These pillowy, soft sugar cookies topped with a swirl of buttercream frosting and colorful sprinkles are just like the ones from the grocery store bakery but made even better in your own kitchen. With hints of vanilla and almond and a buttery finish, they deliver just the right amount of sugar to satisfy any sweet tooth. A generous spoonful of buttercream frosting is spread over each and, of course, don’t forget those sprinkles! Serve them with a tall glass of cold milk or a warm mug of hot chocolate. The best part about these cookies is you can frost them or cut them into shapes for any celebration. They’re perfect for Easter, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and bridal or baby showers. The frosted possibilities are endless!
## Baking Tips
_Start with slightly chilled butter._ If your butter is too soft, you’ll have to refrigerate the dough for longer. It will only take a few seconds to soften it in the mixer.
_Weigh your dry ingredients._ If you have a scale, now’s a good time to use it. Weighing flour is more accurate than using measuring cups because there may be more or less air than you need taking up space in measuring cups. If you use too much flour in the dough, your cookies may end up too dry or crispy, when they should come out soft. If you can sift your flour, even better!
_Don’t overmix the cookie dough._ When you stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, bring them together until just combined. You should still see some flour in your mixing bowl. Overmixing adds aeration which means your cookies will rise and then fall.
_Make a thick dough._ Make sure that your dough is thick when you roll it out. These cookies should be puffy. If the dough is too thin, they may burn.
_Watch the baking time._ Be sure to watch your cookies in the last few minutes and bake until the edges are just browned. At this point, they’re done (if they start to brown on top they’re overcooked).
_Hold the frosting._ Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting. Otherwise, you’ll risk melting the frosting and it won’t stay put on the cookie.
## Variations
Want to customize your sugar cookie recipe? Try one of these fun options:
_Frosting:_ Use a variety of colors or stick to a theme, depending on the occasion.
_Sprinkles (an optional — but highly recommended — step)_: Is there anything more joyful than rainbow sprinkles? Maybe heart sprinkles for Valentine’s Day or pumpkins for Halloween!
_Shapes:_ Use a cookie cutter to create fun shapes and different sizes.
_Go gluten-free:_ Feel free to swap the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour with a 1:1 ratio to make these cookies gluten-free.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with this easy-to-make recipe for Bakery-Style Frosted Sugar Cookies.
Info for Bakery-Style Frosted Sugar Cookies
- Cook Time: 42 min
- Total Time: 42 min
- Servings: 10
- Calories: 593.2 kcal
Ingredients for Bakery-Style Frosted Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (225g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup (120g) sour cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. almond extract
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 ¾ cup (210g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tbsp. heavy cream
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- Food coloring, if desired
- Sprinkles, if desired
Directions:
- Combine the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix on medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add the egg, sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Mix on low speed for about 1 minute to form a soft dough.
- Shape the cookie dough into three portions. Flatten into rough circles approximately 1 inch thick, and wrap each in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Dust the dough and countertop with flour and roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut the cookie dough into circles and transfer to the baking sheets.
- Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining 2 portions of cookie dough. The dough should yield approximately 20 cookies.
- Place the cookie sheets in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the baking sheets directly from the freezer to the oven. Bake the cookies on middle and upper-middle racks until they are puffy and slightly golden brown at the edges, 11-12 minutes.
- Check to see that cookies are done. Remove from oven or add time as needed.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. In the meantime, using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed, add half of the powdered sugar. Mix until combined, then add in remaining powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, salt, and desired food coloring. Beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Once cookies are completely cool, spread each with 1-2 tablespoons of buttercream. Top with sprinkles, if desired.
- Serve and enjoy. Store remaining cookies in the refrigerator. Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before eating.
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