3-Ingredient Butter Cookies

Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest. These 3-Ingredient Butter Cookies are buttery, crisp, and full of old-fashioned charm. With just flour, sugar, and butter, you can whip up a batch of cookies that taste like pure nostalgia.

Perfect with a cup of tea, as a quick snack, or as a festive treat, these cookies prove that you don’t need a long ingredient list to make something amazing.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

• Only 3 ingredients: Pantry staples you already have.
• Quick & easy: Ready in under 30 minutes.
• Versatile: Shape, decorate, or dip them any way you like.
• Perfect for gifting: Package in tins for holidays or special occasions.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar (or powdered sugar for extra tenderness)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

(Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a pinch of salt to enhance flavor.)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).

Step 2: Add Flour

Gradually add flour, mixing until dough comes together. If crumbly, gently knead by hand until smooth.

Step 3: Shape Cookies

• Roll dough into 1-inch balls and flatten with a fork for a classic look.
• Or roll out and cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
• Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 4: Bake

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12–15 minutes, until edges are just golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Tips for Success

• Don’t overbake: The cookies should stay pale with lightly golden edges.
• Chill dough: For sharper shapes, refrigerate dough for 20 minutes before baking.
• Soft butter only: Cold butter won’t cream properly; melted butter makes cookies greasy.
• Powdered sugar option: For melt-in-your-mouth texture, swap granulated sugar with powdered sugar.

Variations

• Vanilla Butter Cookies: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Chocolate-Dipped: Dip half the cookie in melted chocolate.
• Festive Twist: Sprinkle with colored sugar before baking.
• Lemon Butter Cookies: Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the dough.

Why This Recipe Works

These cookies are proof that you don’t need dozens of ingredients to bake something special. The butter provides richness, the sugar balances sweetness, and the flour gives structure. Together, they create cookies that are crisp, buttery, and delightfully simple.

✨ Buttery, crisp, and perfectly simple — these 3-Ingredient Butter Cookies will become a go-to recipe you’ll bake again and again.