These small batch butter cookies with frosting are the perfect balance of rich and sweet in an easy slice-and-bake cookie. The tender vanilla cookies are not overly sugary, leaving plenty of room for a layer of creamy frosting and a scattering of sprinkles to add just enough sweetness to the buttery cookie underneath.

Baked butter cookies stacked on a wood plate, half of them frosted.

If you’ve been here a while, you know I love my baking shows, and these cookies are a result of that. The bakers were making the most delicate sablé cookies that put butter front and center, and they added an egg yolk for even more richness. I was intrigued.

Of course, this was back when I thought every recipe needed to be gussied up for a specific holiday. Since then, I’ve re-tested the recipe and adjusted the ingredients ever so slightly to make the cookies even more tender and subtly sweet — my version of what the TV bakers were making.

The dough is incredibly simple to mix, and most of the technique comes from forming the slice-and-bake log and chilling it.

Frosting is still very welcome, but now it’s there to provide a soft contrast and added sweetness to the buttery cookie. My favorite for these cookies is my thick cookie frosting. And, of course, you can still decorate them with sprinkles. I do.

Are Butter Cookies Just Shortbread

Butter cookies and shortbread share plenty of ingredients, but their textures are different. Butter cookies typically include more sugar and often an egg — or, in this recipe, one egg yolk — which gives them a little more structure while keeping them tender. That makes this dough especially well suited for slice-and-bake cookies.

Shortbread is more delicate and crumbly. In my lemon shortbread, I use cornstarch and powdered sugar to create that signature sandy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

A stack of frosted butter cookies with one cut in half to reveal tender centers.

How To Make Small Batch Butter Cookies

Start with room temperature butter and mix it with the sugar until light and fluffy. Butter that’s too cold won’t aerate properly, while overly soft butter can encourage the cookies to spread.

Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt, then add the flour in a couple of additions. There’s not much liquid in this dough, so stop and scrape down the bowl as needed. Once the flour streaks disappear, stop mixing. The finished dough should be soft and thick and will cling to the paddle.

💡 During my latest round of testing, I dialed back the flour slightly for a softer, more tender cookie, so measure it carefully.

Hand holding thick butter cookie dough on a mixing paddle attachment.

Shape And Chill The Dough

Scoop the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and bring the long edges around it. Shape it into a rough log, then roll it back and forth on the counter until even, and twist the ends closed. I make a 6-inch log for cookies about 2 inches in diameter, but you can make the log slightly longer for smaller cookies.

Don’t rush the chill. The dough needs at least 2 hours in the refrigerator for the butter to firm completely. A cold, firm log holds its shape and gives you much cleaner slices.

Butter cookie dough rolled into a 6-inch log.

Slice And Bake

Use a sharp knife to cut the chilled log into rounds about 1/4-inch thick. I peel back the plastic wrap as I go so I’m handling the dough as little as possible and keeping it cold.

The cookies don’t spread much, but give them a little room on the baking sheet so heat can circulate around them. Bake until the bottom edges are just beginning to turn golden. The tops will still look pale, and that’s exactly what you want for a tender butter cookie.

Tips To Keep Slice-And-Bake Cookies Round

A perfectly round dough log has an annoying habit of flattening once it’s chilled and sliced. These are the tricks that have worked best for me:

Support the log while it chills. Cut a cardboard paper towel tube lengthwise and tuck the wrapped dough inside, or place the log inside a drinking glass set on its side in the refrigerator. Either method helps support the dough so gravity doesn’t flatten one side.
Rotate as you slice. Give the log a quarter turn every few cuts rather than pressing down on the same side the entire time.
Reshape imperfect slices. If a cookie comes off the log a little oblong, place a round cookie cutter around it and gently twist the cutter around the dough to nudge it back into a circle.

Small round cookie cutter cutting round butter cookie discs on a wood cutting board.

Frosting The Butter Cookies

My thick cookie frosting is still my favorite for these cookies because it’s specifically designed for cookies and stays creamy underneath a lightly crisp shell. But for a classic finish, try my creamy vanilla buttercream, or go a little lighter with my butter-free vanilla frosting.

And, of course, add sprinkles if you like. This is when my Christmas sprinkles usually come out.

I LOVE hearing from you!

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If you made butter cookies, let me know in the comments below! Your comment and star rating are greatly appreciated and help other bakers discover the recipe.