Best Soft Lofthouse Cookies
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
These whimsical, homemade Soft Lofthouse Cookies taste just like vanilla birthday cake cookies, complete with pink fluffy frosting and rainbow sprinkles! It’s a familiar favorite copycat recipe and taste way better than the store-bought cookies you find in the store.
Completely customizable, the color of the frosting and the toppings can be personalized for holidays and all of your special events.
Finally, the sinfully, delicious cookies are baked just until they are set and it is very important not to overbake them. These are perfect with a tall glass of milk and kids go absolutely crazy over them!
This Soft Lofthouse Cookie copycat recipe is one you’ll want to bookmark for your favorite cookies to make over and over! Is there anything better than a super soft sugar cookie with homemade frosting? I think not!!
These iced sugar cookies have a decadent melt-in-your-mouth soft cookie texture that are topped with a delightful fluffy pink frosting and festive sprinkles! This cookie looks as sweet as it tastes and you get a little bliss in every bite.
History of Lofthouse Cookies
In 1994, Lofthouse Foods began producing soft, cakey, sugar cookies known as “Lofthouse sugar cookies.” These cookies were distributed to in-store bakeries in United States supermarkets, which is where you probably see them a lot! they are very popular.
Now, the name has surpassed the brand and is more synonymous with the style of cookie, topped with American buttercream frosting and fun sprinkles.
Ingredients You Need
Lofthouse Frosted Sugar Cookies
- all-purpose flour, plus more for surface – When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess instead of scooping directly from the bag, which compacts the flour and results in dry baked goods.
- cornstarch
- baking powder
- salt
- butter, softened
- cream cheese, softened
- granulated sugar
- egg
- vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting
- butter, softened
- powdered sugar
- heavy cream
- vanilla extract
- salt
- food coloring
- sprinkles, for decorating
How to Make the Best Soft Lofthouse Cookies
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together, set aside.
- In another large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Transfer dough to plastic wrap and smooth into a disc. Dough will still be soft and sticky at this point. Refrigerate dough until well chilled, at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350° and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Lightly flour surface and place dough on counter. Dust top of dough with flour as well. Roll dough out to ½” thick. Use a 3” round cookie cutter to cut cookies and place on prepared baking sheets 2” apart. Gather scraps and re-roll to cut to cut out more cookies.
- Bake until edges are just set, but centers are still slightly underdone, 10 to 12 minutes until they are set and it is very important not to overbake them. Let cool completely on baking sheets.
How to Make Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat softened butter, heavy cream, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar until completely smooth and creamy approximately 2-5 minutes. Add desired food coloring and beat again to combine.
- Use an offset spatula to frost tops of cooled cookies with a thick amount of frosting, then top with sprinkles.
Lofthouse Frosted Sugar Cookies Tips
- This Lofthouse copycat cookie batch makes 12-15 large sized cookies. Double or triple recipe for larger batches!
- Use parchment paper works nicely when baking these cookies on large baking sheets.
- Do not overbake these cookies. Bake until the edges are just set and slightly underdone to get the best cookie texture.
- I know a lot of Lofthouse cookie recipes use sour cream, but you’ll notice I added cream cheese instead and it really makes these cookies super-moist and addictive!! They will go fast!!
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for about an hour, and in the meantime, make your frosting and tint it the color (s) you want!
- Use a 3” round cookie cutter to cut cookies or something similar after you roll the dough out 1/2 inch. You want the cookies thick, so the frosting doesn’t completely take over.
Storing and Freezing Options for Lofthouse Cookies
- How to store Lofthouse Cookies – Frosted cookies will keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Or you can keep them in a cool, dry area of your kitchen if you do not refrigerate, thus cookies should be eaten within 3 days or so, if they make it that long!
- How to freeze Lofthouse cookies: Keep cookies frozen for up to 3 months. Take care to pack if you have added sprinkles or other decorations that might potentially bleed while the cookies defrost, as they might not hold up as well as unadorned frosted sugar cookies.
This Lofthouse Cookie copycat recipe is sure to be a hit with family and friends! They are the best cookie for special occasions like Easter, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc. because you can customize them to match your special holiday or birthday with your favorite frosting colors and sprinkle choices!
Double or triple the Lofthouse Copycat Cookie Recipe Ingredients for the Holidays!
- Valentine’s Day – Use pink, white, purple or red frosting
- Christmas – Use red, green or white frosting
- Easter – Use yellow, pink, pastel purple, light blue and light green frosting
- Halloween – Use orange, yellow, green, purple or white frosting
Sprinkle a little sweetness into your day with these Lofthouse frosted sugar cookies. These cookies designed just for kids, the kind that calls out for a giant glass of milk.
More Amazing Treats to Bake!
- Birthday Cake Cookies
- Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
- Frosted Soft Sugar Cookie Bars
- No-Churn Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
- Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
- Pink Velvet Lofthouse Swig Cookies
- Rainbow Sprinkle Cake
- Soft Almond Cookies with Almond Buttercream
Best Soft Lofthouse Cookies
Ingredients
Lofthouse Copycat Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- ½ cup butter softened
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- optional: 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Buttercream Frosting
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 2 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Food coloring
- Sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
How to Make Soft Lofthouse Cookies
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together, set aside.
- In another large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
- Transfer dough to plastic wrap and smooth into a disc. Dough will still be soft and sticky at this point. Refrigerate dough until well chilled, at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350° and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Lightly flour surface and place dough on counter. Dust top of dough with flour as well. Roll dough out to ½” thick. Use a 3” round cookie cutter to cut cookies and place on prepared baking sheets 2” apart. Gather scraps and re-roll to cut to cut out more cookies.
- Bake until edges are just set, but centers are still slightly underdone, 10 to 12 minutes until they are set and it is very important not to overbake them. Let cool completely on baking sheets.
Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat softened butter, heavy cream, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar until completely smooth and creamy approximately 2-5 minutes. Add desired food coloring and beat again to combine.
- Use an offset spatula to frost tops of cooled cookies with a thick amount of frosting, then top with sprinkles.
Recipe slightly adapted from Delish