These sour cream sugar cookies are soft, thick, and melt-in-your-mouth. They’re not overly sweet and have great flavor thanks to a creamy frosting instead of royal icing—no fancy decorating skills required. Perfect for the holidays or anytime.
This recipe was originally posted December 2015 and updated with new photos and tips December 19, 2021.
If you want tender sugar cookies topped with a creamy, lightly sweet frosting, these sour cream sugar cookies are a go-to. The secret is sour cream, which gives the cookies an exceptionally soft, delicate crumb without contributing any tangy flavor. I like adding a touch of almond extract to the dough and the frosting to boost the overall flavor.
This isn’t a roll-and-decorate recipe for intricate shapes with royal icing. If you prefer soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies with simple, creamy frosting and sprinkles, this recipe is ideal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the cookies:
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-raising) — plus more for rolling
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional: up to 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream (from a tub)
Using cake flour gives these cookies a tender, delicate crumb. Cornstarch helps create the melt-in-your-mouth texture. The combination of vanilla and almond extracts adds depth of flavor.
Cake flour substitute: If you don’t have cake flour, you can make a substitute (see Notes below). Do not swap in all-purpose flour 1:1, or the cookies can become dry.
For the frosting:
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons full-fat cream cheese (brick style) — or substitute extra butter
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2–3 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar), to taste
- 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream, if needed to thin
The cream cheese softens the sweetness so the frosting is balanced rather than cloying. If you prefer, you can replace the cream cheese with more butter.
Important Baking Tips
- Use softened butter, not melted. Softened butter and melted butter behave differently in baking.
- Sift cake flour to remove lumps before mixing with the other dry ingredients.
- After adding the flour, the dough should not be sticky. If it sticks when squeezed, mix in 1–2 tablespoons more cake flour (no more than 1/4 cup extra).
- Divide the dough into two discs, wrap well, and chill at least 4 hours (or overnight). Chilling firms the dough so it’s easy to roll.
- The dough will spread slightly while baking, so avoid very intricate cutters; round cutters work best.
Easy Sugar Cookies for Christmas
This recipe is perfect for holiday trays. Frost with white or pale blue icing and add festive sprinkles or snowflake sprinkles for a winter theme. It’s much faster than detailed decorated cookies and looks festive on any platter.
These soft-batch frosted sugar cookies are a year-round favorite but especially popular at the holidays. They’re usually the first cookies to disappear—soft, tender, and topped with delicious creamy frosting, with no advanced decorating skill required.
Other cookie ideas
- Sugar Cookie Bars — thick, chewy bars with creamy frosting, baked in a 9×13 pan.
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Whipped Shortbread
Soft Batch Frosted Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour (300 g), you may need a few extra tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 g), softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream (60 ml), full-fat, from a tub
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Flour for rolling
For the Frosting
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter (75 g), room temperature
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese (30 g), full fat (or substitute extra butter)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2–3 cups powdered sugar (220–330 g)
- 1–2 tablespoons whipping cream or milk, if needed
- Food coloring and sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Cookies
- Sift together 2 1/2 cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup softened butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy.
- Mix in the egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Stir in 1/4 cup sour cream until combined.
- With mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in about two portions until incorporated. Squeeze a bit of dough—if it sticks, add 1 tablespoon cake flour at a time until it no longer sticks (do not exceed 1/4 cup extra).
- Divide the dough into two pieces, wrap each in plastic, and flatten into discs about 1/2 inch thick. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 335°F (160°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Flour your work surface well. Roll one disc to about 1/4–1/3 inch thick, cut with floured cutters, and place on prepared sheets.
- Bake 8–12 minutes depending on thickness. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Frosting
- Beat 1/3 cup butter until soft, then beat in 2 tablespoons cream cheese.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups powdered sugar. Start on low and increase speed as the sugar incorporates.
- Optionally add food coloring. Add remaining powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until you reach desired sweetness and texture. If too thick, add cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Frost fully cooled cookies with a flat knife and decorate with sprinkles if desired.
Notes
- Cake flour substitute: Measure 2 1/2 cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour, remove 5 tablespoons, and replace with 5 tablespoons cornstarch. Sift together several times before using.
- Sour cream: Use full-fat tub sour cream (about 18% milk fat works well).
- Make ahead: Dough discs can be refrigerated up to 48 hours or frozen up to 2 months (thaw overnight in fridge). Unfrosted baked cookies freeze up to 2 months—separate layers with parchment.
- Shapes: Avoid intricate cutters; the dough spreads slightly during baking.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days, or in the fridge up to 7 days. Let cookies warm to room temperature before serving.
- Nutrition: Estimated per cookie with frosting (based on 25 cookies): Calories ~180. Values will vary with cookie size and thickness.
Nutrition
Calories: 180 kcal; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 7 g; Saturated fat: 4 g; Sugar: 18 g (per cookie, estimate).