These No Roll Sugar Cookies (also called drop sugar cookies) are soft, fluffy, and not too sweet. Truly my favorite cookie ever! They’re easy to make, taste wonderful, and hold up beautifully for sharing or gifting.
We first made this recipe years ago when my daughter entered them in the Old Sedgwick County Fair at Cowtown in Wichita, where they won second place. Since then, they’ve been a family favorite.
We love decorating them with colored sugar for different occasions. We use red and green for Christmas, black and orange for Halloween, pink for Valentine’s Day, or blue for Boss’s Day. They also travel well, which makes them perfect for school, work, or any get-together.
This post was originally published in January 2017 and updated in September 2025 with fresh photos and a helpful recipe note so your cookies turn out perfectly fluffy every time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe: Just drop the cookie batter onto the cookie sheet, flatten slightly, top with sugar, and bake. No rolling pin required!
- Totally customizable: Change up the sugar colors to match holidays, parties, sports teams, or any theme you like.
- Sturdy cookie: These cookies travel well, making them perfect for sending to school with the kids, packing in lunches, or taking to a gathering.
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Ingredient Photo
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour for the best cookies.
- Sugar: Regular sugar works perfectly; this recipe hasn’t been tested with brown sugar.
- Margarine: I’ve tested this recipe with both margarine and unsalted butter. If you prefer thinner, chewy cookies, go with butter. For the fluffy cookies you see in the photos, stick with margarine. I use a 53% vegetable oil spread.
- Egg: One large room temperature egg helps the cookies puff up nicely.
- Vanilla: Provides the flavor of classic sugar cookies. You can swap out ¼–½ of the vanilla extract for almond extract if you’d like.
- Milk: Just a splash of milk keeps the cookies soft and moist.
- Baking Soda: Gives the cookies their rise and fluffy texture.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors and ties everything together.
- Sanding Sugar: Also called sugar crystals, these come in a wide variety of colors and can usually be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
How to Make Drop Cookies:
Here’s a quick step-by-step look with photos. You’ll find the full list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Cream the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the flour mixture, beating until combined, then mix in milk.
Form the cookies: Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of batter onto the prepared sheet pan.
Flatten and bake: Flatten cookie dough balls slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar crystals. Bake cookies 8–10 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe works best with margarine. Butter will cause the cookies to spread more, giving you thinner, chewier cookies. If you want them to stay fluffy and soft (like the ones in the photos), margarine is the way to go.
Yes! These cookies freeze beautifully. For best results, let them cool completely then freeze in an airtight container. When ready to enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature.
Yes! You can make the dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Just keep in mind it’ll firm up as it chills, so you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a bit before scooping and baking. The dough can also be frozen; scoop it into portions first, freeze solid on a baking sheet, then store in a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time if needed.
Try These Cookie Recipes Next!
- Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Double White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mexican Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Steel Cut Oats Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies
- Pumpkin Cookies with Marshmallow Glaze
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No Roll Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup margarine
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
- sugar crystals any color
- nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven and prepare the pans: Preheat to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or shortening, or line with parchment paper.nonstick cooking spray
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.2 ½ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Cream the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.1 cup margarine, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the flour mixture, beating until combined, then mix in milk.2 tablespoons milk
- Form the cookies: Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of batter onto the prepared sheet pan. Flatten each slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar crystals.sugar crystals
- Bake and cool: Bake 8–10 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Love the way you have used the sugar crystals a treat to eyes!!
I love how changing the color of sugar changes the cookie to suit different occasions.
They look so fun with those pinky sugar crystals. Would be a nice treat for Vday too.
Yes they would! Thanks