Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies (Printable Version)

Tender, pillowy sugar cookies enriched with sour cream and topped with luscious cream cheese frosting for a melt-in-your-mouth experience.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
09 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Cream Cheese Frosting

10 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
11 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
14 - 1-2 tablespoons milk for consistency

→ Optional Decoration

15 - Sprinkles or colored sugar

# Method:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later use.
02 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Add the egg to the butter mixture, beating well. Mix in sour cream and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tenderness.
05 - Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Chilling prevents spreading and enhances texture.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
07 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and place on prepared sheets 2 inches apart. Flatten gently to 1/2 inch thickness.
08 - Bake for 9-11 minutes until set with barely golden edges. Avoid overbaking to maintain soft texture.
09 - Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
10 - Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla and adjust consistency with milk as needed.
11 - Generously frost cooled cookies. Add sprinkles or colored sugar immediately if desired. Store in airtight container refrigerated for up to 5 days.

# Chef's Tips:

01 -
  • The sour cream creates the most impossibly tender texture that literally melts on your tongue
  • They stay soft for days unlike typical sugar cookies that turn into rocks overnight
  • The cream cheese frosting strikes that perfect balance between tangy and sweet
02 -
  • The chilling step is non-negotiable because warm dough spreads into thin crispy cookies instead of staying plush and thick
  • Watch the oven like a hawk at the 9 minute mark because these go from perfect to overbaked in seconds
  • Completely cool cookies before frosting or the frosting will melt right off into a sticky mess
03 -
  • Weighing your flour instead of measuring by cup will give you the most consistent results batch after batch
  • The tops of these cookies should look slightly underbaked when you remove them from the oven

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