Frosted Sugar Cookies Recipe

You can never go wrong with a classic sugar cookie. Instead of going to the store and buying the boxed stuff, why not try making them homemade? Recipe developer Jessica Morone came up with this delicious recipe for frosted sugar cookies, and she explains exactly why homemade is better than boxed stuff. "These homemade cookies are better than the store-bought version because these use high-quality ingredients and don't contain any weird chemicals or preservatives," Morone shares. "They are also pretty simple to make, and there's nothing better than the smell of freshly baked cookies in your house."

From the simple prep time of 20 minutes to the homemade frosting that accompanies the cookies, there is a whole lot to love about this recipe and Morone shares her favorite part. "I love how soft these cookies are, and I love the cream cheese frosting because it gives them a better flavor than just regular buttercream frosting," Morone raves. "I also love that the dough doesn't require refrigeration before you bake these cookies, making them quick and easy to make. You can drop the dough straight onto the cookie sheets after making it or roll it out and cut shapes out of it before baking it." See? there are plenty of reasons to love this recipe!

If you bake often, you may already have many of the necessary cookie ingredients at home. You'll need unsalted butter, granulated sugar, an egg, sour cream, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cream cheese, milk, and powdered sugar. The recipe also has one optional ingredient: sprinkles. 

"You could use gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour to make these gluten-free," Morone notes. "You could also use an egg replacer and dairy-free alternatives to make these vegan."

Almost all baking recipes require the use of an oven, so go ahead and preheat yours to 350 F. Then, take out two baking sheets and line them with parchment paper. You won't need them right away, so go ahead and set them to the side.

Next, grab a large mixing bowl and add ½ cup of butter. Begin mixing until it gets nice and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Then, you'll need to add the next three ingredients: egg, sour cream, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Mix again until blended. "The special ingredient in these is the sour cream, which makes the cookies extra soft and adds a good flavor to the cookies," Morone says.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl from the wet ingredients. Use a whisk to combine well and incorporate all the ingredients.

Then, combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and beat them on low. Continue mixing until they form a soft batter.

Since the dough is good to go, you will need a tablespoon to measure out the cookies. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to space the dough at least 2 inches apart as they will expand as they bake. Once you add them to the baking sheet, flatten them slightly and then pop them into the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

Bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and set them aside, allowing them to cool completely.

While you wait for the cookies to cool, take out a large bowl and add the remaining ½ cup of butter. Next, add the cream cheese and turn the mixer to a medium speed, mixing until it's creamy. Then, add the remaining teaspoons of vanilla extract and the milk and mix until it's completely incorporated. "The only thing really you need to watch out for in this recipe is making sure the butter and sour cream are room temperature when you are making the frosting," Morone notes. "If they are too cold the frosting will end up not being creamy. If you think your butter or cream cheese is too cold, put it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it is softened and room temperature."

Slowly add in the powdered sugar and then once it's incorporated, crank up the mixing speed to high and beat for 2 minutes until the frosting gets light and fluffy.

Make sure the cookies have finished cooling, and lather the frosting on top of each one. At this time, you can also add the sprinkles if you opt to use them. Then, you can serve to your lucky guests or just indulge on your own! 

"These are great for any occasion. You can add food coloring to the frosting or add different sprinkles to adapt them to any holidays as well (red and green for Christmas, pink for valentines day, green for St. Patrick's day...)," Morone shares. "They are great by themselves or with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee."

If you have any left, these will keep. "You should store these in an airtight container, and they will be good for up to a week if you keep them in the fridge," Morone shares. "They are best within three days of baking them, though."