These Vanilla Bean Cookies are made with vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla sugar making them super intensely vanilla. They have an added egg yolk which makes them extra rich.
The cookie dough does not require any refrigeration or complicated steps. It can be made in one bowl, and the cookies are ready in 20 minutes.
These cookies are great any time of year, or anytime you can find vanilla beans on sale or in bulk (Costco). I also love these Strawberry Shortbread Cookies, which are also simple but with dehydrated strawberries in the dough, as well as Lemon Curd Cookies in the Spring or these Rice Krispie Treats dipped in chocolate that are good year-round.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients used to make Vanilla Bean Cookies.
- Vanilla Extract: I have found that the best place to buy vanilla extract is at Costco. You can get a large bottle for around $10 that will last you all year long if not more. It is way less expensive per volume than what you can get at a regular grocery store. Using 2 teaspoons worth of vanilla extract ensures a strong vanilla flavor.
- Vanilla Beans: Vanilla beans are extremely expensive. But they are also an incredible ingredient, and they can sometimes be found at Costco in large quantities. My favorite dessert on earth is a simple (not too sweet) vanilla bean ice cream. Nothing beats it in my book. Adding vanilla bean to these cookies makes them super intense, flavorful, and dreamy. Almost like a creamy vanilla ice cream.
- If vanilla beans are in your budget, they are amazing. But not that's fine too. These cookies will still be great without it, especially with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in the cookie dough.
- Scraping Seeds: To remove the vanilla bean seeds from the vanilla bean, use a small paring knife to cut a slit lengthwise along the bean and gently open the bean and scrape out the seeds with the knife.
- Vanilla Sugar: To make the vanilla sugar, combine the sugar and vanilla extract, stirring and mashing. Rolling the cookie dough in the sugar gives the cookie even MORE vanilla flavor and a nice crinkly slightly crunchy exterior. They’ll look sparkly and festive. If you’re short on time, however, feel free to skip this step.
- Sugar: These cookies use only granulated sugar.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is necessary to ensure that these cookies have that nice crinkly look and texture. I've made this without the baking soda and the cookies are quite different. Without it, the cookies are poofy and look very different (though still taste great).
- Baking Powder: For leavening.
- Extra Egg Yolk: This recipe includes one whole egg and an extra egg yolk which gives that extra richness in flavor. I’ve made these with and without the extra egg yolk and you can taste the difference when the extra egg yolk is added.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted will be fine.
- Flour: Use all-purpose unbleached flour.
- Salt: Brings out flavor.
To learn more about these cookie ingredients, see my Guide to Cookie Ingredients.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Vanilla Bean Cookies
Below are the ingredients and step-by-step instructions with accompanying photos for how to make Vanilla Bean Cookies.
Note: Please see the full Recipe Card with the ingredient quantities and instructions further below.
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
In a large bowl combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Step 2. Cut the vanilla beans lengthwise. Use a small sharp knife, like a paring knife, to scrape out the seeds from inside the beans. Be sure not to scrape off the inside of the bean pod itself. Or if you do, pick that out before adding the seeds to the dough.
Step 3. Add the vanilla seeds to the batter. Then add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and combine.
Step 4. Add the flour and mix to combine.
Step 5 (optional). In a small bowl add ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir and mash with a small spoon to combine.
Roll the dough into balls with 2 tbsps of dough each. Roll each ball of dough in the vanilla sugar.
This step is optional. Some alternatives are:
- roll the cookies in vanilla sugar
- roll them in plain granulated sugar
- roll half of the cookies with sugar and half without
- skip this step altogether
Step 6. Place each ball of dough on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes.
Remove the cookies from the oven before they start to brown. They will still be quite soft in the middle but will firm up on the pan as they cool. These cookies should be nice and soft.
Tips & Tricks
- To use only one bowl for easy cleanup, add all the wet ingredients to a large bowl and combine first. Then add the ingredients that need to be evenly dispersed such as the vanilla bean seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then add the flour last and combine.
- To remove the cookies from the pan, allow them to cool for a few minutes first, then use a thin metal spatula. I love to use a metal cheese slicer because it is thin and narrow. That way you can remove one cookie at a time without bumping into the neighboring cookies.
Refrigerating the Dough
You can refrigerate the dough, but it is not necessary. Keep it simple and put the cookies straight into the oven.
If you do refrigerate the dough, the cookies will have a slightly thicker and chewier texture, and the flavors will meld together more. They can be refrigerated for 30 minutes or overnight. If you plan to refrigerate the dough, make the balls of dough and place them on a plate covered in plastic wrap in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge, place them on a baking sheet, and bake for 10-11 minutes (rather than 8-9) at 350℉.
Portioning the Dough
Portion out 2 tablespoon worth of dough for each cookie. This makes 26 cookies. You can either do this with your hands, or using two small spoons – one to scoop and the other to help shape into a round ball, or with a cookie/ice cream scoop.
Expert Tip: For perfectly round cookies, roll each portion of dough between the palms of your hands to make a round ball. Once they bake they will flatten and become perfectly round circles.
Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies FAQs:
The cookies are done after 8-9 minutes. They will look slightly underdone in the middle. This is perfect, don’t wait until they look fully cooked to pull them out. They should still be a little soft and look a little underbaked in the middle. They will continue to cook and firm up on the pan when you take them out.
Yes, you can freeze this vanilla bean sugar cookie dough. Shape into balls and place in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware. To bake, either bring them to room temperature or if baking directly from frozen bake for an extra 2-3 minutes (10-12 minutes total).
Cookies flatten because either they do not have enough flour, the butter is too soft or melted, there is not enough baking powder, or the proportion of sugar is too high compared with the rest of the ingredients.
The biggest reason cookies become poofy is because there is too much flour. In small-batch recipes, it may be because you added egg white, instead of only egg yolk. Another reason is that the butter was too cold and not at room temperature. Not enough baking soda also leads to cookies that are too poofy. The baking soda helps the dough to spread out and gives it that crinkly cookie texture.
If you're looking for more cookie recipes, you may love these:
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies: Thick chewy oversized chocolate chip cookies loaded with tons of chopped chocolate.
Small Batch Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies: Super crispy chocolate chip cookie recipe that makes only 12 cookies, for when a whole batch is just too much.
White Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies: Thick and bakery-style cookies loaded with white chocolate chips and crunchy salted pretzels, a great combo.
Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar: If you're out of brown sugar but want to make chocolate chip cookies, this recipe gives you a few options.
If you tried this Vanilla Bean Cookie Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Vanilla Bean Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 vanilla beans
- 2½ cups flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Vanilla Sugar (optional)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Cut the vanilla beans lengthwise and use a small sharp knife to scrape out the seeds from inside the beans.
- Add the vanilla seeds to the batter. Then add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and combine.
- Add the flour and mix to combine.
- In a small bowl add ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir and mash with a small spoon to combine.Roll the dough into balls with 2 tbsps of dough each. Roll each ball of dough in the vanilla sugar.
- Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes.
Notes
- When scraping the seeds from the vanilla bean, be sure not to scrape off the inside of the bean pod itself. Or if you do, pick that out before adding the seeds to the dough.
- For perfectly round cookies, roll each portion of dough between the palms of your hands to make a round ball. Once they bake they will flatten and become perfectly round circles.
Grace Cueva says
Can I refrigerate them for later use?would I need to let the dough sit on the counter for a little while so they aren't as cold before baking? I'm trying to save myself some time by making the cookie dough ahead since I have lots of other goodies to make on the same day.
Lauren says
Hi Grace, I think the best way to save time on the day of would be to shape the dough into round balls a day or two ahead of time and place them on wax paper on a plate in the fridge (or you could do this even further ahead and freeze the round balls of dough). Then on the day of remove them from the wax paper and either bake them on a baking sheet straight from the fridge for 1 to 2 minutes longer (9-11 minutes), or let them warm up slightly and bake for the regular time (8-9 minutes).
Sara says
Not sure what I did wrong but mine ended up melted and totally flat.
Lauren says
Hi Sara, I'm sorry that the cookies didn't turn out for you! The two biggest culprits with melty flat cookies is either the butter is too soft or there's not enough flour. The butter should be softened to a cool room temperature. You could always bake 1 cookie first as a test cookie, then adjust if needed by refrigerating the dough or adding more flour. Though my intention with how the recipe is written is that that is not needed and they should come out right the first time. Feel free to email me with more details, and I'd be happy to workshop the problem with you (elleandpear at gmail).
Peyton says
Best cookies ever! The vanilla flavor comes through and completes the cookie making it so much better than a simple sugar cookie.
Lauren says
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the cookies! ❤️ And thanks for taking the time to leave a note!