Are you familiar with Lofthouse Sugar Cookies? You can usually find them in the grocery store bakery section in a clear plastic container with colored frosting and sprinkles. These pillowy soft sugar cookies are some of my favorites, and now, with the help of this copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Recipe, you can make them in your own kitchen!
These homemade cookies celebrate everything I love about the original Lofthouse cookies, but nailing the flavor profile of these perfect sugar cookies can be challenging. I've included a couple of ingredients that I think are crucial in creating the traditional cookie flavor profile - cake flour, sour cream, cornstarch, and almond extract.
If you are a fan of copycat recipes like me, I'd love for you to try my Orange Glazed Scone recipe or my Kitchen Sink Cookie recipe. Both of these are inspired by baked goods you can find at Panera Bread.
Why You'llLove These Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
- Soft, Pillowy Texture - This recipe boasts a cookie with a soft texture that's simply irresistible, mainly due to the sour cream and cake flour. They're wonderfully tender, just like the classic ones you'd find in a bakery or grocery store. With each bite, you'll experience a melt-in-your-mouth sensation that's pure bliss.
- Delicious Frosting - What sets these cookies apart is their creamy frosting. It's sweet, smooth, and oh-so-delectable, perfectly complementing the subtle flavors of the cookie. Whether you opt for a traditional white frosting or get creative with different colors, the frosting is delicious. And call me absolutely wacky, but I love to let them sit out so that the frosting hardens slightly.
- Homemade Goodness - There's something special about homemade treats, and my Lofthouse Sugar Cookies are no exception. Baking these cookies from scratch ensures that every bite is bursting with homemade goodness and free of artificial flavors. Plus, with our easy-to-follow recipe, you can enjoy the satisfaction of creating these iconic grocery store cookies right in your own kitchen.
Substitutions
- Full-fat Greek Yogurt - If you don't have sour cream, you can use Greek yogurt as a replacement.
- Almond extract - Are you not a fan of almond flavor or need to avoid it due to an allergy? Even though I think this is part of the original Lofthouse cookie flavor profile, you can opt to replace it with more vanilla extract.
Variations
Freshly baked cookies make for the perfect afternoon snack with a tall glass of milk or are wonderful for serving on special occasions. Although you will often see these with the trademark pink frosting, by switching up the frosting color and the rainbow sprinkles, you have a wonderful little treat for Valentine's Day, Easter, or even birthday celebrations.
I love to use this gel food coloring because I think it gives the sweet frosting the most vibrant color. To achieve the pink color in these photos, I used 1 drop of pink and a tiny bit of yellow, which I added by dipping a toothpick into the bottle and then swiping it through the frosting.
Ingredients
*For specific ingredient amounts, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make The Perfect Copycat Lofthouse Cookies
Step 1. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2. In a separate large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to blend the butter and sugar until combined. Next, mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well incorporated. Stir in the sour cream until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
Step 3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.
Step 4. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out the dough and roll it into a smooth ball. Dust your hands with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches of space between each one. Flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass or flat measuring cup that has been dipped in powdered sugar, aiming for a thickness between ½ inch and ¼ inch.
Step 5. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through. The edges of the cookie should be just lightly golden; avoid overbrowning. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Step 6. To prepare the buttercream frosting, beat butter with an electric mixer for 1 to 2 minutes in a large bowl until it becomes lightened in color and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream to the butter, beating until the frosting achieves a fluffy texture. If desired, add food coloring to tint the frosting.
Step 7. Frost the cooled cookies, leaving a small rim of the cookie exposed. Finally, top the frosted cookies with sprinkles or jimmies for a festive touch. Enjoy your delicious homemade Lofthouse Sugar Cookies!
Storage and Freezing
Store cookies, frosted or unfrosted, in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.
Unfrosted cookies may be frozen for up to 3 months in a single layer with pieces of parchment or waxed paper in between to prevent them from sticking together. Defrost thoroughly before frosting.
Pro Tip
Chilling the dough is a must for this cookie. Because some of the ingredients in it result in a soft cookie, it is very sticky, even after chilling for an hour. In addition, it helps the flavors blend.
Dusting your hands with powdered sugar before rolling each scoop in a ball will prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. We used this scoop.
Unlike some of the other copycat recipes, this recipe doesn’t require rolling out the cookie dough and cutting out the round shapes. The reason why you roll the cookies into a ball and then flatten them is to help achieve this shape without the use of a cookie cutter.
If you don’t have a scoop, you can measure the dough out for the first cookie, then roll the other cookies the same size for even baking.
The softness of Lofthouse cookies can be attributed to several key factors in the recipe. Firstly, the use of cake flour, which has a lower protein content compared to all-purpose flour, results in a lighter and softer texture. Additionally, the inclusion of two leaveners—baking powder and cornstarch—helps to create a tender crumb. Lastly, the addition of sour cream adds moisture to the dough, resulting in cookies that are delightfully soft and pillowy. Altogether, these elements work in harmony to achieve the signature softness that Lofthouse cookies are known for.
Lofthouse cookies, distinctively known for their thick, cakey, and soft texture, are essentially a variation of sugar cookies. They are generously frosted with vibrant American buttercream and adorned with sprinkles. The unique tenderness of Lofthouse cookies is achieved through the incorporation of two leaveners and the addition of sour cream.
While you can use all-purpose flour, I highly recommend sticking to cake flour for the best results. Its lower protein content gives these cookies their signature soft texture. I tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, and it tasted more like a traditional sugar cookie and was missing the distinctive texture and taste of the Lofthouse cookie.
This recipe is very easy to double to yield more cookies. Additionally, you can use a smaller scoop to portion the dough for the cookies. A 2 Tablespoon scoop resulted in 24-26 smaller cookies (2 ¼-2 ½”). Baking time should be 8-10 minutes.
Yes! In fact, it requires at least 60 minutes of chilling time. But the dough can be chilled for up to 24 hours.
Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- parchment paper
- Large Cookie Sheet
- Large Mixing Bowl
- electric hand mixer
- Cookie scoop
- measuring cup
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour
- 1 ½ Tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
Frosting:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dash of kosher salt
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
- Food coloring for tint
- Sprinkles or jimmies to decorate
Instructions
- Begin by lining a large cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside for later use.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to blend together the butter and sugar until fully combined.
- Next, add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, mixing until well incorporated.
- Stir in the sour cream until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once combined, cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.
- After the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out the dough and roll it into smooth balls. Dust your hands with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches of space between each one. Flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass or flat measuring cup that has been dipped in powdered sugar, aiming for a thickness between ½ inch and ¼ inch.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time. The edges of the cookies should be just lightly golden; avoid overbrowning. Remember that the cookies will continue to bake on the hot baking sheet as they cool. Once baked, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- To prepare the buttercream frosting, in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter for 1 to 2 minutes until it becomes lightened in color and creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream to the butter, beating until the frosting achieves a fluffy texture. If desired, add food coloring to tint the frosting.
- Frost the cooled cookies, leaving a small rim of the cookie exposed. Finally, top the frosted cookies with sprinkles or jimmies for a festive touch. Enjoy your delicious homemade Lofthouse Sugar Cookies!
Allison White says
These cookies are AMAZING!! They are so light, fluffy and absolutely the best sweet treat! Love being able to make them whenever I want vs having to buy them at the store- plus, it’s nice knowing what ingredients are in the food I’m eating.