How to make sugar cookies without flour

Quick and easy sugar cookies made with only 3 pantry ingredients and no egg! So simple and foolproof, you can whip up this sugar cookie recipe anytime. Sweet, buttery, and delicious!

Table of Contents Show

Sugar Cookies
How to Make Sugar Cookies
Recipe Tips
Recipe Notes
How to Store
Watch them Being Made
Other Easy Cookie Recipes
{3 Ingredient} Easy Sugar Cookies
Other Notes
What happens if you don't add flour to cookies?
What is flourless cookie made of?
Do you have to use plain flour for cookies?
What are the 4 main ingredient in baking cookies?

If you love cookies that come together in a snap, check out our super popular No Bake Cookies and Rolo Cookies.

Sugar Cookies

Next to pies and pudding, cookies are a complete weakness of mine. Admittedly, I much prefer my cookies soft, either gooey or with goodies tucked throughout, as opposed to a crunchy cookie. The one exception is a sugar cookie – I enjoy those soft or crunchy, iced or plain. But I just simply never have the time or patience to make them.

Typically with sugar cookies, the dough needs to be divided, chilled for several hours, then rolled out, shaped, the scraps re-rolled, etc. Worth it for a perfect sugar cookie…I guess? What if I told you that you could have completely fantastic sugar cookies using only 3 ingredients and in less than an hour? Pretty exciting, right?!

I’m so wild about this easy sugar cookie recipe, I may never make traditional ones again. In fact, these have been my go-to for the last couple of years. They’re infinitely easier and taste, well, just like a crunchy sugar cookie, and similar to shortbread.

All you need is unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and flour. (A touch of vanilla added to the dough and finished with some sprinkles make them even better, but these two ingredients are not necessary to make this sugar cookie recipe.)

How to Make Sugar Cookies

It’s almost criminal how easy these cookies are to make, but nobody is getting arrested! HA. There are only 4 really simple steps. Here’s a brief summary (scroll down for the detailed, complete printable recipe.)

Make the dough: beat together butter, sugar, and flour until blended.
Form the cookies: form the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar, then flatten them with a glass or measuring cup.
Bake: bake until just barely golden around the edges and bottom.
Rest: let rest and cool for at least 10-15 minutes before eating.

That’s it. No rolling, no dividing, no chilling, and barely any waiting!

Recipe Tips

Use a cookie scoop: Using a small cookie scoop is best for ease and cookie uniformity, so they all cook at the same rate.
The thickness matters: Once the raw dough balls are flattened, they should end up being between an 1/8-1/4 inch thick, so 3/16 to be exact. (They will look pretty small in circumference, but they will spread to a normal size cookie.)
Leave space in between: Cookie dough should be placed on the cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart, because they do spread while baking.
Cool properly: After baking, these cookies need to remain on the cookie sheet for at least 10-15 minutes before moving them to cool completely, because they are fragile at first. Once cooled, though, they’re sturdy.
Take them up a notch: While vanilla extract and sprinkles are not needed for this recipe to work, the addition of the two is recommended!

Recipe Notes

Can this recipe be used for cut-out cookies? Unfortunately, no. Since the recipe doesn’t include any eggs, the dough doesn’t bind well enough and the cookies could end up crumbling when you use a cookie cutter.
Can these be frosted? Yes, you can definitely frost these with royal icing or drizzle a simple icing on top. Whisk together some powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until you get the desired consistency. Drizzle and allow to set.
Decorate with sprinkles or nonpareils: Feel free to gently press some sprinkles or nonpareils onto the cookies before baking them.
How many calories in a sugar cookie? One of these sugar cookies is only 90 calories. Great with a cup of coffee.

How to Store

Let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in single layers with parchment paper in between.

How long do sugar cookies last? Stored properly, they will last on the countertop for up to 5 days.
Can you freeze sugar cookies? If you want to freeze these, I recommend forming the dough balls and freezing those. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then roll in the sugar and bake as directed. The dough can be frozen up to 2 months.

Watch them Being Made

These easy sugar cookies are a great recipe for a novice baker to try out, or if you’ve got young kids at home and want to introduce them to baking. No fuss, few ingredients, and comes together in minutes!

Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Coconut Macaroons
Ritz Cracker Cookies

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

{3 Ingredient} Easy Sugar Cookies

Quick and easy sugar cookies made with only 3 pantry ingredients and no egg! So simple and foolproof, you can whip up this sugar cookie recipe anytime. Sweet, buttery, and delicious!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Cool down 15 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings: 34 cookies

1 cup unsalted butter , room temperature
2/3 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar , divided
2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional, but recommended)
rainbow sprinkles or nonpareils (optional, but recommended)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat together butter and 2/3 cup sugar until combined. (It will be a little gritty – that's ok.)
Add in flour and blend well (then blend in the vanilla, if using.)
Using a cookie scoop, roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
Gently roll the balls in the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar until lightly coated; transfer to the baking sheets 2 inches apart.
With the bottom of a measuring cup or glass, press down on the balls to flatten. Sprinkle with some nonpareils (if using) and lightly press down again just so they stick. (The dough should end up being between an 1/8-1/4 inch thick, so 3/16 to be exact. They will look pretty small in circumference, but they will spread a bit to a normal size cookie.)
Bake for 14-16 minutes or until just slightly golden around the edges and on the bottom.
Remove form the oven and let rest on the baking sheets for at least 10-15 minutes (don't skip this step!) Then eat or transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
TROUBLESHOOTING: see note below

This recipe renders a slightly crunchier sugar cookie, but they should not be dry or crumbly. If they are too dry, make sure you didn’t 1) use too much flour 2) make the balls of dough too small 3) flatten them too much, 4) baked them at 350 instead of 325, or 5) baked them too long.

For recipe tips, questions, and storage, please refer to the full article. And watch the video, which is a great visual for how to roll and flatten the cookies.

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Other Notes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Sugar Cookie recipe, sugar cookies

What happens if you don't add flour to cookies?

Without enough flour to rise, the cookies will remain crisp and often brittle. They can sometimes have an airier texture than other cookies, depending on the ingredients you used to create them.

Flourless cookies are typically made of nut butters, sugar and eggs. They can also be made with egg whites and cocoa powder or almond flour.

Do you have to use plain flour for cookies?

You can use self-rising flour or plain flour (all-purpose flour) for cookies. However, self-rising flour tends to spread less, resulting in taller cookies. There may also be a fluffier, lighter texture compared to plain flour.

What are the 4 main ingredient in baking cookies?

A variety of cookies are prepared using the four basic ingredients viz., flour, sugar, shortening, and liquids (milk and/or eggs). The ingredients used in preparation of cookies affect size, color, and sensory qualities. Additional ingredients are also added for flavor and texture.