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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    No Spread Cut Out Cookies

    Published: Jul 18, 2024 by Cara · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

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    no spread cut out cookies on a cookie sheet.
    no spread cut out cookies on a cookie sheet.
    no spread cut out cookies on a cookie sheet with a rolling pin.

    No Spread Cut Out Cookies are delicious, soft sugar cookies that hold their shape perfectly when baked and look beautiful decorated with glossy sugar cookie icing. This cut-out cookie recipe is perfect for Christmas cookies or any special occasion. 

    For more holiday baking ideas, try Pumpkin Blueberry Bread and Mini Pumpkin Pies with Graham Cracker Crust. 

    Jump to:
    • 🍪Cut Out Cookies That Don't Spread
    • ​❤️You're Going to Love These
    • 🧈Ingredients
    • 🥣Instructions
    • ☑️Tips
    • 🎁Storage & Make Ahead Instructions
    • 🎆More Easy Dessert Recipes
    • 💌Let's Stay in Touch
    • 📖 Recipe

    This no spread sugar cookie recipe is my go-to for decorated cutout cookies. The cookies are thick, soft, flavorful, and delicious plain (dunked in coffee) or with a glaze of icing.

    It's an easy sugar cookie recipe with simple ingredients I always have on hand and the cookies keep their shape beautifully no matter which cookie cutter I use. 

    🍪Cut Out Cookies That Don't Spread

    The secrets to perfect cookies that don't spread lie in both ingredients and technique. And they're equally important to achieve tender, soft, delicious cookies with straight, clean edges.

    So, before you haul out the mixing bowl, check out all my tips on butter temperature, flavor extracts, easy rolling, and double-chilling for tender, beautiful, tasty sugar cut-out cookies with clean, crisp edges. 

    stacks of no spread cut out cookies on white parchment paper.

    ​❤️You're Going to Love These

    • Soft, tender, delicious sugar cookies
    • Perfect cookies to decorate for holidays and special occasions
    • Cut out cookies hold their shape when baked

    🧈Ingredients

    See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.

    no spread cut out cookies ingredients.
    • Unsalted butter, room temperature. If the butter is too warm, it can make the dough sticky and difficult to roll out. Room-temperature butter is about 65-67 degrees and cool to the touch. Pressing it with your finger should leave an indent—it should not go all the way through it. You can also use salted butter, just omit the salt.
    • Egg, room temperature. A room-temperature egg will mix more quickly and easily into the cookie dough. 
    • Almond extract, optional. A little almond extract adds wonderful flavor to cookies that could otherwise be a bit flat. You can leave it out or substitute different flavors like maple, orange, or lemon extract. 
    • Baking powder. Leavening agents are necessary to give cookies rise and create a lighter texture, but baking soda can cause cookies to spread. Baking powder adds the lift and texture we want without the spread.
    • Powdered sugar, as needed. If the dough sticks when rolling, dust the parchment with a little powdered sugar. It works just as well as flour to prevent sticking but keeps from adding too much flour to the dough, which can make it dry or taste like flour. Note that powdered sugar can give the tops of the cookies a slight crackle appearance. I don't mind because they are covered with icing anyway. You can also use a little flour if you think this will bother you. 

    🥣Instructions

    butter sugar mixture in a white bowl.

    Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar with a stand or hand mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg until completely combined, then the vanilla and almond extract. 

    no spread cut out cookie dough in a white bowl.

    Step 2: Sift in the dry ingredients (or whisk flour mixture in a separate bowl before adding). Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.

    hands on a rolling pin rolling out cookie dough between sheets of parchment paper.

    Step 3: Form the dough into two portions and roll them to ¼" thickness between two sheets of parchment paper. You may need to gently rock the rolling pin back and forth with your hands on the body of the rolling pin to get it started. If the dough sticks, lightly dust the surface with powdered sugar.

    rolling pin rolling no spread cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper.

    Step 4: To roll dough to an even thickness, use rolling pin guides, dowels, or whatever you can find—I place two cutting boards on either side. Stack rolled-out dough in parchment paper on a baking sheet or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least one hour up to two days. 

    hand holding a cookie cutter cutting out no spread cookie dough.

    Step 5: Cut dough with cookie cutters, re-rolling and cutting the scraps.

    no spread cut out cookie dough on a cookie sheet.

    Step 4: Place cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat and freeze for 10 minutes. 

    no spread cut out cookies on a cookie sheet.

    Step 5: Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the bottom edges start to turn light golden brown. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

    no spread sugar cookies decorated with icing that hardens.

    Step 6: Enjoy plain or frost the cooled cookies with buttercream frosting, glossy sugar cookie frosting (pictured), or royal icing and decorate with colored sugars and sprinkles. 

    👉Top Tip: Freezing the cut out cookie dough shapes before baking helps keep the edges straight, clean, and crisp.  

    ☑️Tips

    • Room-temperature butter is cool to the touch and leaves an indent when pressed with your finger. Butter that is too soft may make the dough sticky.
    • Rolling the dough right after it is made is much easier than muscling through stiff, chilled dough. 
    • Using parchment paper to roll out the dough keeps the dough from sticking. If it sticks, dust the surface with a little powdered sugar. Note that powdered sugar can cause a slight crackle effect on the tops of the cookies. If you think this will bother you, use flour instead. 
    • Chilling the cookie dough helps keep the dough from spreading, produces a chewier texture, and enhances the flavor of the cookies. 

    🎁Storage & Make Ahead Instructions

    • Store plain cut-out sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for 10 days. If frosted with buttercream, store at room temperature for one day or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.  
    • Freeze sugar cookie dough in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. 
    • Freeze frosted or unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Before freezing frosted cookies, let the icing set until hardened, then place the cookies in a single layer between parchment paper or wax paper. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator. 
    stacks of no spread cut out cookies on white parchment paper.

    🎆More Easy Dessert Recipes

    • brownie with cream cheese frosting on a wooden cutting board.
      Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • mini coconut cream pies on a white platter.
      Mini Coconut Cream Pies (Easy!)
    • biscoff truffles on a white plate with one on top with a bite taken out.
      Pumpkin Biscoff Truffles
    • stuffed strawberry cheesecake bites on a white plate.
      Stuffed Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

    💌Let's Stay in Touch

    Follow Midwestern Holidays on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and subscribe via email to receive all of the latest recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    no spread cut out cookies on a cookie sheet.

    No Spread Cut Out Cookies

    Cara Lanz
    No Spread Cut Out Cookies are delicious, soft sugar cookies that hold their shape perfectly when baked and look beautiful decorated with glossy sugar cookie icing. Perfect cut-out cookie for Christmas cookies or any special occasion. 
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 12 minutes mins
    Chill time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 32 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 30
    Calories 128 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (see notes)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 egg, room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon almond extract, optional
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • powdered sugar, for rolling

    Sugar Cookie Icing Options

    • Buttercream Frosting that Hardens
    • Glossy Cookie Icing that Hardens
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla and almond extract until well combined.
    • Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. (You can also whisk dry ingredients together in a separate bowl before adding them to the wet ingredients).
      Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together.
    • Use your hands to form the dough into two portions. Roll each portion to ¼" thickness between two sheets of parchment paper. You may need to gently rock the rolling pin back and forth with your hands on the body of the rolling pin (not the handles) to initially flatten the dough.
    • Stack the rolled-out dough between layers of parchment on a tray or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, up to 2 days.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Cut the dough with cookie cutters, re-rolling and cutting the scraps. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes.
    • Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms just start to turn light brown. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool the rest of the way.

    Notes

    • Room-temperature butter is cool to the touch and leaves an indent when pressed with your finger. Butter that is too soft may make the dough sticky.
    • Rolling the dough right after it is made is much easier than muscling through stiff, chilled dough. 
    • Using parchment paper to roll out the dough keeps the dough from sticking. If it sticks, dust the surface with a little powdered sugar. Note that powdered sugar can cause a slight crackle effect on the tops of the cookies. If you think this will bother you, use flour instead. 
    • Chilling the cookie dough helps keep the dough from spreading, produces a chewier texture, and enhances the flavor of the cookies. 
    • Freezing the cut out cookie dough shapes before baking helps create beautiful straight, clean, crisp edges. 
    *Nutritional data is for cookies and does not include frosting or icing. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 128kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 100mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 197IUCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Comments

    1. Judy Mitchell says

      November 24, 2024 at 3:32 pm

      5 stars
      I’m 77 years old having made thousands of cut out sugar cookies, this dough is the easiest I have ever worked with. Cookies hold their shape, scraps can be reworked until you have no dough left. They taste delicious too.

      Reply
      • Cara says

        November 24, 2024 at 4:16 pm

        Hi, Judy, thank you so much for your nice note -- you made my day :). I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Cara

        Reply
    2. Christel says

      December 09, 2024 at 3:36 pm

      What is 0.5 tsp first time ever seeing a 0.5 and I bake all the time. Any help is appreciated .

      Reply
      • Cara says

        December 09, 2024 at 4:10 pm

        Are you referring to the salt? If so, it is 1/2 teaspoon. Hope that helps. Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. KM says

      December 22, 2024 at 1:15 am

      If your dough comes out too dry, I recommend adding 2 tbsp milk.

      Reply
      • Cara says

        December 22, 2024 at 1:17 am

        Thanks for the tip! Happy baking :).

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Cara! Here at Midwestern Holidays, every day is the most wonderful time of the year. Let's celebrate with fast and easy recipes for all the holidays and special moments in life.

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