52 soft sugar cookie recipes

Alice's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, oats, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans. Soft, spice-warmed cookies with crisp edges and chewy centers.

Orange and ginger cookies: soft-centered molasses cookies with fresh orange zest and ground ginger, rolled in citrus-sugar before baking. Holiday classic with bright modern twist.

Old-fashioned sugar cookies made with sour milk, nutmeg, and shortening. A versatile dough that can be dropped soft or rolled and cut into shapes for Valentine's, Christmas, or birthday cookies.

Apple butter cookies are soft, spiced drop cookies sweetened with brown sugar and apple butter, studded with raisins and chopped nuts. Freezer-friendly for months and ready in under an hour.

Star sugar cookies with butter, both granulated and powdered sugar, plus cream of tartar for that signature soft chew. Roll, cut, and decorate or bake as flattened balls.

Egg-free, dairy-free cocoa cookies made with silken tofu, soy milk, and applesauce. Soft, fudgy, and dusted with powdered sugar. A vegan chocolate cookie that nobody will guess is plant-based. Makes 3 dozen.

Classic peanut butter cookies with the iconic fork-crossed tops, soft chewy centers, and crisp edges. Made with creamy peanut butter, shortening, and both sugars for old-school texture.

Soft and chewy peanut butter cookies built on all brown sugar (no white) for caramel depth, plus shortening for a tender, almost crumbly texture. Classic crisscross fork press on top.

Classic chocolate chip cookies with a tablespoon of water for soft, chewy centers and crisp golden edges. Half butter, half sugar, plenty of semi-sweet chips. One bowl, no chilling.

Chocolate chip cookies built on shortening and all brown sugar for a chewy-edged, soft-centered crumb studded with semi-sweet chips and chopped pecans. Bake 8 minutes for chewy or 13 for crisp.

Soft, buttery sugar cookies with a hint of lemon zest, made with both butter and oil for a tender crumb. Cream of tartar keeps them pillowy. A holiday cookie jar classic.

Sugarless apple cookies sweeten naturally with dates, apples, and raisins instead of refined sugar. Diabetic-friendly drop cookies that taste like soft fruit-spiced bars without the sugar crash.

Chewy oatmeal cookies with brown sugar, white sugar, and quick-cooking oats. A simple, no-frills oat cookie that's soft in the center with golden edges.

Cinnamon sugar butter cookies rolled in spiced sugar and baked low for a soft, chewy center. Brown sugar dough gives these drop cookies deep caramel notes with a crackly cinnamon coating.

Spiced pumpkin cookies with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. Soft drop cookies topped with cinnamon sugar baked in 15 minutes.

Raisin pineapple drop cookies with brown sugar, crushed pineapple, and seedless raisins in a soft, cake-like dough. A fruity, old-fashioned cookie that stays moist for days.