These Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies will be a great addition for your Christmas cookie exchange party. They are perfectly soft and fluffy, almost cake-like texture, topped with simple sugar icing and sprinkles.
Cookies are my favorite treats during the holiday season! From Danish Butter Cookies to Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies to classic Cut Out Sugar Cookies, they are all perfect for celebration.
My new favorite treats that I’ve been baking recently a lot are these amazing Sour Cream Cookies, topped with simple sugar icing and colorful sprinkles. They are perfectly soft and cakey, not too sweet, and are very easy to make.
Why you will love this recipe
- Texture. Unlike the traditional chewy and crispy cookies, these ones have cake-like texture. They are so soft and almost melt in your mouth.
- Flavor. Sour cream provides delicious tangy flavor and vanilla extract adds a beautiful aroma.
- Decoration. While I like to decorate them with simple sugar icing, you can also top them with homemade buttercream or cream cheese frosting, or simply leave undecorated.
Ingredients and Substitution
- All-purpose flour. Make sure you measure the flour correctly. To do so, scoop the flour into a measuring cup and scrape the back of the butter knife across the top to level it.
- Baking powder and soda. These are the leavening agents, which help the cookies to become light and fluffy.
- Salt. Don’t skip salt in desserts. It helps to balance the sweetness and elevate the flavors.
- Butter. Make sure that the butter is room temperature, so it blends very well with sugar and other ingredients.
- Sugar. Because we top the cookies with sweet icing, I use less sugar in the cookies to balance the sweetness.
- Egg. Use room temperature eggs, they are easier to incorporate into the batter.
- Vanilla extract. Try to use pure vanilla extract as it provides better flavor.
- Sour cream. Full fat sour cream will be the best in this recipe and will make the cookies perfectly moist and flavorful.
How to make it
In a bowl, add 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, and ¼ tsp salt. Whisk and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add softened ½ cup unsalted butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat on a high speed for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract and beat again until well incorporated.
Then add ½ cup sour cream and beat again.
Add dry ingredients, and mix on low speed until just incorporated but don’t overmix the dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Using a 1 ½ tbp ice cream scoop or a regular spoon, scoop out the dough and roll it into a ball and place on a baking sheet. The dough should be quite sticky.
Repeat the same with the rest of the dough and place on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
Bake at 375F for about 15 minutes or until the bottoms are light golden color and the tops are set.
Take out of the oven and let sit on the baking sheet on the countertop for about 10-15 minutes to cool off and fully set. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool off completely.
When they are completely cooled off, its time to decorate. Add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar in a bowl and gradually add between 1-2 tbsp milk until the the desired consistency.
Top the cookies with the icing and decorate with some sprinkles.
Tips for best results
- The main trick to make these cookies soft and cakey is to properly beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. It usually takes between 3-5 minutes.
- Make sure that all wet ingredients are room temperature, so they well incorporate with each other, without making the batter grainy.
- Don’t overbake! When they are done, the bottoms should be lightly golden color and the tops are just set.
- For extra flavor, you can add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to the cookie dough and the icing.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can keep them in an air-tight container on the countertop for 3-4 days.
Yes. You can freeze them in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Although, I highly recommend to freeze them before frosting with sugar icing.
The main two reasons why your cookies came out flat are not chilling the dough enough or not adding enough all-purpose flour.
You can make the cookie dough 1-3 days before baking and keep it in the refrigerator tightly covered until ready to use.
Yes! You can simply double all the ingredients
More Cookie Ideas:
- Monster Cookies
- Orange Cranberry Biscotti
- Hello Dolly Cookies
- Amaretti Cookies
- Brown Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pistachio Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Apricot Rugelach
- Twix Cookies
Sour Cream Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- ¼ cup sprinkles
Instructions
- In a bowl, add 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, and ¼ tsp salt. Whisk and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add softened ½ cup unsalted butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat on a high speed for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract and beat again until well incorporated.
- Then add ½ cup sour cream and beat again.
- Add dry ingredients, and mix on low speed until just incorporated but don’t overmix the dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Using a 1 ½ tbp ice cream scoop or a regular spoon, scoop out the dough and roll it into a ball and place on a baking sheet.
- Repeat the same with the rest of the dough and place on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 375F for about 15 minutes or until the bottoms are light golden color and the tops are set.
- Take out of the oven and let sit on the baking sheet on the countertop for about 10-15 minutes to cool off and fully set. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool off completely.
- When they are completely cooled off, its time to decorate. Add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar in a bowl and gradually add between 1-2 tbsp milk until the the desired consistency.
- Top the cookies with the icing and decorate with some sprinkles.
Notes
- The main trick to make these cookies soft and cakey is to properly beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. It usually takes between 3-5 minutes.
- Make sure that all wet ingredients are room temperature, so they well incorporate with each other, without making the batter grainy.
- Don’t overbake! When they are done, the bottoms should be lightly golden color and the tops are just set.
- For extra flavor, you can add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to the cookie dough and the icing.
- How to store. You can keep them in an air-tight container on the countertop for 3-4 days.
- How to freeze. You can freeze them in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Although, I highly recommend to freeze them before frosting with sugar icing.
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