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Sour Cream Cookies

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Old-fashioned Sour Cream Cookies are soft, lightly sweet, and so easy to make that they barely require any effort. You’ll want to make these all year because they’re so irresistible!

Frosted sour cream cookies next to a spreading knife with frosting on the tip.

It is the time of year where we’re all baking nothing but cookies! Hello holiday baking!!

I recently shared delightful classic sugar cookies and chewy gingersnap cookies that make wonderful edible gifts for Christmas. And today I have another cookie that will win the hearts of whoever tries them.

I mentioned before I have a friend who grew up in the midwest. Her grandmother passed down a very old church cookbook filled recipes that had easy to access recipes.

I browsed through this book and found so many wonderful recipes to try! Remember this pumpkin jam from early fall? That was one of the recipes I adapted from the book.

Frosted sour cream cookies next to a try filled with cookies and a white bowl filled with pink frosting.

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How to make sour cream cookies

Today I’m sharing another. Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies.

They are so incredibly soft and sweet. And they require ingredients that you most likely have on hand.

Adding sour cream to a basic cookie base produces a soft, creamy cookie. You can taste an ever so slight tang and ultimate richness from the sour cream.

In addition to the sour cream, there’s a splash of vanilla extract for flavor. You can also use almond extract or a combination of both.

Neatly arrange sour cream cookies in on a white tray.

The best thing about this sour cream cookie dough is it doesn’t require chilling. The dough is supposed to be soft, almost like a thick cake batter.

Spoon the dough out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and press each cookie flat with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. The sugar will help prevent the dough from getting stuck to the bottom of the glass.

These cookies are great plain with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar or frosted with sour cream frosting. I like to use the frosting and color it so the cookies look extra pretty.

They’d also look fancy with a sprinkling of sanding sugar. You choose how you want to decorate your sour cream cookies!

Close up of frosted sour cream cookies next to a try filled with cookies and a white bowl filled with pink frosting.

Helpful tools

More cookie recipes you’ll love

  1. White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
  2. Glazed Lemon Cookies
  3. Chai Cookies

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Sour Cream Cookies Recipe Image

Sour Cream Cookies

Old-fashioned Sour Cream Cookies are soft, lightly sweet, and so easy to make that they barely require any effort. You’ll want to make these all year because they’re so irresistible!
5 from 8 votes
Print Save Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Yields: 20 cookies
Calories: 169

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 1/3 cup (76 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (115 g) sour cream
  • 1 and 2/3 cups (200 g) cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting

Instructions

Make the cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  • In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy and pale in color. 
  • Beat in the egg and vanilla on high speed, followed by the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix the flour mixture into the sour cream mixture until combined. The dough will be soft, almost like a thick cake batter.
  • Drop tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Press each cookie flat with the bottom of a wet glass dipped in sugar.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges. Rotate the pan once halfway through baking. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting

  • In a medium bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and sour cream on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. 
  • Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 20 seconds then increase to high speed until everything is fully combined and the frosting is a spreadable consistency.  Spread over each cooled cookie, then decorate with sprinkles or sanding sugar

Make ahead tip

  • The cookies will keep for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
  • Baked unfrosted cookies will keep for up to 3 months stored in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Instead of frosting, you can sprinkle a mixture of 2 tablespoons granulated and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon over the cookies just before baking.
Nutrition Facts
Sour Cream Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 169
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keywords: cookies, sour cream cookies
Author: Jen Sobjack
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  3. Rose DeArmond says

    November 22, 2018 at 8:00 pm

    I searched for an old-fashioned sour cream sugar cookie, must have been something I once came across. This recipe was as good as I imagined!

    Reply

  4. Mel (@bakingalittle) says

    May 9, 2018 at 7:49 am


    I found this recipe while searching for sour cream cookies something like my Grandma used to make. And, are you kidding me? These are so delicious! They are so light and just melt in your mouth. Using cake flour is genius. They’re perfect! Couldn’t be easier to make too. This is now one of my go to recipes. Thank you!

    Reply

  5. Nancy says

    March 16, 2018 at 11:32 am


    Exactly the recipe I’ve been looking for. Excellent—just like mom made. Thanks so much for sharing. They bring back great memories and are so good

    Reply

  6. Judy Beaton says

    January 11, 2018 at 7:22 pm


    Whoops! There is a teeny typo in the instructions for frosting in the PDF.
    Says “cream cheese” instead of sour cream. Mind you, the cream cheese
    would probably be great also. Hey, I love your stuff! Thank you for all the
    recipes.

    Reply