Sour Cream Sugar Cookies - easy soft sugar cookie recipe that makes perfect frosted sugar cookies! No chilling, rolling, or cutting necessary!
I've had a love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with sugar cookies over the years. Sugar cookies are usually so pretty. They are cut out in cute little shapes or frosted and decorated so that they look extra delicious.
The problem is that they so often look better than they taste.
There's nothing worse (cookie-wise) than taking a bite of a lovely cookie only to find that it is dry tasteless or is so sweet that it makes your teeth hurt. These Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are far easier and so much tastier than that kind of sugar cookie.
They are soft and sweet and require no chilling, cutting, or rolling. They have a tender, almost cake-like texture. All of which make them a great choice when a sugar cookie craving strikes!
How are these cookies different than other sugar cookies?
How are these cookies different than other sugar cookies?These sugar cookies are a little different. They are drop cookies, so they don't need to be rolled out. Also, the dough doesn't have to be chilled before baking.
The dough is made like a traditional drop cookie dough. Just be careful not to over-mix as you'll want the cookies to be tender.
Also, these cookies are topped with a traditional buttercream frosting instead of a royal icing.
How to make sour cream sugar cookies
In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until well-combined. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Mix in vanilla extract, sour cream, and milk until combined. Batter may look curdled at this point.
Add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.
Scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons), and drop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2-inches apart. Bake.
Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
To make the frosting, beat together butter, powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until well-combined, adding in additional milk as needed.
Frost cooled cookies with frosting.
What makes these cookies soft?
The combination of sour cream, egg yolks, and brown sugar all help to make these soft sugar cookies tender.
Tips
- Flour: It's important to properly measure flour when baking. To properly measure flour either weigh it or stir/sift the flour to break it up, lightly spoon into a measuring cup, and level. This will help you avoid packing in the flour.
- Brown sugar: I use light brown sugar in this recipe.
- Butter: Make sure that the butter is at cool room temperature, not room temperature or melting. The butter should dent a little if poked but shouldn't be warm. If the butter is too warm, the cookies won't hold their shape and will end up flat. Also, I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you prefer.
- Sour cream: I have used regular and light sour cream in this recipe. I don't recommend using fat-free sour cream.
- Milk: Any milk from skim to whole milk will work. For the frosting, using heavy whipping cream will give you a slightly fluffier, creamier frosting.
What is cool room temperature?
To get get the best results, make sure that the butter is at cool room temperature, not room temperature or melting.
The butter should dent a little if poked but shouldn't be warm. If the butter is too warm, the cookies won't hold their shape and will end up flat.
How to store
I recommend storing the cookies in a single layer in a resealable container in the fridge.
More sugar cookie recipes!
More sugar cookie recipes!If you’ve tried this sour cream sugar cookie recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!
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Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter (at cool room temperature)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons milk
Frosting
- ½ cup butter (at cool room temperature)
- 3 cup powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons milk or heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until well-combined.
- Beat in egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Mix in vanilla extract, sour cream, and milk until combined. Batter may look curdled at this point.
- Add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.
- Scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons), and drop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes.
- Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- To make the frosting, beat together butter, powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and salt.
- Beat until well-combined, adding in additional milk as needed.
- Frost cooled cookies with frosting.
Notes
- Flour: It's important to properly measure flour when baking. To properly measure flour either weigh it or stir/sift the flour to break it up, lightly spoon into a measuring cup, and level. This will help you avoid packing in the flour.
- Brown sugar: I use light brown sugar in this recipe.
- Butter: Make sure that the butter is at cool room temperature, not room temperature or melting. The butter should dent a little if poked but shouldn't be warm. If the butter is too warm, the cookies won't hold their shape and will end up flat. Also, I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you prefer.
- Sour cream: I have used regular and light sour cream in this recipe. I don't recommend using fat-free sour cream.
- Milk: Any milk from skim to whole milk will work. For the frosting, using heavy whipping cream will give you a slightly fluffier, creamier frosting.
- Nutrition facts are estimates.
Nutrition Information
Originally published 11/30/16. Updated with new tips and photos 12/21/20.
Denise
Just had a chance to return to your site to leave a review. The cookies were a hit! Young and old alike loved the taste.
Kate
Thank you!! I'm so glad that you liked them!
Marissa
Just made these. Family loved them. I didn't have time to wait for room temperature butter. So I grated the butter like cheese and it worked awesomely.
Kate
Perfect! I'm glad that that worked out well. We love these sugar cookies, and it's great to hear that other people are enjoying them, too! =)
Suzanne
I just made these cookies today - and they are AWESOME! This sure beats my Aunt's sour cream sugar cookies hands down! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Kate
That's awesome! Beating a family recipe is high praise, so thank you!
Nicole
I've made these cookies about 8 times now. My husband and daughter LOVE them. And when going to an event people always tend to ask me to bring these sugar cookies! They never last long around my house. Plus its an easy enough to get my 3 year old involved in making them! I've went through a lot of (not so great) recepie's before getting to this one! Thank you for sharing this!
Kate
Yay!! These are my favorite sugar cookies, and I love to hear that other people are enjoying them, too! I'm glad that your family likes them. =) Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment!
Mary Olson
I love these Sugar Cookies. They are so soft! Thank you for the recipe.
Kate
Thank you! I make these every year, and I'm so glad to hear that other people are enjoying them, too! Thank you for commenting! =)
Jess
I don't like sugar cookies but I really wanted some and decided to try this recipe. It was SO good!! The cookies were easy to make and really good. Thanks!