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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Terry says
Great recipe. 😋
Darlene says
I finally made these cookies yesterday after coming across the recipe a while ago and I LOVE them. I opted for adding the almond extract as suggested and the hint of almond is perfectly balanced. I accidentally baked mine a tad longer than indicated and they still came out just fine! They’re fluffy and light, even an amateur baker like me is proud how they turned out. Next time I’m going to try adding lemon zest, would be so nice to serve with a cup of tea. I was not prepared for how many cookies this will yield so I’m happy that they will freeze well (although they might all be eaten before Christmas!).
Carol McSweeney says
Second time making these. The last batch didn’t last long enough for me to get them frosted, so yah, it’s definitely going into my favorites box. Hubby says they are the most perfect cookie.
Pam says
Can the dough be frozen? I want to freeze the dough and use later.
Ashley Fehr says
It likely could, but I haven’t tried.
Karis g says
Flat too! 🙁 will try chilling dough and try again
Rose says
maybe try fleishmans double acting baking powder?( aluminum& metal free).It reacts to both heat and liquid.So if its a big batchthere is plenty of time to get the cookies into the oven, they will still rise for sure!
Sandy says
These are awesome and bake well! No issues, simply perfect sour cream cookies. I have made these several times with great reviews and requests for more. Thanks for sharing your grandma’s recipe!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, thank you Sandy!
Joey Capelle says
If you look closely at the recipe you will notice that she or who ever uploaded the recipe forgot to say when to add sugar, just beat it with the eggs and butter first.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Joey, it’s listed in Step 1. “beat butter and sugar on high until creamy.”
JD says
Could you do jello within this recipe and if so, how would one go about adding?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi JD! I have no idea, it’s not something I’ve tested out before.
Kris says
These are the absolute best soft sugar cookies. Everyone loved them. The recipe states it makes 24 cookies, but I got about 36 nice sized cookies. They freeze well too. So glad I found this recipe!!
Cassie says
I am just getting ready to try this recipe, I was looking through the comments about some cookies being flat. My main suggestion, altitude matters, I am at an altitude higher than Denver, I use a few tablespoons extra flour and about a half teaspoon more leavening, anytime I try a new recipe. Just a suggestion to anyone who may be high altitude.
The Recipe Rebel says
It definitely makes a difference! Thanks Cassie!
Katie says
These are wonderful! Likely making a second batch because they are exactly what I was looking for. They are soft and not overly sweet and perfect with the buttercream which is just the right amount. Definitely grateful for the recipe, thank you!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
So happy to hear that, Katie! Thank you!
Betty says
Love this recipe. Cookies taste so good and soft.
Cara says
Hi! Does the butter, sour cream, and eggs need to be room temperature before mixing ingredients? Thanks!
Tina K says
While delicious, my cookies didn’t spread. They were big fluffy balls. All new ingredients. I’m not sure what I did wrong.
Stephanie says
I just made these cookies and they are delicious! Came out perfectly soft and fluffy. Mine looked a bit bigger but tastes great and the frosting I made a double batch. Made around 32 coookies
Kristi says
This recipe is definitely not a traditional sugar cookie recipe. My cookies turned out flat but still tasted OK.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kristi, I didn’t really say it was a traditional sugar cookie. It’s the sugar cookie I great up with because it was my Grandma’s recipe. I’m not sure why yours would have turned out flat, maybe check to see if your baking soda and baking are fresh.
Donna Jones says
My grandmother was born in the late 1800’s and this is exactly how hers tasted. I’ve been using this recipe as my mother never knew quite how to interpret a sifter of flour!
Bunny says
why unslated butter can I use salted? just have on hand
The Recipe Rebel says
I typically use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt that actually goes in my recipes. You can use salted but then I’d cut down the salt to 1/2 tsp. Enjoy!
Jeannie says
These are by far NOT Christmas sugar cookies. Worst mistake I’ve ever made. Flavor is spot on and texture is good…like frosting a mound much???
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble Jeannie. They are similar to lofthouse cookies and as stated in the post, they are not cutout cookies. This is a family recipe, so while you might not enjoy them we do.
Cassandra says
Mine also fell flat and ran. I talked to my mom (an experienced baker) and she said to chill the dough before baking. Haven’t tried it yet but perhaps that’s what’s needed. My baking powder and soda should be just fine as I’ve been doing other baking with them.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’d probably start with making sure the flour is precisely measured. These don’t normally come out runny.
Sheila says
Hi, I was so excited when I found this recipe because it’s almost identical to my Mom’s that I lost. However, upon baking they have fallen flat and not fluffy, what did I do wrong? They taste good but I wanted the fluffy cookies like she made.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sheila, make sure to check that your baking soda and baking powder are fresh.