Enjoy these delicious, easy, and super chewy sugar cookies that are the best copy-cat recipe for Great American Cookie Company sugar cookies!
I’m a diehard sugar cookie fan. There’s just something I love about a perfectly-executed, chewy, simple, sugar cookie. And if those sugar cookies just happen to be from Great American Cookie Company… major bonus points. Those are, by far, my favorite store-bought cookies.
So when my pal Christy Jordan told me a while back that she had an excellent copycat recipe for those amazing little morsels of deliciousness, I had to have it.
And y’all… it’s spot on. Like they just might be my favorite cookie ever. Ok, scratch that. They ARE my favorite cookie ever. Like ever. I can eat all 24 of these. All. By. Myself.
Regardless, I’m so glad to have this recipe in my arsenal so I can make them every time I have a craving. And while they make perfect holiday cookies, I make them all year long. They’re just as tasty in June or July. 🙂 Y’all are gonna love ’em!
Why are sugar cookies called sugar cookies?
Sugar cookies are called “sugar cookies” because they’re made with loads of… you guessed it… sugar! These delicious cookies feature sugar in the dough to sweeten up the taste.
Also, most decorative sugar cookies are also topped with lots of sugary sprinkles. The sugar sprinkles make them perfect for holidays and special occasions because you can choose colors to match your theme.
What is the secret to chewy cookies?
There are lots of reasons why certain cookies are chewy. It could be the egg or the addition of cornstarch to the recipe ingredients. Some people swear by chilling the dough beforehand to make for a chewier cookie.
I’ve also heard others recommend laying the dough out on a baking sheet in cookie dough balls rather than a flat circle. This method prevents the cookie from getting too crispy in the center rendering a chewy cookie.
As for my chewy, soft sugar cookies, I credit the chewiness to the combination of the brown sugar and corn syrup. It’s that combination that makes these sugar cookies super chewy and soft.
Secret to copycat Great American Cookies’ sugar cookie recipe:
While the buttery and chewy features of the GACC cookies set them apart, I knew that there was a little something extra in terms of flavor when it came to those GACC cookies. And, that little something extra is lemon.
Now, I have no idea why I never really figured that out, but part of me thinks I just had a mental block. It’s like when something is just so good, you almost don’t want to know what makes it that way. But now you know, and I can guarantee you will absolutely love these.
If you tried this Chewy Sugar Cookie recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Recipe Card
Chewy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- large decorating sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment or a nonstick silicone baking mat. Using a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the corn syrup, egg, vanilla and lemon extracts, and mix well.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition.
- Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the dough and roll it into balls. Place the decorating sugar in a small bowl and roll the dough ball in the sugar to coat. Place them on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. (If you find the dough too soft, refrigerate it for about 20 minutes and it should firm up enough to work with.)
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden brown, being cautious not to overcook. Cool on the baking pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Work in batches until all the dough has been used. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Alice
I will absolutely make them again with probably half the lemon extract. The texture was perfect. Gooey in the middle and crispy outside. I would say 4.5 stars only because they’re just a touch too lemony to be like the GAC sugar cookie but still SOOO DELICIOUS!
So glad you enjoyed them, Alice! Do you happen to remember what brand of lemon extract you used?
Caroline
Sooooo good! I made these cookies as a copycat of the Great American Cookie Co giant sugar cookies I get at the mall. And wow these did not disappoint. The flavor is perfect and exactly like the cookies I love, but now homemade! I added a splash of almond extract along with the vanilla and lemon extracts; saw it as a tip for this recipe on a Reddit thread. Again such good cookies, definitely gonna make them again soon!
They’re beautiful! So glad you enjoyed them!
Carroll
Best sugar cookies of all time, they are chewy and delicious, I would recommend for any occasion or everyday!
Thanks, Carroll! I couldn’t agree more. I’ve already made two batches this holiday season.
Harriet Glenn
I made 111 of these today to share with neighbors. I made them last year and everyone loved them, so they’re getting them again this year along with sand tarts. My two favorite cookies. Thank you for this delicious cookie recipe.
Wow, 111 cookies—that’s some serious holiday baking! Your neighbors are so lucky to have you spreading the cookie love. I’m thrilled this recipe made your favorites list, especially alongside sand tarts. Thank YOU for sharing and for keeping the tradition alive. Happy baking (and sharing)!
Mav
Great recipe. I baked it 10 minutes longer for a crunchy taste.
How many days does it take to get bad?
They’re beautiful! Stored in an airtight container, you can keep these for a week or even two.
Michael Ervin
Omg the absolute best Sugar cookie I have ever had. Thank from the bottom of my stomach. My wife and I love them. Suger AWESOME
This just made my day! I’m so glad y’all loved the sugar cookies—and I’m totally stealing “thank you from the bottom of my stomach” because that’s perfect! Hearing how much you and your wife enjoyed them makes all the effort worth it. 😊 Thank you for sharing this with me!
Joyce
Cannot make them fast enough. They disappear before they are cool. Great cookie easy and tasty. Pretty too
That’s the best compliment a cookie can get! So glad they’re a hit—sounds like you might need to double the batch next time!
Harriet Glenn
I made and shared these last year for Christmas treats, and they were a big hit. I love the chewy texture of them. I plan to bake them again this year as treats for sharing. Thank you, Stacy, for this good recipe.
I’m so happy to hear they were such a hit! The chewy texture is my favorite part too. Thanks for making them a part of your holiday traditions—enjoy baking them again this year!
Gabi
I was on the hunt for a sugar cookie that stays chewy even after a day or so – this recipe has that. The flavor and texture are great, thanks for posting!
You’re so welcome, Gabi!
Courtney
Hello! If I we’re to make this into a cookie cake-how would you adjust the cooking time? Thanks!
I think it really depends on the pan size. With a 10 to 12-inch round, I’d guess you want to cook at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. But I’ve not tested it, so I can be certain about that. I’d also recommend lining the pan with parchment and allowing the cookie to cool entirely in the pan, so you can lift it out by the parchment to decorate. Hope that helps! If you try it, but sure to take pictures and come back and share!
Laura
This wasa great recipe with a few minor adjustments my cookies came out perfectly amazing. I used honey instead of corn syrup, added a teaspoon of cream of tartar and used 2&1/3 cups of flour. They are absolutely gorgeous and delicious.
Happy to hear it, Laura! They look perfect! Just curious – Why did you add the cream of tartar?
Addie Small
I tried these cookies and they tasted very good, but came out hard and thick, unlike the sugar cookies at GACC. What should I do differently next time or where did I go wrong.
It’s really hard to say, Addie. It sounds like some of your measurements were off or they were cooked too long.
Janna
Not sure what happened (?) The dough tastes wonderful and mixed up easily. Although I refrigerated the dough, they were total flops after baking them… 100% flat.
Ugh! I hate hearing that! It honestly sounds like the flour to butter ratio might have been off a little. What type of flour did you use and how did you measure it?
Kimberly
What brand of lemon extract do you recommend?
I’ve used both McCormick and Wilton. I think I prefer the McCormick.
Paige
Absolutely love these! I also got to say I love the interactive check marks!!!!!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them! And thanks for the feedback!
Tina
These are absolute Perfection! However next time I’ll just use more vanilla and not add the lemon. Bookmarked this recipe for future use.
So glad you loved them, Tina! I think I’ve made 3 batches this season.
LB
Great! Added a tiny bit extra vanilla but overall tasted great and very easy
So glad you enjoyed them!
Jean Willson
These turned out perfectly. So good and easy. I didn’t have the large, sanding sugar, but regular worked just fine.
So happy to hear you enjoyed them, Jean!
Tmac
Gah! So, SO good! I hate that it has corn syrup, but I love that my husband gave it a 9/10 (GACC sugar cookies have been his fave since he was a kid) and the only reason they were not a 10/10 was because they flattened out too much (which I loved). I did do slightly less than half of the lemon extract and may do less next time or 1/4 lemon, 1/4 coconut, for fun. These were so delish and on the day when our advent kindness of the day was to leave a positive, yet honest, online review! Definitely a fabulous sugar cookie recipe that I will make over and over again!
Beautiful! So glad y’all enjoyed them!! I appreciate you sharing that kindness over this way. What is it about the corn syrup that has you concerned?
Tmac
It was very well-deserves. And nothing about the recipe, just in general. I do think it added all the right things to the recipe. Making some more this weekend and hopefully I can manage the spread a little better. I did refrigerate my dough. Any other tips?
If they still spread too much after refrigerating the dough, you can always add a little more flour.
Theresia Raif
There was no way to roll into balls, so sticky. Made drop cookies and grandkids sprinked with candies. Even after chilling in fridge. Baked beautifully, then fell flat after removing from oven. Frosted remaining cookies in order to use more decorations. Did love the lemon flavor, using lemon juice vs extract.
Oh no! It certainly sounds like something was off in the measurements here. I just made them last week and have made them dozens of times without that issue. How much lemon juice did you use?
Susan W Hines
Hi Stacey,
These cookies sound amazing! Can you make and freeze them?
The sugar on the outside might melt a little with the humidity, but they should freeze just fine.
MENDY BRISTOL
Do you ever refrigerate your dough and use it for a few days?
Yep! It will work just fine.
Carolyn
Flavor was great, but they flattened out on me. I even added an extra tablespoon of flour. Still flat as a pancake.
Did you try refrigerating your dough to firm up the butter?
Carolyn
Can the baked cookies be frozen? Going to give them a try tomorrow.
Yes!
Ruth
Have not made these yet but will…love and have baked lots of cookies…I noted some of the comments…I would roll into balls, put on a plate and refrigerate at least 1/2 hr. Then when you are ready to bake…preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Take out of refrigerator and roll in sugar. Put on cool cookie sheet and give each a little pat to flatten a bit….and pop in the oven. Sometimes I do a trial…and bake just 2…because each oven is different. Usually cookies “spread” because they have butter and the butter needs to start out cool. I usually work with 2 cookies sheet and put one in the frig to cool while the other is baking….never put cookie dough on a warm cookie sheet. Yea, I will try with extra lemon juice instead of the extract. Also, while coarse sugar is nice….but if you do not have…just take regular sugar and add a bit of food coloring and stir it to get the color you want…you can make fun colors for different occasions…NOTHING like a great sugar cookie!
I suggest in many of my cookie recipes to do a test cookie first to make sure it’s going to bake correctly.
Deborah Abercrombie
Perfect!
Thanks!!
Elena Darwin
Absolutely delicious and so special looking. I had to wait to get the light corn syrup(I didn’t have any), but wow! So happy I saved this recipe to try! It’s now a family favorite!!
Wonderful! So happy to hear that!
Delaney
Oh my goodness! These are sooooo good! I absolutely love GAC sugar cookies, but they are pricey! This recipe is a perfect copy cat, love the addition of the lemon extract! I might even add a little more next time😊 thank you so much for sharing!
So happy to hear you loved these!
Rebecca Reeves
I made these today exactly as the recipe says. I used Watkins Pure Vanilla and Lemon extracts. They do spread some, but they cook evenly for me. I baked mine for 9 minutes and that seemed to work well for the size dough ball I made – approximately 1.5 inches. I did pre-flatten mine slightly to ensure even cooking. My cookies ended up being an average of 3 inches across. The flavor is great and I love the lemon flavor. I may also experiment with almond flavoring and/or orange flavoring with these cookies. Adding corn syrup is a first for me in a cookie recipe.
They’re absolutely beautiful! So glad you enjoyed them!
Joshua
The recipe is almost perfect! The texture is identical. I made them exactly as written, but the lemon flavor just seemed way too strong. I’m gonna try it again without the lemon extract and substitute more vanilla in place of it. Great recipe!
Thanks, Joshua! Glad you enjoyed these! What I’ve found is that different lemon extracts have varying flavor levels. You could also just try using less of it. I do know that GAC uses some lemon flavoring in their sugar cookies.
Brooke
Best sugar cookies me, my family and friends have ever had! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Beautiful! So glad you enjoyed them!!
Bonnie
What a great recipe!! I took the advice of another reviewer & used Princess Emulsion……PERFECT!! Crispy, chewy, delicious sugar cookie! Thanks!!
Thanks, Bonnie! So glad to hear you enjoyed these!
Teri
Best EVER ! Flavor is amazing and I switch out the color of the sugars for holidays, grandkids favorite colors and of course your favorite team colors. Definitely a keeper!
So glad you enjoyed these! They’re a favorite at our house or sure!
Julia M
Oopsie had to substitute ingredients. Turned out so stinkin brown maple-y delicious, that I had to leave a review anyway. Great for cold weather, tho.
Yes, I added lemon extract & light Karo syrup to my grocery list, to make them again as written.
Ha! Glad you enjoyed them anyway! 🙂
Emily Bornheim
Hi Stacey! Your recipe is almost identical to mine! I too am a die hard GACC sugar cookie fanatic and had been trying to replicate it for years! I found that using 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1.5 tsp Princess Cake and Cookie Bakery Emulsion really makes it! It adds a nutty, citrus flavor that is identical to GACC! ❤️
I’ve never hear of that! I’ll have to find some and try it.
Dorothy Williams
Oh boy, these were a smash hit in my house, everyone loved them. Thanks for another great recipe! Stacey, you should have your own cooking show!!
Thank you, Dorothy! Glad everyone enjoyed it!
Emily Prince
Love it!! I’ve tried so many sugar cookie recipes that are just too dry for me.
Some adjustments I made: I used double the lemon juice as a substitute for lemon extract and it was perfect! Also changed the heat to 350 and baked 8.5 minutes because my bottoms were getting too dark
So glad you enjoyed these!
Beverly J Davies
Love, love this sweet Christmas morsals. Thank you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Love from Burbank, California from Beverly Jean and our family,
Merry Christmas, Beverly!
Suzanne Gower
Hi – love your recipes 😀
Looking over this sugar cookie recipe, the last ingredient is –
“Large baking sugar “
What exactly is this ? The sprinkles ?
Sorry …. Maybe all the other cooks know.
Thanks, Sue
It’s the red and green sprinkles on the outside of the cookies in the pictures. Enjoy!
Lisa
Hello! Ours got more puffy than flat! Any suggestions?
You could always press them down a bit before putting them in the oven. I just gives them a little head start.
Jaclyn Stewart
Hi! Do you think it would be ok to refrigerate the dough overnight and make it the next day? or would it be better to freeze the dough?
Absolutely! Cover tightly and refrigerating it overnight should work perfectly.
Evan
Flavor is close to the original great american, but too much lemon extract. Nicely done finding the lemon as the “secret ingredient” though! The lemon Amt in this recipe is good but overpowering compared to the original. My cookies also turned out completely flat like many of the responses from others. I tried lowering the temp down to 325 and still had the same issue. This tells me there isnt NEARLY enough flour in the recipe. Likely short by at least one half cup if not more. I’ll add flour to the next batch and update the difference!
Hey Evan! I’ve learned that different brands of lemon extract have varying strengths. Unfortunately that’s not something we have much control over. When it comes to the cookies spreading, did you try refrigerating the dough? I’ve never had trouble with this recipe, but I did some cross comparison and still feel like the flour amount is correct.
Heather
Can we freeze the dough before rolling in sugar and baking?
I don’t see why not! Make sure to thaw prior to baking or you could roll into balls and them freeze?
Haley
First time finding the sugar cookie recipe I have been looking for, for so long, I love them!!
Thanks Haley! Definitely a favorite in my family!
Hannah
Have you every made a cookie cake from this recipe? It’s our friends favorite cookie and for his birthday I’d love to make it into a cookie cake for him. Trying to figure out baking time.
I’ve never done this but I think it should work just fine. I’d guess around 20-25 minutes for the bake time depending on how big you make the cookie.
Angela
The cookies taste amazing! However, they came out flat, for me. I even put the dough, in the freezer for few minutes, before I baked the sugar cookies. While cooking, a ball of dough would be in the center of the cookie, but melted dough all around, until the entire cookie was flat. Watching them cook, was like watching a snowman melt. Ha! I don’t know what I did wrong, but I’ll try again. The taste of this cookie is so good!
Oh no! Maybe a little more flour next time? How long did you let them refrigerate?
margaret carter
are you sure it’s 3/4 cup of butter. I made them and they spread out to thin
Yep. 100% positive. Just made some last week. You can always add a little more flour or try thoroughly chilling the dough before baking.
Maggie Mushrush
I am planning on making these tonight but the only sprinkles I have are the more elongated sprinkles, would those work?
Sure! They should work just fine.
Connie
My oven isn’t working right now. How can I make these in an air fryer?
I can’t say, Connie. I’ve never tried them in an air fryer.
Kortney
I just made these. They taste just like the great American cookie co. cookies! So tasty! I used salted butter so I reduced the salt just a smidge. I used scant 1/4tsp lemon extract and it was perfect. It doesn’t taste lemony at all – it just gives it this great perfect sugar cookie taste – a little “je ne sais quoi” – no one will know what it is, but everyone will be asking what makes them taste so good. These are going into my permanent cookie keeper list. Thanks! 🙂
Sweet! So glad to hear you enjoyed them! They’re my absolute favorite!
Mia
Okay. First of all, these are delicious! I halved the lemon extract, though. The only thing is….my cookies cracked on top! I’ve never had cookies crack on top , so not sure what I did wrong.
I used vegan butter and flaxseed in place of butter and egg. I also used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. I didn’t refrigerate it, as the dough seemed fine and easy to mold. Could my replacements have made it crack for some reason? I never ran into a cracked top when baking cookies, even when replacing ingredients. Other than the cracking, it was delicious. Thank you for this great recipe.
Glad to hear you enjoyed them! These do crack a little, but I would image the substitutions might have made it a little worse.
Alicia
These are delicious and pretty! I also have a serious love for Great American Cookie Company, especially the sugar cookies. These taste just like them! Thank you for sharing❤️
So glad to hear that you enjoyed them!! We sure love them at our house!
Cindy
Stacey – If a recipe calls for Unsalted Butter, but I have Lightly Salted, should I leave out the salt in the recipe?
No, in this case I think it will be just fine to use both.
Dolores
I didn’t use any lemon extract from the previous ratings comments and it turned out great! I also had to flatten them before baking to ensure it was cooked all the way through for the 10 minutes. Definitely will use the recipe again.
Glad you enjoyed them! You should really try them with the lemon next time, though! So good!
Ida
Delicious! Was looking for something to give to the neighbors as Christmas gifts and these were perfect! Turned out great first try. Had to make a second batch for the family! Thanks for sharing.
So glad they turned out great for you!!
Apryl
This recipe is GREAT!! Personally, I’m not a fan of the hint of lemon taste. I may reduce by half or omit the lemon and add almond or more vanilla to replace. This recipe will be added to my recipe book! Thanks for sharing!!
Glad you enjoyed them!!
Jessica
I’m a huge sugar cookie eater but the lemon extract kind of steers me away! Does the cookie taste really lemony?
Nicole
I think the lemon is needed to give it something unexpected, but in my opinion, maybe 1/2 tsp or less. They did have a lemon taste that I liked but my kids were not so crazy about.
I agree! There’s no harm in using less, but I love that extra punch it gives the cookies.
I don’t think they taste lemony. There’s just a little something there that you know is different, but can’t quite put your finger on. Certainly you could always use less extract.
Vicki J.
I made these and they spread way more while baking. I made the first sheet on silpat and then tried the next on parchment paper. Still spread a lot. If I make them again, I might try using half shortening to see if that keeps them from spreading so much. They tasted good though, just did not look like yours.
Ugh. Hate to hear you had trouble. Did you coat them in the big pieces of sugar? Also, did you try chilling the dough?
Vicki J.
I had large green & smaller red sugar that I combined and rolled them in. I did put the second sheet in the fridge for a bit to see if that would help. They might have spread a little less but still spread a lot. As I said, they are still yummy!
Well, I’m just glad they tasted good! 🙂
Nicole
These were really good! They stayed soft and fluffy even after a few days. The only thing I would do differently next time is to put a little less lemon extract. They were a little too lemon-y for my kids but I liked them a lot! This is definitely my new go-to sugar cookie recipe.
So glad you enjoyed them!!
Sara
Could this recipe be used with cutters, or does it spread too much for shapes?
I’m afraid this dough is a little too soft to be rolled out and cut.
Anne Gavin
Can the dough be frozen?
I don’t see why not. 🙂
Melodie mills
Would these be good with frosting?
I sure don’t see why not!
Cindy Karsten
These look great! A lot of family members need to eat gluten free so do you think this recipe would still work if I swapped out the regular flour and replaced it with an all purpose gluten free flour? Do you think I would need to make other modifications? Thanks!
Hi Cindy! I’m honestly not sure. I don’t have much experience with gluten free flour.
Tracy Marlow
Will the lemon extract make these very lemony? Or is it something I could eliminate? I love lemon but have several in the family that do not.
The lemon is what makes these taste so much like the Great American Cookie Company cookies. If you’re not trying to replicate those, you could leave it out. But I wouldn’t recommend it.