3 Ingredient Cookies (Easy Egg-Free Recipe)

These 3 ingredient cookies are literally the easiest ever! Not only are they made with only 3 basic ingredients and egg-free, these simple sugar cookies are easy to make too. No special cutters or tools are required other than a fork.

The cookies have a rich buttery taste (like buttery shortbread cookies) and are not overly sweet. They have a light and crumbly, almost crisp texture.

The other good thing about these 3 ingredient cookies is that they can be customized to other flavors by adding nuts, chocolate chips and even dried fruits.

The texture of the dough is very soft, so these sugar cookies are not suitable for rolling and cutting with cookie cutters. The best way to handle it is to let it rest for about 10 to 20 minutes after mixing and then shape them by hand into round balls.

I choose to decorate my cookies by flattening them down with the back of a fork, leaving a pretty criss-cross pattern on the cookies. But if you prefer, you can even use the back of a drinking glass to press the cookies down lightly to flatten them before baking.

These cookies last well, and therefore are perfect as holiday cookies too. Since the texture is crisp, these 3 ingredients cookies are best kept in an airtight container.

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How to Make

Ingredients

You only require the following simple ingredients to make these eggless easy shortbread cookies.

• All purpose flour (Plain flour)
• Powdered white sugar (icing sugar)
• Butter (salted)

Mixing the egg free cookie dough

1. Measure and sift the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl (medium bowl) .
2. Cut butter into small cubes and add to the sugar.
3. Cream both the butter and sugar until well combined with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer).
4. Sift in the flour into the creamed butter and sugar mixture and mix until it is well incorporated and dough forms. At this stage, the dough will be very soft and sticky. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes. It will remain soft after this resting time, however, it will not be so sticky anymore.

Shaping the cookies

1. Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon size dough balls with a measuring spoon or a cookie scoop with 1 tablespoon capacity.
2. Shape the dough into small balls with the palm of your hands. Place them on a parchment paper (cookie sheet) lined baking tray, slightly apart to allow the cookies space when flattened lightly in the next step and to also allow the cookies space to spread slightly during baking.
3. Dip a fork in flour. Press on the cookie balls lightly with the back of the fork, vertically.
4. Lift the fork and press on the cookies again, this time horizontally, to form a crisscross pattern on all the cookies. In pressing the cookies, apply only light pressure the first time and then again lightly the second press to avoid the cookies from being flattened too much.
5. Bake the sugar cookies in a preheated oven at 175 degrees Celsius for a baking time of 8 to 10 minutes until the sides of the cookies start to turn golden brown.
6. Remove the cookies from the oven. Let them cool slightly in the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack (cooling rack) to cool completely.

Store these 3 ingredient cookies in an airtight container.

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Notes

Butter

• Butter plays an important role in these 3-ingredient cookie recipe. I have used salted butter in the recipe, hence did not add extra salt separately into the cookies. If you are using unsalted butter, add about ¼ teaspoon of salt when creaming the butter and sugar. If you are doubling or tripling the recipe, adjust the salt measurement accordingly.
• Also, make sure you use good quality butter, as it will have a significant impact on the taste of your cookies.  

Powdered Sugar

• This recipe uses powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar. This is so that the sugar dissolves quickly in the dough when mixed.
• Powdered sugar tends to be clumpy and therefore it is very important that you sift it first before creaming with the butter.
• The creaming process may be able to help break larger clumps, but powdered sugar also tend to have tiny clumps that may not be effectively broken or dissovled with a cake mixer. Hence it is alway advisable to sift it first.               

Why does this dough require resting?

• This sugar cookie dough is very soft and stickly immediately after mixing. Resting it for about 10 to 20 minutes helps in making it easier to handle.
• It will still remain very soft even after resting, but will not be so sticky anymore and should be able to be scooped and formed into balls by hand without sticking.

Can the dough be refrigerated and baked later?

• Yes, it certainly can. If you wish to refrigerate the dough and bake it at a later time or the next day, simply cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate it.
• When ready to bake, scoop and shape the dough into balls as mentioned in the recipe. If the dough is too hard, let it warm up slightly at room temperature and then proceed to shape the cookies.

Can you add other ingredients to these cookies?

• Yes you can. You would probably not be able to call them 3 ingredient cookies anymore, but this easy, egg free recipe can definitely be customized to add other flavors and ingredients. Since the cookie dough is quite soft to begin with, there is no need to adjust other ingredients. Simply add these additional ingredients, keep in mind not to add too much.
• You can add dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, sultanas and glazed cherries to the cookie dough. Chop the fruits to avoid them from being too chunky in the cookies. You can also add sweet chocolate chips if you like. Add them into the dough after mixing in the flour.
• You can also add some vanilla extract to the cookie dough for a vanilla flavor or almond extract for almond flavor.
• You can also add nuts if you like. Chop and roast them lightly before adding to the cookie dough. And as in the fruits, add these nuts to the dough after mixing in the flour.
• Shape the cookie dough into round balls as usual and instead of using a fork to flatten the balls, use the back of a drinking glass or simply press them down with your fingers. With the additional ingredients in the cookies, you will not get the pretty criss cross patterns on the cookies with a fork, hence these cookies are best flatten by hand or the back of drinking glass.

Storing the cookies

• After baking, always keep these cookies in an airtight container to retain their crisp and crumbly texture. These cookies last well for a good 2 weeks.

Like this easy cookie recipe? Here are my other recipes you might want to check out

• Lemon Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Simple Peanut Butter Cookies with Sprinkles
• Butter Mints Candy - Easy Homemade Recipe
• Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Cookies
• Daisy Cookies - Pretty Flower Cookies
• Crispy Coconut Cookies - Light & Easy Cookies
• Pandan Cookies with Coconut and Gula Melaka - An Easy Recipe

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Recipe (Printable)

Here's the full printable version of my easy 3 ingredient cookies recipe.

And that's my super yummy and super easy, 3 ingredient cookies recipe for you.

Enjoy!