Julie Clark
Updated:
Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Recipe
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This copycat Pillsbury sugar cookie recipe is ready in under 30 minutes. No chilling the dough! Soft, chewy and lightly sweet with a buttermilk glaze.
If you’ve ever craved those Pillsbury sugar cookies that are full of nostalgia but wanted to try your hand at making them from scratch, you’re in for a treat. Our copycat Pillsbury sugar cookie recipe brings that irresistible softness, chewiness, and just the right touch of sweetness—without the wait.
Picture baking these classic cookies for Valentine’s Day, the holiday season or simply to add some homemade love to any occasion. Skip the grocery store and make our copycat recipe for that classic sugar cookie.
What readers are saying:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Kelly says, “You nailed it! Absolutely perfect! I can’t stop eating them! I’m pregnant and this was just what I was craving, yuuuummmm!”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Katie says, “These are legitimately the best cookies I’ve ever made, and hands-down better than copycat Pillsbury cookies. They’re chewy and soft with a little firmness to the bottom. Not too sweet and super easy to make. Everything I want in a cookie. Directions are spot on. Thank you so much for these.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Kylie says, “These were scrumptious! I turned them into a sort of tie dye cookie and let me tell you, these are by far the best sugar cookies I’ve ever made!! 10/10 recommend!”
About this Pillsbury Copycat Sugar Cookie Recipe:
- They are chewy, buttery cookies with a hint of vanilla flavor.
- They are brushed with buttermilk which gives them a unique old-fashioned sugar cookies taste and texture on the top of the cookie.
- There’s no need to refrigerate this dough. They flatten out perfectly, without spreading too much.
This recipe made about 36 cookies. Don’t let that fool you though. These cookies will disappear quickly. Double the recipe if you want any leftover for the next day because they really are the best sugar cookie recipe. 🙂
✨ Buttermilk and Sprinkle Magic ✨
Adding that extra touch of sweetness, the buttermilk glaze is the secret behind these Pillsbury-inspired sugar cookies’ irresistible taste. A simple brush of buttermilk before baking creates a smooth, creamy coating that perfectly complements the cookie’s texture.
Whether it’s vibrant rainbow sprinkles for a birthday celebration or heart-shaped ones for Valentine’s Day, candy sprinkles bring an extra pop of color and happiness to each bite.
Ingredients
This Pillsbury sugar cookie recipe uses simple ingredients:
If you don’t have buttermilk, here’s a buttermilk substitute.
Place 1 teaspoon white vinegar in a small bowl, then add 3 tablespoons of whole milk. Give it a quick stir, then let it sit for 3-4 minutes. The milk will slightly curdle, mimicking that buttermilk flavor and texture. Use leftover buttermilk for our buttermilk fried chicken!
How to Make Pillsbury Sugar Cookies:
Prepare by preheating the oven to 375ºF. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
Make the sugar cookie dough in 4 steps:
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream together butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough will be very crumbly and floury.
- Add just enough of the buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft, but not wet. Start with 1 tablespoon and mix well on low speed. It will most likely come together into a nice dough. If it isn’t, add another ½ to 1 tablespoon buttermilk until it forms a dough.
- Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Dip a glass with a flat bottom in sugar, then press down gently on the dough balls to slightly flatten them. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough balls.
- With a pastry brush, brush the raw cookie dough lightly with the remaining buttermilk. Sprinkle with colored sugar or colorful sprinkles.
- Bake cookies for 8 minutes. Take them out of the oven before they get golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes on the baking sheets before removing cooling on a wire rack.
Recipe Variations
- Add miniature chocolate chips for a hints of chocolate. You can also sprinkle the tops with mini chocolate chips.
- Love peppermint? Add Andes mints or crushed candy canes to the top.
- Bake this sugar cookie dough in a 9×13″ baking pan to make the crust for an easy fruit pizza.
- Use red, white and pink sprinkles for easy Valentine desserts.
- Make the cookies at the start of the new year and freeze. They only have 115 calories per cookie so make a low calorie sweet treat.
Can I make these sugar cookies ahead of time?
Absolutely! These cookies keep well when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Bake them ahead for convenience during busy days or prep them in advance for special occasions.
Can I freeze the cookie dough for later use?
Yes, you can! Shape the cookie dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, and then transfer to a freezer bag once solid. When ready to bake, simply place the frozen dough balls on a baking sheet, slightly thaw, and bake as directed.
Storage Instructions
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- The cookies also freeze well! Double wrap them in plastic wrap, then place them in a zippered bag or other airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
- To serve, thaw at room temperature without unwrapping them. Once they are fully thawed, unwrap the cookies and serve. They are soft sugar cookies, even with freezing.
Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Recipe
Soft, chewy sugar cookies that tastes just like Pillsbury. A quick under 30-minute cookie recipe with no refrigeration required.
Servings 36 cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature, 8 ounces
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 300 grams
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 grams
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 358 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 grams
- 3-4 tablespoons buttermilk divided
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
- In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream together butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed and set aside. 1 cup salted butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough will be very crumbly and floury.
- Add just enough of the buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft, but not wet. Start with 1 tablespoon and mix well on low speed. It will most likely come together into a nice dough. If it isn't, add another ½ to 1 tablespoon buttermilk until it forms a dough. 3-4 tablespoons buttermilk
- Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Dip a glass with a flat bottom in sugar, then press down gently on the dough balls to slightly flatten them. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough balls.
- With a pastry brush, brush the top of each cookie lightly with the remaining buttermilk. Sprinkle with colored sugar or colorful sprinkles.
- Bake cookies for 8 minutes. Take them out of the oven before they get golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes on the baking sheets before removing cooling on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- These cookies also freeze well for up to 2 months. You can also mix the cookies in the bowl of a stand mixer and use the paddle attachment.
- Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks. The calories shown are based recipe making 36 cookies, with 1 serving being 1 cookie. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Hi, could you roll the dough, and use cookie cutters?
I just have to say that these are the absolute best sugar cookies! I have honestly never found a sugar cookie recipe that I like until now, it’s been years… lol so thank you!!!! We love this one!
All I can say is WOW. I halved the recipe ( with the egg, I just Halved the white and the yolk best as I could) and it is absolutely divine. I added an extra teaspoon of vanilla aswell. These cookies flatten beautifully and they really do smell very similar to Pillsbury cookie. I am beyond impressed and will continue to use this recipe!! 💙💙💙
I have been using your recipe for years but it’s just me and my (now) 4 year old but everytime I try to cut it in half it comes out wrong.
Is there a proper way to half this?
Hi, are you using unsalted butter or salted butter?
Thanks
Hi, are you using unsalted butter or salted butter?
Thanks
I have substituted the buttermilk for regular milk and I love it! Also I do cut these into shapes they do spread but I still think they’re awesome! My question is can I freeze the dough? If so for how long? 😁 I wanted to make ahead and just wanna know if it’ll be good
These are in the oven now! A little confused as to why we flatten with sugar bottomed glass and then smear with buttermilk and add sprinkles ??
I just used colored sugar (yellow) on bottom of glass and put them into oven. If I’m missing a reason for doing it that way please let me know. Thanks so much.
My kitchen sure smells yummy!
Soooo I made the dough and baked half of the dpugh but the other half I want to add peanut butter to them. So how do I do this? Can I just do a thumbprint cookie with peanut butter center or should I just add the peanut butter into the dough or is this just not a smart thing to do at all ? Thanks
I’m a culinary student and we made sugar cookies today an they loved your recipe they came out perfect I can’t believe I made them thanks❤️
Can you use normal milk like almond milk instead of butter milk
Great recipe. The mixture was a little dry so probably used twice the recommended buttermilk. Two 12
yr olds made the recipe under my supervision. This is the first cookie recipe where the yield stated was accurate. The girls had a great time making them and it was enough to share with both families.
If you want sugar cookies if have a taste for butter cookies, then these are it! I followed the instructions step by step the first time around and found them a bit too sweet for my taste buds. The second time, I only used one cup of sugar Instead of one and a half. I also eliminated the sprinkled sugar on top. I followed the directions by brushing the tops with buttermilk which gave my cookies a beautiful brown top. Bake them until the edges are a light brown 7-8 minutes. They turn out perfect EVERY time. We absolutely love… Read more »
I had to pick one recipe for cookies this Christmas (12/2017), and this was it. They turned out beautifully and were so tasty! This recipe was simple. I doubled the recipe, and it made far more cookies than I expected. I served these cookies to friends and family and EVERYONE said they were the best sugar cookies they’d ever. My taste buds agreed! Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe!
These were perfect…no issues at all. I even made my “buttermilk” with almond milk and forgot to brush the tops with it before baking. Just a great recipe. Any issues reported must be due to baker error.