Simple Vanilla Melt Away Cookies have the most amazing texture and are made with powdered sugar, butter, and a secret ingredient – corn starch!
Simple Vanilla Melt Away Cookies
Have you ever had melt away cookies?! There are lots of variations (mint, chocolate, coffee…), but my very favorite are the deliciously simple vanilla cookies with a vanilla icing.
These cookies are a cross between a Mexican wedding cake cookie and shortbread in texture. They are soft but have an incredible fine crumb that just kind of melts in your mouth. And the secret to that amazing texture? Cornstarch! Who would have thought.
These were on Husband’s favorite cookie list this year. He loves how simple and sweet they are without being over the top. And that texture… you really have to try them to understand how tasty it is!
You’ll love how simple the recipe is too! Just a little mixing, baking, and then spreading on an easy to make icing/glaze.
What are melt away cookies?
Melt away cookies are a soft, lightly sweet shortbread cookie that seem to melt away in your mouth. The unique texture comes from a combination of powdered sugar, corn starch, and butter!
How can I add a little flare to melt away cookies?
This is the plainest version of this cookies but feel free to change it up! You can easily add food coloring to the dough and or icing. It’s easy to sprinkle on sprinkles, crushed candy canes, and sprinkling sugars.
You can change up the flavor by adding additional extracts to the dough or icing like almond, lemon, lime, or orange.
Can I freeze these cookies?
Yes! These store well in an air-tight container and they freeze well.
More Cookie Recipes:
- Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
- Candy Cane Meringue Cookies
- My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Vanilla Melt Away Cookies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Simple Vanilla Melt Away Cookies have the most amazing texture and are made with powdered sugar, butter, and a secret ingredient – corn starch!
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
For the Glaze/Icing
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 – 2 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper.
- Combine the sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and combine. Add the flour and cornstarch and mix on low speed until well combined.
- Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Shape the dough into round 1-inch balls and place a few inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for one minute and then remove and let them cool on a wire rack.
- For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Drizzle or spread the glaze over cooled cookies.
- Enjoy and store any extras in an air-tight container.
Notes
- This is the plainest version of this cookies but feel free to change it up! You can easily add food coloring to the dough and or icing. It’s easy to sprinkle on sprinkles, crushed candy canes, and sprinkling sugars.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 267
- Sugar: 23.3g
- Sodium: 3.2mg
- Fat: 13.9g
- Carbohydrates: 35.3g
- Protein: 1.3g
- Cholesterol: 36.6mg
Keywords: Dessert, Cookies, Vanilla, Christmas Cookies
Want To Save This Recipe?
I hope you enjoy these Vanilla Melt Away Cookies made with powdered sugar and butter as much as we do.
And there you have it! One very easy and delicious cookie you can make today. You are going to love how these cookies just melt in your mouth.
About Melissa
Melissa is dedicated to helping parents figure out the nightly questions, "What's for Dinner?!" with her no-fuss approach to cooking. Read more...
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These are just like you said, delicious. I’m making my 2nd batch per my husband’s request.
Thanks for a winner!
Thanks for sharing. My grandmother used to make these and I couldn’t for the life of me remember what they were called or how she made them. I bake them now and then to feel close to her. ❤️
★★★★★
I love that so much, did she do any flavors besides the vanilla?
Do you freeze the dough or the cookies after baked?
If you want to save some for later, after baking, no need to freeze the dough before.
should the dough be dry before you refrigerate it.
No, it’s not an overly dry dough in general. Not wet, but still a cookie dough.
Crumbly as f—a very crumbly thing.
★
Sounds like you measured a little heavy on the flour, they shouldn’t be crumbly…
In the video they use egg. In this online they don’t. Which is correct.
The video must have been for a different recipe. This one doesn’t have an egg, so go off the recipes as written! ENJOY these are a favorite.
Can you refrigerate the dough longer than 30 minutes? I’m hoping to mix up the dough the day before I need to back them.
Yes, just let them sit for maybe 15 minutes before working with them as they’ll get really firm in the fridge! ENJOY!
These have become a favorite with all of us! Everyone wants the recipe!
★★★★★
That’s awesome! Aren’t they such a great texture and easy too!
Can you tell me how long these can stay out on the counter prepared like you have it here? I made it into a pan cookie. And for the icing, I mixed in gel colors to make it resemble camoflage. Several batches of different colored icing were put on the cookie and then mixed to get it to look like camoflage. It’s for my grandson’s 15th birthday…..he asked for a vanilla cookie. He’s in for a real treat? Thanks for the recipe?
★★★★★
They’ll be ok for a day or so, if you live in a really humid climate you might want to consider keeping them in an air-tight container because the humidity makes their texture change a bit. I’m in Utah and we are really dry, so I bet I could leave them out for 2-3 days with no issues.
These also tasted good with almond extract! Thanks!
★★★★★
Great idea that sounds delicious, thanks for the tip!
How many does it make?
Man, it’s been a while since I made them. I think around 3 dozen?
Hi can you please explain what corn starch is? I live downunder in NZ thanks
Yvonne
Hi there,
I know it’s 10 months late, but your corn starch may be labeled corn flour. Hope this helps.
I have been making these for years. My only change is no milk in the frosting and instead I use lemon juice.
That sounds delicious! I’m going to try it 🙂