Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies without sour cream. Super soft frosted lofthouse sugar cookies are just like the ones at the store! My lofthouse sugar cookie recipe is made with Greek yogurt and no sour cream.
My lofthouse cookies are made without sour cream, without corn starch and without cream of tartar. They are so easy to make in under 1 hour!
My Pink Frosted Lofthouse Sugar Cookies Recipe is:
- Easy to make!
- Super soft
- Light & flavorful
- Tastes just like Lofthouse cookies with sprinkles
- Can be made healthy, gluten free, and vegan
I usually never buy cookies at the store because I love baking, but the lofthouse are ones that always gets me. There is something about the light and fluffy texture with the sweet creamy frosting on top.. or maybe it's those sprinkles.
I decided it was time to bring the store bought lofthouse cookies home. These lofthouse style frosted sugar cookies taste just like the ones you find at the store without a mile long ingredient list.
LOFTHOUSE COOKIES WITHOUT SOUR CREAM INGREDIENTS
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- butter
- yogurt
- sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
WHY ARE LOFTHOUSE COOKIES SO SOFT?
You can get the softest lofthouse cookies right at home by using both baking soda and baking powder. They also get their soft buttery texture with added fat from full fat yogurt (or traditional recipes that use sour cream).
ARE SUGAR COOKIES AND LOFTHOUSE COOKIES THE SAME THING?
Lofthouse are different than sugar cookies because they use baking soda and baking powder to give them that signature cake like fluffy texture.
WHY ARE THEY CALLED LOFTHOUSE COOKIES?
Lofthouse sugar cookies originated in the 90's from a family owned company called Lofthouse foods. These cookies became wildly popular since then!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST EVER LOFTHOUSE SUGAR COOKIES WITHOUT SOUR CREAM
USE FULL FAT YOGURT. Full fat yogurt will give you the best cookie texture because it has fat in it just like sour cream does!
LET BUTTER STAND AT ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR 1 HOUR BEFORE MAKING COOKIES. Soft butter blends much more evenly into cookies.
ROLL COOKIES INTO BALLS AND PRESS IN YOUR HANDS. Get the perfect cookie every time without having to use a rolling pin! See pictures below.
MAKE SURE TO USE A BAKING MAT OR PARCHMENT PAPER. This will prevent the soft fragile cookies from sticking to the tray.
DO NOT OVER BAKE COOKIES!! Your lofthouse cookies will not look done on top when you take them out of the oven but they are. If you bake them till golden brown, you will get a hard cookie!
HOW TO MAKE SOFT LOFTHOUSE STYLE FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES WITHOUT SOUR CREAM
My lofthouse frosted sugar cookie recipe is much easier to make than you would think! Make sure to read my tips above first!!
STEP 1- MAKE THE LOFTHOUSE COOKIE DOUGH
Always start by preheating your oven. An evenly warm oven is necessary for perfect baked goods. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or use a baking mat.
In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set this aside.
Next, beat the softened butter with the egg, full fat vanilla Greek yogurt, sugar and vanilla extract.
Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix. I like to use a wooden spoon when I bake cookies, it feels really authentic to me.
Mix your batter very well so that it comes together as a thick dough.
STEP 2- ROLL COOKIES AND FLATTEN!
Roll the dough into a ball in your hands. Press the dough together between your hands until it is flat. Don't skip flattening your cookies because if they are too thick, the centers will not cook.
Some people like to roll theirs out on a floured surface, or press the dough onto the cookie sheet with the bottom of a glass. But, I found that I like the results of this method best and it is way easier with less clean up!
STEP 3- BAKE COOKIES TILL JUST DONE
I baked mine 8 at a time for 6 minutes. They will look like they aren't done at 6 minutes, but if you leave them to cool on the baking tray, the centers will finish cooking.
Make sure you don't over bake them! Over baking them will result in hard cookies.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack for decorating.
STEP 4- MAKE FROSTNIG AND DECORATE COOKIES!
I made my frosting with ½ cup butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of vanilla soy milk, and 2 cups of powdered sugar. Add any food dye that you like.
I made my lofthouse cookies with a couple drops of red food dye for the pale pink color. In the video below, I was out of red food dye so I used beet root powder to color the frosting and it came out a gorgeous shade of pink! You can also use green or red frosting for lofthouse Christmas cookies!
Perfect lofthouse style frosted sugar cookie and I've eaten so many of them already !
Look at that perfect texture!!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY LOFTHOUSE STYLE COOKIES
Make these recipe substitutions for healthier lofthouse sugar cookies:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour: use gluten free flour, sorghum flour, wheat flour, or white wheat flour
- ½ cup butter: use coconut oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar: use maple syrup or honey
Baking powder, baking soda, full fat greek yogurt, egg, and vanilla extract are already healthy ingredients. Try coconut whipped cream for a healthier frosting option.
FAQ'S
More frequently asked questions about making the best lofthouse cookie recipe!
HOW LONG ARE LOFTHOUSE COOKIES GOOD FOR?
Store lofthouse cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. They are best within the first 2 days.
HOW TO MAKE LOFTHOUSE COOKIES WITHOUT SOUR CREAM?
Yes my sour cream free lofthouse cookies are made with full fat Greek yogurt!
HOW MUCH SUGAR IS IN A LOFTHOUSE COOKIE?
The lofthouse cookie itself does not have much sugar. But with the frosting added, 1 lofthouse cookie has about 14 grams of sugar.
CAN I MAKE LOFTHOUSE COOKIES WITHOUT FROSTING?
Yes! If you want a lighter treat, skip the frosting, or put thinner frosting on top. You can also use my coconut whipped cream recipe for a healthier frosting option.
Looking for more cookie recipes? Try some of these cookies!
- Lemon Zucchini Cookies with Lemon Glaze
- No Bake Cookie Dough Bars
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Coconut Flour Sugar Cookie Cutouts
- Healthy Dairy Free Molasses Cookies
- Passion Fruit Macaroons
- 5 Ingredient Pink Meringue Cookies
- Matcha Macarons with Mango Buttercream
- Half Moon Cookies!
- Chocolate Dipped Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
If you try my Lofthouse Cookie Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!
Lofthouse Sugar Cookies without Sour Cream
Equipment
- baking sheet
- silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Hand held mixer
Ingredients
For the cookie:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sub gluten free flour, sorghum flour, whole wheat flour, white wheat flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup organic unsalted butter, softened sub vegan butter or unrefined softened coconut oil
- ½ cup full fat vanilla greek yogurt sub unsweetened coconut milk yogurt
- ¾ cup granulated organic raw cane sugar sub coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- ½ cup butter, softened sub vegan butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoon vanilla soy milk sub any other kind of milk
- 1 drop natural red food dye can also use beet root powder
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar more if you want it to be fluffier
Decorations:
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Get your butter out of the fridge to soften. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking tray with either parchment paper.In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free), ½ teaspoon baking soda
- In a separate bowl, beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Beat in the yogurt, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well combined.½ cup organic unsalted butter, softened, ½ cup full fat vanilla greek yogurt, ¾ cup granulated organic raw cane sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.
- Roll the cookies into balls. In the palm of your hand, press the cookie until it is flat. Place the cookie on the prepared baking sheet. I baked 8 per sheet.
- Bake for 5-7 minutes. They will not look done, but as you let them cool on the cookie tray the centers will finish cooking. After they have cooled on the cookie tray, transfer them to a cooling rack as you prepare the frosting.
For the frosting:
- Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, soy milk, and food dye. Beat in the powdered sugar, starting with 1 cup. Add another cup if you like your frosting to be fluffier.Spread the frosting on the cookies and top with rainbow sprinkles.½ cup butter, softened, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1-2 tablespoon vanilla soy milk, 1 drop natural red food dye
Anna
These sugar cookies look absolutely delicious Rosemary!! Definitely saving for later 🙂
[email protected]
Thank you so much Anna! I hope you love them as much as I did (devoured in a matter of days!)
TT
Could you freeze this cookie dough?
[email protected]
I haven't tried freezing it yet! But I think if you put it in an airtight bag it should be fine
Valerie
These loft house sugar cookies were absolutely delicious!! I love that you used the Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. And thanks for the healthy options on how to make healthy lofthouse cookies- definitely trying that version next 🙂
Amy
These were sooooo good!! These cookies are definitely my indulgent treat from the store and I was inspired by you to look at the ingredients label omg I don’t know what half of those are!! So I made your cookies and of course EVEN better than store bought!
Pam
Omg I was looking for a recipe to make pretty pink frosting without red food dye! The beet root powder you are so creative it came out beautifully! I love that you always use natural ingredients! Thank you for the inspiration!!