Soft Chewy Vanilla Cookies Recipe
Making these soft and chewy vanilla cookies is a breeze, using basic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
These cookies boast a crispy edge that gives way to a tender, chewy center. They’re perfect for pairing with a chilled glass of milk or your favorite warm drink, like tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.
For a festive touch, roll the cookie dough in sugar before baking to create sparkling treats that are great for the holiday season.
Recipe Testing
When I started working on a vanilla cookie recipe, I aimed to make it as simple as possible. I wanted soft cookies in the middle with a crispy edge—a perfect balance of texture and flavor.
Getting it right wasn’t easy, though. It took me about five or six tries (I lost track) before I finally landed on a version I was satisfied with. There were moments I felt like giving up, but then I decided to adjust my ginger biscuit recipe for one last attempt.
That ended up being the foundation for this recipe. The key changes were increasing the sugar and reducing the flour, which helped achieve the ideal texture and taste.
The secret to these cookies lies in the balance between butter, sugar, and flour.
If you’re wondering, no—you can’t cut back on the sugar in this recipe. Doing so will alter the cookies’ texture and flavor. However, if you prefer, you can skip rolling them in sugar before baking.
Another challenge I faced was the flavor. My earlier attempts had a slightly eggy taste, which I didn’t like. After some thought, I realized the problem might be the vanilla I was using.
For the final batch, I switched to Queen Natural Vanilla Paste, and it made a noticeable difference in the taste—for me, at least.
If you’re trying this recipe, I’d highly recommend using a high-quality vanilla extract or paste. With so few ingredients, the flavor of the vanilla really stands out and makes a big difference in the final result.
Ingredients
Here are notes on the ingredients I used in the recipe.
Plain flour, also known as all-purpose flour, usually has a protein content ranging from 9.5% to 12%. For making cakes, you can swap it with cake flour for better results. When using cups to measure, fluff the flour first, spoon it into the cup, and level it off for accuracy.
White sugar, often called granulated or caster sugar, provides sweetness without adding much to the flavor. In this recipe, sugar doesn’t just sweeten—it also plays a key role in making the cookie chewy and giving it the right texture.
Vanilla extract is essential for boosting the overall flavor of the recipe. It works best in desserts with eggs. Whether you use a paste or liquid form, try to pick the best vanilla you can get.
Eggs act as the glue that holds the cookie together. I typically use size 6 eggs, which are medium-sized in the US and Europe but labeled large in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.
Baking soda helps the cookie spread out while baking. It also supports the dough’s structure before the eggs cook and contributes to the cookie’s golden color.
Butter adds richness, softness, and moisture to the cookie, and sometimes it even helps with leavening. I prefer using New Zealand butter, which has about 82% butterfat and a rich yellow color, similar to European or Irish butter. Butter spreads or margarine spreads won’t work well here, but baking margarine can be a good substitute.
Step-By-Step Vanilla Cookies Instructions
First, heat your oven to 180°C (355°F). Get two big baking trays and cover them with baking paper or silicone mats.
Take a big bowl and mix the butter (make sure it’s soft) with the sugar. Keep mixing for about 3 to 5 minutes until it’s smooth. If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment for this and scrape the sides of the bowl often.
Next, add the egg (at room temperature) and vanilla. Mix everything well until it looks fluffy. This should take around 2 to 3 minutes.
In a smaller bowl, stir the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Add half of this dry mix to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Then, add the rest and mix until you get a soft dough. If the dough gets too thick for your mixer, use your hands to finish combining everything.
Scoop out small amounts of dough (about 1 tablespoon each) and roll them into balls. If you like, roll the balls in some sugar before placing them on the tray. Leave some space between them, about 2.5 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies turn light golden. For me, 10 minutes was just right.
If you want bigger cookies, use 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and bake them for about 15 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on the tray for at least 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. This helps them set properly. You can even gently shape the edges with a large cookie cutter while they’re still warm for that perfect look.
Repeat the scooping, rolling, and baking steps until all the dough is used.
Finally, enjoy your soft vanilla cookies with a glass of milk or a cup of tea!
Tips for This Recipe
Start with ingredients at room temperature.
I like to cut the butter into smaller pieces and leave it out for about 30 minutes to soften. If it’s still firm, I warm it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time until it’s just soft enough to use.
For cold eggs, placing them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water helps bring them to room temperature quickly.
Make sure the oven is fully preheated while the cookie dough is chilling in the fridge.
Chilling is important because melted butter is used in this recipe. Skipping this step might cause the cookies to spread too much on the baking tray.
If you’re using a fan-assisted oven, convection setting, or air fryer, lower the temperature by 20°C or 25°F.
Keep in mind that ovens vary, so you might need to tweak the baking time to suit yours.
Using an oven thermometer can help you get more accurate results.
Storage and Freezing
You can keep these cookies fresh for about a week if you store them in a tightly sealed container. If you want to save baked cookies for later, you can freeze them, and they’ll stay good for up to three months.
For cookie dough, scoop out portions before freezing. When you’re ready to bake, you can put the frozen dough straight in the oven and follow the recipe as usual.
Rate & Review
If you tried this recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Your feedback is really helpful for both me and my readers. A 5-star rating would be much appreciated.
Recipe Card
Vanilla Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Stand Mixer OR
- Electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter
- 1½ cups white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups plain flour
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets/baking trays with parchment paper/baking paper or reusable silicon mats.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the room-temperature butter and white sugar. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes. If using a stand mixer, cream together using a paddle attachment. Regularly scrape down the sides of the bowl. *Note 32 sticks butter, 1½ cups white granulated sugar
- Add in the room temperature egg and vanilla extract. Beat together until fully combined, light and fluffy. This will take about 2-3 minutes.1 egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix in until combined. Then add in the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms. If using a hand mixer or stand mixer, this will most likely need to be finished by hand. Give the dough a few kneads in the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are fully combined.2¼ cups plain flour, ½ teaspoon table salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Portion out the cookie dough using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring spoon. Roll the dough into balls.
- Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar (optional extra and can be skipped) and place them on a large baking sheet approximately 2.5 inches or 7cm apart. Bake in a preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, or until the cookies are a light golden brown. Mine were done at 10 minutes. *Note 4&5
- Allow the baked biscuits or cookies to cool on the baking tray for at least 5 minutes before gently lifting them onto a wired rack with a spatula. Allow them to cool completely. *Note 6
- Continue with steps 5 through 7 until all the dough has been portioned and baked.
- Enjoy these soft vanilla cookies with a glass of milk, or a cup of tea.
Notes
- 225 grams of butter is equal to two sticks and is slightly less than 1 metric cup.
- New Zealand size 6 eggs are around the same size as an Australian/South African Large or a US/European medium.
- Room temperature butter should have some give when poked or squeezed.
- for larger cookies, use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons of dough. These cookies will need to be baked for 15 minutes.
- The 1 tablespoon sized cookie dough will result in cookies about 7cm (2.5 inches) across, and 2 tablespoon sized cookie will result in cookies about 9cm (3.5cm)
- For a perfect biscuit, scoot around the edges of the hot cookies with a large cookie cutter. Then allow to cool completely.
