These vanilla bean cookies are made from scratch using a food processor. The dough uses cold ingredients and requires no chill time. The cookies are soft, thick, and have an old-fashioned texture—perfect for holidays, a quick Christmas cookie, or anytime you crave classic sugar cookies. You’ll get about 24 cookies ready in roughly 30 minutes.
This post was originally published in June of 2019 and has been updated with new photos and clarified information. The recipe now uses a bit more vanilla, but the method and results remain the same.
Reader Darren commented: “The kids and I really like these cookies. I can go from empty counter to cookies in their mouths with a clean kitchen in <45 minutes with this recipe. Thank you!”
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If you’ve followed this site, you know sugar cookies are a favorite. Whenever a recipe can avoid waiting for butter to warm or dough to chill, it’s worth sharing. These vanilla bean sugar cookies give you that same classic flavor and texture without the wait.
You don’t need to soften the butter or wait for the dough to chill. These cookies are made with cold butter and cold cream cheese and are pulsed together in a food processor for a fast, consistent dough.
Meet these easy, soft, and slightly chewy vanilla bean sugar cookies—tender and full of vanilla flavor with a nostalgic, old-fashioned feel.
💗 Ingredient notes
This recipe has been tested many times. It’s similar in flavor to sugar cookie bars but uses the food-processor technique of some drop-cookie recipes. During testing the author found the best texture and flavor came from using cold cream cheese in place of shortening and combining confectioners’ sugar with granulated sugar for a soft, tender cookie.
Please scroll to the printable recipe card near the end for the full ingredient list and step-by-step directions.
Butter — Use COLD unsalted butter, cut into small cubes before adding to the food processor.
Cream cheese — Also COLD and cubed. Full-fat cream cheese yields the best texture. It helps keep the cookies moist, chewy, and not overly sweet.
Vanilla bean paste — This gives visible vanilla flecks and more concentrated vanilla flavor. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, pure vanilla extract can be used instead.
🥣 How to make cookies in a food processor
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt to the food processor bowl and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter cubes, cold cream cheese cubes, and both sugars.
Pulse until the mixture looks sandy in texture, with small pieces of butter and cream cheese distributed through the flour.
Add the egg and vanilla bean paste, then pulse or blend until the dough just comes together. Avoid overmixing; the dough should hold together when pressed but remain tender.
Scoop the dough into roughly 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls (about 32g each). A cookie scoop or a kitchen scale helps create uniform cookies. You can drop the dough directly on the baking pan for the quickest method, or roll each scoop into a ball first.
The cookies don’t spread much, so flatten each dough ball to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch tall. If the dough is sticky, lightly dip the top of the dough ball into granulated sugar before flattening with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup—the sugar prevents sticking.
Bake for 8–10 minutes. The cookies should look slightly underbaked and may be a little puffy. Let them rest on the hot pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If any cookies look overly puffy after baking, gently press them down with the bottom of a cup while they cool on the pan.
💬 Can these cookies be frosted?
Yes. A simple American buttercream or any favorite frosting works well. For a quick decorative touch, use colored sanding sugar in place of granulated sugar on the tops before baking to fit a holiday or theme.
🫙 How to store
Store the cookies covered at room temperature for up to five days to keep them soft. They also freeze nicely: cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to three months.
If you make these Old Fashioned Vanilla Bean Cookies, please share a photo on social media and tag the recipe author—I love seeing your baking!
If you try this recipe, please come back and leave a review and star rating. Comments are read and appreciated.
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Vanilla Bean Cookies
Old fashioned vanilla bean cookies made in a food processor. Cold ingredients and no chill time—sugar cookies ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (313 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (use ½ as much if using table salt)
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (113 g)
- ½ cup cold cream cheese, cubed (114 g / 4 oz)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g), plus more for dipping cookie tops
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar (90 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or substitute pure vanilla extract)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking pans with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Place flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt in the food processor bowl. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Add the cold butter and cold cream cheese cubes plus the granulated and confectioners’ sugars. Pulse until the mixture looks sandy.
- Add the egg and vanilla bean paste. Pulse until the dough comes together.
- Scoop dough into 1 ½ tablespoon balls (about 32 g each). Lightly dip the top of each dough ball into granulated or sanding sugar, place the non-dipped side down on the prepared pan, and space 1–2 inches apart. Flatten to ¼–½ inch tall using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
- Bake 8–10 minutes, until cookies look slightly underbaked. Allow to rest 2 minutes on the baking pan, gently pressing down any very puffy cookies while cooling, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- If using table salt, halve the salt amount listed.
- The recipe originally used 2 teaspoons vanilla; increasing to 1 tablespoon intensifies the vanilla bean flavor. Pure vanilla extract may be substituted.
- Store covered at room temperature up to five days. Freeze cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to three months.
Nutrition (per cookie, approximate)
- Calories: 134 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 6 g