Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are soft and fluffy with the perfect balance of sweetness — they’re perfect with or without frosting and make a great freezer-friendly holiday cookie!
Looking for more Christmas cookies? Try these Soft Sugar Cookie Bars, these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, or The Best Snickerdoodle Recipe next! If you’re looking for a sugar cookie that needs no frosting, try these Chewy Sugar Cookies.
Table of Contents
- Why we love these soft Sugar Cookies:
- Sour Cream Sugar Cookie Ingredients:
- How to make soft Sour Cream Cookies:
- Variations for homemade Sugar Cookies:
- How to store these delicious cookies:
- Can I freeze sour cream cookies?
- Can I use this recipe for cut-out cookies?
- More sour cream cookies:
- Grandma’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Recipe
Nothing beats old family recipes, and my Grandma’s recipe for Sour Cream Sugar Cookies is proof of that.
These cookies are not the difficult, finicky cookies that require hours of rolling, cutting, baking, and decorating.
They are a soft sugar cookie made with sour cream, and they have a fluffy, delicate melt-in-your-mouth texture that I find much more appealing.
They are a cake-like cookie — like little, frosted hand cakes, similar to the ones you’d find at the grocery store but with a made-from-scratch taste.
Why we love these soft Sugar Cookies:
- No-fuss: these aren’t your average cut-out sugar cookies where you have to chill the dough, roll it out, and make shapes. This is a simple make-and-bake recipe for those who want a low-effort treat!
- Perfect for any season: these cookies are perfect for the holiday season, any other holiday, and even parties! No matter the occasion, they’re bound to become a family favorite!
- Secret ingredient: maybe sour cream in cookies isn’t a huge secret, but it does create the softest cookies that stay moist throughout the week!
Sour Cream Sugar Cookie Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter: softened unsalted butter contributes to the cakiness of the cookies. Make sure you use softened butter, not melted, or your cookies will spread too much
- Granulated sugar: adds a hint of sweetness to the cookies. When beaten with softened butter, it creates an airy texture that lends to a fluffier, cake-like cookie.
- Eggs: acts as a binder to bind the dough ingredients together and help the cookies rise slightly.
- Sour cream: the secret ingredient that gives these cookies a soft, cake texture and a slightly tangy flavor! I recommend using full-fat sour cream, as the more fat your cookies have, the fluffier they will be.
- Vanilla extract adds a depth of flavor.
- Baking soda and baking powder: these are leavening agents which help the cookies to rise.
- Salt: adds a hint of flavor and balances out the sweetness.
- All-purpose flour: provides the structure for our cookies.
- Powdered icing sugar: this is the sweet base for our icing! It’s regular white sugar that has been finely ground into a powdery state. It’s perfect for making icing because it forms a thick icing-like texture when you add liquid.
- Milk: this thins out the icing to a nice spreadable consistency. Use whatever type of milk you like!
- Food coloring (optional): you can use powder, gel, or liquid food coloring to make any color you want for these cookies! I love using red and green for Christmas, but you can also use different colors for other occasions.
How to make soft Sour Cream Cookies:
It couldn’t be easier to whip up this soft sugar cookie recipe! For more detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card:
- Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy.
- Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
- Add leavening agents first to combine
- Stir in flour
- Drop by heaping tablespoons onto lined baking sheets
- Bake just until set
- Mix up the frosting and color as desired.
- Spread on cooled cookies and serve or store
Variations for homemade Sugar Cookies:
These cookies are made to be frosted as the cookie itself is not very sweet. Here are some ways to customize this recipe to your tastes:
- Add the zest of a lemon or orange.
- Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract.
- As a reader mentioned, you could reduce the baking powder to 2 teaspoons if you want them less fluffy. They will still be very cakey.
- Sprinkle the cookies with granulated sugar before baking.
How to store these delicious cookies:
I like to store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Can I freeze sour cream cookies?
Absolutely! These freeze perfectly.
In an hour or two, the frosting should set to the point where you can stack and freeze them, but if you want to be extra safe, you could flash freeze them on the baking sheet for an hour before stacking, or add parchment paper in between.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Can I use this recipe for cut-out cookies?
Not this recipe, but after so many requests, I created a new cookie recipe based on these Sour Cream Cookies that are perfect for cut-out cookies, with no chilling and a thick, soft sugar cookie.
You can find my Christmas Sugar Cookies recipe here.
More sour cream cookies:
These have been so popular that I’ve added two more versions to the family!
Chocolate Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Recipe
Frosted Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Grandma’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla*
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all purpose flour, fluffed and levelled (520g)
Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- 2 ½ cups powdered icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
- food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on high until light and creamy.
- Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
- Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined. Add flour and beat on low until no white remains — dough will be soft, almost like cake batter. This is how it should be.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets 2-3 inches apart and bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden and centers are set. They do puff and spread quite a bit so don't make them too big!
Frosting
- With an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla and milk and beat until smooth, adding additional sugar or milk to reach desired consistency (you don't want it too thin!).
- Color if desired and spread on cooled cookies.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Mary Jane DeVoldre says
These are the best cookies ever! I did frost and freeze and they were great!! Perfect combination of cookie and frosting. Not overly sweet. My family loved them!!
Perfect in every way! So glad I discovered them, I’ll definitely be making them every holiday and in between too. They are a great alternative to more labor intensive
Cut outs!
The Recipe Rebel says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Keala says
Adding 5 stars. Even though it turn out as Christmas cookies, it is the best sugar biscuits ever. Even my husband enjoyed them. Will definitely make them again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Keala!
Rosalind Bickel says
Sorry forgot to add the five stars!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks so much Rosalind!
Rosalind Bickel says
These were wonderful. I’ve been looking for something like my Mom’s Half Moon cookies and these are exactly it! Soft and cakey and tender. The only difference is she used sour milk instead of sour cream. They came out perfectly and just like I remembered.
Debra says
So far so good ! I know you can freeze them ,but I guess I want to know if I can with frosting and how do I keep them in freezer just like the refrigerator with wax paper between? These cookies are Awsome & just like the ones my husband grandma use to make. I used almond extract for frosting.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Debra! I wouldn’t recommend frosting them freezing. So glad you enjoyed them!
Ilana says
Can I use this recipe to make Xmas cut outs with small grandchildren?
The Recipe Rebel says
No I’m sorry, these don’t work well for cut out cookies. But I do have a recipe: https://www.thereciperebel.com/christmas-sugar-cookies/ Hope you enjoy them!
Paula Zahn says
Hi Jamie,
Just like chocolate chip cookies they go flat after making dough and baking. So I put the dough in the refrigerator for about 30-45min that keeps it a little stiffer when baking. They keep their shape better. Give that a try. Hope this helps in the future!♥️
Karla Thompson says
These are by far the best cookies I have ever made. Easy to follow instructions. And I understand why creaming the butter and sugar for awhile is needed. So that the sugar can start dissolving. This will definitely be a cookie I make for all my special days.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Karla! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Sarah says
Hello, I was wondering if I could melt the butter for the batter because I do not have a hand mixer.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah! I’ve not tested this recipe out using melted butter. I’m unsure of how it would turn out. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Sandra says
I have not yet made these but plan to. My first thought about using melted butter is the batter will be looser, obviously. In that case, I’d suggest refrigerating the dough a short period to help it set up a bit or you’ll probably end up with one cookie the size of your sheet pan.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the feedback Sandra! It’s just not something I’ve tested with these cookies so I have no way of knowing for sure what the end result would be.
Alyssia says
Can you freeze the cookies with frosting?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Alyssia, these are best if you freeze them before you frost them.
Sara says
These are so good! My family loves al of your recipes. Big fans over here 😂 Could I freeze these cookies for a week or so, before frosting them?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sara! Yes you can. Bake then freeze them. So glad you enjoyed them!
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, Jamie. The method has worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would of been a hit for you too. Cookies will flatten and not hold shape if the butter and sugar were not mixed long enough. I’m not sure if that is what happened but it tends to be the culprit.
Shawna says
Cookies baked out into large disk like cookies. Flavor was good and soft, but did not hold shape at all. Threw away last half of dough. Disappointed for sure. Help please?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Shawna! Cookies will flatten and not hold shape if the butter and sugar were not mixed long enough. I’m not sure if that is what happened but it tends to be the culprit.
Jessi says
Do these need to be stored in the fridge after baking and frosting
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jessi! Store for 3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Cindy says
Do I put butter at room temperature when I mix these cookies up? Or do I keep butter r cold when I mix these cookies?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Cindy! Yes, sorry about the. The butter needs to be softened at room temperature. Hope you enjoy them!
Tammy R says
Shouldn’t the dough be refrigerated for a day before baking? I always refrigerate mine first. Just a suggestion.
The Recipe Rebel says
No need to do it with these cookies!
Emma says
Hi! How do I freeze these? Do I bake and freeze without frosting and then frost them when they are thawed? Looking forward to trying these!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Emma, I would bake and then freeze the cookies, I think you’d have better results!
Charlotte says
Too much flour. Does not look cake like at all.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Charlotte, I’m sorry to hear that you had problems with this recipe. Myself (and others) have been successful in making it, so I wished it would of been a hit for you.
Kim says
Mine didn’t resemble cake batter at all either.. I actually added a bit more flour because it was a little too thin. When I dropped them onto the cookie sheet the batter was quite thick – but these were the best turn out for sour cream cookies I’ve ever had. I even over-baked a batch cause my oven isn’t that great… and even over-baked these cookies were amazing! Froze well, too!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the feedback, Kim!
Judy Hood says
I have made these cookies 3 times since Christmas and everyone really likes them. The only problem I have is the last pan I bake the cookies are sometimes flat. Would it help to chill the dough while the others are baking?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Judy, sorry to hear that. It’s hard to know what is going on without being in the kitchen with you, but you could likely try that and see if it works out for you.
Kathy says
This is a pretty good recipe! The texture is exactly what I wanted. The icing is yummy. The cookies have a bit of an off flavor…I can’t put my finger on it but it’s something that tastes a little artificial. I would love advice on how to make these more neatly because when I just spooned the cookies onto the sheet, I got ugly lumpy cookies.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kathy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!