Sour Cream Sugar Cookies – The PERFECT Soft-Batch Sugar Cookies

These sour cream sugar cookies are soft, thick, and melt-in-your mouth. They’re not too sweet and incredibly flavorful because they’re topped with creamy frosting as opposed to royal icing. There’s no pesky decorating skills required. These cookies are perfect for the holidays, or any time of year!

**This recipe was originally posted December 2015. It was updated with new photos and recipe tips December 19, 2021**

If you’re looking for sugar cookies that are soft, tender and topped with creamy frosting – then these sour cream sugar cookies are the perfect recipe. It’s a soft-batch version that you’ll make over and over again. The secret ingredient to these incredibly tender, melt-in-your mouth cookies is the sour cream. You don’t taste it whatsoever, but it creates the most tender cookies. The frosting isn’t overly sweet, and I love adding just a touch of almond extract to really enhance the flavor.

If you’re looking for a recipe to cut into intricate shapes and decorate with detailed icing – this isn’t the recipe for you. But if you want tender, melt-in-your mouth flavorful cookies with creamy frosting – then keep reading!

Ingredients You’ll Need

For these sour cream sugar cookies, you’ll need:

• 2 ½ cups cake flour (not self-raising) – plus more for rolling out the cookies
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract – sometimes I use up to ½ teaspoon
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup sour cream – make sure to use full-fat, from a tub

Using cake flour makes the cookies incredibly tender with a more delicate crumb. Then the cornstarch helps with the melt-in-your mouth texture. I love the addition of both vanilla extract and almond extract for super flavorful cookies.

Cake flour substitute: If you don’t have cake flour (although I highly recommend it), you can make your own using cornstarch and all-purpose flour. I’ve included the substitution in the recipe notes below. Do not substitute cake flour with all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio, otherwise the cookies can become dry.

Then for the frosting, you’ll need:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 2 ounces brick-style cream cheese
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar – AKA icing sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream, as needed

The cream cheese helps to cut the sweetness of the frosting. It’s not enough to make the frosting really tangy, like in cream cheese frosting, but it’s just enough so that the frosting isn’t too sweet. If you want to substitute the cream cheese with extra butter, that works too.

Note: In the recipe below I’ve included the measurements in metric conversions too!

Important Baking Tips

• The butter should be softened, but not starting to melt. Softened butter vs melted butter perform very differently in baking, so make sure you’re using softened butter.
• Cake flour is often lumpy, make sure to sift it before adding into the batter, or you can have clumps of flour in the cookies.
• After mixing in the flour, the batter shouldn’t feel sticky. If you squeeze the dough between your fingers, it shouldn’t stick. If it does, mix in 1-2 more tablespoons of cake flour.
• The dough must be formed into 2 discs, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled in the fridge for at least 4 hours before rolling it out. Otherwise, it is too sticky to roll out.
• This dough will spread slightly as it bakes. Therefore, I do not recommend using detailed cookie cutter shapes – such as snowflakes of flowers. I always use circle-shaped cookie cutters.

Easy Sugar Cookies for Christmas?

I love to make this recipe over the holidays. I’ll  decorate the cookies with white frosting (no need for food coloring) and top with festive sprinkles. They’re also very pretty with white frosting or baby blue frosting and snowflake sprinkles for a winter theme. It’s way faster than making detailed cookie shapes – like snowflakes and Santas – and they look incredibly festive.

These soft-batch frosted sugar cookies delicious any time of year, but they’re my absolute favorite over the holidays. They’re always the first cookies to disappear on any cookie tray. So soft, melt-in-your mouth, with delicious creamy frosting – and no fancy cookie decorating skills required.

Need more favortie cookie recipes? Then be sure to try:

• Sugar Cookie Bars – these are thick and chewy with super creamy frosting. They’re made in a 9×13 inch pan, so there’s no need to chill the dough.
• Ginger Molasses Cookies
• Whipped Shortbread – always a favorite over the holidays

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Soft Batch Frosted Sugar Cookies

These sour cream sugar cookies are soft, thick, and melt-in-your mouth. They're not too sweet and incredibly flavorful because they're topped with creamy frosting as opposed to royal icing. There's no pesky decorating skills required. These cookies are perfect for the holidays, or any time of year!

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Chilling4 hours hrs

Total Time4 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Soft-Batch Sugar Cookies, Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Servings: 25 cookies - depending on size and thickness

Calories: 180kcal

Author: Fiona Dowling

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 2 and ½ cups cake flour (300 grams)* you may need a few extra tablespoons
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch AKA cornflour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter (112 grams) softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
• 1 large egg room temperature
• ¼ cup sour cream (60 ml or 60 grams)* full-fat, from a tub
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• flour for rolling out the cookies

For the Frosting

• ⅓ cup unsalted butter (75 grams) room temperature
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese (30 grams) full fat, brick style - or substitute with more butter
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar (220 - 330 grams) AKA icing sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons whipping cream (15-30 ml) or milk, if needed
• food coloring optional
• Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

• In a medium sized bowl sift together 2 and ½ cups cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder & salt. Whisk it a few times. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy and creamy.
• Mix in the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract until evenly combined. Then mix in the sour cream.
• Starting with the mixer on a low speed, beat in the dry ingredients about ½ at a time until evenly incorporated. Squeeze a little dough between your fingers. If it sticks, beat in a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you can squeeze the dough, but it no longer leaves dough on your fingers. Do not add more than ¼ cup extra.
• Rip 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Divide the dough in half and place ½ onto each piece of plastic. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and flatten into a round disc shape (about ½ inch thick). Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 335F (160C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Flour a countertop very well. Remove one disc of dough from the fridge. Unwrap the plastic and lightly dust the dough with a sprinkling of flour. Roll out to about ¼ to ⅓ inch thick using a well floured rolling pan. Cut into shapes using a floured cookie cutter and place on the lined cookie sheet.
• Bake for about 8-12 minutes depending on cookie thickness. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 5 minutes on the cookie tray before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling.
• Continue with the rest of the batter, leaving the dough in the fridge until your ready to work with it.

Frosting

• Beat the butter until soft and creamy. Then beat in the cream cheese.
• Add in the almond extract, salt and 2 cups powdered sugar. Begin beating with the mixer on a low speed, and gradually increase the speed as the powdered sugar is incorporated.
• Optionally, add in a few drops of food coloring. Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time until the desired sweetness is reached. If the frosting seems too thick, beat in a little cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Frost the fully cooled cookies using a flat knife and optionally decorate with sprinkles.

Notes

1. Cake Flour Substitute: I highly recommend using cake flour. If you don't have any on hand, measure out 2 ½ cups (312.5 grams) all-purpose flour. Remove 5 tablespoons of flour. Then add in 5 tablespoons of cornstarch (AKA cornflour). Sift the mixture together 3 times before using. 
2. Sour Cream: Sour cream can vary in different countries. The sour cream I've used in this recipe comes from a tub and was 18% MF.
3. Make Ahead Tips: The discs of cookie dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours before rolling them out. The discs can also be wrapped tightly in plastic and placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookie dough in the fridge overnight. Then roll out the cookies and bake as directed. Unfrosted cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months. I recommend placing a layer of parchment paper or wax paper in between each layer of cookies so that they don't stick together. 
4. Cookie Cutter Shapes: I do not recommend using intricate shapes for this recipe, as the dough will expand slightly as it bakes. 
5. Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They can also be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days. Let them sit on the counter before enjoying, as they taste best when they aren't cold. 
6. Nutrition: Nutrition information is an estimate only and based on 1 cookie with frosting, assuming the recipe yields 25 cookies. The number of cookies you make will depend on the thickness and size of your cookie cutters. 

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg