Perfectly Soft Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies made from scratch with an easy frosting and full of pretty sprinkles! Best of all, they make a delicious treat to serve with a tall glass of milk.
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I had a huge weakness for those super Soft Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies when I was younger. You know the ones you see in grocery stores that are full of bright frosting and loaded with sprinkles?
They were the best kind of sugary bites of heaven for any sprinkle lover.
But really….cookies of any kind were a favorite when you were an eight year old. My mom never got them for us but you can bet as soon as I was old enough, I bought myself my own package. One bite was all it took for me to be completely smitten and fall head over heels.
The dough comes together pretty easily using a hand mixer or a stand mixer. And it’s amazing what a little bit of [amazon_textlink asin=’B00JPT9BFW’ text=’cornstarch’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’lifmadswe09-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’bd30f644-47e7-11e8-a12b-7fccd033852d’] and sour cream do when added to cookie dough. They both help to keep the cookies nice and soft once they’re baked.
Tips for making these Soft Lofthouse Style Frosted Cookies
- The dough is sticky so you can just drop them onto the [amazon_textlink asin=’B000G0KJG4′ text=’baking sheet’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’lifmadswe09-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’de48f20b-47e7-11e8-9813-05d86522d6eb’] in large tablespoonfuls and flatten with the back of the spoon.
- If you want to roll them out, the dough does need to be wrapped and chilled in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours in order to cut them. In this photo, I use these round cookie cutters and this rolling pin.
They bake up with a puffy center but flatten slightly once they cool down. We all love that they just melt in your mouth with the first bite!
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 large egg , room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp pure almond extract , recommended to give it that signature sugar cookie flavor but leave out if you prefer
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour , measured correctly using spoon and level method
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 2/3 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2.5 cups powdered sugar , plus more as needed to reach desired consistency
- pinch salt
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream , plus more as needed to reach desired consistency
- food coloring to color frosting , optional
- candy sprinkles to decorate , optional
Using your hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until nice and fluffy. Add egg and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add sour cream and vanilla and beat, until well combined, scraping down the bowl with a silicone spatula.
In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt and whisk together. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Remove half of the dough from the fridge. Working with a 1-tablespoon-sized piece of dough at a time, roll into a round ball. Place dough ball onto the prepared baking pan (spacing about 2 inches apart) and use the bottom of a glass cup or the back of a large spoon to press and evenly flatten.
- Bake on middle rack in preheated oven for 9-13 minutes or until the cookies are just starting to turn golden (NOT brown) on the edges (switching and rotating baking sheets about halfway through). Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the sheet. Cookies will continue to cook while they cool. Repeat with any remaining dough.
To make the butter cream frosting: Cream butter in a stand mixer or using your hand mixer for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add salt, vanilla then slowly add 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time then add the remainder of powdered sugar until desired consistency and taste is reached (you may not need it all) and continue to beat until smooth.
- Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sprinkles, if desired. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container.
*Sugar cookies get hard and dry out if you don’t seal them up properly so it's important to store them in an airtight container.
*Total time does not include chilling
More holiday cookies:
50+ Must Have Cookies for the Holiday Cookie Platter
Perfect Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
No Churn Cake Batter Ice Cream
More Holiday Treats:
Classic Pecan Snowball Cookies
Peppermint Stuffed Snowball Cookies
Nutella Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies
Butterscotch Maple Walnut Fudge Filled Cookie
If you need to find more holiday cookies, you can find all my cookies HERE or stop by my cookies board on Pinterest and follow along to stay up to date:
Nora -
Just made these and they were a hit with the family. Thank you 🙂
helen -
made these with my kids last night and they were a hit! so delicious! a keeper, thanks!
liliana -
these were delicious! made them with my daughter and they were a hit! thanks!
wendy -
these were perfect. thanks