No need to buy ’em ~ these thin and crispy sugar cookies with that perfect buttery crunch are fresher (and cheaper) than the store-bought ones!

Hey Friends! I got an email from a reader asking for a recipe for Tate’s style thin and crispy sugar cookies and I’m so glad I jumped right on it ~ these cookies are amazing!
- These thin and crispy sugar cookies have good genes ~ they’re just a few tweaks away from our wildly popular Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- It’s an easy no-chill and no-roll drop cookie dough.
- This is a classic recipe for cookie purists who appreciate a crisp snappy texture and that classic sugar cookie flavor.

The secrets to thin and crispy cookies
- The ratio of more sugar and butter to flour is key ~ white sugar encourages spread and crispness while fat helps the cookies spread.
- Don’t chill your dough ~ baking room-temp dough allows it to spread more quickly in the oven.
- Gently flatten with the bottom of a glass before baking to encourage even spreading.
- Bake at a lower temperature (like 325F) ~ it lets cookies spread before setting, creating thinner, crunchier results.
- Under-creaming or no creaming: Less aeration = more spread so I don’t over cream my butter and sugar, I just get them well blended.
- Use baking soda only ~ not baking powder. Soda encourages spread while powder puffs.
- Bake long enough ~ your oven may differ from mine, so do a test cookie and let it cool to check.
- Give them a rap ~ immediately after your cookies come out of the oven give the pan a sharp rap on a hard surface, this will deflate any puffiness.


Keep thin and crispy cookies crispy!
In regular weather these cookies will stay crisp, but even well-baked thin and crispy cookies can go soft if left out in a humid day ~ sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air.
- Bake them fully. Go just past pale ~ light golden brown at the edges. If they’re underbaked at all, they’ll soften overnight no matter what you do.
- Cool them completely on a rack. Any warmth trapped in the container = steam = chewy.
- Store them in a truly airtight container at room temp ~ no fridge, with layers separated by parchment so they don’t stick together and re-soften each other.
- Add a moisture absorber. Easiest version: a little dish of uncooked rice or a food-safe desiccant pack in the container. That keeps the environment dry and the cookies crisp.
- Re-crisp: 300F oven, 3-4 minutes on a bare sheet pan, then cool on a rack. They’ll snap again.

How do my thin and crispy cookies compare to Tates?
Tate’s cookies are among the highest quality cookies you’ll find in any store, and my thin and crispy cookies are made with all natural ingredients and no preservatives, just like the commercial brand. But mine are slightly larger and more consistent in shape and size, which is nice. Oh, and mine are much cheaper!
yield
- mine: 3 dozen + cookies
- Tate’s: 14 cookies per bag
calories
- mine: about 100 calories each
- Tate’s: about 70 calories each (remember mine are bigger and more uniform)
cost
- mine: about 15 cents, or without the vanilla bean: 9 cents per cookie.
- Tate’s: @45 cents per cookie per Tate’s website.


Thin and Crispy Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, soft butter is important for these cookies to spread properly. See my post on How to Bring Cold ingredients to Room Temperature for tips. DO NOT USE MELTED BUTTER.
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 large egg, room temp if possible
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds only
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour*
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Note: the parchment paper is important for preventing sticking, and getting the right texture in these cookies. Don't substitute silicone mats.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with electric beaters, cream together the 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature and 1 1/2 cups white sugar until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Be sure to get any butter off the bottom of the bowl and get that incorporated as well.
- Add the 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and seeds of 1 vanilla bean to the butter mixture, and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour*, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Add the flour to the bowl and mix on low until everything is combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to get everything well incoporated. Note: do not chill this dough at this point ~ you want it soft so it spreads in the oven.
- Scoop the cookie dough into balls a little more than 1 tablespoon, and roll them into a ball. Roll each dough ball in granulated sugar for a light crunch. Place evenly on your cookie sheet, leaving about 2-3 inches between each cookie to allow for spreading in the oven.
- Use the back of a small glass to gently press down on each cookie to partially flatten them to about 1/2 inch thick. This helps them spread evenly and prevents doming. (I like to coat the bottom of the glass with a bit of sugar before each press.
- Bake for about 14-15 minutes until the cookies are starting to turn golden brown in spots. I highly recommend doing a couple of test cookies to determine the best time for your oven. Give the pan a sharp rap on a hard surface immediately after removing from the oven. This will help flatten them.
- Allow to partially cool on the baking sheet, they will be soft and delicate when they come out of the oven but will crisp up as they cool. Then transfer to a baking rack to completely cool.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate, as that can cause cookies to soften.
Notes
Nutrition
more thin and crispy cookies
- Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Double Chocolate Thin and Crispy Cookies
- Thin and Crispy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies























