Pan-banging sugar cookies!
This is a recipe from my cookbook, 100 Cookies, and is an off-shoot of my Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies. These delicious sugar cookies have buttery, rippled edges and a chewy center as a result of using the pan-banging cookie technique.
They have a classic sugar cookie flavor elevated by bold vanilla flavors!
What Are Pan-Banging Cookies?
Bakers tapping their cookie pans in the oven isn’t new, of course, but the pan-banging technique I use here is unique in that the pan is tapped in the oven every few minutes, creating ripples on the edge of the cookie. This creates two textures in the cookie: a crisp outer edge, and a soft, gooey center.
Can I Refrigerate Pan-Banging Cookie Dough?
Cookie dough can be refrigerated overnight before using. Shape the dough into balls and cover with plastic wrap before chilling, and then bring it to room temperature before baking (when the cookies are chilled solid, they won’t ripple as well).
Cookies that spend a night in the fridge will also have a more developed flavor, but also have a bumpier finish.
Measuring Flour for Cookies
Throughout my recipes posted on this website, 1 cup of flour equals 142g. Please note that 1 cup of flour can range anywhere from 120g to 142g, depending on the baker or website. I found that after weighting many cups of flour and averaging the total, mine always ended up around this number. If I am posting a recipe from another cookbook, I will use whatever gram measure of flour used in that book, which is why you may see a few posts with a different cup measurement.
Different brands of flour have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high, which can result in very different outcomes when baking. I’ve found Gold Medal all-purpose unbleached flour to be the best option for many of my recipes; I use it in all the baked goods that don’t use yeast.
More Pan-banging Cookie Recipes:
- Pan-banging Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Sesame Chocolate Chip Pan-Banging Cookies
- Pan-banging Molasses Espresso Cookies with Chocolate
Pan-banging Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup (350 g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Line three sheet pans with aluminum foil, dull-side up.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups [300 g] of the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed to combine. Add the flour and mix on low speed until combined.
- Form the dough into 3 oz [85 g] balls [1/4 cup]. Roll each ball in the remaining 1/4 cup [50 g] of sugar. Place 3 or 4 cookies an equal distance apart on the sheet pan. Bake the cookies one pan at a time. Bake until the dough balls have flattened but are puffed slightly in the center, 8 minutes. Lift one side of the sheet pan up about 4 in [10 cm] and gently let it drop down against the oven rack, so the edges of the cookies are set and the center falls back down. After the cookies puff up again in 2 minutes, repeat lifting and dropping the pan. Repeat a few more times to create ridges around the edges of the cookie. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes total, until the cookies have spread out and the edges are golden brown but the centers are much lighter and not fully cooked.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days (or refrigerate for up to 3 days).
52 Comments
Catherine S
Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 11:36 amDelicious! Love the flavor and texture of these cookies. I made mine smaller and got 52 cookies. I suspect that the pan-banging would have a more dramatic result if I made 10 large cookies as directed in the recipe. Will definitely make again.
Meara
Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 3:30 pmVerrrrrrrry very very good. I added some Meyer lemon zest, and rolled the dough balls in a mix of demerara and granulated sugar, since I was short granulated. Didn’t come out as rippled as yours, but still so so delicious. One bite took me back to my childhood. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Charlotte
Thursday, January 4, 2024 at 5:48 pmIf I wanted to marble the dough with jam, how would you recommend doing that? Thank you! xx
Sarah Kieffer
Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at 4:58 pmHi Charlotte – I haven’t tried doing that so I’m not sure. I think that the jam would melt too much during baking and may burn in spots?
Ashley
Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 9:11 amHi! Would love to send these to family and friends for the holidays but concerned since they only last 2 days- are they still edible after this time but just not as fresh? xx
Also is there a cream of tartar substitute such as lemon juice added to the wet ingredients?
Julie
Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 6:52 pmI was looking for a recipe that would have the same texture as the squares of premade sugar cookie dough you find in the refrigerated section at the grocery store, but taste better. I wanted smaller cookies to take to a tailgate so I made each dough ball 43 gr,ams. I put 8 dough balls on a very large cookie sheet and set the first timer for 4 min to bang the pan. I set the timer at 1 minute intervals 4 more times and banged the pan each time. They came out perfect and taste so much better than those store bought squares! Thank you!!
Sarah Kieffer
Friday, November 17, 2023 at 8:48 amSo glad you like them, Julie!
Sean
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 9:56 pmJust made these and they came out perfectly. I have added a lemon glaze.
Dariela
Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 9:13 pmI’m not joking when I say these are the BEST cookies I’ve tasted. I cut the recipe by half and they came out just amazing—only had to add a little bit more of flour. But, seriously, they’re just to my taste and super easy to make, thank you for this amazing recipe!
Jenna
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 4:46 pmThese were the best sugar cookies I’ve ever tasted!! I’ve been on the hunt for that perfect recipe and this is it. Thank you so much 🙂
Sarah Kieffer
Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 11:45 amI’m so glad you liked them! xx
Angela
Monday, May 29, 2023 at 11:38 amI baked these cookies following the instructions exactly and they came out perfect. They’re delicious, too. My plan was to send my husband to work with cookies for his boss if they came out well. I’m very proud of these, so they’re going. Wish I could attach a picture. Great presentation for very minimal effort.
Sarah Kieffer
Monday, May 29, 2023 at 12:56 pmSo glad to hear that!
Regina
Friday, April 21, 2023 at 9:22 pmTurned out good but wayy too salty
Sarah Kieffer
Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 8:11 amHello! What kind of salt did you use?
Jo
Saturday, April 15, 2023 at 6:53 pmThey turned out very crispy and greasy. Waste of ingredients. Won’t make them again.
Stephanie Cuan
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at 4:18 pmDo you have to use cream of tartar because I don’t have and what can I use as an alternative?
Sandi
Monday, December 5, 2022 at 11:38 amCan’t wait to try! Probably a dumb question, but here goes….you bang once at 8 minutes, let them puff for 2 minutes and bang again. To bang “a few more times” do you wait 2 minutes in between each bang??
Sarah Kieffer
Monday, December 5, 2022 at 11:41 amBetween 1 and 2 minutes, when they’ve puffed up again each time.
AJ
Monday, June 6, 2022 at 5:46 pmI’m at altitude so I added a few Tbsp water (to make up for the aridity) but made no other modifications for altitude. I added a lot of lemon zest to make them citrusy. Delicious!
Jen
Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 2:23 pmI just made these and while they taste delicious mine didn’t spread nearly as much as they’re supposed to. I didn’t change anything about the directions. Does anyone have any ideas or tips for what happened and how to fix it next time?
Sarah Kieffer
Sunday, February 20, 2022 at 8:25 amHi Jen! That is a sign that your oven runs hot. When an oven is warmer than it says, the cookies set on the edges first, before they have a chance to spread.
Sam
Wednesday, December 22, 2021 at 3:10 pmWould it be possible to freeze the dough and then bake later? I’ve loved using this recipe in the past but would love insight into having it on hand.
Lauren
Sunday, August 8, 2021 at 10:21 amWhen I made the snickerdoodle version from your book they spread too thin and got too brown at the edges. Tried chilling dough, making 60 g balls, and baking at a slightly higher temp so they’d set more quickly. Edges still brown and middles are translucent. They taste great but don’t look great. I made the triple chocolate pan banging cookies and they turned out fantastic! Help! I’m an experienced home baker and have made about 20 recipes from the 100 Cookies book, all turned out perfect (except shortbread, my kitchen was too warm lol).
Monica Biegel
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 6:24 pmCan you tell me about the sugar cookies with the sprinkles? Did you mix them into the dough before you baked them? About how much did you use in the batter?
Carolyn
Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at 4:07 pmShe shared this recipe on IG and mentioned using 3/4 cup of sprinkles :).
Tina Garfinkel
Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 1:44 pmPer IG post, mix in 1/2 cup after dough is formed, mixing to distribute evenly.
Chelsey
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 10:52 pmYum! These are so good and mine turned out just like your pictures! So pleased. Thank you.
Maria Fay
Saturday, January 9, 2021 at 9:16 amHi Sarah, can you tell me about the sugar cookies with the sprinkles? Did you mix them into the dough before you baked them? About how much did you use in the batter? I have rainbow jimmies and believe that is what you used….? If anyone else knows, I would appreciate the help. Thanks!
Sindi
Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 7:54 pmNo yield..confusing does it make three 1/4 cup cookies?
Chelsey
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 10:54 pmIt made ten 3 oz cookies for me.
Nina
Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 11:48 amJust made these this morning and they are very tasty! I made 16 cookies, but only baked six and put the rest in the freezer. I probably could’ve gotten 18 with slightly smaller cookies and if I did not eat a tiny bit of the dough (!). I did two pan-bangs, one at 8 minutes, and one at 12, and baked for a total of 15 minutes. I could see adding lemon zest to the sugar in the recipe and then mixing it with the butter for lemony sugar cookies, or adding cinnamon to the rolling sugar for a more snickerdoodle effect.
Olga María Cárcamo
Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 7:50 pmhow did they turned out?
Giftbasketworldwide
Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 3:32 amI have been amazed at your work. Quite fabulous.
Deborah Puette
Sunday, September 27, 2020 at 7:32 pmI don’t love to use foil. Would parchment work?
Nicole
Friday, September 11, 2020 at 4:38 pmI bought your book and just made these with the addition of the sprinkles. They are outstanding. The cookies are really big — can you make them smaller and still get the same result?
Nathan
Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 12:41 pmLove these. Not overly sweet, the texture is fantastic, and they’re super easy. Thank you!
Madeleine
Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 9:11 pmHi there! Could you do this cookie with a bit of lemon? Pan banging lemon sugar cookie? I loved your chocolate espresso molasses pan banging cookie, and want to bake a citrus take!
My thoughts were lemon extract or dried lemon powder or rind? Maybe some fiore di sicilia instead of vanilla?
Pat
Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 2:43 pmI just made these and thought they were pretty unremarkable. They needed to be a little thicker and have more flavor. Won’t make them again.
Sarah
Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 4:57 pmHi Pat – these cookies are supposed to be flat; the pan-banging cookies spread to have crisp ripples and a tender center. But if you are looking for a thicker cookie, you may want to try a traditional sugar cookie recipe. Thanks for trying them!
Katrina
Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 9:24 amHi! How many cookies does this recipe make? Thank you!
Susan
Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 5:37 pmI have a vegan version of these in the oven right now! I will let you know how they turn out. Great recipe! Thanks so much for your wonderful creativity and talent!
Olga María Cárcamo
Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 7:56 pmhow did they turned out?
Erin
Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 6:23 amCan you share how they turned out and how you substituted? TIA!
Brenda J Dumont
Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 1:31 pmEven if i dont win i am getting that cookbook! I just made the oatmeal cookies from “the vanilla bean cookbook” and boy are they ever good!!
Saimah
Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 6:03 pmThis is a fantastic recipe! I pan-banged my way to waking up my entire household at 6am. Lucky for them, it was to the smell of delicious sugar cookies! I love how chewy they are.
Nina Stjärnehag
Tuesday, August 4, 2020 at 9:45 amHi love THANK YOU ??. Because of living in not USA (sweden) cream of tartar is illegal to sell (!! Says food stores when asked), and I wonder if possible to sub w anything and still achieve same result? THANKS in advance,
Nina Stjärnehag
Molly
Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 12:10 pmI had to google cream of tartar after seeing your comment because I realized I didn’t know what cream of tartar was! Ironically (if the site is correct), sodium bitartrate (cream of tartar) was discovered in Sweden! Maybe you can order by mail? Best of luck.
Ashley
Sunday, August 23, 2020 at 1:06 amCream of Tartar is Vinsten. Jag tror att det säljs på apoteket eller amerikanska / engelska butiken.
Nina Stjärnehag
Tuesday, August 25, 2020 at 2:52 pmÅh jag vet! Men det är tyvärr engelska butiken som slutat sälja sedan några år, även Ica kvantum har berättat att det blivit olagligt. Apoteket får inte heller. Men tack ändå!
patty
Tuesday, August 4, 2020 at 8:55 amI don’t know how to do Instagram, but I know how to bake cookies! I love the pan banging chocolate chip cookies and I will be making these tonight and I can’t wait. They look so good!
Nikki
Monday, August 3, 2020 at 7:49 pmHonestly, I just can’t wait to nab your cookbook!! These look amazing….still working on my pan-banging skills though..
Best,
Nikki
https://www.pastrybynikki.com/post/berry-pink-gf-pancakes