I'm here to prove to you that sugar cookies don't have to be flavorless and boring. These drop-style small batch sugar cookies are super chewy, buttery, and have a nice pop of vanilla bean. Even better, they're made with melted butter so you don't even need a mixer. Just whisk, scoop, & bake!
I'm honestly not a huge fast food person but I go absolutely feral over a McDonald's sugar cookie. Don't @ me on this. They're so good. When I was a kid, my mom always got us a bag of warm cookies in the drive thru and they wouldn't even make it out of the car. McFlurries get all the glory, but the sugar cookies give me life.
I also went through a phase when I was in pastry school where I tried to recreate the recipe but I never quite got there. Something was always missing. Maybe it was the centers that have a borderline Play-Doh texture. Or maybe they were just missing the childhood nostalgia.
But recently, I went back to the drawing board, and tbh, I didn't quite get the McDonald's vibes. But what I did get is so much better. These cookies are super chewy, perfectly buttery, and the vanilla bean paste really takes them over the top. They've officially made my must-bake list along with these brown butter small batch chocolate chip cookies or my classic SB peanut butter cookies.
P.S. These cookies are also a great replacement for my small batch snickerdoodles if you don't have cream of tartar! Just add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the sugar when you roll the cookie dough balls.
We're using melted butter
The best part of this recipe is that we're using melted unsalted butter so you don't need a mixer or any special tools. Just make sure that you let the butter cool before you mix up the dough. Since this is a no-chill recipe, it's important to make the dough as firm as possible.
Other than that, you'll just need granulated sugar, an egg yolk, vanilla bean paste, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and Kosher salt. If you don't have vanilla bean paste, feel free to use extract instead!
Step-by-step directions
For extra-thick cookies, use the 'scoot' method. Pick a round object that's just a little bigger than your cookies - I use a biscuit cutter or ramekin! Right when the pan comes out of the oven, place the round object over each cookie and move your wrist in a fast circular motion to round out the cookies and make them thicker.
Decorate with sanding sugar
If you want to make these cookies more festive, try some pretty sanding sugar instead of granulated sugar! You can use green + red for Christmas, black + orange for Halloween, pastel colors for Easter, or whatever else you like.
I haven't tried these with other sprinkles (like jimmies) but I think it would work ok! You just won't end up with those crunchy edges.
Make-ahead cookie dough
You can make the cookie dough up to 2 days in advance. Scoop the dough, place the cookie dough balls on a sheet pan, cover, & refrigerate.
Don't roll the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar until you're ready to bake the cookies! The sugar will just melt off in the fridge.
How to store & freeze
- Store - place the cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temp for 1-2 days. Just a head's up, since these cookies don't have brown sugar, they get hard faster!
- Freeze the baked cookies - place the cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag lined with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freeze the cookie dough - freeze the cookie dough balls for 1-2 hours, until solid. Store them in an airtight container or zipper bag lined with parchment paper & freeze for up to 3 months. No need to defrost before baking, just add 1-2 minutes to the bake time!
When it comes to small batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. Just a small amount of flour can make or break an entire recipe. But if you don't have a scale, use the fluff, spoon, & level method to measure flour, cocoa, & other dry ingredients. Here is a whole guide on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking!
If you try this recipe, I would love if you left a star rating and review. I read every comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thanks so much for supporting Midnight Bake Club!
The Best Small Batch Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- #20 cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 42 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled (3 Tablespoons)
- 90 grams granulated sugar, divided (⅓ cup + 2 Tablespoons)
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 60 grams all-purpose flour (½ cup)
- 5 grams cornstarch (½ Tablespoon)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine the cooled, melted butter and 66 grams (⅓ cup) of granulated sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until the mixture is thick and lightened in color, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla bean paste or extract until smooth.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and Kosher salt to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the cookie dough just until it comes together and there are no more streaks of flour. The dough will be a little soft.
- Add the remaining 24 grams (2 Tablespoons) of granulated sugar to a small, shallow bowl. Using a #20 cookie scoop (3 Tablespoons), scoop the cookie dough into 6 balls. Carefully roll the cookie dough balls in the granulated sugar and place them 2-3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still a bit under-done. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely and enjoy!
Ashley Minor says
Perfect sugar cookie! I love the strong vanilla flavor with the crunchy exterior and chewy center.
The recipe worked well with gluten feee flour.
Sara Hunt-Broka says
Thank you so much, Ashley! Good to know about the GF flour. 🙂 So glad you liked the recipe!