Soft Amish-style sugar cookies made with butter, oil and two sugars for a fine melt-away crumb.
The feature to preserve is the shaping: Scoop twenty-four 2-tablespoon portions, about 30 g each, and place 2 inches apart. Leave soft mounds rounded; do not knead in extra flour.
Before mixing, measure without packing the flour. Butter and oil work together in this recipe. Omitting the oil removes a significant part of the fat and makes a dry dough; use a separate all-butter recipe instead.
Use the observable baking cues as well as the timer. Allow the crumb to cool before packing; the texture continues to settle after the tray leaves the oven.
Amish Sugar Cookies
Per tray: 8–10 minutes · 2 batches, about 12 pieces per 13 × 18-inch half-sheet pan.
Allow about 70 minutes: 25 hands-on, 0 required chilling, 20 baking all batches sequentially, 25 cooling including pan rest, and 0 finishing/set time. Preheat during preparation or final chilling. Extra trays and optional decoration add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale or US measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl and silicone spatula
- Electric hand mixer
- 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- 1-tablespoon cookie scoop
Soft Amish-style sugar cookies made with butter, oil and two sugars for a fine melt-away crumb.
Ingredients
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches. Keep piece size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Cookie dough
Instructions
Mixing
- Make the doughWhisk flour, soda and cream of tartar. Cream butter, oil and both sugars until lighter, beat in egg and vanilla, then mix in dry ingredients in three additions.
Thermal management
- Prepare for shapingNo chilling is scheduled. Prepare the pans and preheat during mixing. Keep the dough away from a warm oven.
Shaping
- Shape the batchScoop twenty-four 2-tablespoon portions, about 30 g each, and place 2 inches apart. Leave soft mounds rounded; do not knead in extra flour.
Baking
- Bake to the right textureHeat a conventional oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake on the center rack for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers have lost their wet shine. Keep the tops lightly colored. Use cool pans for later trays.
Cooling
- Cool before servingCool completely on the baking sheet about 25 minutes. Warm centers are delicate and firm as they cool.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Keep both fats
Butter and oil work together in this recipe. Omitting the oil removes a significant part of the fat and makes a dry dough; use a separate all-butter recipe instead.
Shape with purpose
Scoop twenty-four 2-tablespoon portions, about 30 g each, and place 2 inches apart. Leave soft mounds rounded; do not knead in extra flour. Bake similar-sized pieces together.
Serving and texture
Soft Amish-style sugar cookies made with butter, oil and two sugars for a fine melt-away crumb. Let the crumb cool fully before judging texture; pack only once the finish has set.
Storage & Make-Ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 3–4 days | Cool completely and seal in an airtight container. Keep unfrosted cookies separate from moist or strongly flavored treats. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Cover raw dough tightly. Refrigerating plain baked cookies is unnecessary and can dry them; let chilled dough become workable before shaping. |
| Freeze raw | Up to 2 months | Freeze portioned dough balls on a tray, then seal in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, allowing extra time and checking for a set center. |
| Freeze baked | Up to 2 months | Freeze fully cooled, plain cookies in a sealed container with parchment between layers. |
| Restore | 30–60 minutes | Thaw baked cookies in their closed container at room temperature. For a freshly warmed plain cookie, use a 300°F oven for 2–3 minutes; cool briefly before serving. |
Notes
- US measures are shown first; gram weights help avoid packed flour. Spice weights are approximate: use measuring spoons for small quantities. Egg weights exclude shells. Temperatures are for a conventional oven.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 24; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A few helpful answers before you bake.
Can I omit the oil?
Butter and oil work together in this recipe. Omitting the oil removes a significant part of the fat and makes a dry dough; use a separate all-butter recipe instead.
What makes amish sugar cookies different?
Soft Amish-style sugar cookies made with butter, oil and two sugars for a fine melt-away crumb. Keep both fats. Follow the specified technique rather than substituting the shaping method from a different sugar-cookie recipe.
Can I make amish sugar cookies ahead?
Prepare with the storage instructions below. Cool completely before sealing, and keep the stated piece size when baking refrigerated or frozen dough.
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