Chewy vanilla sugar cookies made with fruity olive oil instead of butter.
The feature to preserve is the shaping: Shape rounded tablespoon portions into balls and arrange 2 inches apart on parchment. Keep portions similar in size; smaller cookies bake sooner.
Before mixing, measure without packing the flour. Olive-oil flavor stays noticeable in these cookies. Choose a mild fruity oil you enjoy tasting; intensely bitter oil can dominate the vanilla. This formula is balanced for liquid oil, not melted butter.
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.
Olive Oil Sugar Cookies
Per tray: 8–10 minutes · 3 batches, about 12 pieces per 13 × 18-inch half-sheet pan.
Allow about 75 minutes: 25 hands-on, 0 required chilling, 30 baking all batches sequentially, 20 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
- US measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl and silicone spatula
- 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- 1-tablespoon cookie scoop
- Whisk
Chewy vanilla sugar cookies made with fruity olive oil instead of butter.
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, sugar, leaveners and salt. Combine eggs, olive oil, vanilla and the measured water separately, then stir into the dry mixture until cohesive. Add the optional extra water only if needed.
Thermal management
- Prepare for shapingNo chilling is scheduled. Let the measured water incorporate gradually; add the second tablespoon only if the dough is too dry to hold a ball. Oil does not firm in the refrigerator like butter.
Shaping
- Shape the batchShape rounded tablespoon portions into balls and arrange 2 inches apart on parchment. Keep portions similar in size; smaller cookies bake sooner.
Baking
- Bake to the right texturePreheat to 350°F (175°C). Bake on the center rack for 8–10 minutes. Edges should be set and only lightly colored; centers must lose their wet sheen. Use cool pans for subsequent trays.
Cooling
- Cool before servingRest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack. Allow about 20 minutes total cooling before storing; the center firms as steam escapes.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Choose mild fruity oil
Olive-oil flavor stays noticeable in these cookies. Choose a mild fruity oil you enjoy tasting; intensely bitter oil can dominate the vanilla. This formula is balanced for liquid oil, not melted butter.
Shape with purpose
Shape rounded tablespoon portions into balls and arrange 2 inches apart on parchment. Keep portions similar in size; smaller cookies bake sooner. Bake similar-sized pieces together.
Serving and texture
Chewy vanilla sugar cookies made with fruity olive oil instead of butter. 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 36; 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 use a very bitter olive oil?
Olive-oil flavor stays noticeable in these cookies. Choose a mild fruity oil you enjoy tasting; intensely bitter oil can dominate the vanilla. This formula is balanced for liquid oil, not melted butter.
What makes olive oil sugar cookies different?
Chewy vanilla sugar cookies made with fruity olive oil instead of butter. Choose mild fruity oil. Follow the specified technique rather than substituting the shaping method from a different sugar-cookie recipe.
Can I make olive oil 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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