Have you ever wondered why sugar cookie recipes make you chill your dough before baking? As it turns out, it's extremely important not to skip this step!
Patience isn’t really my strong suit. I’m the type of person who asks, “Are we there yet?” on road trips (yes, even as an adult). I’m all about instant gratification, so when I get to the step in my favorite sugar cookie recipe that requires chilling cookie dough–instructing me to wait three whole hours before baking my cookies–a little voice in my head screams, “Skip it!”
Unfortunately, my love of food science trumps my impatience, and I learned all about why this step is so important in culinary school. While it’s not the end of the world if you don’t chill your cookie dough, it does make a huge difference in the end result of your cookie.
There’s actually a scientific reason for chilling your cookie dough, and it has to do with two components: fats and liquids. First, chilling the dough allows the butter, shortening, cream cheese, and other fats to solidify. Why is that important? Well, for the same reason that you want to keep your pie dough cool: If the fats melt too quickly, the dough will expand rapidly in the oven. That over-expanded dough loses its perfect texture. In the case of pie, the crust won’t be light and flaky. For cookies, they’ll spread out too quickly, tasting doughy and soft instead of full-bodied and chewy.
The second component in this equation is liquids. As the dough sits, the sugar absorbs the liquid from the other ingredients. That allows the dough to dry out a bit, preventing spread while creating the right conditions for a crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside cookie. In addition to a seriously improved texture, this dryer dough also creates the perfect conditions for the flour to break down into simple carbohydrates, creating additional sugars and enhancing the cookie’s flavor.
Amish Sugar Cookies
These easy-to-make, old-fashioned Amish sugar cookies simply melt in your mouth! I've passed this recipe around to many friends. After I gave it to my sister, she entered the cookies in a local fair and won best of show. —Sylvia Ford, Kennett, Missouri
Go to Recipe
Vanilla-Butter Sugar CookiesThese butter sugar cookies are one of my favorite cookies to bake for Christmas. The dough recipe is versatile, so you can use it for other holidays, too. Children like to help with the cookie decorating. —Cynthia Ettel, Glencoe, Minnesota
Sugar CookiesThis sugar cookie dates back to a Swedish woman born in 1877! Her daughter, Esther Davis, shared the recipe with me and she came up with all the exact measurements, since the original cookies were mixed by feel and taste. These are my favorite cookies and I hope they'll become yours as well. —Helen Wallis, Vancouver, Washington
Nice 'n' Soft Sugar CookiesMy family’s all-time favorite Christmas cookie has had a million shapes over the years. Little ones have fun making their own icing designs. — Cathy Hall, Lyndhurst, Virginia
Cinnamon Sugar CookiesMy mom always had these cookies on hand. They're so good with a cup of hot chocolate, coffee or milk. —Leah Costigan, Otto, North Carolina
Angel Sugar CrispsWhenever I've taken this sugar crisp recipe to church coffees, I've had women come into the kitchen and request the recipe. You'll enjoy this sugar cookie's secret ingredient—brown sugar! —Annabel Cox, Olivet, South Dakota
Best-Ever Sugar CookiesWhat makes these cookies the best ever? A delicious cream cheese dough flavored with vanilla, almond and a hint of nutmeg that's wonderfully easy to work with. The adorable decorations don't hurt, either! —Christy Hinrichs, Parkville, Missouri
Lemon Sugar CookiesThese are my favorite sugar cookies. The lemon adds a unique flavor. They sure are good with coffee when company comes. —Eula Forbes, Wagoner, Oklahoma
Deluxe Sugar CookiesChristmas cutouts signal the holiday season. For variety, sprinkle half of the cookies with colored sugar before baking and frost the remaining ones after they're cooled.—Dawn Fagerstrom, Warren, Minnesota
Giant Lemon Sugar CookiesThese wonderfully chewy cookies have a light lemon flavor from both the juice and zest. The sanding sugar on top adds sparkle and a bit of crunch. —Michael Vyskocil, Glen Rock, Pennsylvania
Soft Sugar Cookie PuffsMy husband's Aunt Laurel always made these cake-like cookies with her own farm-fresh eggs, cream and butter. Now I prepare batches for Christmas each year. We like them because they're not overly sweet. —D. Elaine Rutschke, Spruce View, Alberta
Crisp Sugar CookiesMy grandmother always had sugar cookies in her pantry, and we grandchildren would empty that big jar quickly because they were the best! I now regularly bake these wonderful cookies to share with friends. —Evelyn Poteet, Hancock, Maryland
Thick Sugar CookiesThis thick and cakelike sugar cookie is similar to those sold at bakeries. My children often request these for their birthdays and are always happy to help decorate them. —Heather Biedler, Martinsburg, West Virginia
Walnut Sugar CookiesWhen we were growing up, my mother made sugar cookies dotted with ground walnuts as a special treat to welcome us home from school. —Debbie Miller, La Verne, California
Soft Sugar CookiesThese soft cookies are always a hit, so I often stir up a big batch. I usually add food coloring to the frosting to coordinate with the current holiday. —Coleen Walter, Bancroft, Michigan
Lindsay is a professional chef, recipe developer, writer and developmental editor. After years of working in restaurant kitchens, she turned to writing to share her skills and experience with home cooks and food enthusiasts. She's passionate about using local, organic ingredients and teaching others how to incorporate seasonal food into their diet. Lindsay still cooks professionally for pop-up events, writes for several publications and is the co-author of two books about Ayurveda.
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Updated: Mar. 20, 2019
