Greek Yogurt Cut Out Sugar Cookies
These slightly sweet, slightly tart Greek Yogurt Cookies are the BEST cut out sugar cookie recipe! Whether you’re making them for the holidays or need a solid sugar cookie recipe for any occasion, these cookies are great to make, decorate and share. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
We couldn’t finish off this week without a clasic sugar cookie recipe, right?
I won’t lie to y’all. I’m a big sugar cookie fan… but I’ve tried so many recipes that were simply too sweet for me.
This recipe strikes the perfect balance: a fluffy, slightly crunchy and slightly tart cookie, topped with colorful simple powdered sugar icing. (You could also use Easy Lemon Icing if you’re feeling fancy!)
Why I love this recipe:
I adapted this recipe from one my mom gave me that involves sour cream.
Let’s be clear: Greek yogurt doesn’t always work as a substitute for sour cream because the fat content is a lot lower… but it does something magical in this cookie dough.
The resulting cookies are tangy and light and have the softest crumb.
They’re a crowd-pleaser, simply put, and they are perfect to make for any kind of get together. (Especially if you’re hosting a Cookie Decorating Party.)
Also, this is one of my go-to recipes to spread holiday cheer because it’s simple and delicious.
Who could say no to decorated sugar cookies any time of year?
Other cut out cookie recipes we love: All-Butter Tea Cake Cookies / Chocolate Wafer Cookies with Mint Chocolate Ganache / Lemon Tea Cakes / Sweet Potato Sugar Cookies with Fluffy Marshmallow Icing / Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies | Chocolate Sugar Cookies
What you need to make this cookie recipe:
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- Glass bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Whisk
- Plastic wrap
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper or nonstick baking mat
- Wire cooling rack
- Rolling Pin
- Snowflake cookie cutters (or your favorite seasonally appropriate cookie cutters!)
- Sprinkles and colored sugar, for decorating
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
- Unsalted butter — we want the butter to be softened, so be sure to remove it from the fridge about 45 minutes before putting the dough together.
- Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this is the sweetener for our cut out sugar cookies. There is no substitute.
- Egg — this helps the cookie batter come together. We want it at room temperature.
- Pure vanilla extract — this will help the other ingredients sing. Use the real deal stuff and not the imitation kind.
- Greek yogurt — this is the “secret” ingredient to these incredible cookies. It adds a lovely tanginess to the dough and prevents the cookies from being too sweet. I like to use the full-fat variety, but the low fat kind works, too. Plain yogurt will be too runny, so please do not substitute it.
- All-purpose flour — we keep unbleached AP flour in our house, but the regular kind works, too. We have not attempted to make this recipe with gluten free flours or other substitutes.
- Baking soda — this is our leavener. Make sure yours is fresh.
- Sea salt — I like to use a fine grain salt in cookie recipes like this one. You could use the same size of kosher salt, too.
Frosting ideas for these cookies:
We love these with Easy Sugar Cookie Icing or Easy Lemon Icing, but they also pair nicely with Cream Cheese Frosting or Buttercream Frosting.
If you want the frosting to be colorful, you’ll need to invest in some good food coloring. I like gel coloring because it’s vibrantly colored and a little goes a long way.
How to make the BEST Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Greek yogurt
Make the sugar cookie dough
Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
You’ll want to beat them until they look airy and light yellow, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix them into the creamed butter-sugar mixture until incorporated.
This will smell amazing.
Next, add the Greek yogurt. Mix until combined and creamy and a very pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) together in another bowl. Whisk to combine.
Slowly, sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while mixing slowly until all have been incorporated.
It’s important to do this at a slow speed so that the flour mixture doesn’t fly out of the bowl!
Split the dough in half and place each half on a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap. Wrap tightly, then transfer to the refrigerator.
Chill the dough for at least an hour.
Cut out and bake the cookies
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats, and set aside.
Flour a flat surface in your kitchen. Place the dough round on the floured surface and add a sprinkling of flour on top of the dough.
Roll out the dough into a ¼-inch thickness with a floured rolling pin.
Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes, then transfer to the prepared parchment paper. Be sure to leave a little space between each cookie.
After cutting out a round of cookies, form the cookie dough scraps into a ball and re-roll. You might need to add more flour to the surface and dough to prevent it from sticking.
Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, or until the cookies have risen slightly and are a very pale golden brown.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on wire racks, then frost with your favorite sugar cookie icing. (This Easy Sugar Cookie Icing is our family favorite. This Easy Royal Icing recipe would also be fabulous.)
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Sugar cookie recipes like these are fabulous for sharing and entertaining.
If you’re hosting a Cookie Decorating Party (or a cookie swap party with a cookie decorating element), this cookie base is a wonderful one because it makes a lot of cookies, comes together quickly and is well-liked.
Here are some tips to entertaining with these:
- Double the recipe. If you’re hosting a lot of people, have extra cookies! (And if you have too much cookie dough, simply wrap up the leftovers tight and freeze it in discs!)
- Bake ’em early. Whenever we are making these for a party, our girls and I will make the dough two days in advance and bake off the cookies the day before we see our friends. This way, they’re ready for decorating!
- If you want guests to participate in the baking, make smaller rounds of dough and let everyone have one of their own to roll and cut out. Be sure to have several rolling pins and cookie cutters for guests to choose from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chill the dough before rolling it out, and when you’re rolling it out, work quickly so the dough remains cold before baking!
I like a thinner cut-out sugar cookie because otherwise, you run the risk of the cookies not baking all the way through before they start to brown. I’ve found 1/4 inch thickness is perfect.
These cut-out sugar cookies are different than drop sugar cookies because they need to be rolled out with a rolling pin and then cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Drop Sugar Cookies are simply mixed and dropped into rounds on the baking sheet before baking.
The edges will have firmed up and the dough will be a pale golden brown.
Yes. Since this is NOT a no chill sugar cookie dough, it needs to be chilled for at least an hour before rolling and cutting.
Working quickly and using cold sugar cookie dough will prevent them from spreading. If your cookie dough gets too warm while you’re rolling it out and cutting it, you can pop the baking sheet into the fridge or freezer for 10-20 minutes before baking to prevent them from spreading.
Quick tips and tricks for the best soft cut out sugar cookies
- Make a batch… and share ’em! My family has made these simple sugar cookies for years. They’re perfect for Christmas, Easter, July 4th, birthday parties and more.
- This cookie dough can be frozen in discs for up to 4 months! Just be sure you wrap it tightly before popping it into the freezer. When you want to use it, let it defrost in the fridge, then roll and bake as instructed.
- Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. If storing after icing them, place a sheet of wax paper between each to prevent them from smudging or sticking to each other.
More sugar cookie recipes to try:
Here’s how you can make these…
Greek Yogurt Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ unsalted butter 113g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 5g
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 140g
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour 420g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 8g
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 3g
Equipment
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Instructions
Make the Dough
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Beat the ingredients together until airy and light yellow, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat them into the creamed butter-sugar mixture until incorporated.
- Next, add the Greek yogurt. Mix until combined and creamy and a very pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
- Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) together in another bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Slowly, sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until all have been incorporated. Turn the blender on the lowest setting to mix them in.
- Split the dough in half and place each half on a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap. Wrap tightly, then transfer to the refrigerator.
- Chill the dough for at least an hour.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats, and set aside.
- Flour a flat surface in your kitchen. Place the dough round on the floured surface and add a sprinkling of flour on top of the dough.
- Roll out the dough into a ¼" thickness with a floured rolling pin.
- Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes, then transfer to the prepared parchment paper. Be sure to leave a little space between each cookie.
- After cutting out a round of cookies, form the cookie dough scraps into a ball and re-roll. You might need to add more flour to the surface and dough to prevent it from sticking.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, or until the cookies have risen slightly and are a very pale golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely, then ice with your favorite sugar cookie icing.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
Hi! Would it be possible to use butter in these, or is the vegetable shortening key to consistency?
Thanks!
Butter TOTALLY works as a substitute here, Sarah, and I’ve been using solely butter for the last few years. (This recipe is ooooold and adapted from my Tea Cake Cookies, which originally called for shortening.) Let me know what you think of these! They’re some of our favorites for the holidays!
This is possibly the most unpleasant “cookie” i’ve ever made, i owned a bakery for many years so i have tested hundreds of recipes in my life. The texture and taste of these is awful, like dough, and they also puff up like dough. Please save yourself some time and ingredients and make a regular sugar cookie without yogurt.
Hi there. Thanks for your comment. I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t work for you. We make these cookies every Christmas and Easter, and it’s one of our family favorites to make with the kids. We use whole milk Greek yogurt, and they have never turned out doughy in our kitchen.