These homemade lofthouse cookies are incredibly soft, perfectly sweet, and melt right in your mouth. Finish them off with smooth frosting and a dash of colorful sprinkles!

Why this recipe works

This recipe for lofthouse cookies is just like the famous store-bought kind except these are made from scratch with lots of love. Lusciously sweet, overly soft and tender with an almost cake-like texture is what seals the deal with these sugar cookies.

Though sometimes getting things straight from the store is easier, the satisfaction of baking your own copycat lofthouse cookies is entirely worth it. Especially when you can tailor them to any holiday or season by switching out the color of frosting you use, similar to our frosted sugar cookie bars.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

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Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

DOUGH – The butter and egg used in this recipe should be at room temperature. Measure your flour by scooping it with a spoon into the measuring cup and leveling it off with the flat end of a butter knife. Do not scoop with the measuring cup directly into the bag of flour, your dough will be dense and dry. Using both baking soda and baking powder along with cornstarch will make the cookies soft and fluffy just like the store-bought ones so don’t skip any of these ingredients.

FROSTING – The food coloring in the frosting is optional, however, if you do decide to use food coloring I would suggest using the gel version. Gel food color produces a more vibrant color as opposed to the liquid kind.

How to Make Lofthouse Cookies

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F and line your baking tray with parchment paper.
In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients together – flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt (except the sugar). Mix well and keep aside.
In another bowl cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until it’s nice and creamy. Add in the egg and sour cream and beat until everything is combined well.
In small increments, add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until everything is combined well.
The dough should start taking shape. Make a rough thick disc out of it and refrigerate it covered with parchment paper for at least 1 hr.
Once the dough has been chilled, roll it to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut out the dough using a cookie cutter of about 2-3 inches in diameter.

EXPERT TIP – Don’t have a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter? Try using the rim of a cup to cut your dough discs.
Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool completely before icing.
For the icing, beat the butter using an electric mixer. Slowly begin adding the sugar a little at a time and keep beating until the mixture holds shape and is creamy in texture. Add a bit of food color as desired, we used 1 drop.
Using a butter knife or icing spatula, apply icing onto the cookies and add your favorite sprinkles. You can also pipe the frosting for a neater look.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

How do I store these cookies?

Store Lofthouse cookies in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Can I freeze the dough?

Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough properly wrapped with plastic wrap and placed inside a large ziptop bag for up to 3 months. You may also freeze precut dough circles in the freezer the same way, but I would recommend flash freezing them on a baking sheet before transferring them to an air-tight container or ziptop bag.

Serving Suggestions

These cookies are finally complete with a glass of milk. I love making them for each holiday, there are so many different variations to play around with!

Holiday Versions

Christmas – red, green, or white frosting with Christmas sprinkles

4th of July – red, white, or blue frosting with star-shaped sprinkles

Thanksgiving – brown, red, or orange frosting with holiday themed sprinkles

Easter – pastel frosting (light blue, baby pink, pale yellow)

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