Description

These Mini Sugar Cookies are soft, chewy, and perfectly sweet, coated with a sparkling sugar crust that adds a delightful crunch. Made with a blend of butter and oil for moist texture and flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, they bake up quickly at 350°F, making them a convenient and delicious treat for any occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
½ cup (115g) granulated sugar
½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
½ cup (108g) canola or vegetable oil
1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg

Dry Ingredients

2⅓ cups (291g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon salt

Topping

¾ cup (173g) granulated sugar, divided (½ cup for rolling the dough balls and ¼ cup for sprinkling on top of baked cookies)

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line three baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until well combined and fluffy.
Add Oil, Egg, and Extracts: Mix in the canola or vegetable oil until incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Then add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. The mixture might look slightly curdled, which is normal.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt to ensure they are evenly mixed.
Mix Dry Ingredients into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until fully combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary to incorporate all flour.
Prepare Sugar for Rolling: Set aside ¼ cup of the granulated sugar for sprinkling on top of baked cookies. Place ½ cup of sugar in a shallow container suitable for tossing the dough balls to coat them evenly.
Form and Coat Dough Balls: Using a 1-teaspoon scoop, scoop heaping 2-teaspoon portions of dough and place them into the sugar container (about 8-10 at a time). Gently shake or use your fingers to coat each dough ball completely with sugar.
Place Cookies on Baking Sheets: Arrange the coated dough balls on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but centers remain soft.
Sprinkle with Remaining Sugar: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, sprinkle the reserved ¼ cup granulated sugar on top while the cookies are still warm to enhance the sugary crunch.
Cool Completely: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before rolling can help prevent excessive spreading during baking.
Use parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent cookies from sticking.
The mix of butter and oil creates a tender cookie with good spread and moist texture.
Be careful not to overbake; the cookies should look slightly underdone in the center for the best chewy texture.
If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can substitute with an equal amount of lemon juice or vinegar.
For extra flavor, consider adding a pinch of ground cinnamon or nutmeg to the dry ingredients.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Baking
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: mini sugar cookies, soft sugar cookies, easy sugar cookie recipe, holiday cookies, chewy sugar cookies