The BEST Soft Sugar Cookies will be the BEST cookie you will ever eat! They are sweet, soft and so amazingly perfect!
We love cookies at our house! The Butcher Man is actually the one that makes the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I make the BEST Sugar Cookie! Years ago when the Butcher Man and I were first married I worked for a mortgage lender as a loan processor. I worked with so many amazing women and we always had potlucks and always brought in homemade treats. This recipe came from one of those calorie packed occasions and it has been my all time favorite for over 15 years now!
These cookies remind me of Lofthouse Cookies (if you live in Utah you know what I am talking about). This recipe makes cookies that are super soft and perfectly sweet. The best part is these cookies will never go hard (unless they are 2 weeks old), and the frosting is the cherry on top (as in freaking good-not literally cherry flavored)!
Ingredients Needed to Make the Best Sugar Cookies
You may be surprised by an ingredient that is in this recipe! It seemed so weird to me when I first made them but oh my heavenly heavens….they are amazing! The weird ingredient is what makes them so soft! So don’t be scared when you read what is in them!
Of course there is butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, flour and salt…nothing too weird…until you get to the part where the recipe reads…SOUR CREAM! Yes, sour cream! Maybe this doesn’t seem odd to any of you, but to me, all of those years ago, it seemed super weird. I didn’t really cook or bake much but I had tasted the cookies so I trusted the recipe. And sure enough, the first time I made them, after eating them, the sour cream wasn’t so weird-it just made a really rich soft sugar cookie!
I don’t know the science behind the sour cream in baking other than it adds a richness to the cookie, and makes them super soft! I promise, you will like the results!
Making/Baking the Best Soft Sugar Cookie
There is nothing too hard in regards to making these cookies. Just add the ingredients together in a bowl or in your mixer (I go for my mixer-less work), give it a good mix and then on to cutting them out!
For me, cutting them out in shapes is painful! My boys love doing it, I do not! If you are wanting to cut out shapes, then flour your surface first. The dough is on the sticky side so you will need flour. Then, grab a handful of dough and roll it out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Then cut out your shapes and place them on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper (or grease your baking sheet).
Since I dislike cutting out shapes, I usually just take the dough and make little balls like I would a chocolate chip cookie. I place the ball on the parchment paper lined baking sheet and then smash it with the palm of my hand, flattening it perfectly. This is much faster, not as cute-but faster!
These cookies will bake 8-9 minutes or until they hold their shape when you press on the edges of them. You can also check the bottoms and if you are seeing a darker yellow (not browned really but darker yellow) coloring on the bottom, they are done! If they turn a brown-browned on the bottom, they are overcooked! It may take you a few tries to get them just how you like them. Mine cook an exact 8 1/2 minutes in my oven and are perfection!
The BEST Frosting
The Best Soft Sugar Cookie has to have The Best Frosting! And what do you know-I have it!
The frosting is easy to mix up. I mix it all in my mixer and it comes out sweet, smooth and creamy and downright perfect!
You will need powdered sugar, butter and shortening (yes, both), cream cheese, milk, salt and almond extract. The almond extract gives it a different sweet flavor that you get with vanilla. Vanilla is great but try the almond extract…it is delicious, adding a slightly nutty and fruity subtle flavor to the frosting. If the almond extract freaks you out, use vanilla! You can make the frosting any color you like by using food coloring. You can also make several colors by dividing the frosting up in several bowls and making each a different color!
Let the cookies cool before frosting them! Add sprinkles or whatever your little heart desires for decorating them! And then enjoy them!
They do not need to be stored in the fridge. Mine are always left on our counter covered with foil and we have yet to get sick, even with cream cheese and milk in the frosting. Once again, if this freaks you out, store them in your fridge!
The BEST Soft Sugar Cookies will be the BEST cookie you will ever eat! They are sweet, soft and so amazingly perfect! They will become your new favorite cookie!
For another yummy cookie recipe try my Banana Cookies! Another sweet treat to try are my super popular Peanut Butter Fingers, or my Easy Chocolate Brownies!
The BEST Soft Sugar Cookie
Ingredients
The Best Soft Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream *do not use low fat
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
The BEST Frosting
- 2 lbs. powdered sugar *add more to reach your desired thickness if needed
- 1 cup butter *softened at room temperature
- 1 cup shortening *I prefer Butter flavor shortening
- 8 oz. (one block) cream cheese *softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp almond extract *vanilla works great too
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet/cookie sheet with parchment paper (or grease your cookie sheet).
- In a large bowl, or your mixer, cream your butter with the sugar. Then add your eggs and mix well.
- Add your sour cream and vanilla to the creamed sugar and eggs. Mix well.
- Mix the remaining dry ingredients in. Mix well.
- On a floured surface roll our your dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and place cookies on baking sheet/cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or grease a cookie sheet).NOTE: This dough is very sticky, so make sure you flour your surface you are rolling the cookies out on, flour your hands and rolling pin also. I sprinkle a bit of flour on the cookie dough in the bowl to help it not be so sticky! If you are not wanting to cut your dough into shapes, then take the cookie dough and roll it into balls (about a heaping tablespoon or as big or as little as you want). Place the cookie ball on the parchment paper lined baking sheet and then smash it down with the palm of your hand!
- Bake your cookies for 8-9 minutes until they are done. You can press the side of a cookie and if it holds its shape/bounces back you know they are done. Or check the bottom for a darker yellow bottom (not browned or they are overbaked) and they should be baked to perfection!
- Let your cookies cool before frosting them!
Making The BEST Frosting
- Add all of the frosting ingredients to a large bowl, or mixer. Mix well until smooth and creamy. Add more powdered sugar if need to reach your desired consistency.
- You can add food coloring to your frosting to make it any color you like. Divide the frosting into several bowls if you are wanting to make more than one color.
- Frost your cookies once they are cooled.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
