Homemade Slice and Bake Sugar Cookies
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Make your own slice and bake cookie dough to store in the freezer, and pull out when you want fresh cookies but don’t want to mix them up!
Slice and Bake Cookies
I love fresh cookies! You never know when the mood will strike you for cookies. I don’t like buying store-bought pre-made cookie dough because of all the funky ingredients. So, when I put together this recipe, I was thrilled to no longer have that temptation to buy.
This recipe is so simple to put together, and you get 4 batches of cookie dough. Keep them all to yourself or share them with a friend. (A roll of slice-and-bake cookie dough is a nice treat to have on hand for someone who has just a baby or surgery and could use a meal.)
Simply take a roll out of the freezer when you need it, slice it, bake it, and voila, you have fresh cookies!
Tip: These Sugar Cookies in a Jar are also great for sharing and gift-giving!
Just want to say thanks for so many great recipes and ideas. We’ve used this one a few times already and I love having something homemade to pull from the freezer and pop in the oven when my kids want dessert and I haven’t planned any! Easy and inexpensive fix!
Laura, Little House Living reader
Need to print this to add to your Recipe Binder? Get the Easy Freezer Cookie recipe below:
I made these yesterday and cooked a few on the stovetop…delicious…I used almond flavoring.
Kathleen, Little House Living reader
Slice and Bake Sugar Cookie Recipe
This Slice and Bake Sugar Cookie recipe makes 4 batches of cookie dough to keep in the freezer to easily slice up and make cookies anytime you want them.
Ingredients
- 2 cups butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teapoons vanilla extract
- 6 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
Instructions
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Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer for this.
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Add in the all purpose flour and baking soda until well incorporated.
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Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll those into logs. There's no need to chill in the refrigerator, they can go straight in the freezer.
To freeze the cookie dough:
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Wrap each cookie dough log in plastic wrap or freezer wrap and then place them inside of a freezer container or a freezer bag.
To bake your cookies:
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Simply thaw your cookie dough slightly and slice it. Place your sliced cookies on a greased cookie sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Bake the cookies in the oven at 350F for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition calculation is per loaf, this recipe makes 4 rolls. Each roll/loaf makes at least 12-15 cookies.
These were a cinch to make and a total hit. They are less sweet than many sugar cookies (before frosting), but I prefer it that way. If my British grandma was still alive, I would love to bring these to her for tea time.
Gee, Little House Living reader
Sugar Cookie Variations
I love these sugar cookies just as they are, but if you want to try something different, here are a few ideas to change things up with each batch:
Cinnamon and Sugar – After you slice your cookies, sprinkle them with a cinnamon and sugar mixture to have a quick and easy snickerdoodle cookie. 3 Tablespoons of Sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon is a good starting point. Store any leftover sugar mixture in a mason jar in the pantry for your next batch (or to make cinnamon and sugar toast!)
Sprinkles – A fun way to make any cookie festive is to add different sprinkles or colored sugar to the top before baking.
Dipped Cookies – After your cookies have been baked, dip them into melted chocolate. (Could be white chocolate or brown chocolate.) For a fun twist, only dip half of the cookie. If you want to really change things up, you can then dip them into peppermint pieces, pistachios, or toasted coconut to create lots of flavor combos.
Fruity Twist– After your cookies have been baked, top with all of the toppings from this Fruit Pizzas Dessert Recipe to make mini fruit pizzas!
Dried Fruit – Add dried cranberries or blueberries for something really different.
Different Flavors – Instead of vanilla extract, try almond extract, orange zest, lemon zest, peppermint extract, or something else for a totally new flavor.
Salted Caramel– Drizzle this Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce on top of your baked cookies and sprinkle with a little sea salt to make this delicious flavor combination.
Frost Them– Top baked cookies with some delicious frosting like this Strawberry Frosting or Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting for added sweetness and flavor.
Lemon Cookies – Drizzle a little Lemon glaze on top and sprinkle with a little lemon zest for a tart and sweet twist.
Decorate Them– Just because these cookies are round doesn’t mean you can’t decorate them like cookies made with a cookie cutter. Use icing to draw a picture on them, or get creative using the round shape- you can decorate your Christmas cookies like snowmen, Christmas ornaments, emojis, or just make them white and call them snowballs!
More Cookie Recipes
- Easy Pumpkin Cookies
- Rice Crispy Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
- Mom’s Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Homemade Oatmeal Cookie Mix Recipe
- Quick and Easy Chocolate Cookies Recipe
- Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies Recipe
What’s your favorite kind of cookies?
Merissa Alink
Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.
This Slice and Bake Sugar Cookie Recipe was originally published on Little House Living in July 2011. It has been updated as of November 2023.
They sound easy enough to make and store for anytime baking…woohooooo!!!
thinking these need to be in my freezer tonight!
Do you use regular flour or wheat, or does it matter?
Regular flour for these.
YUm.. Thanks
Since it makes 4 rolls, I think I will add choc chips in one & perhaps cinnamon in another..
YUM.
I was craving sugar cookies! I decided to browse a bit to find a recipe better than the one I had been using and found your recipe. Thank you!
I’m going to try to do some Saturday ‘sabbath’ type cooking so that I can relax and enjoy my family on Saturday’s and we don’t resort to take-out. This will work really well for that. My pre-cook day is Friday’s. Thanks much!
If you like big soft cookies like they have at the store, try adding a half cup sour cream to this 🙂
I made these yesterday and cooked a few on the stovetop…delicious…I used almond flavoring.
Just want to say thanks for so many great recipes and ideas. We’ve used this one a few times already and I love having something homemade to pull from the freezer and pop in the oven when my kids want dessert and I haven’t planned any! Easy and inexpensive fix!
Thanks so much Merissa! My mom and brother love it! My father is diabetic, do you have any idea what I could subsitute for the sugar? So yummy!
How long do they stay good for in the freezer?
I am going to make these for Valentines Day and crush the rest of my candy canes to sprinkle on top after I bake them.
These would cook up quick in my waffle maker. ??
Would this recipe or another work at 6,500 ft. elevation? I need to bake cookie to share/exchange at a Christmas get together next week.
Thank you any advice, I am not the best baker…
I haven’t tried making this at a higher altitude so I’m not totally sure of all (or if any) substitutions to be made but I do know that they may need to bake a bit longer.
I use your Chocolate Chip cookie recipe all the time. If I make several batches of them, couldn’t I do the same with those? Wonderful idea!!! Thank you for all of your helpful tips! I love your book!!!!
Yes, it should work fine 🙂
These were a cinch to make and a total hit. They are less sweet than many sugar cookies (before frosting), but I prefer it that way. If my British grandma was still alive, I would love to bring these to her for tea time.
How many cookies does the recipe make per 1 log? That will tell me how thick or thin to slice them. Thanks.
I just love your emails! I just wondered if the t means teaspoon or tablespoon. I would assume teaspoon, but that doesn’t seem like enough for a recipe with 6 cups of flour.
Thank you for all your great recipes and tips!
Small t is a teaspoon 🙂 I used to write my recipes on here that way and I’ve been trying to update them but haven’t gotten to all of them yet!
can you use margerine instead of butter..also is the b.soda tbsp or tsp? thank you!
It’s one teaspoon of baking soda. The margarine will probably work but I have not tried it before in this recipe.
Hi – quick question as I want to make these – does the t. mean teaspoon or tablesoon? I’m assuming teaspoon. Thx!
Lowercase t = teaspoon
Have you made these with a gluten-free flour, and if so, which one or ones? Thanks!
Yes, they can be made with gluten free flour instead of regular flour.
Hi Merissa,
I’m so excited to make a large batch for Christmas cookies, however in reading the comments, it was noted one teaspoon of baking soda. I completed the recipe as one tablespoon of baking soda which was written out in the directions. Have I ruined four rolls of frozen cookie dough? Thanks for your help.