High Altitude Cutout Sugar Cookie with Icing Recipe

These perfect high altitude cutout sugar cookies will keep their shape and produce a perfect golden brown cookie every time. The cookies are chewy, soft, and perfectly sweet. Add your own personalized touch by decorating with icing for any event or holiday.

Check out these other HIGH ALTITUDE COOKIE RECIPES: Pecan Tassies with cream cheese crust, No Bake Cookies with peanut butter and chocolate, soft and chewy Monster Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, soft Snickerdoodle Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies, soft Oatmeal Cookies, and the BEST high altitude Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The first time I made my cutout sugar cookie recipe in Colorado the cookies turned into unrecognizable shapes. Typically cookie recipes for lower altitudes have increased sugar, so recipe adjustments have to be made from the original recipe for high altitude cookies. I have made the changes for a perfect sugar cookie recipe for baking at a higher altitude.

These delicious soft and chewy sugar cookies are perfect for any holiday baking: Valentine’s Day cookies, birthday sugar cookies, and of course Christmas cookies.

This High Altitude Sugar Cookie recipe is made at 8,000 feet elevation. To adjust the recipe for other elevations check out High Altitude Baking Adjustments.

Recommended tools:

Large bowl or stand up mixer – I prefer to use my stand up mixer for this cookie recipe because I find it is the fastest way to cream the butter and sugar

Measuring cups and spoons

Airtight container or plastic wrap – the cookie dough will need to be covered and chilled in the refrigerator

Rolling pin – I use my trusty wood rolling pin for anything that requires rolling out. If you have little helpers like I do, then check out the awesome kid-size rolling pins below.

Cookie cutters – there are amazing cookie cutters for every occasion

Baking sheet – I love my extra large baking sheets for baking lots of cookies at one time! They cook evenly for all the baked goods I make

Silicone baking mat or parchment paper – these are OPTIONAL but I find it the easiest way to bake cookies evenly and remove them from the cookie sheet pan

Medium bowl – to mix up the icing. I love my set of mixing bowls, it has every size that you will ever need for baking and cooking. Ingredients:

Sugar Cookie & Frosting Ingredients:

High Altitude Sugar Cookies

Butter – use unsalted butter that is room temperature

White sugar – the perfect amount for a kiss of sweetness

Egg – one large egg to help hold the dough together

Flour – use all purpose flour

Salt – helps balance the sweetness

Baking powder – just the right amount of leavening for a fluffy cookie

Milk – I always use whole milk for my baking to add a little extra richness

Vanilla extract – in my humble opinion, you can never have too much vanilla

Frosting

Butter – use unsalted butter that is room temperature

Salt – helps balance the sweetness

Powdered sugar – the base for the perfect icing

Milk – I always use whole milk for an extra richness and creaminess

Vanilla extract – for the perfect kiss of flavor

Food coloring – add food coloring for extra fun

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

How to make sugar cookies:

1. Mix the ingredients together

Add the butter and sugar and mix.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low speed until the dough is combined.

2. Chill the dough

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours in an airtight container or tightly covered in plastic wrap.

3. Roll out the cookie dough

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the chilled cookie dough on a clean surface that is lightly floured. Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Use your cookie cutters to make the shapes. Place the cookies on a cooled baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

4. Bake and cool

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. Place the baked cookies on a cooling rack.

5. Mix the icing

Mix all the ingredients together except the milk. Slowly add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add just enough milk to make the icing the right consistency. Add a few drops of food coloring.

Tip: use a muffin tin to divide the icing for several different colors

6. Frost the cookies & enjoy

Allow the cookies to cool completely. Have fun and frost the cookies. Enjoy!

Happy baking!

Tips for the perfect sugar cookie:

The right amount of flour – the right amount of flour can differ based on humidity, the temperature, and the way you scoop or measure it. Sugar cookies need the right amount of flour to prevent the cookies from spreading. After mixing and chilling the dough, add a small amount of flour while rolling the dough to prevent it from sticking to your hands, the rolling pin, and counter.

Room temperature butter – butter that is at room temperature will mix with the sugar easier. Leave the butter out overnight or pour boiling water in a glass, dump the water out, then place the glass over the stick of butter for room temperature butter. Hot, melted butter will make the dough too sticky.

Chill the dough – Chilling the dough is a crucial step for cutout sugar cookies. Sugar cookie dough needs to be chilled for 1-2 hours to allow the butter to chill and the flour to fully hydrate. Firm, chilled dough helps the cookies to hold their shape and not spread.

Don’t grease the baking sheets – don’t use cooking spray or butter on a baking sheet. This creates a slippery surface that can cause the sugar cookies to spread. Use a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat on the baking sheet to help prevent the cookie from spreading.

Don’t use warm baking sheets – always allow the cookie sheets to cool down before placing cooking dough on it. Warm baking sheets can cause the sugar cookies to spread.

FAQs:

What thickness should sugar cookies be?

Roll the chilled sugar cookie dough to 1/4″ thick for the perfect soft and chewy cookie.

How long can you freeze sugar cookie dough?

Place the sugar cookie dough in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the cookie dough to thaw overnight then roll out and bake as directed.

How long does sugar cookie dough last in the refrigerator?

Place the sugar cookie dough in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How long does sugar cookie dough need to chill?

Sugar cookie dough should be chilled in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours in an airtight container or tightly covered in plastic wrap.

How long do sugar cookies last?

Sugar cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies should be eaten within 7 days or placed in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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Try out these other high altitude recipes!

High Altitude Breakfast Recipes

• Blueberry Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
• Blueberry Muffins
• Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Waffles with Dairy Free Option
• Easy Crepes with Dairy Free Option
• Fluffy Pancakes
• Dutch Baby Pancake

High Altitude Bread Recipes

• Cornbread
• No-Knead Artisan Bread
• Fail-Proof Flaky Biscuits
• Soft & Fluffy Dinner Rolls
• Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
• Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips
• Banana Bread

High Altitude Dessert Recipes

• Blueberry Pie with Frozen Berries
• Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
• Fresh Peach Pie
• Apple Pie with Cream
• Fresh Strawberry Pie – No Bake
• Pecan Pie
• Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Texas Sheet Cake with Frosting
• Chocolate Fudge Cake
• Oreo Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

If you make these delicious High Altitude Sugar Cookies, leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out.