Cornstarch Cookies

Are you looking for the best Cornstarch Cookies Recipe that is buttery soft and slightly sweet? Our Cornstarch Cookies are made with super simple ingredients, and are the perfect recipe for Easy Christmas Cookies or tea cookies to serve with coffee or tea!

Crafted with a special blend of vanilla beans, cornstarch, and powdered sugar, they are guaranteed to delight your taste buds and because they can easily be made dairy free, these can be made as vegan cookies too!

They're easily changeable so that they're safe for pretty much everyone to eat! Our Cornstarch Cookies are great for Christmas Cookie exchanges, church potlucks, and of course, you can make these as Christmas Cookies for Christmas desserts!

Why we love these Cornstarch Cookies

These Cornstarch Cookies are a simple little cookie with a very light hint of vanilla. These powdered sugar cookies are the perfect balance of sweet and airy, and are sure to be a hit with the whole family.

You'll love the light and fluffy texture of these Cornstarch cookies, and they're just perfect for snacking on with a cup of hot tea or your afternoon cup of coffee.

Are you looking for other Cookie Recipes like my Cornstarch Cookies?

Cookies are pretty much my favorite thing to bake, so I have A LOT OF COOKIE RECIPES! Check out this really easy Frosted Meltaway Cookies Recipe, it's super light and soft just like our Cornstarch Cookies recipe!

Take a look and see if there is anything that sounds tasty to you! You can also click the “Cookie Recipes” tab in our FOOD Index and you will see a listing of ALL of the cookie recipes I’ve shared over the years. 

How to Make this Cornstarch Cookies Recipe

Here are the ingredients you need to gather to get started

Keep in mind, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need for the best Cornstarch Cookies recipe are in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

• 1-½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 vanilla bean - split in half
• 1 cup cold butter, diced OR a plant based butter alternative
• ¼ cup granulated sugar

HINT: If you're unable to find vanilla beans, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

Instructions for how to make Cornstarch Cookies

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend all of your flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt together until they are thoroughly combined.

*OR you can use a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. The original recipe we used a food processor and that sucker is so much work!

I made a second batch with my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer and it worked just as well! Just make sure that you have a HIGH setting, as the cold butter does take some work to blend properly.

Using a knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod and add it to the food processor. Then add in your butter and process it again until a dough ball forms.

Roll about a tablespoon of dough into a ball and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet, making sure to space them at least 2 inches apart, as they do spread!

Bake your Cornstarch Cookies at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, or just until the edges start to brown.

You need to let your cookies cool down for 1-2 minutes and then immediately roll the top of each cookie in your granulated sugar.

They need to still be warm or the granulated sugar WILL NOT STICK!

Then move them to cooling rack to cool down completely.

This Cornstarch Cookies recipe makes approximately 24 cookies.

Top Tips for Making the BEST Cornstarch Cookies

NOTE: You absolutely HAVE to use cold butter for this recipe. Do not take it out of the fridge until you're ready to dice it up and throw it in the food processor.

I just ordered the Wilton Muffin Top Pan to start using for making drop cookies like this Cornstarch cookies recipe, instead of a regular baking sheet. A friend recommended it because it helps them hold their round shape and keeps them spaced evenly.

Please note that you do need to let these cornstarch cookies cool for at least 1-2 minutes before dipping the top in granulated sugar - or they will fall apart! But don't wait too long because they need to be slightly warm for the granulated sugar to stick!

Be very gentle when doing this because they are EXTREMELY soft and I broke ½ of my first batch of these Cornstarch cookies by doing it too soon!

Substitutions and Variations

• If you can't access a real vanilla bean, or can't afford them, I recommend using 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
• Use a tiny drop of food coloring to color the granulated sugar to make these festive cookies for holidays!
• Add ¼ cup of cocoa powder to make Chocolate Cornstarch Cookies!
• Make this recipe GLUTEN FREE by using gluten free flour! I recommend King Arthur Certified Gluten Free Flour, which you can find on Amazon.com.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CORNSTARCH COOKIES

My youngest sister is Vegan, so I have been experimenting with making a few vegan dishes the last year or so. So I already had plant based "butter" and I used that for my second batch and there was absolutely NO difference in how they turned out.

Nick ate the rest of these cookies last night and he didn't notice! ha!

FAQS about Vegan Ingredients in Cornstarch Cookies

Share this Cornstarch Cookies Recipe with your friends and family on social media!

If you love these Cornstarch Cookies as much as we do, please leave me a 5-star review below and help me share this recipe on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

If you do make the recipe, I hope you’ll share that you tried it on Pinterest! I love it SO MUCH when readers share their feedback! 

To print this Cornstarch Cookies Recipe, just click the recipe card below!

I know that sometimes it is easier to go off a recipe when it is printed right in front of you. Who wants to swipe their screen on their phone or tablet when their hands are greasy? So I love offering this option as well!

You can also PIN this recipe to Pinterest using that little button or SAVE it to your Recipe Collection if you have a GROW membership (it's free!).