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Lofthouse Cookies are a super soft sour cream sugar cookie topped with a super sweet and thick frosting.
You’ll see these at the grocery store bakery section all the time, especially during holidays, but they’re incredibly easy to make at home. These homemade Lofthouse Cookies are a ton of fun to decorate too!
What are Lofthouse Cookies?
I bet you’ve seen these in the grocery store a million times, but perhaps you didn’t know they were called Lofthouse cookies. I didn’t. Am I the only one?
Lofthouse Cookies are a brand. They started selling their cookies in grocery stores back in the mid-90s and you’ll often find them in the bakery section decorating for whatever holiday or season is approaching.
The original Lofthouse Cookie was created from a family recipe that had been passed down from one generation to the next. I think the homemade version of the recipe I share here is amazing. Homemade is always best!
Lofthouse cookies are known for their super soft texture. The sour cream helps make them super soft. This is different from a traditional sugar cookie recipe that is more firm.
Why this recipe works:
Lofthouse Cookies are perhaps my favorite kind of cookie to make during the holidays.
- Super soft: Unlike traditional sugar cookies that can be firm or crisp, Lofthouse Cookies are similar in taste to a sugar cookie, but they have an incredibly soft texture.
- Easy to make: Unlike roll and cut sugar cookies, Lofthouse sugar cookie dough does not have to be refrigerated nor does it need to be rolled and cut. That makes baking them super easy!
- That frosting! The frosting in this recipe is a basic American buttercream and can easily be flavored or colored however you wish. It is thick, yet easy to spread, and ridiculously sweet.
- Great for all occasions: I always make Lofthouse cookies during Christmas, but you can decorate them for any occasion including different holidays, birthdays, or special team colors. Plus, they don’t take any special skill to decorate since the frosting is simply spread on top of the cookie.
Lofthouse cookie ingredients:
Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
- Wet ingredients: butter, sour cream, egg, vanilla, almond extract
- Dry ingredients: Sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt
Frosting ingredients:
- Butter
- Vanilla – I make my own homemade vanilla extract
- Almond extract – or you can substitute with other extracts like peppermint
- Confectioners’ sugar – otherwise known as powdered or icing sugar
- Milk – use to thin the frosting
- Food coloring and/or sprinkles – if decorating
How to make homemade Lofthouse cookies:
Full step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary with step-by-step photos.
Make the cookie dough:
- Cream butter and sugar: For best results, use soft butter. You can’t overmix at this step, so be sure to mix them until they are light and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients: Stir in sour cream, vanilla, and egg. Mix well.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift dry ingredients and mix into the wet ingredients.
- Simply mix all the cookie ingredients in your mixer and roll into balls. You’ll bake your Lofthouse cookies for only about 7 minutes and they will not be brown when you take them out of the oven. Trust the process.
- The frosting is a traditional butter frosting made with powdered sugar, extracts for flavoring, and some milk to thin it to your desired thickness.
- Once your cookies have fully cooled, simply spread on the frosting with a knife and cover with sprinkles. Fun and delicious!
cream butter and sugar add wet ingredients stir to combine sift dry ingredients combine with wet mix well
Bake the cookies:
- Roll the dough: Use a cookie scoop to portion out pieces of dough and roll into a ball using hands. To create cookies that are all the same size, weigh the dough.
- Flatten: Use a mini roller or the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies.
- Bake: Set the Lofthouse cookies in a preheated oven and bake for seven minutes.
roll dough flatten repeat bake
Lofthouse cookie frosting:
- Cream butter: Beat the softened butter with the extracts until light and fluffy.
- Add sugar: Mix in the powdered sugar by adding small amounts at a time and beating until light and fluffy.
- Thin with milk: If frosting is too thick to spread, add small amounts of milk and mix well until desired thickness is achieved.
combine butter with extracts beat until fluffy add powdered sugar incorporate mix well thin with milk
How to decorate Lofthouse cookies:
- Allow to cool: Ensure cookies have fully cooled before you attempt to decorate them.
- Decorate: Spread the desired amount of frosting on top of each cookie. Top with sprinkles.
allow to fully cool spread frosting on top add sprinkles enjoy!
Lofthouse cookies for any occasion:
See how easy they are to customize for any occasion? Simply change the color of the frosting or the type of sprinkles and enjoy them any time of year.
birthday Halloween 4th of July
Recipe tips for best results:
- Storage: Like most homemade cookies, they taste best in the first day or two. These homemade Lofthouse cookies will last 3-5 days if kept in an airtight container. If you are making them ahead of time and want them to last longer, just store that airtight container in the freezer.
- Extract variations: Almond extract gives these cookies that signature taste, and I prefer to add a bit to the frosting as well. You can absolutely omit the almond extract and replace it with peppermint, lemon, hazelnut, etc.
- Baking time: As with any cookie recipe, baking times may vary based on ovens, temperature of dough, size of cookies, etc.. To keep these cookies super soft, you must be sure to take them out when they’re set but not browned around the edges.
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Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional but recommended; can also substitute with alternate extracts like peppermint
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk for thinning
- food coloring and/or sprinkles optional; used for decorating
Instructions
To make the cookies:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and light in color.
- Mix wet ingredients: Add in the sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and additional flavored extract, if using. Mix until just combined.
- Sift and add dry ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions—mixing well after each.
- Roll cookies: Roll dough into 2″ balls and place 2″ apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Use a roller (a mini roller works great) to roll cookies flat (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick).
- Bake: Bake cookies in preheated oven for 7 minutes. They will not be brown when done. Remove from oven and transfer from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Allow cookies to fully cool before frosting.
To make the frosting:
- Cream butter: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter, vanilla, and extract (if using) until smooth.
- Add sugar: Add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Add in the milk and food color, if using, and beat until fluffy and smooth.
- Decorate: Spread onto cooled cookies and immediately sprinkle on sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!
Can I substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
I’ve never tried it but I think it will work. If you try it, will you let me know how they turn out?
These were great! Perfect for my son with braces. Next time we’ll probably cut the frosting in half because we had a lot left over even after slathering them with frosting. Thanks so much!