The Best Swig Sugar Cookies {Copycat Recipe}
These are the best little frosted sugar cookies on the planet! A knockoff from the popular soda shop, these Swig sugar cookies are amazing (and so easy – no rolling or cutting out!).
I am sharing my go-to, favorite copycat recipe for the ever-popular Swig sugar cookies! This recipe is the best and has hundreds of five-star reviews to prove it.
What is a Swig Sugar Cookie?
Swig sugar cookies originated years ago at a little soda/cookie shop in Utah. The signature pressed cookie shape with rough, crinkly edges gained popularity and spawned a lot of knockoff cookie shops AND cookie recipes.
If you’ve been around since the beginning of MKC time (bless you), you might recognize this old Sugar Gems recipe.
Posted long before these popular soda/cookie shops started popping up everywhere, it’s proof that pressed (no rolling or cutting!) and frosted sugar cookies have been a favorite for many of us long before they became trendy and went viral online.
How to Make Perfect Swig-Style Sugar Cookies
- take care not to over flour the dough
- press the cookies between 1/4- and 1/2-inch (not too thin!)
- under bake the cookies just slightly
I’ve given both a cup measure and a weight measure for the flour in this recipe. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, make sure to fluff the flour in the container before scooping in your cup and leveling off.
Sugar Cookie Dough
The cookie dough is soft but thick. This helps the cookies develop those signature crinkly, ruffled edges.
To shape the cookies:
- Roll the dough into balls. I use my large #20 cookie scoop {aff. link}.
- Grab a flat-bottomed glass, spray with cooking spray, and dip into a bowl of granulated sugar.
- Press each ball of dough into a thick circle (dipping the bottom of the glass again in sugar between cookies).
The cookies will spread and flatten a bit more while baking, but they will retain their ruffly edges for that signature soda shop look.
Perfect Sugar Cookie Frosting
A delicious sugar cookie is only as good as the frosting on top!
And the frosting recipe for these Swig sugar cookies is exceptional. Soft, creamy and delicious.
Tint with food coloring, if desired, and then frost the cooled cookies leaving a thin border around the edges.
Add any variety of sprinkles! 😍
How to Freeze Frosted Sugar Cookies
These sugar cookies freeze exceptionally well. Yes, even frosted!
Here’s how I do it:
- Frost cooled sugar cookies (and add sprinkles, if using)
- Freeze or refrigerate in a single layer on a sheet pan until frosting is firm.
- Place sugar cookies in freezer storage bags or other containers, separating layers with parchment or wax paper. Ideally, don’t exceed more than two to three layers per container.
- Take the frozen sugar cookies out of the bags/containers and place in a single layer on serving trays or sheet pans to thaw (takes about an hour at room temperature).
I have made and frozen hundreds of frosted sugar cookies over the years, and I can attest it works brilliantly well. No one can even tell the cookies were made ahead of time.
Rave Reviews
Here are just a few of the hundreds of five-star reviews:
Amy: I’m from PA and have never heard of the Swig cookies before. This is a great recipe! Made it twice came out great both times. Thanks for another great recipe!
Jennifer: Truly the best frosted sugar cookie recipe and maybe best cookie recipe of all out there. This one is a showstopper!
Koye: Super easy. Sent to my sister’s workplace. Gone quickly and several people asked for recipe. Love that they are not too sweet.
Kara: I have tried several copycat swig and these come in first every.single.time!
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Swig Sugar Cookies {Copycat Recipe}
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (164 g) neutral-flavored oil, canola, vegetable, grapeseed, etc
- 1 ¼ cups (265 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (86 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar or baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (see note)
- 5 ½ cups (781 g) all-purpose flour (I use unbleached)
- Granulated sugar for pressing the cookies
Frosting:
- ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups (684 g) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 degrees F for convection bake) and line several half sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl using a handheld electric mixer), add the butter, oil, granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Sprinkle the baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt across the top of the sugars (don't add the baking soda and cream of tartar in one lump or it might clump while mixing). Mix until well-combined and super creamy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla and mix until well-combined, 1-2 minutes, again scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour and mix until no dry streaks remain and the mixture is evenly combined; don't overmix.
- Scoop the dough into about 3-tablespoon sized portions (I use a #20 cookie scoop) and roll into balls. Place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Add about 1/2 cup granulated sugar to a shallow dish or bowl. Lightly spray the bottom of a flat-bottomed glass with cooking spray and dip the bottom of the glass into the sugar. Press each cookie into an even thickness dipping the bottom of the glass into the sugar between each press (no need to spray it again with cooking spray after the first time). The edges of the cookie will ruffle out a bit. It's really up to you how thick or thin to press the cookies. I like them between 1/4- and 1/2-inch thick.
- Bake the cookies for 7-9 minutes until the edges are set (it's ok if the center of the cookies looks slightly under baked).
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, in a medium bowl (can use a handheld or stand mixer) combine the butter, sour cream and vanilla. Mix until thick and smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and cream (or milk) and mix until well-combined and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add additional cream, if needed, to adjust the consistency of the frosting so it is thick but still soft and spreadable.
- Frost the cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
Recipe Source: adapted from my old Sugar Gems recipe and this popular recipe at Vintage Revivals; frosting recipe adapted from A Bountiful Kitchen’s recipe
These are fantastic! They’re also pretty easy as cookies go. My daughter wanted to make a “vanilla cookie” so we tried these. They exceeded my expectations!
Your recipe says cream of tarter OR baking powder but one of your comments you mention you use both. Do you mind clarifying? Thanks!
Hi Ashten, sorry for the confusion – I usually use either cream of tartar or baking powder (cream of tartar lends a stronger flavor, use baking powder in place of the cream of tartar for a milder flavor).
Hi Mel, I love this recipe and have made it many times, but recently have had issues with the icing. I follow it to a “T” except I use salted butter, and heavy cream, not milk. I have had it curdle on me, and not sure why – I almost always use Kirkland butter so I know it’s fresh, but wondering if it can be over beaten? Other than that I haven’t a clue….
Hi Sharon, I’ve noticed sometimes that frosting will curdle if the butter is too warm at the start. I have the best results using cool butter (let it whip really well in the mixer to soften before adding the other ingredients) and 2% milk.