These homemade Lofthouse cookies are the soft, thick, bakery-style frosted sugar cookies that actually taste better than the ones from the grocery store - made with real butter, no almond extract, and finished with fluffy pink buttercream and a swirl of rainbow jimmies. Ready in under 30 minutes of active time with simple pantry ingredients, and yes - this is the recipe that converts Lofthouse skeptics.
Lofthouse Cookies are soft, thick, bakery-style sugar cookies topped with fluffy pink buttercream frosting and rainbow jimmy sprinkles (just like Funfetti Bars) - and this homemade recipe is even better than the ones from the store.
These copycat Lofthouse cookies get their signature cakey, melt-in-your-mouth texture from real butter and sour cream, giving you that pillowy softness in every single bite. A few drops of pink food coloring transform the buttercream into that iconic pastel frosting that makes these cookies instantly recognizable.
Whether you're making them for girl birthday parties, Valentine's Day, or a baby shower, these frosted sugar cookies are always the first thing to disappear from the dessert table.
If you love cookies as much as I do, you might also like Strawberry Crinkle Cookies and Berry Cobbler Cookies.
What Are Lofthouse Cookies and Where Did They Come From?
Lofthouse was founded in 1994 by Dave and DeAnn Stone in Farmington, Utah, who started with $2,000 and baked cookies at night while raising six kids. The company grew to producing 2 million cookies per day before being acquired by a larger cookie corporation:).
Lofthouse Cookies have a reputation - and it's complicated. Half the internet is obsessed with them, and the other half swears they taste like sugary cardboard. The packaged version, in my opinion, is overly sweet, unnaturally soft, weirdly waxy, and somehow both dry and greasy at the same time.
Why Homemade Lofthouse Cookie Recipe Works
My homemade version keeps everything you love about the iconic grocery store frosted sugar cookie - the soft, cakey texture, the thick frosting, the sprinkles - but made with real butter and sour cream instead of margarine and vegetable oil, no high-fructose corn syrup, no almond extract, no weird additives.
Store-bought shortcuts are exactly why people think they don't like Lofthouse cookies. This recipe proves them wrong in under 30 minutes, with ingredients you can actually pronounce. One bite of this cookie will fill you with those warm fuzzy memories of a time when people actually cooked at home, and buying prepared foods rather than ingredients was out of fashion.
The Science Behind Why My Lofthouse Cookies Stay Soft
The reason why my Lofhouse cookies stay soft instead of chewy and crispy is cornstarch, sour cream, and a baking powder/baking soda combo.
Cornstarch inhibits gluten formation, while sour cream adds acidity and moisture, and the dual leaveners (baking soda and baking powder) create extra lift.
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: You can buy jimmy sprinkles online or in a grocery store.
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!).
5. 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.
6. 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!
- Beat sugar and softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
- 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.
7. Frost the cookies
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.
The Best Homemade Lofthouse Cookies (No Almond Extract)
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Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
For the frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- food coloring (optional) I used red
- Sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix Wet Ingredients
- In a large bowl, cream together unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.Add egg, egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fully combined.
Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Make the Dough
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix just until a soft dough forms.
Chill the Dough
- Chill the dough for 1 hour.
Scoop and Bake
- Scoop dough (about 1½ tablespoons per cookie), roll into balls, and place on the prepared baking sheet.Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and the tops look matte. The edges should not brown.
- Gently flatten the tops using the clean bottom of a measuring cup right after taking the cookies out of the oven while they're still warm.Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Make the Frosting
- Beat unsalted butter (softened) until smooth and creamy.Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Continue beating until light and fluffy.
Mix in Food Coloring
- I used red coloring - see photos for the color.
Spread the Frosting and Add Sprinkles
- Spread frosting over cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles.
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.
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.
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.
- 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.
Lofthouse Seasonal Variations
Lemon Lofthouse Cookies - Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest to the dough and swap the pink buttercream for a lemon glaze frosting tinted pale yellow. Bright, tangy, and perfect for spring
Chocolate Lofthouse Cookies - Replace ¼ cup of flour with unsweetened cocoa powder and frost with chocolate or mocha buttercream.
Funfetti Lofthouse Cookies - Fold ¼ cup of rainbow sprinkles directly into the dough before baking, then top with white buttercream and extra jimmies. Birthday cake energy, no box mix required - pair with these Funfetti Bars from Scratch.
Strawberry Lofthouse Cookies - Add 2 tablespoons of freeze-dried strawberry powder to both the dough and the buttercream for a natural pink color and real berry flavor - no food coloring needed - pair with these Strawberry Crinkle Cookies.
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!
Eva Riazati says
My kids absolutely love them.
Olya says
Thank you, Eva! The cookies are so beautiful!
Carol says
The frosting was so soft and I didn't even use the entire sugar amount. It worked fine with lower sugar. Thank you!
Villa says
I used lavender (purple) coloring - and they turned out magical. Can I post pictures?
Olya says
I love lavender! You can do this on Pinterest or instagram.