Easy Soft Sugar Cookies | Lofthouse Copycat Recipe (2024)

> Recipes > Cookies > Easy Soft Sugar Cookies

Shelly 55 Comments

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

Save

My Favorites

Perfectly soft and chewy and topped with a thick layer of frosting, these Easy Soft Sugar Cookies are just like the Lofthouse cookies you find in the stores. Quick and easy to make and there’s no need to chill the dough!

Easy Soft Sugar Cookies | Lofthouse Copycat Recipe (1)

Table of Contents

  • Why You’ll Love This Easy Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
  • What You’ll Need
  • How to Make Soft Sugar Cookies
  • Tips for Success
  • Proper Storage
  • More Easy Cookie Recipes
  • Get the Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Easy Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe

These are my kid’s FAVORITE sugar cookies. Here’s why.

  • Lofthouse cookie copycat. Lofthouse cookies are those sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles you find in a 12 pack in the bakery of a grocery store and these cookies are just like like!
  • Soft and chewy. The texture of these cookies is really what sets them apart from other recipes. They have that iconic soft and chewy center with very slightly crispy outsides.
  • Ready in 30 minutes. These soft sugar cookies require no chilling, which means you can enjoy them in less than 30 minutes. Just remember to allow for extra time if you want to frost them!

Looking for cut out sugar cookies for decorating? Make sure to try my Easy NO CHILL Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe! I also really love these Brown Sugar Cookies.

What You’ll Need

This easy soft sugar cookie recipe is made with just a few pantry staples. Scroll down to the recipe card below to see measurements.

  • Butter & shortening – See notes below for why both are used.
  • Granulated sugar – You can’t make sugar cookies without sugar!
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla – Gives the cookies their classic flavor.
  • Baking powder – Helps the cookies rise a bit in the oven.
  • Salt – Balances out the sweetness.
  • All purpose flour
  • Powdered sugar – The base of the sugar cookie frosting.
  • Milk – Thins the frosting.

Why Use Both Shortening and Butter?

You’ll notice that I use a combination of butter and shortening to make these soft sugar cookies. The shortening is key to create the soft texture. Here are a reasons why I use both:

  • Spread. Shortening has a lower melting temperature which means the cookies won’t spread as much compared to using butter only.
  • Flavor. Shortening has a very neutral flavor, and if you’ve had the supermarket frosted cookies, you know that the cookie itself is actually pretty bland. BUT the combo of butter and shortening gives you a subtle buttery flavor while still being mild.
  • Texture. Shortening aids in the cakey texture of this cookie. It has no water, so no steaming occurs during baking, creating less gluten. Less gluten = a more tender texture. You could go all the way and use all shortening in this recipe to make an even cakier texture, but I like the sweet spot that the butter and shortening combination provides.
Easy Soft Sugar Cookies | Lofthouse Copycat Recipe (2)

How to Make Soft Sugar Cookies

Here’s a quick overview of how to make these soft sugar cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card for more detailed instructions.

  • Make the dough. Mix the shortening and butter for 2 minutes, then add the sugar and mix for another minute. Add in the eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Mix until smooth then turn the mixer to low and beat in the flour.
  • Bake. Drop balls of dough on a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges just start to get golden. Cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to the wire rack to finish cooling.
  • Make the frosting. Mix the butter and powdered sugar until it looks like coarse sand. Add in the milk and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
  • Decorate. Add food coloring if desired and pipe onto the cooled cookies.
Easy Soft Sugar Cookies | Lofthouse Copycat Recipe (3)

Tips for Success

Here are a few things I’ve found helpful to keep in mind when making these soft sugar cookies.

  • Do not overmix. Once you add the flour to the dough, continue mixing just until combined.
  • Avoid overbaking. These cookies bake quickly and you want to pull them from the oven just as the edges are starting to turn golden. They will continue to bake and firm up on the baking sheet.
  • Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Before you transfer these to a wire rack, give them about 3 minutes to continue baking and to cool on the cookie sheet.
  • How to easily fill a piping bag. If you decide to pipe the frosting on to your cookies, I recommend placing the piping bag in a large glass, folding the edges over the side, and filling it to just halfway with a spoon in the glass.
Easy Soft Sugar Cookies | Lofthouse Copycat Recipe (4)

Proper Storage

  • Room temperature. These soft sugar cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days in an airtight container on the counter.
  • Freezer. Unfrosted cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in a ziploc bag. Thaw on the counter then frost or enjoy as-is.

More Easy Cookie Recipes

  • Pressed Sugar Cookies
  • Amish Sugar Cookies
  • Cream Cheese Cut Out Sugar Cookies
  • White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
  • Salted Chocolate Cookies

Print

    Easy Soft Sugar Cookies | Lofthouse Copycat Recipe (5)

    Soft Sugar Cookies

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

    • Author: Shelly
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 20 minutes
    • Yield: 36 cookies 1x
    • Category: Cookies
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: Dessert

    Rate

    Print

    Description

    Perfectly soft and chewy and topped with a thick layer of frosting, these Easy Soft Sugar Cookies are just like the Lofthouse cookies you find in the stores. Quick and easy to make and there’s no need to chill the dough!

    Ingredients

    Scale

    Cookies

    • 10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
    • 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 3 1/3 cups all purpose flour

    Frosting

    • 1/2 cup butter
    • 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon milk

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
    2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the shortening and butter together for 2 minutes on medium speed until smooth. Add in sugar and mix for 1 minute.
    3. Add in eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt and mix until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
    4. Turn the mixer to low and mix in the flour until just combined.
    5. Using a medium (2- tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop dough on the prepared baking sheet 2- inches apart.
    6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to get golden.
    7. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to continue cooling.

    Frosting

    1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and powdered sugar together. Mixture will look like course sand.
    2. Slowly add in milk and vanilla and mix for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
    3. Tint the frosting with a few drops of food coloring if desired and spread or pipe onto the cooled cookies.

    Notes

    Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 cookie
    • Calories: 233
    • Sugar: 33.4 g
    • Sodium: 71.1 mg
    • Fat: 9.9 g
    • Carbohydrates: 36.4 g
    • Protein: 0.8 g
    • Cholesterol: 25.6 mg

    Want To Save This Recipe?

    Save Recipe

    My Favorites

    Find more recipes like this:

    • Cookies
    • Recipes
    Easy Soft Sugar Cookies | Lofthouse Copycat Recipe (2024)

    FAQs

    Why are Lofthouse cookies so soft? ›

    What Makes Lofthouse Cookies So Soft? Unlike a standard sugar cookie, Lofthouse cookies are made with both baking soda and baking powder for a softer, less crumbly texture. The dough also includes sour cream to keep the cookies moist. The texture is soft and airy, like a cross between a cookie and a cupcake.

    Why aren t my sugar cookies soft? ›

    Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says. About 1 minute should do the trick. Remove cookies from the baking sheet as soon as they set. Most recipes tell you to leave them on for three to five minutes after taking them out of the oven.

    Where are Lofthouse cookies made? ›

    Granneman said Ralcorp has no immediate plans to alter Lofthouse's popular big, pink cookie or move the company's two production facilities, which are in Clearfield and Ogden. It was the rapidly growing fame of that Lofthouse cookie in the 1990s that made the operations of the family-owned business spread.

    What is the secret to soft cookies? ›

    Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

    What is the secret to keeping cookies soft? ›

    Keep Them Sealed

    The key to keeping cookies fresh and soft is to seal them in an airtight container, like a resealable freezer bag. And here's a nifty little trick: add a piece of bread to the bag.

    Are sugar cookies better with butter or shortening? ›

    Which One Should I Use in Cookies? Basically, cookies made with butter spread more and are flatter and crisper if baked long enough. However, they are more flavorful than cookies made with shortening. Cookies made with shortening bake up taller and are more tender, but aren't as flavorful.

    Should you refrigerate sugar cookie dough before baking? ›

    Chilling the dough is a key step in making sugar cookies, especially when you're making cut-outs. Even if you're tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge, or even the freezer, even if it's only for a little while. Skip this step, and the dough will be sticky, and much harder to work with.

    Why do you refrigerate sugar cookie dough? ›

    "When your dough is refrigerated, the butter hardens. So when you bake them, they spread less and hold their shape better," adds Epperson. "Which means a better likelihood of a soft, chewy cookie in the center." Chilling the dough creates fluffier cookies with better consistency.

    Why do people like Lofthouse cookies? ›

    Unlike traditional sugar cookies, Lofthouse cookies are made with both baking soda and baking powder to give them a fluffier, less crumbly texture. Many recipes also involve sour cream to keep them moist.

    Why do my sugar cookies taste bitter? ›

    Baking soda helps cookies spread outward and upward while cooking. Adding too little can cause flat, lumpy cookies. Adding too much can lend a bitter taste to the cookies.

    Is there another name for sugar cookies? ›

    The name Nazareth cookie came from the people of Nazareth, Pennsylvania who came from Germany. The cookie later took on other names in other countries. In England they were called sugar biscuits as well as jumbles. Sugar cookies were also called gemmells, crybabies, gimbletts, cimbellines, jumbles, and plunketts.

    Why are Lofthouse sugar cookies so good? ›

    Here's a fun fact, according to Today: "Unlike traditional sugar cookies, Lofthouse cookies are made with both baking soda and baking powder to give them a fluffier, less crumbly texture. Many recipes also involve sour cream to keep them moist." Another fun fact: crumbly is different from soft and melt-in-your-mouth.

    What are Walmart sugar cookies made of? ›

    SUGAR, ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), MARGARINE (PALM OIL, WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, SALT, MONOAND DIGLYCERIDES, ANNATTO [COLOR], CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (PRESERVATIVE], ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, VITAMIN A PALMITATE), WATER, EGGS, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF ...

    What are church cookies made of? ›

    Church window cookies are super easy and fun to make with melted chocolate, colored mini marshmallows, and sweetened flaked coconut for a classic Christmas no-bake cookie that looks beautiful and tastes delicious!

    How unhealthy are Lofthouse sugar cookies? ›

    The latter is 16 g sugar and 0 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Frosted sugar cookies by LOFTHOUSE COOKIES contains 2.5 g of saturated fat and 4.9 mg of cholesterol per serving. 38 g of Frosted sugar cookies by LOFTHOUSE COOKIES contains 0.60 mg of iron, 0.00 mg of calcium.

    Why are my cookies soft instead of crispy? ›

    Soft cookies have a water concentration of 6% or higher – moisture being the variable in texture. To make cookies crispy, add less liquid or bake it in the oven for longer to dry out the dough.

    Why are store bought cookies so soft? ›

    Cookies are fresh right out of the oven because of the ingredients used to bake them — butter, brown sugar, and egg yolks all contribute to a chewy texture. Unfortunately, once they're left to sit out on the counter, their moisture begins to evaporate as their sugars and starches start becoming solid.

    References

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Article information

    Author: Manual Maggio

    Last Updated:

    Views: 5808

    Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

    Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Manual Maggio

    Birthday: 1998-01-20

    Address: 359 Kelvin Stream, Lake Eldonview, MT 33517-1242

    Phone: +577037762465

    Job: Product Hospitality Supervisor

    Hobby: Gardening, Web surfing, Video gaming, Amateur radio, Flag Football, Reading, Table tennis

    Introduction: My name is Manual Maggio, I am a thankful, tender, adventurous, delightful, fantastic, proud, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.