Lofthouse Cookies

Soft, fluffy Lofthouse cookies topped with creamy frosting and colorful sprinkles-just like the bakery version but easy to make at home.

If you love cookies as much as I do, you might also like Strawberry Crinkle Cookies and Berry Cobbler Cookies.

These lofthouse cookies are so thick, soft, and have such a delicious delicate texture that every time I eat them I die a little inside. I love and hate them at the same time. Just think about it - with those amazing sprinkles on top how can anyone resist them.

Why you'll love these cookies

They taste so un-cookie-like it's hard to explain... But put one in my mouth and I'm in heaven. I have to be honest - I won't make them frequently because I will eat a half-a-cookie-sheet at minimum in one sitting.

Lofthouse cookies give me warm fuzzy memories of a time when people actually cooked at home, and buying prepared foods rather than ingredients was out of fashion. Go addictive cookies and childhood memories!

Ingredients and why you'll need them

• Butter: It's one of the most important ingredients that impacts the texture and flavor of lofthouse cookies. That's what makes the cookies super soft, almost like a cake. Needs to be at room temperature for easy creaming.
• Sugar: Lofthouse cookies are also known as sugar cookies, hence the need for sugar.
• Egg and egg yolk: Egg whites in eggs keep the cookies tender and pale. They also add moisture and bind the cookie batter together. Make sure they are at room temperature for best mixing.
• Sour cream: Sour cream's role to in lofthouse cookies softness cannot be underestimated. It's one of the key factors along with the butter.
• Vanilla extract: You just can't beat vanilla bean flavor.
• All-purpose flour: Needed for structure and softness.
• Cornstarch: The key to that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Baking powder and soda: Needed for rise and lightness.
• Powdered sugar, milk, and more butter: For super smooth buttercream.
• Food coloring and sprinkles: Totally optional, but fun!

How to make lofthouse cookies

This is an overview of the recipe. Full ingredient list with measurements and instructions is in the recipe card.

1. Combine wet ingredients

Cream together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Next add egg, egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fully combined.

2. Combine dry ingredients

Whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture until soft dough forms.

3. Shape lofthouse cookies

Scoop the dough (about 1½ tablespoons per cookie), roll it into balls, and place each cookie on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake

Time to bake them for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and the tops look matte. Do not touch the balls, nor should you flatten them yet, after about 12 minutes the cookie should be done (the edges should not brown!).

4. Flatten the cookies

The important step is to flatten the cooked cookies using the clean bottom of a measuring cup right after taking the cookies out of the oven while they're still warm. It's important to do that while the cookies are still hot to the touch in order to not break them. And then let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Do not put them back in the oven.

5. Make frosting

It's time to make a thick layer of buttercream frosting. You're going to love making the pink frosting with sprinkles - it's so much fun!

1. Beat sugar and softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add food coloring: Add red or pink food coloring. I added red coloring to make the frosting pink. You can definitely experiment with different shades.

Spread frosting over cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles. As you see I used pretty common sprinkles here, but you can choose from a myriad of options, including pearls, hearts, sparkles, etc.

Pro tip: Use piping bag! It's such an easy and efficient way to spread the frosting, but using a spatula is totally acceptable. You can also see the bright red color of the food coloring used for the frosting.

Tips for making the best Lofthouse cookies

• Don't Overmix or Overbake: Mix the dough only until combined after adding dry ingredients. Overmixing activates gluten, making cookies tough instead of fluffy. Likewise, remove cookies when the tops lose their sheen; they should remain pale with slightly golden bottoms for the ideal texture. Baked cookies should look pale and feel soft. Bake them only for 8 to 12 minutes.
• Flatten the dough just slightly AFTER the cookies are baked so they stay thick and tender. Do not flatten them before baking!
• Frost After Cooling: Cookie warmth melts frosting and ruins the soft crumb underneath. Wait until cookies are completely cooled before adding buttercream. Proper frosting consistency-spreadable and fluffy-complements the cookie's tender texture
• Use a piping bag or spatula for easy frosting application.
• Don't eat too many - Lofthouse cookies are amazing until you eat too many and you will never like them again. So addictive!

What are Some Common Mistakes Making Lofthouse Cookies

• Using Butter That's Too Soft or Cream Cheese Too Cold: Lofthouse cookies often combine butter and cream cheese for tenderness. If the butter is too soft or the cream cheese too cold, the mixture won't blend properly, creating greasy or uneven cookies. Butter should be cool room temperature-pliable but not melty-and cream cheese should be slightly softened before creaming.
• Overmixing the Dough: Overmixing develops gluten, leading to dense cookies instead of soft, cake-like ones. Mix just until ingredients combine after adding the dry ingredients. Overdoing the creaming step or late in mixing can toughen these otherwise delicate cookies.
• Skipping the Chill Time: Unchilled dough spreads excessively in the oven, flattening these soft sugar cookies. Chilling helps solidify fats and allows flour to hydrate, keeping cookies thick and pillowy when baked.
• Incorrect Dough Thickness: Rolling the dough too thin results in crisp edges, while too thick makes the centers doughy. Lofthouse-style cookies bake best rolled about ¼ inch thick for the classic soft, bakery-style texture.
• Using Too Much Flour: Adding too much flour-especially during rolling-dries the dough and ruins the soft texture. Sprinkle just enough to prevent sticking, or roll between parchment sheets to minimize extra flour contact.
• Overbaking: These cookies should stay pale on top and soft in the middle. Overbaking dries them out and makes the texture crumbly instead of melt-in-your-mouth tender. Remove them while edges are just barely golden.
• Frosting Mistakes: Using icing that doesn't set or skipping powdered sugar sifting leads to messy or clumpy frosting. For smooth, bakery-style frosting, sift sugar first and beat butter and sugar long enough for a fluffy, spreadable texture.

Why are My Cookies Dry and Crumbly

• Overbaking: Leaving cookies in the oven even a minute too long evaporates moisture and creates a firm, dry texture. Lofthouse cookies should be pulled out when they appear just set and pale on top; they continue to firm as they cool.
• Too Much Flour: Adding excess flour-especially when scooped directly from the bag-absorbs too much liquid, leaving the dough stiff and crumbly. Always measure flour correctly by spooning it into a cup and leveling the top or weighing it with a scale. Avoid over-dusting your work surface when rolling dough, since that extra flour toughens the cookies

Why Do My Cookies Rise Too High?

Cake‑like or dome‑shaped sugar cookies usually signal too‑cold butter, extra flour, or excess baking powder or soda.

• Butter That's Too Cold: Cold butter doesn't blend evenly with sugar, so the dough traps excess air during mixing. Those air pockets expand in the oven, forcing the cookies to rise high and stay puffy. Always use room‑temperature butter-soft enough to indent with a fingertip but not greasy or melted.
• Aim for gentle mixing, and accurate measuring of ingredients, especially flour, baking soda and baking powder.
• Press dough balls lightly before baking to encourage gentle spread.
• Chill dough 30-60 minutes before baking to stabilize fats, preventing excessive lift.

Can I skip the sour cream?


You can use full-fat Greek yogurt as a substitute, but sour cream adds moisture and softness. Because lofthouse cookies are famous for their melt in your mouth texture - it's important not to substitute this ingredient.

What kind of sprinkles work best?


I used marshmallow-shaped, pearl and bead sprinkles, pink and yellow in color. But any kind of sprinkles are the right sprinkles as long as you like them!! Use seasonal sprinkles for a festive look. Or scary sprinkles for a Halloween look. Even though I'm not sure that lofthouse cookies like the scary look.

How to Get Frosting to Set Smoothly and Evenly

• Cool Cookies Completely: Warm cookies melt buttercream, creating greasy or uneven frosting. Always let cookies cool fully on a wire rack before decorating-if the tops still feel slightly warm, wait an extra 10-15 minutes before spreading.
• Frost at Room Temperature: Cold frosting is hard to spread smoothly, while warm frosting turns greasy. The ideal frosting temperature is slightly cool, around 68-70°F. Stir it briefly before use to make it pliable again, especially if refrigerated beforehand.

How to Keep Lofthouse Cookies Soft and Fluffy

• Use Moisture-Rich Ingredients: Adding sour cream keeps the dough tender and adds moisture for a cake-like crumb. It also prevents dryness while helping the cookies rise evenly.
• Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough for at least 1 hour is non-negotiable. It allows the butter to firm up and the flour to hydrate, producing cookies that puff and stay soft. Skipping this step often leads to spreading and denser cookie.
• Bake Gently and Store Properly: Bake at moderate heat (around 350-375°F) for 8-9 minutes. Overbaking dries out the middle and firms up edges too much. Once cooled, store cookies in an airtight container.

Can I make the frosting ahead?


Yes, and then store the frosting in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before using.

Storage instructions

• Room Temperature: Store lofthouse cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Refrigerator: Cookies stay fresh and soft in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw, then frost when ready to eat them.

This is it for these amazing lofthouse cookies! As a homemade cookie snob, I can literally eat the entire baking sheet of them in one day and not be ashamed of it! Lofthouse cookies' lovers - unite!

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• Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
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• Edible Cookie Dough
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