Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
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These Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are soft and fluffy with the perfect balance of sweetness and lemon flavor. Freezer friendly and delicious topped with cream cheese frosting or dipped in chocolate!
Love sugar cookies? Me too! Be sure to try some of my other go-to cookie recipes like my Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars, Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizzas, and Sugar Cookie French Toast!
Recipe Features:
- Freezer Friendly: These freezer remarkably well which means you can bake a batch in advance and have cookies on hand for months!
- Big Batch: Depending on the size of your cutter, this recipe can make dozens of cookies.
- Customizable: While I LOVE the added lemon, you can easily substitute with vanilla or almond flavor.
This cookie is honestly so perfect for any occasion. We call it the all holiday cookie and make it for Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas. It comes together so quickly and produces an insanely thick and soft cookie. The flavor is rich and buttery, with a slight tang thanks to the sour cream, and irresistible.
I literally cannot help myself when I make a batch. Physically impossible for me to stop eating them. The recipe was handed down from my mother in law, and a treasured family favorite.
Sugar Cookie Ingredients
This recipe, like many on my site, use mainly pantry staples which means you can make them today! We really love to dip the cookies in a little melted chocolate for an elegant finish that looks bakery worthy with minimal effort.
- All-Purpose Flour: I’ve made this recipe so many times and have tried many different flour varieties. So far, all-purpose flour produces the best texture and doesn’t leave the cookie overly dry.
- Baking Soda: Just a reminder to double check the expiration date of your baking soda. It should also be replaced after being opened for six months in order to keep its optimal freshness.
- Salt: Omit the salt from the recipe if you plan to use salted butter. I use unsalted so I can control the amount of salt in the finished product, but have also used salted butter in a pinch. You won’t notice too much of a difference.
- Butter: Originally this recipe called for both butter and shortening. That’s how my mother in law makes her recipe, and you definitely can make it that way too. More recently I tested the recipe with all butter and get the same results.
- Sugar: White sugar, also known as granulated. Do not substitute brown sugar in this recipe.
- Egg: A large egg acts as a binder and also adds a little fat to help moisten the dough.
- Extract: I use a combination of vanilla extract with lemon extract. You can also sub out the lemon with almond for a delicious alternative.
- Sour Cream: Normally I would say you can substitute Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Don’t do that with this recipe.
Sugar Cookie Recipe With Sour Cream
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking trays with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (affiliate) and set aside for later.
- DRY: Whisk together the four, baking soda and the salt in a small bowl or large measuring cup. Set aside for later.
- CREAM: Combine the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Mix on medium speed for roughly 2 minutes, or until combined and light and fluffy.
- MIX: Stir in the egg, extracts, sour cream, and the prepared dry ingredients. Stir at low/medium speed for another 2 minutes, or until the dough begins to form. The dough will look crumbly at first, just keep mixing and it will come together.
- ROLL: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll (affiliate) 1/4 inch thick, 1/2 inch if you want a thicker cookie.
- BAKE: Cut the dough using your desired shape cutter (affiliate), or the open end of a glass cup. Place on the baking tray (affiliate) and cook for ten minutes.
- DECORATE: Remove from the warm baking tray and allow to cool before frosting or dipping in chocolate.
Recipe Notes:
1. Do not over mix your dough. I always keep my mixer on the 1 or 2 speed setting while mixing all of the ingredients.
2. Roll your dough slightly thicker for soft and chewy cookies or thinner for a more crisp sugar cookie.
3. Roll your dough out onto a silicone baking mat (affiliate). Cut out your shapes and remove the excess dough. Bake as directed. This eliminates the need to transfer your cut cookies helping them keep their shape!
Decorating cookies doesn’t have to be complicated. My favorite method is to dip half of the cookies, no matter the shape, into melted chocolate and sprinkle with your favorite decorative sprinkle. Super quick and easy with a bakery worthy finish.
You can also Pipe your favorite frosting using a closed star tip and you can easily create a dozen edible roses for that special someone this Valentines day!
I have an in depth post that walks through all of the different ways you can freeze cookie dough. Hop over and find a version that works for you.
OR follow the directions below for a quick freeze.
Follow the directions of the recipe all the way through baking.
Allow the cookies to cool completely.
Place your cookies into a zip top bag. Label and freeze.
Frozen cookies will last up to three months if stored properly.
More Must Try Cookie Recipes
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Sour Cream Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking trays with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (affiliate) and set aside for later.
- Whisk together the four, baking soda and the salt in a small bowl or large measuring cup. Set aside for later.
- Combine the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Mix on medium speed for roughly 2 minutes, or until combined and light and fluffy.
- Stir in the egg, extracts, sour cream, and the prepared dry ingredients. Stir at low/medium speed for another 2 minutes, or until the dough begins to form. The dough will look crumbly at first, just keep mixing and it will come together.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll (affiliate) 1/4 inch thick, 1/2 inch if you want a thicker cookie.
- Cut the dough using your desired shape cutter (affiliate), or the open end of a glass cup. Place on the baking tray (affiliate) and cook for ten minutes.
- Remove from the warm baking tray and allow to cool before frosting or dipping in chocolate.
Notes
Decorating Ideas:
Pipe your favorite frosting using a closed star tip and you can easily create a dozen edible roses for that special someone this Valentines day! Or use a heart shaped cutter and dip half into melted chocolate. The lemon extract gives these a unique taste that is slightly addicting, but if you prefer to stick to a more traditional route you can use vanilla or almond extract in its place. Or raspberry… or orange… The possibilities are endless!
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Made these cookies today for Valentine’s. I was very disappointed. They taste like flour. I will not be making these again.
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. They shouldn’t taste like flour. Can I help troubleshoot?
Do you need to roll them out and use cookie cutters or can you make them as drop cookies?
Hi Barbara, I’ve only made them as a roll cookie and haven’t tried them as drop cookies, so I couldn’t confidently say if this would work.
Are these good for decorative piping with royal icing?
They do spread a little, but I have used them for decorating.
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Great post.
What size tip did you use for the pink roses? Thanks!
Hi Jesseca,
I was just wondering if these would be a good cookie to do cut-outs with. Do they spread at all and give nice crisp edges? Thanks!
Who wouldn’t fall in love with a guy who brings these! Fun family story behinds beautiful cookie.
how and for how long can you store/freeze/etc your cream cheese frosting? also, can you freeze the cut out cookies or are they best rolled/cut/baked the day of? Thanks!!!!
do you have to keep these in the refrigerator? They are beautiful
These sound scrumptious! I am going to make them for valentines. What do you mean by shortening though? Crisco? Thanks!
Yes, shortening. You could also use all butter if you’d prefer.
i bought organic all vegetable shortening from Whole Foods (trying to take the guilt off of using shortening!), but does it actually have to be Crisco??
Hello there! Thank you for sharing this recipe! They are BEAUTIFUL! Two questions. 1) Do they need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese? 2) How long will it take for them to crust over so I can stack them like your awesome pictures? Thank you so much!!
I’ve never seen a sugar recipe with baking soda. Are you sure it’s not baking powder?
I am making the cookies right now and it is way to dry, cannot roll it out, seems to need more liquid or moisture. I don’t know what to add, I read the directions over and over, double checked my work, and I think I did everything exactly like it says. Should I add more butter?
Hi Ceara,
I just double checked the original recipe that my mother in law gave me and all of the ingredients are listed correct.
for some reason these did not turn out for me:( once baked they were spongey like a pancake and tasted more like biscuits than sugar cookies:( I don’t know what went wrong! does this ever happen when you make them?
I’ve never had the issue of these cookies being spongy. Is it possible an extra egg was added?
i doubled the recipe and for some reason it was a bowl of crumbs :-(. had to keep adding and tweaking…..and now they are baked and spongey…..what did I do wrong?? 🙁
This recipe will be crumbly during the mixing process. The best tip I can give is to keep the mixer going. It will come together, just takes a minute longer in the mixer.
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Sour cream makes all the difference in baking homemade sugar cookies! 🙂 It’s what gives them the super moist texture and keeps them so soft. I’ve got an amazing sugar cookie recipe that has been passed down from generations that are to die for! So addicting! Lol I love the recipe that you have for the cream cheese frosting, I will definitely be baking a batch with some of that yummy frosting on them today! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Not only do your cookies sound amazing they are simply gorgeous!
Your cookies look gorgeous! After baking them, how much time can I keep them before they expire ? I’m thinking about how much time in advance I can prepare them…
Yum! I’m going to get dressed and go to the store right now! These look amazing and since I’m pregnant, my cravings are hard core! Lol!
Hi these cookies are absolutely gorgeous!! I’d like to try them but never have shortening on hand. Is it possible to substitute butter or oil for the amount of shortening?? Thanks for your help!
Thank you for sharing! And the genius idea of icing a cookie this way! Is it possible to use just 1/2 cup butter, rather than 1/4 butter and 1/4 shortening? Thanks!
They look delicious!
I did. Maybe I counted incorrectly when I was putting in cups of flour. My kids were being… loud… when I was making them 🙂
These are perfect for my sisters upcoming bridal shower. Do you know how far in advance I can make them and store on counter?
Orange zest (peel) also makes them yummy. Bit of a Christmas flavour to otherwise bland cookies. Glad to see someone else looking for zing!
I made these cookies the other day & they turned out amazingly. Love love LOVE this recipe. Everybody gobbled them up (; Thank you!
These look beautiful and sound delicious. Do the finished cookies need to be stored in the fridge?
I normally just store mine in an air tight container on the counter or a ziploc.
How long are the cookies good for? They probably won’t last for more than a day in my house anyway…lol. So pretty!
I usually only keep mine around for a week at most.
I can not see the recipe either just all the pictures, 🙁
All fixed. Sorry about the delay.
I can’t access your recipe either would love to try these they look so beautiful. thanks
You should be able to get the recipe now. Sorry about that!
Any idea why the recipe isn’t showing up for me all of a sudden? I saw it earlier, but now it’s saying [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:87]. Thanks!
I had an issue with the plugin I was using. You should be able to see the recipe now.
Unless I’m just missing it, about how many cookies does this recipe make? Thanks!
It really depends how thin you are rolling your dough and the size of your cookie cutter. I typically get 30 cookies per batch.
I was wondering do you use unsalted butter for the cookies and icing?
I probably should, but I like a little extra salt in my sweets. I use salted butter for every recipe on my site unless I specifically say unsalted.
they are absolutly beautiful,
but i have one question, in the cream cheese : with which I can replace the cream cheese? ^^
thank you thank you
Since the recipe is a cream cheese frosting I’d suggest not making any substitutions. Especially with the cream cheese. But if you are looking for something a little different try the vanilla buttercream from my Vanilla Cupcakes. https://bit.ly/1iZ1JSm
Hi these are so pretty! I am in charge of and event I am going to be making these for and need to transport them. Will the icing harden enough for me to stack a few?
Thanks
Yes. I layer a little bit of parchment or wax paper in between the layers.
these look so yummy! thank you for sharing the recipe!
These look amazing! Would love to make them for my daughter’s upcoming wedding. Do you know if I can make them and freeze them ahead of time?
I’ve never tried freezing them so I’m not sure. You could always try a test batch long before the wedding.
I made a trial batch of these to see if I wanted to use them for a bridal shower in a couple of weeks. DELICIOUS! I opted for Mexican vanilla instead of lemon extract. The cookies came out perfect and the cream cheese icing was divine. I love that they are not too sweet.
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe and for sharing which tip you used to make the rose. These were so easy.
I am so glad they turned out well for you!
This recipe sounds delicious! I was just wondering if the dough needs to be refrigerated before cutting/shaping by any chance?
Nope. You can if you’d like but I don’t refrigerate my dough and don’t have problems rolling and cutting.
Funny thing – I have been on the hunt for the best sugar cookie. I tried one tonight that tons of people swore by and I would never made them again. I thought they were a bore – dry and tasteless with a funky sour cream frosting. I can’t wait to try these. You sure made them pretty with the frosting!
My mom got this recipe with her sunbeam mixer over 40 years ago. It’s been a family favorite and Christmas tradition for four generations. It is the best sugar cookie recipe ever. It’s good without the icing
This cookie almost looks too pretty to eat. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I love a good sugar cookie recipe.
Thanks Jill ! You’ll love this one. It’s up in my top favorite easy desserts of all time.
These cookies almost look too pretty to eat. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I love a good sugar cookie.
So pretty! Why don’t my sugar cookies ever look like this? Guess I need more practice. 🙂
These sound amazing. I’ve never made cookies with sour cream in them. You have the cookie recipe title on the icing recipe.
Thanks for catching that Elizabeth! Looks like I wasn’t working my A game when I wrote this post last night!
Beautiful cookies! I love the gray background with the pink frosting. So pretty!
Thanks for sharing my marshmallows!
WOW! These look so beautiful and delicious! Your pictures are really nice!
So pretty! They sound delicious too! I’m sure my kids would love them.
I’m actually making these right now and am wondering if the amount of flour is incorrect? The dough is a cake batter-like consistency (no way could it be rolled out) and I’ve been adding just a ton of flour to try and get it right. Can you please help?
Apologies. That is fixed.
How beautiful! We love sugar cookies in our house! These would be so sweet for Valentine’s Day!
Those look so good! And I love the icing on it. I wonder if my gluten free flour will work on it.
So pretty! We all love sugar cookies around here. Can’t wait to give your recipe a try!
It’s amazing how a simple swirl of frosting can mimic the look of roses. So beautiful! They almost look too good to eat… almost… you broke down my last bit of willpower at cream cheese frosting. 🙂
I love sugar cookies. The piping on the cookie is so beautiful.
So pretty and yummy. I’ve done roses on cupcakes forever but never thought to do them on cookies brilliant!
These cookies are so beautiful! I love sugar cookies, but I am not that good at decorating!
I wish I could have a steady hand to do the top of my cookies like that. My hand shakes to much and those are absolutely pretty. I do love a sugar cookie very much!
I actually think my friend frosted these for me, but I do have a tutorial on how to pipe a rose coming soon!
How to you store with frosting on them??
I let them sit out until the frosting slightly hardens then layer them in a storage container using wax paper in between.
I love this! It kind of freaks my husband out to add sour cream to sugar cookies, so I just do it when he isn’t looking. 😉
I use a little buttermilk in mine….works great! These look awesome too, might just have to give sour cream a try!
This is the first sugar cookie recipe I’ve seen sour cream added to dough besides my mothers. I think it makes for a soft moist cookie.
Thanks for sharing my cupcakes for two as well. These cookies are gorgeous and just make me want to lick the frosting right off the screen!
I love, love, LOVE the way you decorated these – absolutely beautiful and I LOVE sugar cookies! Win!! Pinning.