Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies are soft cookies similar in texture and flavor to a sweet biscuit, just not quite as thick. These cookies have been a family favorite for over 100 years, and might be the most unusual sugar cookies you’ll ever experience!
For other old-fashioned sweets, try my Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings or my Mom’s Russian Tea Cakes.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
- ⏲️ Ready In: Under an hour for the whole batch
- 👨👨👦👦 Makes: 18 large sugar cookies or 24 smaller cookies
- 🍽️ Calories: 174 kcal for each large sugar cookies
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Shortening, sugar, nutmeg, sour milk, flour. baking powder
- 💯 Why You’ll Love It: These cookies are very much like a fat, flaky biscuit in texture, just sweeter in flavor and a bit tangy from the sour milk that’s an ingredient. The biscuit texture makes them very unique and even if they seem kind of weird as you’re eating them, you simply cannot stop!
Grandma Lucille’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Recipe
I grew up eating and loving these old fashioned, depression-era biscuit cookies. My Grandma Lucille made these cookies all the time because everybody (and I do mean everybody) loved them and always begged her for them.
She told me once that these are what are called “depression-era cookies” because they are a very basic cookie and don’t call for any other fancy ingredients, not even eggs.
I remember how my Grandma Lucille would always give the shortening and sugar mixture to my Grandpa Roy with a huge spoon when she needed it creamed together very well.
That is the secret to these cookies, and she always said that if you cream the shortening, sugar, and nutmeg until it’s soft, it’s still not soft enough. Keep creaming!
Grandpa would always do the creaming while he sat in his recliner watching the baseball game on TV – he was a baseball fanatic. After a while, Grandma would come and get the bowl from him and add the remaining ingredients.
I loved to watch her roll out the dough and cut out the cookies. She would let us grandkids sneak some dough, and it was the best treat.
Grandma usually used her biscuit cutter, but when she couldn’t find it, she used a drinking glass and floured around the edge so the dough wouldn’t stick.
When Grandma made these cookies, she never frosted them. They were always kept in a big green Tupperware bowl, just plain. I’m not sure when the next generation(s) that followed her began adding frosting.
We have a running family joke that if you don’t like these cookies, you can’t marry into the family. So far, all but one or two of our “outlaws” love these cookies as much as the rest of us do.
In my generation, my little sister, Lori, seems to have the best knack for making them, and I think she learned this recipe from making it with our Mom. They do have a bit of a learning curve, but once you’ve conquered them, it’s super exciting because they are so darn good! You will want to make them again and again.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For a complete list of ingredients, see the detailed recipe card below.
- Shortening: Grandma Lucille only used Crisco shortening for these cookies because it makes them really light in color. If you use another brand of shortening, the cookies will be a little darker when baked, but still the same great flavor.
- Sour milk: This is made by adding cider vinegar to the milk so it will curdle. I’ve tried substituting buttermilk for the sour milk and it will work but the cookies just aren’t the same.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the cider vinegar into a one-cup liquid measuring cup. Now add milk to the vinegar until you reach 1 cup of liquid. Let this sit until the milk is curdled on top, 20-30 minutes.
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Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, and nutmeg together very, very well until the mixture is very soft and pliable to the touch, 4-5 minutes.
My Grandma Lucille always made these cookies by hand with a large mixing spoon. You can make them with an electric mixer, but for some reason the cookies do not have the same texture.
Step 2: In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Alternately add the flour mixture and the sour milk to the creamed shortening mixture, approximately one-third at a time.
Step 3: Lightly flour your work surface, then place approximately one-third of the dough out onto the flour.
Lightly flour the top of the dough.
Step 4: Use your favorite rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness.
If the dough is too soft, add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time, until you can handle it easily and the dough cooperates when you roll it out. I usually have to do this when making these cookies in the summer due to the high humidity here in Kansas.
Use a 2 1/2 -inch floured biscuit cutter (or even a round drinking glass) to cut out the dough.
Step 5: Place the cookies onto a greased baking sheet at least 1-inch apart to leave room for the cookies to rise and spread a bit as they bake. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
I usually put 6 cookies on each large baking sheet so they have plenty of room.
Step 6: Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, doing a finger-test at 7 minutes. When the cookies are done and ready to remove from the oven, they will spring back when you gently touch the center with your fingertip.
If you test-touch the cookies at the center and the indentation remains, the cookies aren’t fully baked yet; bake just a minute or two longer, then test again.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then carefully remove them to a cooling rack. When the cookies are fully cooled, store them in an airtight container.
Cookies may be frosted, if desired, though the original cookies that my Grandma Lucille made were never frosted.
My Recipe Tips
- As directed in the recipe, make the sour milk as the first step. This allows the time needed for the milk to curdle while you are creaming the shortening/sugar mixture.
- When you are creaming the shortening/sugar mixture, it should be super soft to the touch of your fingertip. Once you believe it’s creamed together very well, cream it some more – this step is critical to these cookies! I like to use an extra-large silicone spoonula for creaming these ingredients.
- I always add 3 1/2 cups of flour to these cookies when first stirring up the dough. When I place some of the dough onto the floured counter to roll it out, I kind of check to see how easy it is to work with at that point. If the dough is too soft and doesn’t want to roll out properly, I usually wind up adding about 1/2 cup more of flour, a few tablespoons at a time. This nearly always happens when I make these cookies in the summer, due to the high humidity here in Kansas!
- I roll the dough to about 1/2-inch thickness for making these cookies and they bake up nice an fat. If you prefer a more delicate cookie, only roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. You may need to decrease the baking time a tiny bit for thinner cookies.
- It is easiest to make these cookies by rolling out the dough in thirds instead of trying to roll out the dough in one big batch. The smaller the mound of dough for rolling out and transferring the cookies to the baking sheet, the better it works.
- I use a metal spatula to lift and transfer the cookies from my work surface on the counter to my baking sheet.
Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies FAQs
I wouldn’t do it. The cookie dough can be finicky and doubling can back fire! I don’t know the science behind it, just that it hasn’t worked for me….at all…ever.
These cookies freeze great!! Grandma Lucille often made two batches at a time so she could freeze one for later. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Store in airtight container for up to 3 days on the counter….if they last that long.
My family likes a good homemade butter cream frosting, but I have often just grabbed a can of creamed cheese frosting (like for a cake) from my pantry to frost these cookies.
I also don’t know why we started adding the frosting except I suspect somebody in the family wanted them to be sweeter like a sugar cookie typically is. Grandma Lucille may not approve; I don’t know. I do admit that I kind of like them with a good smear of butter cream frosting and so do my boys.
More Old Fashioned Recipes
Easy and delicious old fashioned recipes bring back so many memories. Whether it’s these Andes Mint Chocolate Swirl Cookies with all the classic mint and chocolate flavors. Or skip the oven and make this No Bake Butterfinger Pie.
If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others when they can read your personal feedback. And, if you snap any photos, please share them on Instagram so we can repost them to our Stories!
Grandma’s Old Fashioned Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar If you want the cookies to be a bit more tangy in flavor, use 2 tablespoons cider vinegar to make the milk sour
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup shortening My Grandma Lucille always used Crisco
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus about 1/2 cup more if the dough needs stiffened a bit more, and you'll need flour for rolling out the dough
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt may substitute 1/4 teaspoon iodized table salt
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the cider vinegar into a one-cup liquid measuring cup. Now add milk to the vinegar until you reach 1 cup of liquid. Let this sit until the milk is curdled on top, 20-30 minutes.1 tablespoon cider vinegar , 1 cup milk
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, and nutmeg together very, very, well until the mixture is very soft and pliable to the touch, 4-5 minutes or so. **My Grandma Lucille always made these cookies by hand with a large mixing spoon. You can make them using an electric mixer, but for some reason the texture of the cookies is not the same, fyi.3/4 cup shortening, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Alternately add the flour mixture and the sour milk to the creamed shortening mixture, approx. one-third at a time, using a large mixing spoon or a spoonula to stir between each addition.
- Lightly flour your work surface, then place approximately one third of the dough out. Lightly flour the top of the mound of dough, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness. **If the dough is too soft, add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time until you can handle it easily and the dough cooperates when you roll it out. I usually have to do this when making these cookies in the summer due to the high humidity here in Kansas.
- Use a 2 1/2-inch floured biscuit cutter (or even just a round drinking glass) to cut out the dough, placing the cookies onto a greased baking sheet about 1-inch apart to leave room for the cookies to raise and spread a bit as they bake. Repeat with the remaining dough. (I usually put 6 cookies on each large baking sheet so they have plenty of room.)
- Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, doing a finger-test at 7 minutes. When the cookies are done and ready to be removed from the oven, they will spring back after being gently touched with your fingertip at the center. **If you test-touch the cookies at the center and the indention remains, the cookies aren't fully baked yet; bake just a minute or two longer, then test again.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes, carefully remove them to a cooling rack. When the cookies are fully cooled, store them in an air-tight container. Cookies may be frosted with butter cream frosting, if desired, though the original cookies that my Grandma Lucille made were never frosted.
Notes
- As directed in the recipe, make the sour milk as the first step. This allows the time needed for the milk to curdle while you are creaming the shortening/sugar mixture.
- When you are creaming the shortening/sugar mixture, it should be super soft to the touch of your fingertip. Once you believe it’s creamed together very well, cream it some more – this step is critical to these cookies! I like to use an extra-large silicone spoonula for creaming these ingredients.
- I always add 3 1/2 cups of flour to these cookies when first stirring up the dough. When I place some of the dough onto the floured counter to roll it out, I kind of check to see how easy it is to work with at that point. If the dough is too soft and doesn’t want to roll out properly, I usually wind up adding about 1/2 cup more of flour, a few tablespoons at a time. This nearly always happens when I make these cookies in the summer, due to the high humidity here in Kansas!
- I roll the dough to about 1/2-inch thickness for making these cookies and they bake up nice an fat. If you prefer a more delicate cookie, only roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. You may need to decrease the baking time a tiny bit for thinner cookies.
- It is easiest to make these cookies by rolling out the dough in thirds instead of trying to roll out the dough in one big batch. The smaller the mound of dough for rolling out and transferring the cookies to the baking sheet, the better it works.
- I use a metal spatula to lift and transfer the cookies from my work surface on the counter to my baking sheet.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Chef Alli is not a dietitian or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate.
These look so yummy! Can’t wait to make them with my fam for Christmas!
Hi Janae –
I’ll be curious to see if your family enjoys these sugar cookies for Christmas. I hope they will and I’d love to hear back on what they say!
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
I asked my husband what cookies he loved most and could remember best from his childhood, and he immediately told me about his mother’s sugar cookies. I’ve scoured the sugar cookie recipes online to find one that reflects his description and, in this post, I’ve finally found it! This recipe put such a smile on his face and in his heart! Thank you ever so much!
Hi Calyne –
I hope these are just the cookies he’s been searching for – they are pretty unique, that’s for sure. Please let me know if these are the ones he remembers his Mom making – it’s a depression-era recipe, calling for no eggs and not a whole lot of sugar – like a cross between a biscuit and a sugar cookie. You can’t be a member of our family if you don’t like Grandma Lucille’s Old Fashioned Cookies – it’s a rule! 🙂
Thanks so much,
Chef Alli