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–+ servings

Soft & Chewy Green Sugar Cookies

Green Soft Sugar Cookies stacked up
These soft & chewy green sugar cookies are tender, festive, and easy to make. Chill the dough, roll in sugar, and bake for the perfect St. Patrick’s Day treat.
Heather
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 43 minutes
Serving Size 48 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup sugar + 1/2 cup for rolling
  • 1 cup butter
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Green Gel Food Coloring

Instructions

  • Preheat and prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and ensures even baking.
  • Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat together 1 1/4 cups sugar and butter until light and fluffy. This step is crucial for a tender, soft cookie.
  • Add egg yolks: Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. This creates a smooth, cohesive dough.
  • Mix in vanilla: Stir in the vanilla extract until evenly distributed. This really boosts the flavor.
  • Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar. Gradually fold them into the butter-sugar mixture. The dough may look dry at first, but keep folding—it will come together beautifully.
  • Add color: Stir in green gel food coloring until the dough is a uniform, festive green. Adjust the amount for your preferred shade.
  • Chill dough: Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes. This step helps the cookies hold their shape and stay soft and thick while baking.
  • Roll in sugar: Pour the remaining 1/2 cup sugar into a bowl. Scoop 1.5-inch balls of dough and roll them in the sugar to coat completely. This adds sparkle and a slight crunch.
  • Place on cookie sheet: Arrange the dough balls on your prepared cookie sheet, leaving space between them. Do not flatten—the cookies will spread naturally.
  • Bake: Bake for 12–13 minutes, until cookies look set but still soft in the center.
  • Cool: Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or store in an airtight container.

Notes

Tips No One Tells You

  • Chill dough: Keeps cookies thick and soft. Don’t skip!
  • Gel coloring: Stronger than liquid and bakes more vibrant.
  • Rolling sugar optional: Adds sparkle and crunch but cookies are great without it.
  • Add dry slowly: Folding dry ingredients gradually prevents tough cookies.
  • Room-temp butter: Smooth creaming = perfect texture.
  • Spacing: Leave room; cookies puff slightly.
  • Vibrant: When using food coloring, always go a bit darker than you actually want.  The color will lighten a bit as the soft sugar cookies will bake
  • Jelly Roll: (not the singer) ... If you don't already have a 'jelly roll' pan, consider investing in one.  They are not too expensive (I think mine were $14.99 each) and since they are larger than the standard baking sheet, you can bake twice the amount of cookies in the same amount of time.  Serious game changer come holiday season!!!