Amish Sugar Cookies Recipe - Amish Heritage (2024)

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Amish Sugar Cookies

This old-fashioned drop sugar cookies recipe makes the best Amish sugar cookies! They are so soft and puffy, and they practically melt in your mouth.

They're also very easy to make. You don't have to chill the dough or take the time to roll it out. And you get amazing sugar cookies without investing very much time at all.

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Don't get me wrong, I also love cut-out sugar cookies. And we make them every year at Christmas, as well as numerous times throughout the year. There are so many cute cookie cutters, and my kids have a thing with cookie shapes.

But this Amish recipe is the one you're looking for whenever you just want a quick soft sugar cookie.

Easy Drop Sugar Cookies

These cookies may look simple and boring. There's no frosting (although you can spread your favorite icing on them if you need it), and there's no chocolate or nuts. It's just a plain old sugar cookie.

But there are times when all I want is an easy and classic cookie. And these soft Amish sugar cookies always hit the spot. Actually, I dare you to stop with only one.

They're sweet and buttery, with a tender texture that makes them completely irresistible.

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How to Make Soft Amish Sugar Cookies

This recipe for sugar cookies is super simple and quick to make. In fact, it's a great beginner's recipe.

I use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment, but you can easily mix these with a hand mixer as well. Although, you may need to finish it off by hand if it gets too stiff.

Remove the butter and eggs from the refrigerator several hours before you are ready to start baking. However, if you've made a last-minute decision to bake cookies, you can also quickly soften the butter in the microwave for about ten seconds.

Beat the butter and sugar well (until nice and creamy). Then add the remaining ingredients.

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You can make dough balls with your hands, but using a cookie scoop makes it very easy and hassle-free.

Scoop the cookies onto greased sheets and flatten them a bit (Unless you prefer fat and puffy cookies.).

Lightly press the cookies with the bottom of a cup that was dipped into sugar. The sugar adds a little sparkle to the top of the cookies and keeps the cup from sticking. (If desired, you can add a bit of cinnamon to the sugar as well.)

Christmas Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles

Even though this is a simple drop sugar cookie, you can still add a festive touch to these PA Dutch sugar cookies.

Before baking, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with red and green sprinkles, and they'll be perfect for adding to your Christmas plates.

Or if you'd like to add an extra touch of flavor, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with cinnamon.

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The World's Best Sugar Cookies

In my Amish cookbook, this recipe is called the "World's Best Sugar Cookies". And I believe that whoever named them had it right.

I have many sugar cookie recipes, and recently I tried two different ones. First I used this recipe, and my kids absolutely fell in love with these cookies.

Every time they ate some, they kept exclaiming how good these cookies are. And they disappeared at an alarming rate. lol

But I wanted to try another recipe that was called, "Stay Soft Sugar Cookies." And they came out so pillowy soft and amazing. And we all loved those as well.

But I asked my kids which ones they liked better and which recipe I should share. The vote was unanimous because they all liked my first batch of cookies better.

Even though the second recipe produced fluffier cookies, there is something about the melt-in-your-mouth texture of these Amish sugar cookies that is unbeatable. And we all agreed that the flavor was more impressive in these cookies as well.

So, today I present to you what I have found to be the Easiest and Best Amish Sugar Cookies Recipe! They are great for Christmas or any day of the year.

Can I Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookies?

Yes, you can bake and freeze these cookies weeks in advance.

I am a firm believer in freezing almost any baked goods. So whenever I bake cookies, muffins, bread, etc., I freeze anything we won't eat within the first three days.

Homemade baked goods often dry out after a few days and they lose their appeal. But if you place them into an airtight container or freezer bag, you can keep them frozen for months, and they will still taste fresh when you get them out.

Just thaw and enjoy! Or if you're like my kids, you can always eat them frozen as well.

More Amish Christmas Cookie Recipes

Amish Monster Cookies

Sand Tart Cookies

Date and Nut Pinwheel Cookies

Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Amish Sugar Cookies Recipe

These easy Amish sugar cookies have an amazing depth of flavor and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes them simply irresistible!

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

baking in batches 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 3 minutes mins

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American, Amish

Servings 60 cookies

Calories 161 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 c. softened butter
  • 1 1/4 c. powdered sugar (confectioners)
  • 3/4 c. white sugar
  • 1 c. canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F.

  • Mix butter and sugars together. Beat well until nice and creamy.

    1 c. softened butter, 1 1/4 c. powdered sugar (confectioners), 3/4 c. white sugar

  • Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well.

    1 c. canola or vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla

  • Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add them to the wet mixture, mixing only to combine.

    4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. cream of tartar, 1/2 tsp. salt

  • Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough onto greased cookie sheets.

  • Unless you prefer fat and puffy cookies, dip a cup into a bowl of sugar and lightly press the tops of the cookies with the bottom of the sugared cup.

  • If desired, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with Christmas sugar sprinkles or cinnamon.

  • Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes. You want only the bottom edges lightly browned.

  • Let the cookies rest on the tray for a minute before removing to a wire rack to cool.

  • Store in an airtight container and freeze whatever you won't eat within a few days.

Notes

The longer you bake the cookies, the more crispy they will be. So if you like them soft, do not overbake them.

*Nutrition is approximate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 161kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 66mgPotassium: 36mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 106IUCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Amish Sugar Cookies, Drop Sugar Cookies

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Amish Sugar Cookies Recipe - Amish Heritage (2024)

FAQs

What nationality are sugar cookies? ›

The sugar cookie is believed to have originated in the mid-1700s in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. German Protestant settlers created a round, crumbly and buttery cookie that came to be known as the Nazareth cookie.

Who invented the sugar cookie? ›

Let's have a hearty hip-hip-hooray for the German Protestants, who settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and invented the early sugar cookie. Their crumbly cookie made with butter and shaped into round or keystone shapes were a sweet hit from their formation in the late 1700s.

What is a sugar cookie in the navy? ›

By the time they are finished the trainees, covered in sand, look like “sugar cookies.” McRaven goes on to state, “Sometimes, no matter how well you prepare or perform, you still end up as a sugar cookie. It's just the way life is sometimes.

What is a Nazareth sugar cookie? ›

German settlers baked the first batch in the mid-1700s in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Those buttery, crumbly rounds of deliciousness were called Nazareth Cookies. Actually, they weren't quite round. The settlers baked them in the shape of a keystone, the state's official emblem.

What is a fun fact about sugar cookies? ›

The modern sugar cookie was originally called the Nazareth Sugar Cookie, after German Protestants who settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and improved the recipe. When forming the dough, they made the cookies resemble the state's keystone emblem.

What is the oldest cookie in the world? ›

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico” in the village of Colcullo in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

What are Moravian sugar cookies? ›

"This is a rolled cookie recipe, that you cut with cookie cutters. You will need a stockinette for your rolling pin, and pastry cloth, because these cookies are rolled out very thin. They are crisp and sweet, and I like them so much better than a regualar sugar cookie."

Why are they called cowboy cookies? ›

Some claim cowboy cookies hail from Texas, a state many cowboys call home. Others say the treats were named for their ability to withstand long days in saddlebag. Whatever its origin, the combination of oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut is undeniably delicious.

What were sugar cookies originally called? ›

The First “Real” Sugar Cookie

Created by Dutch settlers in New York, and referred to as a koekje, this was the first cookie to use an alkaline leavener known as “pearl ash”, and was the real catalyst in the creation of today's modern cookie. But the koekje still had far to go.

What cookie was invented in 1912? ›

On March 6, 1912, Oreo sandwich cookies were first introduced by the National Biscuit Co.

What are military cookies? ›

A Ranger cookie is a type of confection originating from the United States. It refers to two mostly distinct improvised confections: a drop cookie for camping, and a dulce de leche-like confection for the military. The camping-style Ranger cookie is made with rolled oats, corn flakes, shredded coconut, and brown sugar.

What is the military slang for candy? ›

"Pogey bait" is a reference to sweets or candy, which was in usage in the military as early as 1918.

What does it mean to be a sugar cookie in Make Your Bed? ›

In SEAL training, one of the most painful punishments is being a sugar cookie. Instructors would punish trainees at whim, and they would have to get wet and then roll around in the sand.

What country are cookies from? ›

The Origin of the Cookie

They date back as early as 7th Century A.D. Persia which is now Iran. They were one of the first countries to grow and harvest sugar cane. With war and exploration eventually sugar was introduced to the Mediterranean area and European countries and so were cookies.

What are sugar cookies called in the UK? ›

Sugar cookies are very American, in the UK these would just be called vanilla biscuits. Whatever you call them though they are delicious and easy to make! They are great plain, but this is also the ideal recipe for making decorated cookies for all occasions.

Which country invented cookies? ›

Cookies appear to have their origins in 7th century AD Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain.

What nationality is the name cookie? ›

The modern use of this name refers to everyone's favorite dessert, "cookies," and comes from the Dutch word koekje, meaning little cake. Treat baby Cookie to the sweetest name in the whole wide world!

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