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    Soft Homemade Sugar Cookies

    Home » Recipes » Dessert » Soft Homemade Sugar Cookies

    Published: Oct 21, 2020 · Modified: Oct 14, 2023 by Sarah · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

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    You will love this homemade sugar cookie recipe with cream cheese frosting! These are soft sugar cookies and can be cut out to any shape. 

    Homemade sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles on a jade plate

    *This post contains affiliate links.

    You guys, these are the best SOFT sugar cookies ever.  You are not going to need any other homemade sugar cookie recipe after trying these - trust me. Top them with cream cheese frosting and they are straight out of heaven. If you still want to browse, consider making these Chocolate Sugar Cookies, Lemon Sugar Cookies or our super fun Tie Dye Sugar Cookies. Find all of our Cookie recipes here! 

    How to Make Homemade Sugar Cookies

    collage of sugar cookie dough ingredients being added to a bowl

    1. To a large mixing bowl, add softened butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla.
    2. Beat with hand mixer until well-mixed.
    3. Add sour cream and mix well.
    4. In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients together. 
    5. Add dry ingredients slowly and mix until just incorporated. 

    Cookie dough mixed in a large mixing bowl

    Cover dough and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

    Once the dough is chilled it's time to roll out the dough, cut out cookies and bake! 

    Cut Out Sugar Cookies

    We have this set of cookie cutters. They were a wedding gift and we have used them SO much over the last 10 years, they're the best! 

    collage of sugar cookie dough being rolled and cut out into cookie shapes

    1. Roll dough into one big ball and place it on a clean, floured surface. 
    2. Roll dough out with a rolling pin to ½" thick.
    3. Use cookie cutters to cut out sugar cookies.
    4. Move cut out cookies to a cookie sheet, gather the scrap dough up into a ball and repeat the process until you have used all of the dough. 

    Cut out sugar cookie dough on cookie sheet with parchment paper under

    Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Watch the first batch carefully and don't let them brown at all. They should be fully cooked but still light in color.

    Remove cookies to a cooling rack and repeat until all cookies are baked. 

    Soft round sugar cookies on a cooling rack

    Frost and Decorate Cookies

    Make cream cheese frosting (recipe below) and frost cookies once they are fully cooled. 

    White frosting on top of round cookies on a cooling rack

    Add sprinkles or other embellishments if you are feeling festive! 

    Homemade sugar cookies with white cream cheese frosting and sprinkles

    My mouth is watering just looking at these! These homemade sugar cookies make perfect Christmas cookies, and we always make them around Halloween and Valentine's Day too! 

    Soft sugar cookies with white frosting and sprinkles on green cake stand

    If you make these Homemade Sugar Cookies, we would love if you could leave a comment and a positive review! They mean a lot to us! 

    Round sugar cookies with white frosting and colorful sprinkles

    Homemade Sugar Cookies

    How to make homemade sugar cookies, cut out into any shape. This is the best soft sugar cookie recipe with cream cheese frosting!
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Chill Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 2 hours hours
    Servings: 36
    Calories: 256kcal
    Author: Pretty Providence

    Equipment

    • Hand Mixer
    • Rolling Pin
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Cookie Sheets

    Ingredients

    Soft Sugar Cookies

    • 3 eggs
    • ½ c butter
    • ½ c shortening
    • 1 c sour cream
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 c sugar
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ tsp. salt
    • 5 c flour plus extra for countertop

    Cream Cheese Frosting

    • ½ cup butter softened
    • 8 oz cream cheese softened
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • dash of salt
    • 1 lb powdered sugar
    • 1 cup milk
    • food coloring optional

    Instructions

    Soft Sugar Cookies

    • Beat sugar, shortening, butter, eggs and vanilla with a hand mixer.
    • Add sour cream and beat well.
    • Mix dry ingredients together and gradually add into wet ingredients until just incorporated.
    • Cover and refrigerate dough for at least an hour.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Roll cookie dough out onto a clean, floured surface to ½" thick.
    • Cut dough into shapes.
    • Bake for 8-10 minutes until just done.

    Cream Cheese Frosting

    • Whip sugar, butter and vanilla.
    • Add cream cheese and a dash of salt. Mix.
    • Add ½ cup milk alternating and powdered sugar, then beat. Add more milk or more sugar until you have desired consistency.
    • Add food coloring (optional.)
    • Frost cookies after they are fully cooled.

    Notes

    Watch your first batch of cookies closely in the oven. Once you can figure out the exact time to bake cookies in your oven you can set timers for the remaining batches.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @prettyprovidenceblog or tag #prettyprovidence!

    Sarah

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Emma C

      August 31, 2023 at 1:46 pm

      4 stars
      I don’t see anything about the shortening that is called for in the recipe. I put it in with the butter and my batter tastes horrible but let’s hope the cookies are good!

      Reply
    2. Lynnette Beste

      October 26, 2020 at 7:27 am

      5 stars
      These are so good! I made them with my granddaughters when we were visiting. We had fun cutting out shapes and decorating these cookies. The hardest part? Not eating them all at once! Delicious!

      Reply
    3. Colleen Pastoor

      February 12, 2014 at 1:15 pm

      I'm a sucker for sugar cookies- my mom always makes extra at Christmas so I can take extras home. I've never seen sour cream in a sugar cookie recipe, I'm going to have to try it for myself!

      Reply
      • Jessica @ Pretty Providence

        February 12, 2014 at 2:07 pm

        Oh my gosh they are beyond good! It's the secret ingredient for sure!!

        Reply
    4. TriedandTasty

      February 10, 2014 at 10:28 pm

      I love sugar cookies! They are soooo delicious!

      Reply
      • Jessica @ Pretty Providence

        February 10, 2014 at 11:31 pm

        I know right?! I can't believe we didn't meet at BYBC!

        Reply
    5. Amber @ DessertNowDinnerLater!

      February 10, 2014 at 2:13 pm

      Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are the best! It was good seeing you this past weekend!

      Reply
      • Jessica @ Pretty Providence

        February 10, 2014 at 3:31 pm

        It was so good seeing you too! And yes, they are SO yummy!

        Reply
    6. Tara Creel

      February 10, 2014 at 10:48 am

      These sound delicious! How many cookies does this make? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jessica

        February 16, 2014 at 12:56 pm

        So sorry I just saw this! It depends on how thin you roll them.. If you roll them 1/2 inch thick it will make about 2 dozen (or a little more) if you cut them 1/4 inch thick it will make about 4 dozen, etc. both work fine, just the half inch will be a little thicker, fluffier :)

        Reply

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