Sour cream cookies are super easy to make, I love them for their soft and almost cake-like texture and beautiful flavor. I like to decorate them with colorful buttercream frosting and switch it up for different occasions like Mother’s Day, Easter, and Christmas.
Sour cream not only adds flavor to cookies and cakes but it creates a really soft and tender crumb. I have a super easy recipe for homemade sour cream if you forgot to pick some up from the store and it’s not as nearly as complicated as it sounds. Use it to make these incredible cookies and my sour cream pound cake too.
What you need to make this recipe
Butter – butter is used for making the cookies and buttercream frosting, you must use unsalted butter and it should be softened (at room temperature) to avoid lumps.
Sugar – I use granulated white sugar to make these cookies, you can use brown sugar if you prefer which will add a slight molasses flavor and will give the cookies a darker color.
Sour cream – sour cream is the key ingredient here it not only adds flavor but helps create soft and tender cookies. If you don’t have sour cream then be sure to check out my homemade sour cream recipe.
Vanilla – make sure to use vanilla extract or real vanilla and not vanilla essence.
How to make Sour Cream Cookies
1. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a bowl and stir to combine, set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a separate bowl.
3. Add the egg and vanilla to the creamed butter and sugar and mix in.
4. Next, add the sour cream and mix until combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients and mix it into the cookie dough until well combined.
6. Scoop the cookie dough out onto a baking sheet and bake the cookies until just starting to turn a light golden color.
7. Mix all the buttercream ingredients together in a bowl.
8. Frost your cookies once completely cooled.
Pro tips for making this recipe
- Make sure your butter is softened (at room temperature).
- All other ingredients (sour cream and egg) should be at room temperature for best results. Just remember to remove them from the fridge around 1 hour in advance.
- For even-sized cookies use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop.
- I like to use damp hands to pat the cookies down slightly and give them an even shape after scooping them onto a cookie sheet, this just helps to make them more uniform.
- Make sure to line your cookie sheet with baking parchment or a silicone mat.
- I recommend using gel food coloring if you’d like to create different buttercream colors.
- If you want to add different flavors you can try adding lemon or orange zest to the cookie dough and add a little fresh citrus juice to the buttercream frosting. Also, check out my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, and Sugar Cookie Icing for other frosting ideas.
- Make sure your cookies are completely cooled before frosting or the frosting will melt off.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know my cookies are ready?
These cookies don’t take long to bake (around 10-11 minutes) you’ll know they are ready when they just start to turn a light golden color around the edges.
How can I decorate these cookies?
I recommend adding gel food coloring to your buttercream to create fun colors. Pastel colors are great for any time of the year and red or green a perfect for adding a holiday spin. You can also use fun sprinkles to decorate your cookies, check out my recipe for homemade sprinkles or buy them at your local supermarket.
Can I prepare these in advance?
These cookies are easy to prepare in advance. Simply make the dough and store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Alternatively, you can bake and frost the cookies and they’ll keep well in an airtight container for around 3 days.
Can I freeze them?
Yes, these cookies freeze really well and can be stored for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing them before frosting them so they are easier to store but you can also freeze them after frosting them too.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried these Sour Cream Cookies then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Sour Cream Cookies
Video
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter room temperature (75g)
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature 120g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (10ml)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (210g)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Buttercream
- ½ cup butter room temperature (113g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (240g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (5ml)
- 2 tbsp milk (30mL) plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl then whisk together and set aside.
- Cream the butter using an electric mixer then add the sugar and mix on high until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla then mix once more until smooth. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more then add the sour cream and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined.
- Scoop heaping tablespoon-sized portions of dough out and transfer to your prepared cookie sheet leaving about two inches of space between. For a more even bake, dampen your hand and pat the cookies into shape, pressing each one down slightly.
- Bake at 350F for about 11 minutes. The bottom of the edge will Just be turning golden when they are done.
For the buttercream
- While the cookies bake cream the butter and mix in two cups of powdered sugar.
- Add the vanilla and two tablespoons of milk. Mix until smooth. Add more milk if needed to thin the frosting out into an easily spreadable consistency. You may dye the frosting with food coloring if desired.
- Use a spatula to spread the buttercream onto the cooled cookies and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure your butter is softened (at room temperature).
- All other ingredients (sour cream and egg) should be at room temperature for best results. Just remember to remove them from the fridge around 1 hour in advance.
- For even-sized cookies use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop.
- I like to use damp hands to pat the cookies down slightly and give them an even shape after scooping them onto a cookie sheet, this just helps to make them more uniform.
- Make sure to line your cookie sheet with baking parchment or a silicone mat.
- I recommend using gel food coloring if you'd like to create different buttercream colors.
- If you want to add different flavors you can try adding lemon or orange zest to the cookie dough and add a little fresh citrus juice to the buttercream frosting. Also, check out my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, and Sugar Cookie Icing for other frosting ideas.
- Make sure your cookies are completely cooled before frosting or the frosting will melt off.
- Storage - cookies will keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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