Description
These Easy Slice and Bake Cookies are a simple and fun way to enjoy homemade cookies with minimal effort. The dough is made ahead, chilled, and then sliced and baked to perfection, resulting in buttery, tender cookies with a delightful sprinkle coating. Perfect for a quick batch of sweet treats anytime.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or flavoring
- 1 teaspoon almond extract or flavoring
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Coating
- Sprinkles (nonpareils or preferred type)
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar: Use a mixer to beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is smooth and creamy, creating a light base for the dough.
- Add egg and extracts: Incorporate the large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the creamed butter and sugar, mixing well to combine all flavors evenly.
- Mix in salt and flour: Add the salt and all-purpose flour to the mixture. Beat until fully combined, scraping down the bowl sides to ensure an even dough consistency.
- Form dough logs: Divide the dough roughly in half. Place each half onto a large double layer of plastic wrap and mold into a log shape approximately 2 1/2 inches wide. The dough may be soft and tricky to shape, but this will be corrected after chilling.
- Chill dough: Wrap the dough logs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to firm up for easier slicing.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for nonstick baking.
- Shape and coat dough logs: Remove one dough log from the fridge and roll it on the counter while still wrapped to better define the round shape. Then unwrap and roll the dough in sprinkles placed on a shallow tray or plate to coat the exterior.
- Slice and arrange cookies: Slice the coated dough log into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices on the prepared baking sheet. Gently adjust shapes as desired to ensure round cookies.
- Bake cookies: Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn a light golden brown. Baking longer results in crispier cookies; 10 minutes yields a softer texture.
- Cool and store: Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks or freeze tightly wrapped for up to 12 months.
Notes
- The dough can be made in advance and chilled up to 24 hours before baking for convenience.
- If you prefer, use different flavor extracts to customize your cookies.
- Sprinkles add a festive look but can be omitted or replaced with sugar crystals.
- Cut slices thinner for crispier cookies, or thicker for softer centers.
- Ensure the dough is cold when slicing to get clean cookie rounds and avoid dough sticking to the knife.
