These Sour Cream Cookies have a luxurious, tender, and buttery texture. Butter and sour cream combined result in a dreamy, creamy texture with the perfect crispy and golden edges. Top them with buttercream frosting and sprinkles for the prettiest simple cookies that are so much fun to make with kids!
We have a lot of cookie monsters at our house! If you love cookies try out our other recipes like Candy Cookies, Sugar Cookie Blossoms, Heart Jam Cookies, and The Best Blueberry Cookies to name a few!
I love making these Sour Cream Cookies for parties! They are so simple to make and the boys love helping to decorate them! These are my favorite cookies to customize the frosting and sprinkles to match the theme of the party or the seasonal time of year. They are also simply delicious with a cup of tea or coffee as are these Brown Butter Cookies.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect Texture: This sour cream cookie recipe boasts a rich, soft, and buttery texture, creating a delightful contrast with golden, slightly crisp edges.
- Versatile: the neutral base of this recipe is very nostalgic but you could also experiment with other extracts or even a chocolate buttercream as a topping.
- Pretty & Fun to Decorate: not only are these cookies delicious and dreamy on their own they are so much fun to decorate with kiddos and customize buttercream colors and sprinkles!
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted Butter (softened): use softened butter for easier creaming with the sugar.
- Granulated Sugar: adds the sweetness and contributes to the light texture in the recipe.
- Egg: Adds moisture and binds the ingredients together.
- Full-fat Sour Cream: adds richness and gives the cookies a moist and tender crumb.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder: contributes to the cookies' light and fluffy texture.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise and enhances their tenderness.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: you may also use almond extract or a combination.
- Buttercream Frosting (homemade or storebought): I love homemade buttercream but storebought will also work. Try one of these store-bought options depending on what you are looking for.
- Gel Food Coloring (for tinting buttercream): Optional for adding a pop of color to your frosting.
- Sprinkles: always a good idea to add fun and whimsy to your cookies!
How to Make Sour Cream Cookies
1: Cream the butter and sugar.
2: Add the eggs and mix to combine .
3: Add remaining wet ingredients.
4: Mix to combine.
5: Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed.
6: Mix until just combined. Try not to over-mix.
7: Scoop cookie batter onto cookie sheet.
8: Bake until lightly golden on the edges.
9: Allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
10: When cookies are at room temperature, decorate with buttercream and sprinkles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sour cream adds so much flavor and texture to sugar cookies. It provides moisture, resulting in a soft and tender crumb. The tangy flavor complements the sweetness of the cookies, making it delicious and well-balanced.
These cookies can be frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. then they can either be transferred to a freezer bag, or separated by layers of parchment paper in an airtight container. Properly wrapped they can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw before serving.
For best results keep these cookies stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeping them refrigerated helps to keep their texture intact and the buttercream firm. Sour cream sugar cookies can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Expert Tips
- Do not overmix the cookie dough or you will lose the beautiful cake-like texture and have a tough cookie instead.
- For the best flavor, store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Try lemon zest or almond extract as an alternative to vanilla extract. You can also add a spiced buttercream for fall.
- Do not overbake the cookies; they should just be slightly golden on the edges.
Recipe Variations
- Experiment with different flavors of buttercream almond or lemon extract to create a variety of cookie combinations.
- You can also serve these old-fashioned sour cream cookies plain with no frosting at all!
- Add finely chopped nuts for added texture or flavor or chocolate chips for sour cream chocolate chip cookies!
Recipe Substitutions
- If you're out of sour cream, Greek yogurt can be a suitable substitute.
- Consider using a cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream for a tangy twist. For a quick and easy hack, you can easily mix whipped cream cheese with powdered sugar to taste for the perfect cookie frosting.
Storage Tips
- To keep these delicious cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- For longer storage, cookies can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
I hope you love these Sour Cream Cookies. If you make the recipe, leave a comment and a rating! I'd love to know how you liked it. Enjoy, xoxo!
Recipe
Sour Cream Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttercream frosting homemade or storebought
- Gel food coloring for tinting buttercream
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, (or the bowl of a stand mixer) blend together the softened butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy with an electric hand mixer (or the paddle attachment).
- Add the egg and mix to ensure it's well combined.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually incorporate these dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring just until combined.
- Using rounded tablespoons or a small cookie scoop, drop portions of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to fully cool.
- After a 30-minute cooling period, generously spread buttercream on the cookies and embellish with sprinkles.
Notes
- Do not overmix the cookie dough or you will lose the beautiful light cakey cookie texture and have a tough cookie instead.
- For the best flavor, store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Try lemon zest or almond extract as an alternative to vanilla extract. You can also add a spiced buttercream for fall.
- Do not overbake the cookies; they should just be slightly golden on the edges.
Natalie Booras says
Oh my gosh - these are gorgeous and perfect for spring. They're going to be on my list to make for Easter brunch. I love how fluffy and cakey they look. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Thanks so much Natalie! I hope you enjoy them! They would be perfect for Easter!!!