Soft Lofthouse Cookies Recipe: Better Than Store-Bought

This is the Lofthouse Cookies Recipe you need to make perfect bakery-style Lofthouse-style cookies at home! These pillowy-soft sugar cookies topped with creamy frosting and colorful sprinkles will become your new favorite treat for any occasion.

Lofthouse cookies recipe topped with swirled pink frosting and colorful rainbow sprinkles are cooling on a wire rack set on a striped cloth.

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👩‍🍳 These cookies have that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture and sweet vanilla-almond flavor that made the originals famous, but with the satisfaction of making them yourself.

My 2 Best Tips For Making This Lofthouse Cookies Recipe

Chill Time is Important: Chilling the dough is crucial for these cookies. It firms up the butter, which prevents excessive spreading during baking. It also allows the flour to fully hydrate, resulting in that signature soft, cake-like texture Lofthouse cookies are known for. Don’t skip this step!

Perfect Frosting Consistency: The frosting should be thick enough to hold its shape but still spreadable. If it’s too thick, add cream a few drops at a time. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. The perfect consistency will give you those signature swirls on top. And please don’t frost the cookies until they’re completely cooled!

melissa leaning over counter looking up from a cook book.

If you’ve ever grabbed those iconic soft frosted sugar cookies from the grocery store bakery section, you’re in for a treat. This homemade version is even better!

These cookies have that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture and sweet vanilla-almond flavor that made the originals famous, but with the satisfaction of making them yourself.

While the classic pink frosting is always a hit, you can easily change the frosting color and sprinkles to match any holiday, birthday party, or special event. Or even leave out the food coloring if you don’t want that additive.

My favorite part (besides the taste!) — The dough can be refrigerated overnight, and the finished cookies freeze beautifully, making them perfect for advance party prep or keeping on hand for sweet cravings or for prepping ahead for a bake sale!

🩷 Melissa

A six-panel image shows the lofthouse cookies recipe process: dough in a bowl, dough balls on a tray, flattening with a glass, flattened dough rounds, baked cookies, and finished cookies topped with pink icing and sprinkles.

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Lofthouse Cookies Recipe

Prep Time1

Cook Time10

Chill Time1

Total Time2 10

Servings: cookies

Calories: 202kcal

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough:

½ cup butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon almond extract optional but recommended
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt

For the Frosting:

½ cup butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 drops almond extract optional but recommended
2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons cream
red food coloring
sprinkles

Instructions

Make the Cookies:

In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, add the butter and sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs and beat until well combined, about 1 minute.
Add the sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract if using, and stir to combine.
Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix until combined.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and cover the top of the dough with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge until chilled, about 1 hour.
After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough into your hands, and roll it into a smooth ball between your palms.
Place the ball on the cookie sheet, and repeat with remaining dough, placing the cookies about 2 inches apart, about 12 to a sheet.
Using the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup, gently press the dough flat. (I sprayed the bottom of my glass with just a bit of cooking spray so that the dough didn't stick to it, or you could dust with sugar.) Flatten each ball of dough until it's about ¾ of an inch thick.
Bake the dough until puffy and golden around the edges, about 10 minutes.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then move to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
Let the cookies cool completely before icing.

Make the Frosting:

To make the icing, add the butter, vanilla, and almond extract to the bowl of your stand mixer or a larger mixing bowl, and beat until creamy.
Add the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of cream. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the red food coloring, a few drops at a time, scraping down the sides as needed, until you reach your desired pink color.
Add additional cream, a bit at a time, until mixture is the consistency you like. (I like it thick but spreadable and usually add 2 tablespoons of cream total.)
When the cookies are cooled, spread the top of the cookies with icing, and then decorate with sprinkles.
Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

Recipe Variations & Substitutions:

You can sub butter-flavored shortening in this recipe for the butter if you prefer.
Experiment with different extracts! Try pure lemon extract with a drop of yellow food coloring in the frosting for spring, or peppermint extract with green or red frosting for Christmas cookies.
The food coloring is purely decorative and doesn’t affect the flavor. You can leave the frosting white for a classic look, use natural food dyes made from beet powder or butterfly pea flower, or even divide the frosting into several bowls and create a rainbow of colors.

Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough is crucial for these cookies. It firms up the butter, which prevents excessive spreading during baking. It also allows the flour to fully hydrate, resulting in that signature soft, cake-like texture Lofthouse cookies are known for. Don’t skip this step!

Frosting Consistency: The frosting should be thick enough to hold its shape but still spreadable. If it’s too thick, add cream a few drops at a time. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. The perfect consistency will give you those signature swirls on top. And please don’t frost the cookies until they’re completely cooled!

Uniform Size for Even Baking: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon measure to ensure all your cookies are the same size. This helps them bake evenly and look professional.

Flatten Cookies: When flattening cookie dough balls with the bottom of a glass, lightly dip the glass in granulated sugar between cookies to prevent sticking instead of using cooking spray.

Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours before baking. For the finished cookies, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can also freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months – just thaw at room temperature and add frosting before serving.

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

My cookies seem too puffy/cakey. What did I do wrong?

Nothing! Lofthouse cookies are supposed to be puffy and cake-like rather than thin and crispy. If you prefer a slightly less cakey texture, you can reduce the cornstarch to 1 tablespoon or bake them for 1-2 minutes longer, but be careful not to overbake.

Can I use different extracts for flavoring?

Yes! While the vanilla and hint of almond extract create that classic Lofthouse flavor, you can experiment with different extracts. Try pure lemon extract with a drop of yellow food coloring in the frosting for spring, or peppermint extract with green or red frosting for Christmas cookies.

Can I make these cookies without food coloring?

Absolutely. The food coloring is purely decorative and doesn’t affect the flavor. You can leave the frosting white for a classic look, use natural food dyes made from beet powder or butterfly pea flower, or even divide the frosting into several bowls and create a rainbow of colors.