• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
I Heart Eating
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
      • Work with Me
    • Rules and Disclosures
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Press
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Cookies » Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

    Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

    Published: Dec 21, 2020 · Modified: Dec 21, 2020 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Sour Cream Sugar Cookies - easy soft sugar cookie recipe that makes perfect frosted sugar cookies! No chilling, rolling, or cutting necessary!
    Sour Cream Sugar Cookies with buttercream frosting and sprinkles

    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!

    Frosted sour cream sugar cookies on a gold cooling rackHow 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

    Creamed butter and sugar in a mixing bowl

    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.

    Sour cream sugar cookie dough in a silver mixing bowl

    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.

    Baked and unbaked sugar cookies on a baking sheet

    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.

    Sugar cookie frosting in a silver mixing bowl
    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.

    Sour Cream Sugar Cookies with a bite missing next to a stack of cookies

    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.

    Sour Cream Sugar Cookie with a bite missing stacked on top of another cookie

    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.

    Half of a sour cream sugar cookie on a wire cooling rackMore sugar cookie recipes!

    • Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
    • Sugar Cookie Donut Muffins
    • No Chill Sugar Cookies

    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!

    You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

    Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

    Soft sour cream sugar cookies are so easy to make - no rolling or chilling necessary.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 30 cookies
    Calories: 188kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Equipment

    • Cookie sheets

    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
    US Customary - Metric

    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

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 52mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.5mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

    Originally published 11/30/16. Updated with new tips and photos 12/21/20.

    « Gingerbread
    Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders »
    2.2K shares
    • Facebook
    • Email

    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Denise

      December 25, 2020 at 6:13 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 30, 2020 at 10:30 am

        Thank you!! I'm so glad that you liked them!

        Reply
    2. Marissa

      December 20, 2020 at 6:47 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 21, 2020 at 9:36 am

        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! =)

        Reply
    3. Suzanne

      December 05, 2019 at 6:09 pm

      5 stars
      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!!

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 05, 2019 at 10:06 pm

        That's awesome! Beating a family recipe is high praise, so thank you!

        Reply
    4. Nicole

      March 07, 2019 at 1:41 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 07, 2019 at 8:17 pm

        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!

        Reply
    5. Mary Olson

      December 06, 2018 at 11:17 pm

      5 stars
      I love these Sugar Cookies. They are so soft! Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 07, 2018 at 8:40 am

        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! =)

        Reply
    6. Jess

      April 28, 2018 at 11:05 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this recipe:




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

    More about me →

    4th of July Recipes

    • Red White and Blue M&M Cookies
    • Red White and Blue Cupcakes
    • Red White & Blue Marble Cake
    • Red White and Blue Rice Krispies Treats

    Summer Favorites

    • Zucchini Bread
    • Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
    • Pasta Salad Recipe
    • Homemade Funnel Cake
    • Golden Graham S'mores
    • Broccoli Salad
    • Strawberry Jello Pie
    • Simple Turkey Burger Recipe

    Popular Posts

    • Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • Brownie Cookie Recipe
    • Whipped Buttercream Frosting without Powdered Sugar
    • Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins

    Subscribe via email

    to stay in the loop on new posts!

    Footer

    As Featured In

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Legal
    • Rules and Disclosures

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Press

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 I Heart Eating

    2.2K shares