There’s nothing quite like soft frosted sugar cookies to induce a little nostalgia.
These fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth treats are a blend of buttery softness and sweet, creamy frosting.
Inspired by the iconic Lofthouse cookies, they’re sure to bring back all kinds of childhood memories.
The hint of almond extract, the luscious pink buttercream, the sprinkles…how can you go wrong?
Why You’ll Love These Soft, Frosted Sugar Cookies
A+ Taste & Texture: The blend of butter and sour cream makes these cookies unimaginably tender and moist. They really will melt in your mouth. And the taste? A harmonious blend of vanilla and almond extracts with dreamy buttercream frosting. Wow!
Customizable Canvas: The pink frosting and sprinkles offer a fun starting point. But you can let your creativity run wild while decorating these. Use different colors for the holidays, or break out the decorating kit and do your thing!
Suitable for Storage: You can prepare these sugar cookies in advance and store them in an airtight container for up to a week. That makes them perfect for bake sales, parties, or cookie exchanges.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: You can’t make good sugar cookie dough without all-purpose flour. It provides structure and tenderness.
- Cornstarch: Adds a soft, tender texture to the cookies, making each bite melt in your mouth.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: A double dose of leavening power makes these super soft, pillowy, and irresistible.
- Salt: Just a pinch balances the sweetness and elevates all the other ingredients.
- Unsalted Butter: Gives the cookies their rich, buttery flavor and creates a tender crumb.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the dough and lends a delicate crunch to the cookies’ edges.
- Sour Cream: Adds an insane amount of moisture and a complex depth to the flavor.
- Large Egg + Egg Yolk: They hold the batter together. The extra yolk makes the cookies chewy and extra soft.
- Vanilla & Almond Extract: One or the other is nice. But together? These two are the perfect flavor combination.
- Buttercream Frosting: A smooth blend of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream. Add gel food coloring to get that lovely pink hue and sprinkles for added fun and crunch.
How to Make Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
This homemade version of a childhood fave elevates the classic with a hint of almond extract and a touch of sour cream for extra tenderness.
It might not sound like a lot, but it really makes them extra special.
Here’s how to make them:
1. Mix: Combine the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. You’ll need to beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, then mix in the rest until smooth.
2. COMBINE: Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by hand until a soft dough forms.
3. CHILL: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 30-60 minutes.
4. PREHEAT: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. SHAPE: Roll the chilled dough into 1-2 tablespoonful balls, arrange on the baking sheets, and gently flatten with your palm.
6. BAKE: Bake the cookies for 7-10 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are pale but set. Let them cool fully before frosting.
7. FROST: Blend the frosting ingredients until smooth. Then, spread over the cooled cookies and top with the sprinkles. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Soft Frosted Sugar Cookie
The following are some of my best tips for cookie recipes, along with a few for these specific cookies.
- Weigh the flour. It’s the best way to ensure accuracy. Or use the spoon and level method.
- Chill the dough. Don’t skip this step, or the cookies will spread too much in the oven. If you can’t bake them all at once, keep the dough in the fridge until ready to bake.
- Don’t overbake. These cookies don’t take long in the oven, but the timing will depend on how big they are. A good rule is to take them out as soon as the edges are lightly golden. They finish baking on the tray and will firm up as they set.
- Adjust the frosting consistency. If you like a smoother, lighter frosting, add more heavy cream. If you prefer your frosting firm, use less cream and more sugar.
- Stick to gel food coloring. The liquid kind can make the frosting too runny, especially if you want the color really bright. The good news is that you don’t need a lot of the gel, so it’ll last a while!
- Try variations. Add some lemon zest to the dough. Or swap one of the extracts for peppermint or something similar. Obviously, you can also change the food coloring and sprinkles to suit the mood.
How to Store
Make these frosted sugar cookies for an after-school treat or just because you’re craving something sweet.
Either way, they won’t last long!
Luckily, they store and even freeze nicely. Here’s how:
To Store: Place the cooled and iced cookies in a single layer in an airtight container. Separate the layers with parchment paper. They’ll keep at room temperature for 5 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
To Freeze: Flash freeze unfrosted cookies until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting and serving.
More Soft and Chewy Cookies Your Family Will Love
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
Chocolate Espresso Cookies
Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
16-20
servings15
minutes10
minutes252
kcalLofthouse-style soft frosted sugar cookies are fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth treats with the perfect mix of buttery goodness and sweet, creamy frosting.
Ingredients
- For the Sugar Cookies
3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- For the Pink Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1-2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
pink gel food coloring
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Make the cookies: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and blend in the sour cream, egg, yolk, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix gently by hand until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl and chill for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Portion the chilled dough into 1-2 tablespoonful balls. Roll until smooth, arrange on the baking sheets with 3 inches between them, and gently flatten the tops with your palm.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes (depending on their size). When done, the edges should be lightly golden and the centers should be pale and soft but set.
- Let the cookies cool on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- Beat in the pink gel food coloring until evenly tinted. Finally, add 1 teaspoon of heavy cream at a time until the desired consistency is reached. It should be thick and fluffy but spreadable.
- Spread the frosting generously on the cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles. Allow the frosting to set before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you use a 1-ounce scoop, you should get about 20 (or more) cookies. If you use a 2-ounce scoop, you’ll likely get closer to 15 or 16 cookies.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant pink frosting. Dip a toothpick into the gel and add more as needed. (Liquid coloring will affect the consistency.)