This classic Joanna Gaines Sugar Cookies Recipe is a tender and buttery drop-style cookie, which uses pantry staples like white sugar and vanilla extract. It’s a straightforward, no-fuss recipe, perfect for baking with kids without the need for rolling pins or cookie cutters.
Joanna Gaines Sugar Cookies Ingredients
The Dry Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour: The structural base. Spoon and level it to avoid heavy cookies.
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda: Helps the cookies spread and brown.
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder: Provides the lift to keep them pillowy.
The Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup Butter, softened: Essential for that rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavor. It must be at room temperature to cream properly.
- 1 1/2 cups White Sugar: Provides the classic sweet flavor and crisp edges.
- 1 Large Egg: Binds the dough together.
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract: The primary flavor aromatic.

How To Make Joanna Gaines Sugar Cookies
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Get your ungreased baking sheets ready.
- Whisk Dry Mix: In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder until well combined.
- Cream Butter: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the white sugar and softened butter together until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- Add Liquids: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Combine: Gradually blend the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix just until no white streaks remain.
- Shape: Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls (about 1.5 tablespoons each). Place them 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The edges should be just golden, but the centers might still look slightly soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets briefly (about 2 minutes) to set, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Tips
- Drop vs. Cutout: It is important to note that this is a drop sugar cookie recipe (rolled into balls), not a rollout dough for cookie cutters. The leavening agents (soda and powder) cause these to spread and puff, so they won’t hold intricate shapes.
- The “Ungreased” Sheet: The recipe specifies ungreased sheets for a reason. The dough has plenty of butter; if you grease the pan, the cookies will spread too fast and become thin and greasy. The friction of a dry pan helps them hold their shape.
- Walnut Sizing: “Walnut-sized” ensures the cookies bake evenly in the 8-10 minute window. If you make them golf-ball sized, they will be raw in the middle when the edges brown.
- Festive Twist: While the recipe calls for plain dough balls, you can roll the raw balls in colored sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking for a holiday look without needing frosting.
What To Serve With Joanna Gaines Sugar Cookies
- Buttercream Frosting: These plain cookies are the perfect canvas for a swirl of pink or white buttercream.
- Coffee: A simple vanilla cookie pairs well with black coffee.
- Milk: Essential for dipping.
- Fruit Salad: A light dessert accompaniment.

How To Store Joanna Gaines Sugar Cookies
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They tend to stay soft.
- Freezing: These cookies freeze beautifully. You can freeze the baked cookies for 3 months, or freeze the raw dough balls and bake them fresh (add 2 minutes to bake time).
Joanna Gaines Sugar Cookies Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 90 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fat: 4g
- Protein: 1g
- Sugar: 6g
Nutrition information is estimated per cookie (yields 48).
FAQs
No. This dough is too soft and will spread in the oven. For cookie cutters, you need a recipe with less leavening and a chilling step.
This recipe uses both baking soda and baking powder, which creates a lighter, puffier cookie than dense shortbread. This is the intended texture for this style.
Yes. If your kitchen is hot or the dough feels sticky, chilling it for 30 minutes makes rolling the balls easier and results in a slightly thicker cookie.
Try More Recipes:
- Joanna Gaines Lemon Tea Cookies Recipe
- Joanna Gaines Almond Cookies Recipe
- Joanna Gaines Ranger Cookies Recipe
Joanna Gaines Sugar Cookies Recipe
Description
A classic, soft-baked drop sugar cookie that comes together in one bowl without the need for chilling or rolling pins.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Cream butter and sugar until smooth.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Blend in dry ingredients.
- Roll into walnut-sized balls.
- Place on ungreased sheets.
- Bake 8-10 mins until edges golden.
- Cool on rack.
Notes
- Do not grease the baking sheet.
- This is a drop cookie, not for cutouts.
- Roll in sugar before baking for extra crunch.
