This post may contain affiliate links.
Lofthouse Cookies are the soft, frosted sugar cookies with the cloud like texture everyone loves, and this copycat tastes even better than the pink boxed kind. Maddie and Lizzie ask for them every birthday, so I tint the fluffy frosting a different color each time and let them pile on the sprinkles on a rainy afternoon. If you love a soft, cakey cookie, you will want these next to our Easter sugar cookies on the dessert table.
Tender cake flour cookies get their signature bakery flavor from sour cream, cream of tartar, and a hint of almond, then a swoosh of fluffy frosting and rainbow sprinkles finishes them off.
Lofthouse Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 35 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 148kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, sweet, almond kissed cookie with fluffy frosting
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our Easter sugar cookies
Quick Answer
Whisk cake flour with cream of tartar and leaveners, then cream butter with powdered sugar and beat in sour cream, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix in the flour, scoop the soft dough, and chill at least 2 hours. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until barely golden, cool completely, then top with fluffy vanilla frosting and sprinkles.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cake flour keeps them pillowy soft. The low protein cake flour is the secret to that signature tender, cottony lofthouse texture you cannot get with all purpose flour.
- Sour cream adds moisture and tang. A scoop of sour cream keeps the cookies soft for days and balances the sweetness with a subtle tang.
- Cream of tartar for the classic flavor. Cream of tartar gives lofthouse cookies their slightly tangy, bakery style taste and a soft, cakey crumb.
- Almond extract is the copycat secret. A quarter teaspoon of almond extract is what makes these taste just like the store bought lofthouse cookies.
- Chilling the dough is essential. At least 2 hours in the fridge firms the soft dough so the cookies hold their shape and stay thick instead of spreading.
- Underbaking keeps them tender. Pulling them when the edges are barely golden leaves the centers soft and pillowy, never crisp.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They taste just like the soft frosted lofthouse cookies from the store, only fresher and so much better.
- That cloud soft, cakey texture with fluffy frosting and sprinkles makes them a hit at birthdays, holidays, and bake sales.
- You can tint the frosting any color for any occasion, just like our Easter sugar cookies.
Key Ingredients
Here is what gives these lofthouse cookies their soft, bakery style texture. See the recipe card below for the exact amounts.
- Cake flour: The key to the soft, tender crumb. Do not substitute all purpose, which makes them dense.
- Cream of tartar and sour cream: Together they give lofthouse cookies their signature soft, slightly tangy bakery flavor.
- Almond extract: Just a little is the secret to that classic store bought lofthouse taste.
- Butter and powdered sugar: Softened butter and powdered sugar make both the cookies and the fluffy frosting, the same base as our Easter cookie bars.
- Gel food coloring and sprinkles: Optional but classic. Gel color tints the frosting without thinning it, and sprinkles make them festive.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few fun ways to make these lofthouse cookies your own.
- Tint the frosting pink, blue, or any color to match the holiday or party.
- Turn them into sandwich cookies by frosting two together, like our snickerdoodle sandwich cookies.
- Add a little lemon or orange zest to the dough for a bright citrus twist.
- Make them festive for spring with pastel frosting and our Easter bunny cookies on the same platter.
How to Make Lofthouse Cookies
- Whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter until smooth.
- Mix in the powdered sugar until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the sour cream, egg, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until combined. The batter may look slightly curdled, which is fine.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on medium just until a soft dough comes together.
- The dough will be soft and smooth. Scoop 1.5 tablespoon dollops onto a parchment lined tray, cover, and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Roll the chilled dough into balls and space them out on parchment lined baking sheets.
- Gently flatten each ball with the heel of your hand, since these cookies do not spread much.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just barely light golden. Cool completely on the tray.
- Whip the frosting butter until smooth, beat in the powdered sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla until light and fluffy, tint with gel color, then frost each cooled cookie and top with sprinkles.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use cake flour, not all purpose. It is the single most important ingredient for that soft lofthouse texture.
- Do not skip the chill. At least 2 hours keeps the soft dough from spreading into thin cookies.
- Underbake slightly. Pull them when the edges are barely golden so the centers stay pillowy.
- Flatten the dough balls gently before baking since these cookies do not spread much.
- Let them cool completely before frosting so the frosting does not melt and slide off.
- Add sprinkles right after frosting so they stick, the same way we decorate our Easter cookie bars.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These soft lofthouse cookies are a party in cookie form. Pile them on a platter for birthdays, baby showers, holidays, and bake sales, and watch them disappear.
Match the frosting color to your occasion and serve them with other crowd favorites like our raspberry thumbprint cookies and butterfinger cookies for a full dessert tray.
They are best the day they are frosted but keep well, so you can bake the cookies ahead and frost them when you are ready to serve.
Lofthouse Cookies FAQs
Soft Lofthouse Cookies depend on cake flour, sour cream, and not overbaking. All purpose flour makes them dense, and a minute too long in the oven dries them out. Pull them when the edges are barely golden.
Yes. The dough is very soft, so chilling it for at least 2 hours, or overnight, is essential. It firms the dough so the cookies stay thick and do not spread into thin discs.
Almond extract is the secret. A quarter teaspoon, along with cream of tartar and sour cream, gives these the classic soft, slightly tangy, bakery flavor of store bought lofthouse cookies.
Yes. You can chill the dough overnight, or bake the cookies a day ahead and store them airtight, then frost them the day you plan to serve for the freshest look and taste.
Store frosted Lofthouse Cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
Yes. Freeze the unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw, then frost and decorate before serving for the best texture.
Craving more soft and sweet treats? Try our raspberry thumbprint cookies next, then come back and tell us how your lofthouse cookies turned out.
Add our crackled molasses cookies to your holiday cookie tray alongside these frosted ones.
Love a soft, chewy cookie? Our cranberry oatmeal cookies are loaded with tart cranberries and crunchy walnuts.
Craving a birthday treat? Make our Funfetti Cupcakes.
Love a big batch of cookies? Our peanut butter oatmeal cookies make 56 soft, chewy cookies.
Hosting an afternoon tea? Our strawberry tea sandwiches are a must.
Lofthouse Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- For the frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring optional
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt, set aside.3 cups cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.1 cup unsalted butter
- Mix in the powdered sugar until combined, scrape down the sides if needed.1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Add the sour cream, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, stir it in until fully combined, mixture may appear curdled.¼ cup sour cream, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Add the flour mixture and stir in until combined, scrape down the sides, and put the mixer on medium speed for a few seconds to make sure it’s mixed well.
- On a parchment-lined baking sheet, make dollops of dough, not touching with a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight preferably.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2-4 sheet trays with parchment paper. Roll the dough balls in your hands so they are round. Using the heel of your hand, gently flatten the balls of cookie dough. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges begin to turn slightly light golden brown. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.
- While the cookies are baking, make the frosting by adding the butter to a large bowl and with a hand mixer (or with a stand mixer) whip the butter until smooth.For the frosting, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Add the powdered sugar and salt combine as well as you can.2 cups powdered sugar, Pinch of salt
- Add the milk and vanilla, slowly stir it in. Turn the mixer on medium speed and whip it for 3 minutes until light and fluffy, scrape down the sides as needed. If it seems too thick add another ½ tablespoon of milk.1 tablespoon whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add food coloring now if using. Scrape down the sides to make sure all the frosting is colored.Gel food coloring
- Once the cookies are cooled, add a little bit of the frosting to each one and immediately top with sprinkles. Repeat with all the cookies.Sprinkles
Notes
- Beat butter and sugar on medium‑high speed for a full 3 minutes—traps air for that super soft texture.
- Don’t skip the chill time; cold dough = puffier cookies that hold shape.
- Use a cookie scoop so every cookie bakes evenly.
- Gently flatten dough balls with your palm for the classic smooth top.
- If frosting is too thick, add drops of milk; too thin, spoon in more powdered sugar.
- For perfect edges, run an offset spatula around warm cookies to nudge stray dough back into a circle.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
These look and taste amazing – Thanks for the recipe!