Experience 1 Delightful Batch of Soft Chewy Vanilla Cookies

These easy, yummy, soft chewy vanilla cookies are really simple to make using things you probably already have at home.

These vanilla sugar cookies are a little crispy on the outside and very chewy inside. They are perfect for dipping into a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of tea, coffee, or even hot chocolate.

Before baking, sprinkle some sugar on the cookie dough to make the cookies look extra cute and sparkly, especially for Christmas!

These cookies don’t have eggs and are great for the holidays. They taste really good with my condensed milk cookies and ginger biscuits

Recipe Testing

When I set out to make a vanilla cookie recipe, I wanted it to be really easy. I aimed for a cookie that would be soft with a crisp edge and a chewy center.

Making simple recipes can be hard to get just right. This recipe went through about 5 or 6 versions (I lost track) before I found one that I liked.

I almost gave up until I decided to use my ginger biscuit recipe for one last try. That’s what this recipe is based on. Compared to my other attempts, this version needed more sugar and less flour to get the right texture and taste.

The texture and taste of these soft chewy vanilla cookies depend a lot on the balance of butter, sugar, and flour. So, you can’t cut down on the sugar if you want the cookies to turn out well. But you can skip rolling the cookies in sugar before baking if you want.

The Key to Perfect Vanilla Flavor

While trying this soft chewy vanilla cookies, Besides having to adjust the amounts of butter, sugar, and flour, I was struggling with the cookie’s flavor. Each test kept tasting a bit eggy, which I didn’t like. Then I realized it might be the vanilla I was using. For my final test, I tried Queen Natural Vanilla Paste, and the flavor changed for the better.

So, I recommend using a high-quality vanilla extract (paste or liquid), especially for simple recipes with few ingredients.

Ingredients

Here are notes on the ingredients used to make Soft Chewy Vanilla Cookies, please refer to the recipe card for full quantities.

Plain Flour: This is also known as all-purpose or standard grade flour and has about 9.5-12% protein content. For cakes, you can use cake flour instead. If you’re measuring by cups, make sure to aerate the flour first, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off.

White Sugar: Granulated or caster sugar adds sweetness without changing the flavor much. In this recipe, sugar not only sweetens but also affects the cookie’s texture and chewiness.

Vanilla Extract: This enhances the flavors of the other ingredients and is important in recipes with eggs. Use the best vanilla extract you can afford, whether it’s a paste or liquid.

Eggs: Eggs help hold the cookie together. I use a size 6 egg, which is the same as an Australian and South African large egg, or a US/European medium egg.

Baking Soda: This helps the cookie spread out on the baking sheet and sets up the dough before the eggs firm it up. It also helps with browning.

Butter: Butter adds flavor, softness, and moisture to the cookie. I use New Zealand butter with about 82% butterfat, which is often very yellow (like European or Irish butter). Butter can be replaced with baking margarine, but not with butter or margarine spreads.

Weighing and Measuring Ingredients

Weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale is more accurate than using measuring cups. All my recipes are developed and tested using grams only.

However, check out the recipe card for cup measurements. For these conversions, cups are equal to 240 millilitres/8 fluid ounces, tablespoons are 15 milliliters and teaspoons are 5mL

Small Batch

If you want to make a small batch of soft chewy vanilla cookies, you can divide the recipe in half by clicking on the “½” button next to the ingredients. When you need to divide an egg in half, I recommend weighing the egg contents, beating it together, and then measuring out half of it for the sugar mixture.

Step-By-Step Instructions

These Soft Chewy Vanilla Cookies are pretty easy to make…just follow the instruction below!

Step 1:
Preheat your oven to 180°C/355°F. Line two large baking sheets or trays with parchment paper, baking paper, or reusable silicone mats.

Step 2:
In a large mixing bowl, cream the room-temperature butter and white sugar together. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes. If you’re using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and remember to regularly scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Note: Room temperature butter should be soft and slightly pliable when poked or squeezed.

Step 3:
Add the room temperature egg and vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat until the mixture is fully combined, light, and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4:
In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until combined. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms. If you’re using a hand mixer or stand mixer, you might need to finish mixing by hand. Give the dough a few kneads in the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.

Step 5:
Portion the cookie dough using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring spoon. Roll the dough into balls.

Step 6:
Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar (this step is optional) and place them on a large baking sheet, spacing them about 2.5 inches or 7 cm apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, or until the cookies are light golden brown. Mine were done in 10 minutes.

Note: For larger cookies, use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons of dough. These larger cookies will need about 15 minutes to bake.
Note: 1-tablespoon-sized cookie dough will make cookies about 7 cm (2.5 inches) across, while 2-tablespoon-sized dough will make cookies about 9 cm (3.5 inches) across.

Step 7:
Let the baked cookies cool on the baking tray for at least 5 minutes before gently transferring them to a wire rack using a spatula. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
Note: For perfectly shaped cookies, use a large cookie cutter to gently shape the edges of the hot cookies before cooling completely.

Step 8:
Repeat steps 5 through 7 until all the dough is baked.

“ENJOY YOUR SOFT CHEWY VANILLA COOKIES WITH A GLASS OF MILK OR A CUP OF TEA!“

Notes

1. 225 grams of butter is equal to two sticks and is slightly less than 1 metric cup. 
2. New Zealand size 6 eggs are around the same size as an Australian/South African Large or a US/European medium.
3. Room temperature butter should have some give when poked or squeezed.
4. for larger cookies, use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons of dough. These cookies will need to be baked for 15 minutes.
5. The 1 tablespoon sized cookie dough will result in cookies about 7cm (2.5 inches) across, and 2 tablespoon sized cookie will result in cookies about 9cm (3.5cm)
6. For a perfect biscuit, scoot around the edges of the hot cookies with a large cookie cutter. Then allow to cool completely.

Storage and Freezing

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.

If freezing cookie dough, first scoop out portions. These can then be baked directly from frozen as per the recipe instructions.