Why You’ll Love This Easy Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
These are my kid’s FAVORITE sugar cookies. Here’s why.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Soft Sugar Cookie RecipeWhat You’ll NeedHow to Make Soft Sugar CookiesTips for SuccessProper StorageMore Easy Cookie RecipesGet the Recipe
Lofthouse cookie copycat. Lofthouse cookies are those sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles you find in a 12 pack in the bakery of a grocery store and these cookies are just like like! Soft and chewy. The texture of these cookies is really what sets them apart from other recipes. They have that iconic soft and chewy center with very slightly crispy outsides. Ready in 30 minutes. These soft sugar cookies require no chilling, which means you can enjoy them in less than 30 minutes. Just remember to allow for extra time if you want to frost them!
Looking for cut out sugar cookies for decorating? Make sure to try my Easy NO CHILL Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe! I also really love these Brown Sugar Cookies.
What You’ll Need
This easy soft sugar cookie recipe is made with just a few pantry staples. Scroll down to the recipe card below to see measurements.
Butter & shortening – See notes below for why both are used. Granulated sugar – You can’t make sugar cookies without sugar! Eggs Vanilla – Gives the cookies their classic flavor. Baking powder – Helps the cookies rise a bit in the oven. Salt – Balances out the sweetness. All purpose flour Powdered sugar – The base of the sugar cookie frosting. Milk – Thins the frosting.
Why Use Both Shortening and Butter?
You’ll notice that I use a combination of butter and shortening to make these soft sugar cookies. The shortening is key to create the soft texture. Here are a reasons why I use both:
Spread. Shortening has a lower melting temperature which means the cookies won’t spread as much compared to using butter only. Flavor. Shortening has a very neutral flavor, and if you’ve had the supermarket frosted cookies, you know that the cookie itself is actually pretty bland. BUT the combo of butter and shortening gives you a subtle buttery flavor while still being mild. Texture. Shortening aids in the cakey texture of this cookie. It has no water, so no steaming occurs during baking, creating less gluten. Less gluten = a more tender texture. You could go all the way and use all shortening in this recipe to make an even cakier texture, but I like the sweet spot that the butter and shortening combination provides.
How to Make Soft Sugar Cookies
Here’s a quick overview of how to make these soft sugar cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card for more detailed instructions.
Make the dough. Mix the shortening and butter for 2 minutes, then add the sugar and mix for another minute. Add in the eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Mix until smooth then turn the mixer to low and beat in the flour. Bake. Drop balls of dough on a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges just start to get golden. Cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to the wire rack to finish cooling. Make the frosting. Mix the butter and powdered sugar until it looks like coarse sand. Add in the milk and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Decorate. Add food coloring if desired and pipe onto the cooled cookies.
Tips for Success
Here are a few things I’ve found helpful to keep in mind when making these soft sugar cookies.
Do not overmix. Once you add the flour to the dough, continue mixing just until combined. Avoid overbaking. These cookies bake quickly and you want to pull them from the oven just as the edges are starting to turn golden. They will continue to bake and firm up on the baking sheet. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Before you transfer these to a wire rack, give them about 3 minutes to continue baking and to cool on the cookie sheet. How to easily fill a piping bag. If you decide to pipe the frosting on to your cookies, I recommend placing the piping bag in a large glass, folding the edges over the side, and filling it to just halfway with a spoon in the glass.
Proper Storage
Room temperature. These soft sugar cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days in an airtight container on the counter. Freezer. Unfrosted cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in a ziploc bag. Thaw on the counter then frost or enjoy as-is.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
Pressed Sugar Cookies Amish Sugar Cookies Cream Cheese Cut Out Sugar Cookies White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies Salted Chocolate Cookies
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