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, perfect melt in your mouth texture.
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❤️Why you will love this recipe
- This is an easy cookie recipe, made using only 3 basic ingredients, all of which are pantry staples.
- No rolling required and no cookie cutters are required to make these easy cookies.
- There is no egg in this easy sugar cookie recipe, making it a great recipe for vegetarians and those on egg free diet.
- The cookies last well, so you can enjoy them as a sweet treat whenever you want.
- The cookies can be customized to other flavors by adding nuts, chocolate chips and even dried fruits.
Like this easy cookie recipe? Here are my other recipes you might want to check out:
📋Ingredients
- All purpose flour (plain flour) - sift first to break any lumps.
- Powdered white sugar (icing sugar) - must be sifted as powdered sugar tend to be lumpy. If you do not have powdered sugar, you can make your own by processing coarse sugar or granulated sugar in a food processor until fine.
- Butter - 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 ⅛ teaspoon of salt when creaming the butter and sugar. If you are doubling or tripling the recipe, adjust the salt measurement accordingly.
*Refer to the recipe card below for exact quantities of the ingredients above. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*
🧾Substitution and variations
- For extra flavoring, you can add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or almond extract after creaming the butter and sugar.
- You can also include some add-ons like sweet chocolate chips or toasted almond nibs into the cookie dough (after adding the flour).
- 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 in the same way I made these cherry coconut 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.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!
👩🏻🍳How to make
Mixing the egg free cookie dough
- Measure and sift the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl (medium bowl) .
- Cut butter into small cubes and add to the sugar.
- Cream both the butter and sugar until well combined with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer).
- 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
- Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon size dough balls with a measuring spoon or a cookie scoop with 1 tablespoon capacity.
- 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.
- Dip a fork in flour. Press on the cookie balls lightly with the back of the fork, vertically.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
🍽️Serving & storage
- 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.
💡Expert tips
- Butter plays an important role in these 3-ingredient cookie recipe. Make sure you use good quality butter, as it will have a significant impact on the taste of your cookies.
- 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 dissolved with a cake mixer. Hence it is always advisable to sift it first.
💭FAQs
This sugar cookie dough is very soft and sticky 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.
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.
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 flattened by hand or the back of drinking glass.
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📖Recipe
3 Ingredient Cookies (Easy Egg-Free Recipe)
For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.
Ingredients
- 140 g all purpose flour
- 115 g butter (salted)
- 50 g powdered sugar (sifted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°Celsius.
- Prepare and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, measure and sift the icing sugar.
- Measure and cut butter into small pieces. Add to the powdered sugar.
- Cream both the butter and sugar until creamy and well combined.
- Sift in the flour and mix until the flour is well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and bring the dough together. It will be very soft and sticky at this stage.
- Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon size. Form the dough into round balls and place them on the prepared baking tray. Give each ball sufficient space to be flattened and spread lightly during baking.
- Using a fork dipped in flour, flatten each cookie ball lightly, imprinting the fork lines horizontally on them. Lif the fork, dip in flour again, and press on the cookies again, this time vertically. Repeat for all the cookie balls.
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sides begin to turn light golden.
- Remove cookies from the oven. Let them rest in the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- Butter plays an important role in these 3-ingredient cookie recipe. Make sure you use good quality butter, as it will have a significant impact on the taste of your cookies.
- 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 dissolved with a cake mixer. Hence it is always advisable to sift it first.
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