Description

These Mini Sugar Cookies are soft, buttery, and perfectly sweetened with both granulated and powdered sugars. The combination of butter and oil creates a tender texture, while rolling the dough balls in sugar adds a delightful sugary crunch. Baked in under 15 minutes, these cookies are easy to make in batches, perfect for parties or everyday treats.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
½ cup (115g) granulated sugar
½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
½ cup (108g) canola or vegetable oil
1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg

Dry Ingredients

2⅓ cups (291g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon salt

For Rolling and Sprinkling

¾ cup (173g) granulated sugar, divided for rolling and sprinkling

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Instructions

Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line three baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and facilitate easy cleanup.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter with granulated sugar and powdered sugar until creamy. Add the canola or vegetable oil and continue beating until combined, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract; the mixture may appear slightly curdled, but that’s normal.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt to ensure even distribution.
Integrate Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated without overmixing.
Prepare Sugar for Coating: Reserve ¼ cup of the granulated sugar for sprinkling on the baked cookies. Place ½ cup of the granulated sugar in a wide, flat container suitable for tossing the dough balls.
Scoop and Coat Dough Balls: Using a 1-teaspoon cookie scoop or two small spoons, portion the dough into 2-teaspoon-sized balls. Drop about 8-10 dough balls at a time into the sugar container and gently shake or use your fingers to coat each dough ball evenly with sugar.
Arrange on Baking Sheets: Place the sugared dough balls a couple of inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, fitting about 30 dough balls per sheet. Flatten each ball gently using a cookie stamp or the bottom of a drinking glass to achieve uniform thickness.
Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9 to 12 minutes until they puff up and start to set at the edges. The cookies will continue to crisp as they cool.
Add Final Sugar Sprinkle and Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and while still warm, sprinkle the tops with the reserved ¼ cup sugar. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and allow the cookies to cool completely before storing or serving.

Notes

Equipment: A 1-teaspoon cookie scoop and a cookie stamp help with uniform cookies, but if unavailable, two small spoons and the bottom of a glass work fine.
Dough Consistency: The dough is soft due to the butter and oil combination, making scooping easier when rolled in sugar.
Batch Baking: Bake cookies in batches using multiple baking sheets. While one batch bakes, scoop the next batch to optimize time. Make sure baking sheets are cool between batches to prevent dough from spreading too much.
Storage: Store cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. They freeze well and retain their texture when thawed.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 mini cookie
Calories: 55
Sugar: 5g
Sodium: 40mg
Fat: 3.5g
Saturated Fat: 1.3g
Unsaturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 6.5g
Fiber: 0.1g
Protein: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 10mg