These chewy olive oil sugar cookies are soft, crackly, and easy to make with olive oil or avocado oil and fresh citrus zest.
I’ll admit it. I didn’t expect these cookies to become one of my favorite sugar cookie recipes.
I was really just curious whether olive oil could make a cookie that was every bit as soft and chewy as the classic butter version. One batch turned into two, and then I made a third batch with avocado oil because I knew someone would eventually ask if it worked. It does.
In fact, I couldn’t tell a difference in the texture. Both versions baked up with beautiful crackly tops, lightly crisp edges, and soft centers that stayed chewy for days. Olive oil adds a little richness, while avocado oil has a more neutral flavor. I would happily bake either version again.
Perfect for Christmas, the holidays, or anytime you’re craving homemade cookies.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
½ cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups self-rising flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place the oven rack in the center position. Line a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and orange zest. Rub them together with your fingers for about a minute to release the oils from the zest. You can also use a food processor or an electric hand mixer for these cookies.
3. Add the olive oil or avocado oil, the large egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape the sides of the bowl.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until the flour mixture disappears. The cookie dough will be soft.
5. Scoop the dough into balls of dough using a medium cookie scoop or about 2 tablespoons of dough. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are set, but the centers still look slightly underbaked. Don’t wait until they’re golden brown.
7. Let the first pan of cookies rest for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring each cooled cookie to a wire rack with a metal spatula.
Christmas Cookie Ideas
These cookies are wonderful plain, but they’re also easy to customize for Christmas and the holidays. Try adding:
Holiday sprinkles
Chopped pistachios
White chocolate chips
Crushed peppermint candy
Colored sanding sugar
A dusting of confectioners’ sugar after baking
Lemon zest instead of orange zest
A tablespoon of lemon juice for extra citrus flavor
Olive Oil Sugar Cookies
These chewy olive oil sugar cookies are soft, crackly, and easy to make with olive oil or avocado oil and fresh orange zest.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest or lemon zest optional
- 1/2 cup virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place the oven rack in the center position. Line a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and orange zest. Rub them together with your fingers for about a minute to release the oils from the zest. You can also use a food processor or an electric hand mixer for these cookies.
-
Add the olive oil or avocado oil, the large egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape the sides of the bowl.
-
In a small bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until the flour mixture disappears. The cookie dough will be soft.
-
Scoop the dough into balls of dough using a medium cookie scoop or about 2 tablespoons of dough. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
-
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are set, but the centers still look slightly underbaked. Don't wait until they're golden brown.
-
Let the first pan of cookies rest for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring each cooled cookie to a wire rack with a metal spatula.
Tips for the Best Cookies
Don’t overmix once you add the dry ingredients.
Chilling the cookie dough helps create thicker cookies with beautiful crackly tops.
If you like crispy cookies, bake them for another minute. My family preferred them soft in the center.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack after they’ve cooled for a few minutes so the bottoms don’t keep steaming on the pan.
More cookie recipes to try:
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator.
The baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.
You can also freeze the dough balls. Place them on a baking sheet until frozen, then transfer them to a freezer bag. Bake directly from the freezer by adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.
Can I make these ahead?
Absolutely. You can refrigerate the cookie dough overnight before baking, or freeze it for later.
Sometimes the simplest recipes end up being the biggest surprise.
I already know these will be part of my Christmas baking every year. They’re simple enough to make on an ordinary afternoon, but they’re also perfect for holiday cookie trays because they’re easy to decorate with sprinkles, chopped pistachios, or a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
Did you make this Olive Oil Sugar Cookie Recipe? I would love to hear how it turned out for you! Please comment below this blog post or tag me on social media and let me know how you liked them! You can find me on Facebook and Pinterest.
