Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough (Copycat Recipe) - Cookies for Days (2024)

April 28, 2023March 14, 2024

This copycat Pillsbury Sugar Cookie recipe is buttery with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Based on the slice and bake sugar cookies we all know and love, this recipe is one you will want to bake over and over again.

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Slice and bake Sugar Cookie Dough

I am constantly tempted by the slice and bake cookie doughs at the grocery store. I’m not sure if it’s nostalgia for my childhood, their trademark taste, or Pillsbury’s marketing, but something about those rolls is so enticing!

Rather than continue to impulsively deviate from my grocery list, I decided to figure out how to make the Pillsbury sugar cookie dough from home. To develop this copycat recipe, I referenced the Pillsbury ingredient list and I’m pleased to announce that this recipe produces cookies that taste very similar, if not a little better than, the real thing!

Copycat Pillsbury Sugar Cookies ingredients

• Margarine– Yes, use margarine! This is how those Pillsbury sugar cookies get that buttery crsip edge that melts in your mouth. But if you want, you can do half butter/half margarine instead. If you do opt for this substitution, please know that the cookies will not spread as much.
• Granulated Sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla Extract
• Butter Extract– This is your secret weapon. The butter extract will really give the cookies that signature Pillsbury flavor.
• All Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt – I always use Redmond’s salt!

Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe variations

Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with adding in extra ingredients. My favorite thing to add is rainbow sprinkles for a festive touch. Just add the extras into the dough after the dry ingredients have been mixed in until they are well incorporated. Then roll and cut like normal!

How to make Pillsbury Cookie Dough

1. To make copycat Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough, start by creaming together the margarine and granulated sugar for 2 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer. You will know it is ready when the color has lightened and the mixture is fluffy.
2. To the creamed butter and sugar, add the egg, vanilla extract and butter extract. Lightly mix until the egg is just combined.
3. Scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all ingredients and mix in the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Mix until the dough comes together and has a soft, sticky texture.
5. Remove the dough from your mixing bowl, place it on a clean counter and knead a few times.
6. After kneading, roll the dough into a long, skinny log.
7. To make things easier for future you, slice the log into 1 inch cookies.
8. Wrap your sliced log in plastic wrap and store. These will keep well in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
9. When you are ready to bake the cookies, arrange the slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet. If they were frozen, let them thaw before popping them in the oven.
10. Bake the cookies at 350° for 7-12 minutes. If the cookies are in diameter, they will cook closer to 12 minutes.
11. You will know the cookies are ready to come out of the oven when they start to spread and the edges start to crack slightly.
12. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

How do I give my cookies a perfect round shape?

If you’re looking for the trademark Pillsbury circle shape, try this hack! When you pull your cookies out of the oven, place a wide mouth glass or circular cookie cutter around the cookie on the pan. Moving the glass in circular motions, you will be able to round out your cookies’ edges into a perfect circle! Once done, you can use the bottom of the glass to lightly press in the center of the cookie to create the ridged Pillsbury look.

How to store Copycat Pillsbury Cookies

Whether storing just the dough or the baked cookies, an airtight container is important! You can store the dough in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can store the baked cookies in an air tight container on the counter for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Recipe FAQs

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