These soft frosted sugar cookies are WAY better than Lofthouse! Made with butter and oil, the cookies are super tender and soft throughout. They’re then topped with a smooth vanilla buttercream and, of course, sprinkles!
Do you remember those frosted Lofthouse cookies you’d beg your mom to buy at the grocery store? Well, these soft frosted sugar cookies are just that, but better! The sugar cookie is tender and moist, with sweet vanilla buttercream on top. They’re bakery-quality sugar cookies made right at home!
What makes these the BEST frosted sugar cookies?
- When developing this recipe, I wanted them to have all the nostalgia of Lofthouse cookies but with the taste of a bakery-quality sugar cookie.
- To bring this idea to life, I had to think like a baker. They typically use some secret ingredients to make their treats extra special, so I checked out a few popular cookie bakeries to see that most use oil in their cookies. Yes, OIL in COOKIES?
- But it works! These sugar cookies are baked with a combination of butter and oil. The butter is there to add flavor, while the oil keeps these cookies super moist and tender. It’s just the right balance where you can’t taste the oil, but we still get to reap all the textural benefits!
- Additionally, these cookies are baked in bakery-style amounts. In other words, they’re big! This not only makes them extra special, but big cookies also bake better. It takes longer for the oven heat to reach the center, which leaves us with a super dense and tender center.
- Do you remember those frosted Lofthouse cookies you’d beg your mom to buy at the grocery store? Well, these soft frosted sugar cookies are just that, but better! The sugar cookie is tender and moist, with sweet vanilla buttercream on top. They’re bakery-quality sugar cookies made right at home!
Tips for baking Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
- Flour –  I say this in every post, and for good reason. It’s the number one reason why most recipes fail, especially for cookies. If there’s too much flour, the cookies will turn out dry, and they will not spread. If possible, measure the flour with a food scale. Otherwise, to ensure the exact amount, gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge. If scooped directly into the flour container, the flour packs down into the cup, which could leave you with 1/4 cup or more of added flour.
- Cornstarch –  Don’t skip this ingredient! It helps create an extra tender sugar cookie.
- Butter – Start with room temperature butter! The soft butter is mixed with sugar to create tiny air pockets, which helps the oven heat freely flow through the cookie. If the butter is too firm, this process cannot happen.
- Mixing – Right when the dough comes together, stop mixing! Overworked dough can lead to tough cookies.
- Scoop –  Use a large 2-oz cookie scoop or 1/4 measuring cup. The larger size is key to a tender and soft center.
- Press –  Roll the dough into a ball, but then lightly flatten the top with your palm. This gives the cookie a head start on spreading since it’s a fairly thick dough.
- Appearance – The cookies may seem a bit as well puffed when they’re new from the stove, but they ought to settle and straighten out as they cool.
How to form frosting for sugar cookies
The frosting for these sugar cookies is truly simple to create and comprises fair 4 fixings: butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla.
First, the room-temperature butter is blended until smooth. It must be at room temperature and sometimes recently blended, or you’ll end up with a lumpy buttercream.
The powdered sugar is at that point blended in one glass at a time, followed by the vanilla and milk.
In conclusion, the icing can be surveyed. On the off chance that it shows up as well thick, blend in another tablespoon of milk. On the off chance that it’s too lean, blend in another glass of powdered sugar.
This buttercream formula is exceptionally forgiving, so it ought to turn out perfect each time!
How to add color to frosting
For the best outcome, use gel food coloring. A tiny bit goes a long way, so it will not affect the consistency of the frosting.
For a pale color, one drop of gel color is all that is required. But most gel food coloring could be a bit too dynamic for my enjoyment, so a touch of brown nourishment coloring makes a difference in smoothing out the intensity.
Simply plunge the tip of a toothpick into the brown gel nourishment coloring and swipe it into the frosting. This should be the tiniest smudge! It’s best to add a small amount at first and then mix and assess to see if more is needed.
How to Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
The one thing to keep in mind when icing sugar treats is to ensure beyond any doubt that the cookies have cooled completely, including the icing on top.
If there is indeed a slight indication of warmth, the frosting will slip around.
Once cooled, my method of Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies goes like this:
- Scoop –  Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop a dollop of frosting right in the center. If you don’t have a scoop handy, simply plop some buttercream on top using a spoon.
- Spread – Using an offset spatula, I then work the glob of frosting from the inside out to the edges to cover the cookie.
- Swirl –  Once the cookie is covered, I pack in and roughly swirl the layer of frosting.
- Sprinkle – Immediately top with sprinkles before a skin forms! If you wait to add the sprinkles after all the cookies have been frosted, the sprinkles will not stick as well.
Just like that, the frosted sugar cookies are ready to enjoy!
FAQS
 What ingredient makes sugar cookies soft?
 Butter, sugar, and eggs help make sugar cookies soft. Don’t use too much flour. Also, chill the dough before baking.
This keeps cookies tender and not dry.
 What is the secret to soft cookies?
 Don’t bake them too long. Use brown sugar and butter for moisture. Egg yolks help keep them soft. Cool them properly after baking.
 How do you soften frosted sugar cookies?
 Put them in the microwave for 5–10 seconds. Or keep them in a box with a slice of bread. The cookies will soak up moisture. This makes them soft again.
. What are the soft cookies with frosting called?
They are called Lofthouse cookies. These cookies are soft and thick. They have colorful frosting on top. Often found in stores or bakeries.
RECIPE!
Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 10 tbsp butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator after the 30 minutes is up. Using a large 2oz cookie scoop (equal to about 1/4 cup), scoop out the cookies and roll into a ball. Place the ball onto the baking sheet and lightly flatten the top with your palm. Bake about 4-5 cookies at a time, covering and placing the dough back in the refrigerator between each batch.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes).With the mixing running on medium-low speed, pour in the oil in a slow and steady stream.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl and ensure everything is evenly incorporated. The dough should be thick but tacky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.