school cook book????
Hi, Susan,
Yes, you should be able to double the recipe. They’ll keep 3-4 days at room temperature in an airtight container or you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Hope these come close to your old favorites!!!
A holiday wish for you and your family to have the best healthy happiest season ever an much of the very same through the new year all the best Claudia
I made these today, after chilling overnight, and they were wonderful! The dough is so fluffy and yummy. They were easy, very festive and reminded me of cookies I had as a child. I did have to stick the dough in the freezer for a bit after the 3rd dozen, since it was getting so warm in the kitchen. The dough becomes too soft when not a little chilled. And I wasn’t sure what they should look like when finished, but I found just the slightest browning and just a little softened worked well as they harden once cool. I will be saving this recipe for next year for sure! It’s so nice not to make royal icing! Thanks so much for sharing and Merry Christmas!????
Merry Christmas to you, too, Ashly! Thanks for the lovely review!!
Lizzy ! what beautiful sugar cookies ! like all yours recipes, yesterday I post my first Christmas recipe !!! xo
Absolutely love the video, nicely done! These sugar cookies look so cute and delicious!
Hello, Liz! These Amish cookies look so tempting, yum! I have one question, though. My daughter is allergic to eggs. Do you think I could substitute with baking powder and vinegar? Or what would you recommend? Thank you in advance!
Oh, gosh, I wish I had an answer for you! I know there are all sorts of egg substitutes, but I’ve never tested any. If you’ve found one that works in cookies, I’d give it a try—-maybe just a half a recipe so you don’t waste the ingredients if it doesn’t work. Sorry I’m couldn’t be of more help! Good luck!
These cookies look amazing. I love the way you’ve decorated them.
Amalia
xo
My dough is pretty wet and after rolling in sugar/ sprinkles and dipping cup in oil they are sticking to the glass…Help… What could be wrong? It is warm today so I just turned on the air…
I’d pop the dough into the fridge and let it chill. Even put any dough balls in the refrigerator to let them chill before baking. Hope that helps, Melynda!
Made these for our Christmas party and they were a hit. Also they were so festive and colorful. Thanks for yet another great recipe.
We love making these for Christmas! So cute!!
Can you use raw sugar in this Amish sugar cookies
Hi, JoAnn,
I wasn’t sure about this so did a little research. Since the raw sugar is coarser and more like brown sugar, the cookies probably won’t turn out the same. If you want to give it a try, one source recommends processing the sugar to make it finer (more like white granulated sugar) and adding a little water (a teaspoon or two—but I have no experience doing this!).
A second source recommends using powdered sugar instead and weighing it to get a proper equivalent to granulated white sugar. Hope this gives you some guidance. Merry Christmas!
http://bakingbites.com/2011/12/white-sugar-vs-raw-sugar-in-baking/ (http://bakingbites.com/2011/12/white-sugar-vs-raw-sugar-in-baking/)
https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/70930/can-i-use-raw-sugar-to-make-cookies-instead-of-granulated (https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/70930/can-i-use-raw-sugar-to-make-cookies-instead-of-granulated)
These are perfect holiday treats! My kids really enjoyed them!
I love how festive these cookies are!
These look like the PERFECT sugar cookies!
Holiday favorite in our house!
These bring back so many childhood memories of the holidays! So yummy!
Finally….I found the cookie recipe that’s been lost for almost 30 years! I’m not sure if the measurements are the same, but these cookies taste like the ones I miss so much! And i used the same punch bowl glass that my mom had to press the cookies down to make a bit of a star design on the cookie. These are SOOOO good I could eat the entire batch. Even if these are slightly overbaked (my last bit of dough made a tiny one), it’s just crispy deliciousness (is that a word?). These are just that good! Thanks for reviving the memories of my teenage years with this recipe….I won’t lose it again!
Oh, I’m so glad, Sharon! One of my friends was looking for this recipe for years! When she finally found it, she shared with me. Thanks for letting me know! xo
These are amazing!! I’m baking my third batch! I ran out of vegetable oil and I had to use canola I hope they turn out just as amazing !! Thanks for the recipe
I use vegetable and canola oil interchangeably, so you should be just fine! So glad you love these, too!
Can you drop the cookie, decorate with sugar or walnuts and bake without pressing down with a glass? I’m looking for a fluffy sugar cookie and the recipe I have keeps flopping. I remember them being real fluffy cake like!?
Hi, Courtney, I’d call them tender, but not really fluffy. There’s a video at the bottom of the recipe card in the post that shows the dough being mixed and scooped. Checking that our might give you a better idea of the dough’s texture and that of the finished/baked cookies. I hope that helps!!!
Sounds delish Liz!!
Love a good old-fashioned cookie – the simpler the better!
These look so fun and festive! They’ll look gorgeous on a Christmas cookie platter!
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best- these look like melt in your mouth good cookies!
These cookies are absolutely perfect! These are on my rotation for sure!
These sugar cookies look amazing! I can’t wait to make a couple batches and take them to our next get together!
These made my kitchen smell just heavenly! You know when something that wonderful makes your house smell like your mom is baking in your kitchen you wont be disappointed! The only problem with the recipe…. I need to quadruple it, we just can’t stay out of them!
What prep did you change to get the cookies in the photo? Just pressing with a flat bottomed glass didn’t give me the same look.
Hi, Marsha,
I rolled the dough between my two palms to get a well formed ball, then I rolled in the sprinkles. I didn’t need to oil the glass when the dough was covered in sprinkles, so I just pressed with the glass until they flattened. If yours cookies aren’t perfectly round when they come out of the oven, use a spatula to gently tap the edges into a better circle while they’re still hot. Also, they might flatten easier if you let the dough warm up just a bit at room temperature. I hope this helps!
Looks delish!!!! One question though. Can I use this recipe for cutout cookies?
I don’t think this dough would work well for cutout cookies, Janine, but I haven’t tested it myself. If you’re looking for a good recipe, this is the one I use: Best Sugar Cookies (https://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/best-sugar-cookies-christmasweek/)
These not only look pretty, but sound like a delicious recipe to try too. Thanks for sharing your recipe on Merry Monday. Pinned and will be one of my feature picks on the next party.
Wow, butter and oil! I definitely have to make these.
These cookies look colorful and yum!
These are chillin’ in my fridge right now!! Can’t wait to bake and eat them! Cheers!
These are perfect for the holidays!
I love these cookies – so perfectly festive for the holidays!
Looks amazing!!!
So simple yet perfect ! Thank you Liz !
Love how festive these are!
These are so festive! I can’t say I’ve ever tried this type of sugar cookie, and they sound so unique in their own way. I’ll be putting it on the must-try list!
Heading to Amish country this weekend. Love these little cookies and hope I will spy some. But I’m so happy you’ve given me the recipe!
These cookies are absolutely perfect for the holidays! So pretty and absolutely festive 🙂
Love these Liz, pinning and sharing!
Liz, thank you for this! These are so perfect! Not too complicated. I’ve just found my Christmas cookie baking project.
Wow, these look INCREDIBLE. Sugar cookie season is my favorite season and I cannot wait to try these!
These cookies look delicious, the recipe and ingredients are very simple and easy to do it, can why to try it on my own, thanks for sharing this posts and also the photos are great.
These are so bakery worthy ! love the colors!
I love how you unearth vintage recipes Liz. These are a must try! I need sprinkles too, they make them look amazing.
They are so festive and beautiful with those colourful sprinkles!
Very festive! I can see kids going straight for these fun cookies:@)
So looking forward to trying my hand at your Amish wonders. Some how it seems the old time church cookbook authors got so many things right =) Wishing you and yours all the best this holiday season, Liz.
P.s. Congratulations and thank you for sharing the guarded recipe =)