These pillowy soft Lofthouse Sugar Cookies are what sugar cookie dreams are made of. Easy to make & oh so sweet & delicious! You’ll love these cookies!
Have you ever bought those super soft sugar cookies from the bakery at the grocery store? You know, the ones that always have the cutest holiday frosting & sprinkles on top? What if I told you that you could make those same cookies right in the comfort of your own home? Check these out!
Need a Low-Carb version? Don’t miss my Keto Sugar Cookies – just 1 net carb!
My hubs is NUTS for those sugar cookies. Well, really, he’s nuts for all sugar cookies. But those ones from the bakery never last long around here. Those cookies are why I stopped doing the weekly shopping in the store.
I know that if I actually walk into the store & see them there in the center aisle display, I won’t be able to resist putting several packages of them in my cart. I know he loves them & I can’t resist buying them for him.
Lofthouse Cookies
This post contains some affiliate links. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
So I do my shopping online & keep those cookies out of my view & the impulse buying to a minimum. But he still asks for them & with this recipe, I can whip some up when that happens.
This way I can also keep the cookies quantities to only what I make vs being able to add an exorbitant amount to my cart. It can get really obscene & I’m pretty sure the checker is judging me.
I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time I had a checker at the store ask me if I was throwing a party or hosting a ton of people when they see the number of goodies or ice cream I’m buying.
That being said, I’m not sure where they got the idea that I would be consuming ALL of the things I buy within a short amount of time.
But the impression they get is that I MUST BE having people over to justify what I’m buying. Not true, but whatever.
This is why making these delicious cookies here at home is so much better! Not only do they taste even better than the ones at the store because they are fresh, but I just love homemade cookies better than anything I could ever purchase.
Here are some commonly asked questions
What makes these different from a standard sugar cookie recipe?
These Lofthouse-style sugar cookies are a super pillowy soft sugar cookie made with sour cream. They are rolled into balls & slightly flattened vs being rolled out on a flat surface & cut into shapes like a standard sugar cookie.
These cookies are softer & more cake-like in texture & are usually frosted with a colorful buttercream frosting vs a royal icing that is typically used to decorate a standard sugar cookie.
What is the best way to store leftover cookies?
The easiest way is to place in a large airtight container & store at room temperature. I like a large plastic bowl with a lid or a zip-top bag works great too. Just make sure the icing has time to fully set before stacking the cookies.
How many does this serve?
I was able to make about 4 dozen regular-size cookies. That is a whole lot of cookies & so feel free to cut this recipe in half if you want a smaller batch.
However, I have had people report that they only got about half that out of their dough. I’m not sure why or how large or compact they were making the dough.
Lofthouse Sugar Cookies Recipe
Other Creative Copycat Recipes
Copycat DoubleTree Hotel Cookies
Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Malted Crunch Ice Cream
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, you can double the dough on this recipe if you need to. That will make a WHOLE LOT of cookies – which is great if you are having a bake sale or need to take these cookies to a potluck or holiday party. I guarantee they will be gone in a flash.
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
I personally use whatever I have on hand. But if you are watching your salt intake, stick with the unsalted butter for these cookies. I wrote my original recipe using unsalted butter but then tried it with salted butter & liked them just the same.
HOW DO YOU MAKE Lofthouse Sugar Cookies?
-
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a small bowl & SIFT WELL. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter & sugar. Beat on high until light & fluffy.
- Add in sour cream, eggs & vanilla & beat until combined.
- Lower the mixer to the lowest speed & slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, but it is best to chill overnight.
- Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line baking sheets with parchment & set aside.
- Measure 3 tbsp of dough per cookie & use your hands to roll the dough into a smooth ball.
- Place on prepared cookie sheet leaving 1″ spacing between cookies.
- Use the bottom of a glass to SLIGHTLY flatten each ball of dough.
- Bake 11-12 minutes – the cookies will look under-baked.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature, they are ready for decorating.
For the frosting
- Beat the butter for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly beat in confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time & then the milk & vanilla.
- Use a knife or offset spatula to spread the frosting over the tops of the cookies & then add desired sprinkles.
Why do I have to chill the dough?
This is REALLY important. Chilling the dough makes it easier to roll the cookies because the dough is less sticky. Chilling the dough also helps to keep the cookies from spreading too much when they are baked. Please do not skip this step.
Can I use a gluten-free flour?
I’m not sure just yet. I have been meaning to give this a try but haven’t had a chance. If you do try this, I would recommend using a 1:1 flour like this one as I don’t believe it would require additional ingredients that are typically called for when trying to make baked recipes in a gluten-free version.
Please come back & tell me how they turned out. I don’t think they will be as soft or pillowy as when using regular flour, but I do hope to give it a try.
How do I properly measure the flour?
The official way is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup & level off. However, for these cookies I usually fluff the flour with a spoon & then gently scoop it into the measuring cup & then level that off before adding to my dough mixture.
Make sure your flour isn’t packed down when scooping or packed tightly into your measuring cup. This will make your cookies too dry.
Do I really need to sift the flour?
YES – please sift the flour. I like to do this in 2 ways. First, you can pour the flour into a collander & then shake it over your bowl. Or, the easier way is to just circle your whisk through the flour for several minutes to really airrate the flour. You can also use cake flour for these cookies if you want them to be SUPER light & airy, but that isn’t absolutely necessary.
Lofthouse Soft Sugar Cookies
To make this recipe you will need…
-
- granulated sugar
- butter – softened to room temperature
- eggs
- sour cream
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- table salt
FROSTING
- butter – softened to room temperature
- confectioner’s sugar
- milk
- vanilla extract
- OPT -toppings – holiday sprinkles, M&M’s or nuts
Products I love when making these Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies…
This copycat recipe for Lofthouse Sugar Cookies is so EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you probably already have all of these items on hand! OR maybe you have never made supar soft sugar cookies like these cookies before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to fall in love. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making these cookies.
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- baking powder
- baking soda
- table salt
- confectioners sugar
- holiday sprinkles
- Leaf Green Food Color
- Variety Food Color
- Rainbow Nonpareils
- Assorted Colors -Jimmies Sprinkles Dessert Decorating
- parchment paper
- 3/4 sheet pans
- mixer
- mixing bowl
- spatulas
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Definitely the perfect sugar cookie!!
easy lofthouse cookies
If you love this Lofthouse Sugar Cookies – Copycat Recipe, you’re going to love these other easy cookie recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Best Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe
If you love this recipe for Lofthouse Sugar Cookies Recipe as much as I do, please write a five star review, and be sure to help me share on facebook and pinterest!
CONNECT WITH KLEINWORTH & CO!
Be sure to follow me on my social media, so you never miss a post!
FB, Pinterest, IG, Email Subscription
Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
COOKIES
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter – softened to room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour For even fluffier cookies- use cake flour
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp table salt
FROSTING
- 1/2 cup butter – softened to room temperature
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- OPT toppings – holiday sprinkles, M&M’s or nuts
Instructions
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a small bowl & SIFT WELL. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter & sugar. Beat on high until light & fluffy.
- Add in sour cream, eggs & vanilla & beat until combined.
- Lower the mixer to the lowest speed & slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, but it is best to chill overnight.
- Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line baking sheets with parchment & set aside.
- Measure 3 tbsp of dough per cookie & use your hands to roll the dough into smooth balls of dough.
- Place on the prepared cookie sheet leaving 1″ spacing between cookies.
- Use the bottom of a glass to SLIGHTLY flatten each ball of dough.
- Bake 11-12 minutes – the cookies will look under-baked.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature, they are ready for decorating.
For the frosting
- Beat the butter for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly beat in confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time & then the milk & vanilla.
- Use a knife or offset spatula to spread the frosting over the tops of the cookies & then add desired sprinkles.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Jillian says
Cookies turned out great but the recipe only makes 18-20 cookies not 48 like the recipe says.
Gina Kleinworth says
That’s strange – I’m always bursting at the seams with cookies when I make this recipe.
Kylee says
I agree. I ended up with 26 that are the same size as the “real” cookies. Taste great though!
Missy A says
Making these now. You call for 3 tbsp of dough. That takes up a lot of my dough. Maybe 3 tsp? Anyway, these are wonderful!
Gina Kleinworth says
they should be fairly large when you ball them up since they will give some spread and they stay quite thick too. You can do them a bit smaller if you wish, but check on them a little sooner, as they may need less time to bake.
Annette says
I found the dough to be very sticky. Did not make 48 cookies. I followed the recipe exactly.
Gina Kleinworth says
The dough is quite sticky – but there could be a number of reasons that it would be stickier than expected. How did you measure the flour? Were the ingredients for leavening (eggs, baking powder, baking soda) fresh? They can lose their effectiveness within a couple of months of being in the pantry. Did you chill the dough long enough? What was the temperature of the room when you were rolling the dough? Do you live in a humid climate? As far as the number – this again varies depending on how large or small you scoop and if you were using an actual cookie scoop or a kitchen spoon – this can also vary depending on how tightly you pack the dough when scooping.
MaryLynn Tritten says
Is the frosting freezable to be used at a later time?
Gina Kleinworth says
Sure – just let it thaw and whick well when ready to use again.