Favorite Soft Vanilla Cookies Recipe

Light and delicious soft Vanilla Cookie Recipe topped with sugar is a burst of tasty goodness in every bite. Soft pillow sugar cookies are a winning recipe.

Finding the perfect cookie can be tough. There are so many flavors and more importantly textures of a perfect cookie too.

Vanilla drop cookies are cloud like. Soft and fluffy in every bite. Loaded with pure vanilla extract and topped with coarse sugar makes this a winning recipe.

In fact, this recipe is so easy to make, I've adapted it in so many ways. Take a look at these Neapolitan Cookies which are a fan favorite here on Best Cookie Recipes.

They look just like a delicious scoop of Neapolitan Ice Cream, don't you think?

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I've also used this recipe when making Almond Cookies or these fun Watermelon Cookies too. They always make people smile.

The recipe is so good, you have to give it a try. When you do make sure to tag @bestcookierecipes so I can see those photos too!

Shopping List for Basic Sugar Cookie Recipes

Dry Ingredients. All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Cream of Tartar, Granulated Sugar, Powdered Sugar

Wet Ingredients. Egg, Butter, Vegetable Oil, Vanilla Extract

Other Ingredients. Coarse Sugar

How to make Vanilla Sugar Cookies

I often feel like a broken recipe when I explain the importance of using softened butter and room temperature eggs. But it's just so true.

Baking is truly a science and the proper measurements are key to making the perfect and Best Cookie Recipes ever! Follow my tips and tricks to make these wonderful Vanilla Cookies.

In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and granulated sugar. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Mixture will be light and fluffy.

Mix in egg and vanilla extract before adding vegetable oil and powdered sugar. Then continue to cream together for an additional 2-3 minutes.

This is the base for making these light and fluffy cookies.

Gradually add the remaining dry ingredients until combined. I love that you do not need to chill this cookie dough. Just scoop and bake.

I like to use a medium cookie scoop size #50 and press top into coarse sugar. Place vanilla cookie dough on lined baking sheets with parchment paper and set oven to 350 degrees.

Cookies are done when edges are set. Do not over bake this recipe. Cookies will continue cooking on hot baking sheet for a minute more before moving cookies to a rack to cool.

Tops of cookies sparkle with the coarse sugar and it's the best burst of flavor!

Pro Tips

Preheat Oven. A preheated oven is best when baking a chewy and soft cookie.

Room Temperature Ingredients. Softened Butter and room temperature egg are a must when baking.

Cookie Sheets. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use baking spray

Cookie Dough. Chilling the dough is not necessary with this recipe.

Cookie Scoop. Using a cookie scoop keeps cookies a uniform size for baking perfect cookies. I've used a size #50 cookie scoop in these photos.

Favorite Kitchen Supplies

• Kitchen Scale. I use this for accuracy in measuring and it's a life saver when it comes to consistent baking
• Wire Rack for cooling cookies. I like to have at least 2 cooling racks
• Mixing Bowls. A Large Mixing Bowl for mixing ingredients and small and medium mixing bowls for other ingredients
• Cookie Sheet. Most recipes will take 2 batches to bake. It's great to have multiple baking sheets available
• Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat. Line Cookie Sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up and to prevent sticking.
• Cookie Scoop. A small #60 Cookie Scoop or a Medium Cookie Scoop #50 are great choices for uniform drops of cookie dough.
• Storage Container. An Airtight Container to store cookies or ZipLoc Bags work great too.
• Additional supplies. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons along with silicone spatula are all helpful

Best Vanilla Cookies

Here at Best Cookie Recipes we pride ourselves on sharing nothing but the best. Which isn't always easy. We know that everyone has their favorite type of cookie from Soft and Chewy to Crispy and delicious.

This recipe is loaded with Vanilla flavor and they will bake up soft and chewy on the inside with the outside just a little crispy. The texture only enhances the overall appeal to these delicious cookies

As far as undecorated sugar cookies go, this is a keeper recipe too. There is not need to add anything to this perfect recipe.

How to Measure Flour

I'm often asked how is the BEST way to measure ingredients. Hands down the best is to use a kitchen scale. But I recognize that not everyone has a scale.

Follow these tips on how to fluff, scoop and level ingredients for the most accurate measurements without a kitchen scale.

For flour, it's best to fluff it by by taking a large spoon to the flour and giving it a stir to add air into it. Flour easily settles which packs it down. By adding air it's fluffed up making for better measurements.

Next carefully scoop the flour with a spoon and place it into a measuring cup. Fill the cup until it's overflowing then level off the top.

Do not shake or tap measuring cup. It will compress the flour and ultimately you will end up with too much flour for the recipe needed.

	Volume	Ounces	Grams
All Purpose Flour	1 Cup	4½ Ounces	120 Grams
Bread Flour	1 Cup	4½ Ounces	120 Grams
Granulated Sugar	1 Cup	7 Ounces	200 Grams
Brown Sugar	1 Cup	7½ Ounces	213 Grams
Confectionary Sugar	1 Cup	4 Ounces	113 Grams

Of course not all dry ingredients are as easy to measure. Brown Sugar is typically packed down firm in a measuring cup which completely goes against how to measure flour.

Learn how to measure ingredients is a must and to avoid dry hard and crumbly cookies.

More Drop Cookies to Try

• Unicorn Poop Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar
• Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (Little Miss Favorite recipe)