Ok, you guys! These are seriously the best kind of cookies for the holidays! So pillowy soft, and lightly sweetened, these bakery style Best Soft Sour Cream Cookies iced with tantalizing Buttercream Frosting make these the bestest sugar cookies in the land!
The first time I had the pleasure of devouring these cookies, I immediately wanted the recipe.
My gorgeous BFF, Stacey turned me on to them a few years back and I realized after one bite, I wanted another, then another, then another...you know how this ends right? I probably scarfed down 3 or 4 cookies without hesitation.
They literally melt in your mouth!
This recipe is a heavenly treasure and I'm so happy she gave me the recipe so I could share it with you. It's like one of these family recipes, you want to cherish and have in your recipe repetoire for family generations to pass on, ya know?
It was handed down to her from her sister, Merla, who has been making them ever since Stacey was a young child and she remembers, always, begging her sister to make them. (Probably to the point of annoyance, until she finally started making them herself, so then, I became the annoying one. haha! Like a chain reaction!)
If you are strapped for time, definitely make the cookie batter ahead of time, because they do need to chill for at least 1 hour. The cookie dough is soft, not stiff.
To make these, I used a ¼ cup cookie scoop, but you can use a heaping large tablespoon. If you want smaller cookies, just use smaller measurements accordingly.
I know to some, sour cream might sound weird, but it's the perfect compliment to these cookies, the way they taste and texture-wise. They are not overly sweet cookies, but the buttercream frosting pulls it all together to give you the most delicious holiday cookies ever!
You can use Pillsbury™Filled Pastry Bag Vanilla or Cream Cheese Frosting like I used on these, if you want a short-cut or make real buttercream frosting and decorate with sprinkles and you can even color the frosting to give them your own signature style. *Like a party up in here!*
These are awesome for cookie exchanges, any holiday entertaining, birthdays, special occasions and don't forget the man, Santa! The kids will love them too!
Trust me, everyone is going to be drooling over these Best Soft Sour Cream Cookies with Buttercream Frosting and begging for the recipe or begging for you to make them AGAIN! You'll see!! For a vegan option, check out these yummy Soft and delicious vegan sugar cookies. They taste great plain. They're also perfect for decorating with icing and sprinkles for the holidays.
Soft Sour Cream Cookies w/Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Best Sour Cream Cookies
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 ¾ cup flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ salt
Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- 2 ½ cups powdered icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Optional: gel color for color tinted frosting
or 2 - 3 Pillsbury™Filled Pastry Bag Vanilla or Cream Cheese Frosting
Decorative accessories
- Sprinkles Sugars, Nonpareils, Dragees, Jimmies
Instructions
Best Sour Cream Cookies
- In a separate bowl, combine and whisk flour, soda, powder and salt together, set aside.
- Cream shortening, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla together, then slowly combine flour mixture to cream mixture.
- After combined, chill dough for at least 1 hour
- Drop by spoonful or ¼ cup scoop and line baking sheets with parchment paper, 6 per sheet, these will spread a little.
- Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden and the centers are set.
- Let cool.
Buttercream Frosting
- Using a mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk and beat until smooth, adding additional sugar or milk to reach desired consistency.
- Color if desired and spread on cooled cookies.
- Add decorative accessories and let frosting set on cookies.
Or....2-3 Pillsbury™Filled Pastry Bag Vanilla or Cream Cheese Frosting
Notes
Sometimes sprinkles will fade into the frosting sometimes after a day or so of sitting.
I have done a double batch but they don’t seem to come out as well.
They can be frozen, just pull out and let thaw and they are moist and delish like you just baked them.
I use Crisco when it comes to using shortening. Hope you enjoy Patty!
Hi Kim, what kind of shortening do you use in the cookie?
Thanks
Patty D
I am so happy to hear that MaryAnn! These are amazing cookies! Happy Holidays! xo
I didn’t read the entire recipe to see it was a drop cookie. I made them and they taste terrific.
The dough is soft, almost like a thick cake batter. Hope you enjoy!!
What is the consistency of dough supposed to be after mixing before chilled?
That sounds awesome with lemon icing! Thanks Nana!! Happy Holidays! xo
These are really yummy with lemon icing
Hi Betty! To avoid confusion, 8 0z is 1 cup and I put parenthesis around the 8 oz. So you need 1 cup or 8 oz. Hope you love these!! They are so yummy. xo
Is sour cream 1 Cup plus 8 ounces or is 1 cup equal to 8 ounces?
Hi Heather! No, it's a drop cookie, so they puff up and spread out a bit. They are super delish! Happy Holidays, I hope you give them a try. 🙂
Can you use this for cookie cutters?
Hi Kayla, you could use room temperature butter, unsalted, same measurement as a substitute. Happy Holidays!
What can I use instead of shortening in this recipe?
Don't use shortening in my cooking/baking.
Yes you can. Here's a great article how: https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-freeze-iced-sugar-cookies/
Can these cookies be in the freezer with icing on them?
I haven't tried it with butter, but I suppose you could, but the texture may be a little different. This recipe was from a friend of mine that I asked for because they are so good as as. Let us know how they turn out!
Can you use butter?
2-3 days, but you could freeze them 4-5 months and take them out as needed. Maria these cookies are amazing and I also kept some of the dough in the fridge for a week and when I baked the cookies, they were still amazing. You should try these! Definitely yummy!!
These cookies look like mini cakes, YUM!!1 I totally wanna make them, would be a refreshing change from all the crispy cookies that I normally bake. After the cookies have been frosted, how many days do you think that it can be stored??
Thank you love! 😀
These look lovely! They look, as if they will just melt in my mouth and fill it with this yummy sweet goodness!! Love the rich frosting and pretty sprinkles on top!
What a fantastic post! The information is very useful. Thank you for sharing this here.
Oh, Kim, I'll take a plate of 'em!!
Oh my goodness, these look so perfectly soft and chewy! 😀 And that thick buttercream frosting just seals the deal. I wish I could have them all!
Hi Judy, they should if you do it that way and place two cookies back to back instead of on top of each other. 🙂
If it wasn't 2 A.M. I'd be in the kitchen mixing up these cookies!! If I wrapped each cookie separately and put the frosting in a separate container do you think they'd ship well?
I hear you Kelsie!! These are probably as good or better from that bakery!! Thank you so much!
Holy cow. These remind me of the sugar cookies at this little bakery (which no longer exists) in my hometown. They had the BEST most melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies on earth. I'm totally making these and reliving my youth 🙂
They are Kelly! Thank you dear!!
These sound so melt-in-your mouth good!!! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe with us!! 🙂
2 dozen or more for large. Sorry, when I added it in the recipe card, I guess it didn't like it that I put 2 dozen and just put in 2! Enjoy!!!
How many cookies does this recipe make? It says 2 cookies at the top, but then says to put 6 cookies on a sheet. Thanks...Lisa
Love the idea of adding sour cream into the cooking batter ! Thank you !
Thank you Katherine, they look and taste amazing for sure!! These are the bomb!
I totally agree Heather! These are amazing, hope you try them!!
in theory i like the idea of soft grocery store style cookies, but then they always taste too sweet to me. love the idea of adding sour cream here to help balance some of that sweetness!
I"m not a huge fan of plain sugar cookies, but SOFT sour cream sugar cookies are definitely something I can get behind. These look amazing!!!