Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
One of the best sugar cookies out there, these soft sour cream sugar cookies are thick and ultra-soft and amazing for any occasion!
Listen, I love sugar cookies as much as the next person. Probably even more.
If we’re being honest with each other, a super soft, thick-cut, lightly frosted sugar cookie is my kryptonite.
I have another favorite roll-and-cut sugar cookie recipe that is fantastic, but these soft sour cream sugar cookies are right up there with any other favorite.
It’s my grandma’s recipe. And it is a keeper.
Perfect Sugar Cookies
These soft sour cream sugar cookies are unique in the mixing.
The flour is added before all the wet ingredients leaving you with a crumbly, sandy dough. Don’t panic! That’s how it should be.
The sour cream is added at the very end of mixing. It brings everything together to form a perfect, soft sugar cookie dough.
To Chill or Not to Chill
Although the recipe states the sugar cookie dough should be chilled, I often live on the impatient wild side and cut out the sugar cookies right away.
These cookies puff up a lot while baking. I still like to cut them pretty thick – at least 1/4-inch.
Thin, crackly, crumbly sugar cookies do not belong in my life. Thick-cut, soft sugar cookies all the way.
These soft sour cream sugar cookies might look a little wrinkly or pockmarked after baking. Again, totally normal!
That’s due to the rising and puffing that happens while baking thanks to the sour cream + baking soda reaction.
Keeping Their Shape
Sugar cookie sometimes lose their defined shape while baking.
On a scale of how well these sour cream sugar cookies keep their shape, I’d say they are about a 7 1/2.
They definitely keep the shape they were cut in but not with super crisp, clean lines. They puff and spread enough in the oven to blur into soft lines around the edges.
If you want super crisp sugar cookie shapes, this recipe may not be the one. But if you want really, really soft and super, super yummy sugar cookies, the search is over.
In the category of Best Overall All-Purpose Sugar Cookie (I just made up this category), these soft sour cream sugar cookies reign supreme.
They are perfect for any occasion.
I’ve decided I’m very much into rustic, homey sugar cookies that taste amazing over beautifully and intricately decorated sugar cookies that taste bland and crunchy.
These sugar cookies definitely fit into the category of cookies I love. I hope you love them, too!
One Year Ago: Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cake Truffles
Two Years Ago: Homemade Thin Mint Cookies
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Shortbread Fingers
Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, softened
- 2 cups (424 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 ½ cups (781 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 g) sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
Instructions
- In a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer (or in an electric stand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar for a minute or so. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well-combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, nutmeg (if using) and salt. Mix until combined; the mixture will be in little pieces.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the sour cream and baking soda. The sour cream may foam a bit – that’s totally normal.
- Add the sour cream mixture to the cookie dough and mix until combined. Don’t overmix – just until it is smooth and looks like sugar cookie dough.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured counter to about 1/4-inch thick and cut into desired shapes, using additional flour on the counter or rolling pin as needed. Place the cutout cookies on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet a couple inches apart and bake for 9-11 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the cookies. Don’t overbake. They’ll be puffed up a bit and should be lightly browned (or not browned at all) on the bottoms; they’ll be softer if there’s no browning on the sides and top.
- Let the cookies rest a minute or so on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (passed down from my grandma)
Recipe originally published December 2015; updated December 2020 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
82 Comments on “Soft Sour Cream Sugar Cookies”
So, I did not have great success with this recipe. I only used 5.5 cups flour and I followed the recipe carefully. The first batch browned, yet were doughy inside. The second batch ( I divided the dough when I chilled it) baked more evenly & I only cut them into rounds. My silly bunny cutter didn’t work – they spread and looked more like peeps! They were also a little bland, considering the amount of sugar. Will have to find another recipe using sour cream to compare.
I made these and they came out great! I’d like to make some more dough to use next week. What is the best way to freeze it? Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Salena, I have only ever frozen the cookies once baked, but you could try freezing the dough – if so, I’d suggest rolling it out and freezing in large sheets that way.
I will give that a try. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Hands down the best cut out sugar cookie recipe I’ve come across!! Sinfully soft, puffy, and absolutely perfection. Will never use another recipe for my sugar cookies!
After ready many comments, I decided to make a 1/2 recipe. I like lots of flavor in my sugar cookies so I added 1 tsp almond extract with the vanilla. Next time I will add more to my taste as they were still a little bland.
I used half the baking soda. Next time I’ll try without. (I don’t get fluffy rolled out sugar cookies) I spooned my flower in plus added a bit more as I rolled them out. That helped a lot. They are pretty good. Next time will be better. ☺️ Thanks, Mel! I love your recipes!
Thanks awesome recipe!! I finally found this sugar cookie recipe it is similar to my great great grandma’s handed down generation to generation. ❤️❤️❤️ My great niece ( who is 3) had fun making these for the neighbors in the apartment complex!!
I did make these! Delish.
Can this dough be frozen?
Yes it can!
*posted as a reply on another comment and couldn’t figure his to delete it…
I haven’t made these yet but while looking the recipe over my 2 year old said, “We should make those! They look so yummy! We should eat them! We should make the cookies with mustard and SPRINKLES!!!” Mustard you ask… he was looking at the cookie with the yellow frosting! Ha ha ha. So funny and wanted to share!
Used coconut palm sugar, yum!
I haven’t made these yet but while looking the recipe over my 2 year old said, “We should make those! They look so yummy! We should eat them! We should make the cookies with mustard and SPRINKLES!!!” Mustard you ask… he was looking at the cookie with the yellow frosting! Ha ha ha. So funny and wanted to share!
They turned out amazing. Just the right kind of soft. They dough seemed to crumbly at first, but it rolled out very nicely. I will be using this recipe again next year.
Soooo crumbly. I was trying to match my mother’s recipe and this was a sour cream sugar cookie so seemed the same but was so dry and crumbly (usually sour cream dough is almost too wet) and they weren’t the soft loft house style sugar cookies that sour cream sugar cookies usually are. Guess I will wait for mom to get back and get the recipe.
Great recipe!!!!! Anyone who didn’t give it at least 4 stars needs a new oven, new taste buds or just doesn’t know how to bake or measure ingredients. I’ll never look for another sugar cookie recipe.
You’re the best
Great recipe!!!!! Anyone who didn’t give it at least 4 stars needs a new oven, new taste buds or just doesn’t know how to bake or measure ingredients. I’ll never look for another sugar cookie recipe.
You’re the best
These are the best! Made them at Christmas with my mom and sisters. Now making them again for myself 😉 The cookies turn out so fluffy and soft! Everyone loved them!
Made this recipe as directed and measured out the flour, sifted. The dough was very crumbly at first, but after giving it 10 minutes of kneading, it formed together very well and lifted all bits for a clean bowl afterwards. I divided the batch into 3rds and refrigerated for 3 hours. It rolls out easily and holds shape very well! The flavor is incredible, especially if you are using royal icing to decorate and don’t want to overload on the sweetness. The cookies stay soft, and were a huge hit at Christmas and at the New Year party! I’ve even gotten a request to bring these cookies to a friend’s baby shower!
This recipe was horrible. Measured exactly 6 1/2 cups of flour as instructed and the dough was so dry that it was completely unusable. STAY AWAY!
I agree. Honestly the worst I have ever tried. I am in my 40s and a great baker….usually.
I’m pretty happy I found this recipe… It is perfect for Christmas cookies. Thank you so much for posting.
The recipe calls for 5 1/2 cups of flour, you got a bad result because you added an extra cup to the recipe.
This has been my go to sugar cookie since I first saw this post a couple years ago. I make them every year at Christmas now and occasionally for special occasions. The dough is a mess and I worry every time that it’s not going to come together but it always does. I also took the suggestion of another reviewer who uses powdered sugar to roll them out and what a difference it makes! I never worry about my scraps baking up hard from all the extra flour, they’re perfect every time! Thank you for this amazing recipe that also reminds me of of my grandma’s Christmas cookies. And thank you to the reviewer who left the powdered sugar tip! Merry Christmas!
Super helpful review! Thank you!
we just made these. The dough tasted great, the nutmeg added a nice change BUT when baked…they are very flavourless…very disappointed
Delicious cookies
Question: Have you ever tried frozen sour cream in this recipe or any other cookie recipes? I’m wondering if it works just as well.
I haven’t, sorry!
I thought 6 1/2 cups of flour was a bit excessive, and I was only able to incorporate 5 cups, even though I sifted the flour. So we used the extra flour for rolling out the dough and it worked fine. I reduced the sugar, as well, but I reduce the sugar listed in any recipe I make.
My 15 year old daughter had friends over to decorate cookies today. As always, your site is my go to. These cookies were not only delicious, then held their shape and were sturdy enough for giggly girls to decorate. As always, thank you for adding wonderful recipes to our lives – but today was extra special to see my daughter and her friends have a no-fail cookie decorating party.
Thank you so much, Tammy! I’m just getting ready to make these for my kindergartener’s class party tomorrow. Happy they were a hit with those teenagers! 🙂
Love and enjoy your recipes.
dough did not come together. made just like receipt. finally added =more s creme and butter. finally had to roll and knead together to get dough. have cooked for years, do not like this receipt.
Can you freeze the dough?
I haven’t tried that but I think it should work ok.
I made these at the beginning of December with my kids and they turned out great! I froze half of the dough and got it out a few days ago to thaw. It rolled out and baked up wonderfully this afternoon!
I made your soft sour dough sugar cookies. YUMMIEST ever. I used powdered sugar to roll them out, it worked well. They are for a bake sale on Tuesday. Thank you!!
Just realized I accidentally added 2 cups of sour cream instead of 1. Is there anyway to save this batch?
I added 3/4 c of flour & 1/3 c sugar and they turned out ok. Baked really thick is all that happened, still tasted great!
Made this exactly as directed and HOO LAWD these did not come out as sugar cookies. After working the dough, it did come together but tasted like crescent roll or beignet dough. After cooking them, they were dry and tasted like sweet, bland crescent rolls. Did not want. Science experiment failed!
I prepared the dough in the afternoon, refrigerated, then wasn’t able to roll them out until 5 hours later. They were cold and took some muscle to roll out haha BUT they were not sticky at all and turned out perfect! Fluffy and tender and shaped well and the nutmeg is amazing. I don’t even want to frost them but promised my kids so…
Hey! I was wondering if we need to refrigerate the dough? Is it super important? If so, why is it? Just interested. I am just making them for my family. If the recipie is as good as everyone claims, I will for sure feature this on my blog!
Chilling the dough for this particular recipe helps the sugar cookies hold their shape – and also makes it so it isn’t a sticky mess while rolling them out.
These were a hit!!
Not sure what I did wrong – but seemed too dry – possibly too much flour? It barely came together. Have any suggestions for me? Santa will love them, I’m sure.
Sounds like the dough was overfloured, Valerie – try measuring with a lighter hand next time (or use the weight measures if you didn’t already). Hope they tasted ok!
I measured exactly, and they were so dry. You should take this recipe off and re work it. What a waste of time and money.
I had a really hard time with dry dough as well. I measured the flour and it was extremely crumbly. And I live in a very humid climate. Usually I have trouble with things being too wet. I ended up adding some yogurt to save it and it did but is it possible that the flour or the sour cream amount is wrong? I usually have great success with your recipes!
BTW, I realized that I had commented before and loved these cookies. I thought I had. Is it possible the recipe ingredient amounts changed at some point? Or maybe an instruction to add flour bit by bit? IDK.
Ah, (sorry to be like a dog with a bone) I think the weight measurement is causing the problem. With several calculations, I’m coming up wtih 27.5-28.5 oz of weight for 6.5 cups of flour. When I made this in 2015, I would have measured with cups. 32.5 oz of flour seems to be more like 7 1/3-7 1/2 cups.
Let me do some digging to see if things changed when I converted all my recipes over to a new format last year…sorry for the trouble!
Mel, I can’t wait to bake these cookies with my girls today! Do we roll the dough right after we take it out of the fridge or do we need to wait a little bit? Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!!
I roll it right away – with a little heavy-handed pressing with the rolling pin, it rolls out great!
These cookies were perfect! I was looking for a softer cookie and this was it. I love how they are not terribly sweet so that when you decorate it with very sweet icing, it’s not complete sugar overload. The dough was a little tricky at first, but I finally learned that you couldn’t be shy with the flour. I second Mara above in that I got a TON of cookies as well. Definitely a keeper!
We made these yesterday – they are delicious! And the dough was the easiest to roll out of any recipe I’ve made in YEARS. So easy that my 6 year old did almost all of the rolling and cutting herself! My only note is that it made a TON of cookies – I’ll make a 1/2 batch next time unless we’re sharing! THANKS!
I’ve made these twice now (1/2 recipe as I don’t have a bowl large enough for the full recipe!). They are wonderful.
One thing I did as I wasn’t sure whether to let the dough warm before rolling or ?? and went searching “rolling out sugar cookies” … one result said to use powdered sugar instead of flour for non stick rolling. That worked very well for me and no excess “flour” taste on the cookies.
Great, Liz! I’ve heard others using powdered sugar but haven’t tried myself. You may have convinced me!
Aside from halving it, I made this per the recipe. Oh.my.goodness. SUCH a good cookie. On its own, dipped in coffee, with frosting and thousands of sprinkles, (the joy of letting a 4 year old decorate them!)
I cannot stop eating them. I’m glad I made a half batch! Haha!
Looking forward to making these! Do you think there would be any harm in refrigerating the dough for a longer period of time before rolling, cutting, and baking? A day or two perhaps?
Not at all! That should work great.
Do you keep these in the fridge because of the cream cheese in the frosting?
Usually I frost them before serving so they don’t need to be refrigerated. I’d say longer than 8 hours, they should probably go in the fridge.
I just looked at recipe closer to see if it was just like mine and I realized you use a whole cup more flour than I do. Does that have to do with altitude? I do have to use flour when I roll them out. Just finished making a batch of raisin filled for your some of the family. Too bad your dad doesn’t live closer
Hey Aunt Laurie – it might simply be the way we measure flour. Plus I also wanted the cookies to really keep their shape – I did use a little flour for rolling out but not tons. Do you have to use quite a bit? I think the dough can be quite a bit softer with the raisin-filled cookies but for cutouts it probably needs to be a bit firmer so the cookies don’t spread. My dad will be so jealous about those cookies!
I know this is off topic but I want to say thank you for not bombarding me with ads and popups and begging me for my email address. I LOVE food blogs but it seems that lately a lot of them are so distracting I have to leave. So thanks Mel for having not only really yum recipes but having a peaceful website. You rock!!
Thanks, Christine – that was nice of you to say. 🙂
I agree!!!! Such a lovely and easy website to navigate!
I have used this (almost) exact recipe for 20+ years; ingredients are the same but they bake at 425 for 5 minutes. They are the best sugar cookie ever!!
Could I sub plain greek yogurt for the sour cream?
I haven’t tried that substitution in these cookies so I don’t know for sure. Good luck if you experiment!
The recipe I have is similar but not identical to this one. I’ve used yogurt, buttermilk and a combination of what I have on hand with good results.
Oh yes this looks like the perfect sugar cookie. Yum! Thanks Mel!
These cookies look amazing! I love how well they held their shape! That’s sometimes hard to come by in a sugar cookie recipe!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Thank you for posting this recipe! My mother used to make a soft, fluffy sugar cookie that had a hint of nutmeg. I am hopeful that this is the one I remember. I will be baking these this weekend!
I’ve made a very similar recipe — including mixing the baking soda and sour cream — for about 45 years. It is the one cookie I MUST make for Christmas. What I like about the recipe I have is that I can make it a drop cookie or add more flour and make it a rolled cookie. Since I have somewhere next to no patience in rolling and cutting out cookie dough, I usually make the drop cookie. It’s not a particularly sweet sugar cookie, so it definitely benefits from frosting and sprinkles.
This is the recipe I use to make my raisin filled cookies for your dad ( minus the nutmeg). I must have got it from Mom because I’ve used it forever!
My mom’s little sister used to make this type of sugar cookie, cut into trees and slathered in green frosting, every Christmas and bring them to our family Christmas party. She passed away 5 years ago and now I can’t eat a cookie like this without thinking of her. To me they will always be Holly’s sugar cookies. They are yummy!
I love sour cream sugar cookies. These look yummy can’t wait to try them with my fresh nutmeg. Yay!! Thanks for another home run!!
I have a nutmeg sugar cookie recipe that tastes amazing but I can’t get the texture right so I’m really excited about trying these. Sugar cookies with a hint of nutmeg taste like Christmas to me.
My son Caleb said, “Yum. I think she posted this recipe just for me.”
Hi Mel! I’m on the hunt for a new sugar cookie recipe this season and found some great ones on your website. For this particular recipe, at what temperature should I bake them? Thanks!
Hi Deirdre – sorry for leaving that minor detail out! I bake them at 375 degrees.