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Home » Cookies » Lofthouse Cookies

Published: Oct 13, 2022 by Kathy · This post may contain affiliate links

Lofthouse Cookies

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Pink frosted sugar cookies with colorful sprinkles.

Delicious soft sugar cookies topped with a sweet buttercream frosting. These lofthouse cookies are a classic and perfect for any occassion.

Make these cookies with the traditional pink frosting or change up the colors and the sprinkles to make perfect holiday cookies!

Pink frosted sugar cookies topped with sprinkles.
Table of Contents
A favorite classic cookie
Key ingredients
Step by step directions
Recipe tips
Frequently asked questions
Holiday lofthouse cookies
More cookie recipes
Lofthouse Cookies

A favorite classic cookie

Lofthouse cookies seem to be in just about every grocery store bakery. At school, during any special occasion, every classroom seems to have a few plastic packages filled with these cookies.

They are bright. They are cheerful and they are delicious. The good thing is these amazing cookies are easy to make at home too!

A classic lofthouse cookie is topped with a light pink frosting. I've opted for a slightly brighter pink, but the color really doesn't matter. You can make the frosting any color you'd like.

Lofthouse cookies were made popular in the 1990s by a family from Utah when they started baking these cookies for a local grocery store. The name comes from the family owned company called Lofthouse Food, Inc.

The cookies are even more popular today than ever!

If you've never had a lofthouse cookie before, they are a thick, soft sugar cookie with an amazing frosting. The cookies stay soft for several days, making them a great make ahead cookie.

Plan ahead when making these cookies. The dough needs to chill for at least an hour in the fridge. You could make the dough the day before and chill overnight if that works best for you.

Key ingredients

Bowls of dry ingredients for making sugar cookies.

Cookies

  • Butter - I use salted butter
  • Sugar - granulated sugar
  • Sour Cream - Adds flavor and keeps the cookies extra tender! Use a regular sour cream, not a low fat version.
  • Eggs
  • Flavoring - Pure vanilla extract
  • Flour - all purpose flour
  • Leavening - Both baking powder and baking soda are used.
  • Cornstarch - the cornstarch helps keep the shape while cooking as well as it helps keep the cookies soft and tender

Frosting

  • Powdered sugar
  • Butter - salted butter
  • Milk or cream
  • Food coloring - For best results use gel food coloring rather than liquid drops

Step by step directions

Cookies

  • Place softened butter in a mixer and mix until creamy
  • Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides with a spatula.
  • Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in sour cream. The mixture may look slightly curdled. This is normal. Scrape down sides with a spatula.
Creamed butter in a mixing bowl.
Cookie batter in a mixing bowl.
  • Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cornstarch
  • Mix just until the flour is fully mixed in
  • Put dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into approximately a 6x8 inch rectangle. Fully wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F and remove dough from the refrigerator
  • Lightly flour surface and place dough on top. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of dough and rub flour onto rolling pin.
  • Roll dough out into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick, about 9 x 12 inches
  • Use a 2 ½-3 inch round cutter and cut out cookies
Rolled sugar cookie dough with a round cookie cutter.
Cookie dough on a baking sheet.
  • Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake in preheated 375°F oven for 7-9 minutes until cookies are just beginning to darken slightly on the bottom.
  • Remove cookies to a baking rack and allow cookies to fully cool

Frosting

  • Cream butter in a mixer and then mix in powdered sugar
  • Add vanilla and 1-2 tablespoons of milk until the frosting is smooth and creamy
  • Mix in a small amount of food coloring until desired color is reached
  • Frost cookies and add sprinkles
Frosting cookies with pink frosting.

Recipe tips

  • Make certain your butter is softened before beginning. It should be soft and spreadable.
  • Both baking powder and baking soda are needed in this recipe
  • Don't skip the cornstarch! It keeps the cookies soft.
  • You can adjust the size of these cookies and make by using a smaller or larger round cookie cutter
  • Use gel food coloring in your frosting for best results. Start with just a small amount on a toothpick and continue adding until you reach the desired color.
  • Add the buttercream frosting with a piping bag or the back of a spoon or a butter knife
  • Add sprinkles right away. The frosting will begin to harden if you wait too long and the sprinkles won't stick
  • To keep the sprinkles contained while adding them to the cookies, position your cookies over a cookie sheet. All the extra sprinkles will land on the cookie sheet instead of the counter and floor!
  • Decorate for the holidays by changing the color of the buttercream and the sprinkles to match the holidays
  • Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days
  • Cookies may be frozen for up to one month. They are best frozen without the buttercream.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to store lofthouse cookies?

If possible, store lofthouse cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
If you need to stack the cookies, place a layer of waxed paper or parchment paper between each layer to help protect the cookies from sticking together.

Holiday lofthouse cookies

No matter the holiday, these cookies can do the job! Just change up the frosting color and add some fun sprinkles and you've got a perfect holiday cookie!

For Halloween Lofthouse Cookies, I used white and orange frosting with Halloween sprinkles.

These cookies are so fun and are perfect for any holiday party. Let the kids help by having them add the sprinkles!

Halloween lofthouse cookies on a white cake stand.

More cookie recipes

  • Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
  • Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Sour Cream Cookies
  • Mini M&M Cookies
  • Cranberry Swirl Cookies
Lofthouse sugar cookies topped with pink frosting and sprinkles.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Be certain to check out all my cookie recipes!

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Pink frosted sugar cookies topped with sprinkles.

Lofthouse Cookies

Kathy
A soft sugar cookie topped with a buttercream frosting and sprinkles.
5 from 21 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 8 mins
Chilling Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 23 mins
Course Cookies
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 321 kcal

Equipment

  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Stand Mixer
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Cooling Rack
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

Cookies

  • 1 cup salted butter (softened)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Frosting

  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2-4 tablespoons milk
  • gel food coloring (optional)
  • sprinkles (optional)

Instructions
 

Cookies

  • Place softened butter in a mixer and mix until creamy
    1 cup salted butter
  • Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides with a spatula.
    1 cup granulated sugar
  • Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in sour cream. The mixture may look slightly curdled. This is normal. Scrape down sides with a spatula.
    2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, ½ cup sour cream
  • Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cornstarch
    3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
  • Mix just until the flour is fully mixed in
  • Put dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into approximately a 6x8 inch rectangle. Fully wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F and remove dough from the refrigerator
  • Lightly flour surface and place dough on top. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of dough and rub flour onto rolling pin.
  • Roll dough out into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick, about 10 x 15 inches
  • Use a 2 ½ -3 inch round cutter and cut out cookies
  • Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake in preheated 375°F oven for 7-9 minutes until cookies are just beginning to darken slightly on the bottom.
  • Remove cookies to a baking rack and allow cookies to fully cool

Frosting

  • Mix the frosting in a bowl until smooth and creamy
    1 cup salted butter
  • Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla
    4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Add 2 tablespoons of milk and mix. Add another 1-2 tablespoons until desired consistency has been reached. You want your frosting smooth and spreadable.
    2-4 tablespoons milk
  • Add a small amount of food coloring and mix
    gel food coloring
  • Spread frosting on cookies leaving a small a small edge of cookie showing on the top.
  • Add sprinkles
    sprinkles

Notes

  • Make certain your butter is softened before beginning. It should be soft and spreadable.
  • Both baking powder and baking soda are needed in this recipe
  • Don't skip the cornstarch! It keeps the cookies soft.
  • You can adjust the size of these cookies and make by using a smaller or larger round cookie cutter
  • Use gel food coloring in your frosting for best results. Start with just a small amount on a toothpick and continue adding until you reach the desired color.
  • Add the buttercream frosting with a piping bag or the back of a spoon or a butter knife. I used a cake decorating tip #2A.
  • Add sprinkles right away. The frosting will begin to harden if you wait too long and the sprinkles won't stick
  • To keep the sprinkles contained while adding them to the cookies, position your cookies over a cookie sheet. All the extra sprinkles will land on the cookie sheet instead of the counter and floor!
  • Decorate for the holidays by changing the color of the buttercream and the sprinkles to match the holidays
  • Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days
  • Cookies may be frozen for up to one month. They are best frozen without the buttercream.

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 321kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 2gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 201mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 524IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Keyword frosted sugar cookies, soft sugar cookies
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

Recipe adapted from Preppy Kitchen.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Valentina says

    October 26, 2022 at 8:08 pm

    These are festive, fun AND delicious. 🙂 ~Valentina

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      October 27, 2022 at 5:04 am

      So delicious!!! 🙂

      Reply
  2. David @ Spiced says

    October 14, 2022 at 4:32 am

    5 stars
    I absolutely love Lofthouse Cookies! They are definitely a guilty pleasure...especially when there's a holiday coming up and they're all decorated for the season. 🙂 Now you've got me craving some of these cookies. I need to make a batch ASAP!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      October 14, 2022 at 5:08 am

      Time to get baking!!! The good news is they are fairly easy to make and so fun to decorate!

      Reply

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I'm Kathy, a busy working mom who loves to cook from scratch, grow a garden, and raise farm animals. Take a look around and find all my recipes, gardening tips, and country living antics.

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More about me →

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  • Strips of chicken, peppers and onions in a baked casserole.
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