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If you’ve ever wandered past the grocery store bakery, spotted those pastel‑frosted, soft‑as‑pillows Lofthouse Cookies, and drooled, you’re in the right kitchen. HA!

A picture of 3 cookies beautifully decorated with sprinkles

Today we’re making Lofthouse Cookies—the smiley, sprinkle‑topped treats that magically disappear during a movie night.

The original Lofthouse cookie has a tender crumb, mild flavor of white wheat, and creamy frosting you can dye any color from Valentine’s Day pink to neon green alien.

This homemade version skips the palm oil and artificial flavors you’ll see on the back of the box, but it still delivers that melt‑in‑your‑mouth texture Jeremy (my resident cookie tester) calls “soft spots of happiness.”

Why bake them yourself? First, you get to lick the paddle attachment—science says that tastes better than store‑bought already!

Second, you control the ingredients: real butter, sour cream for moisture, and pure vanilla extract instead of “vanillin.”

Third, you can crank these out for a bake sale, school snack, or surprise Tuesday celebration without hunting down the last box in the grocery store bakery.

Grab your bowl of a stand mixer, raid the sprinkle stash, and let’s whip up some Lofthouse Cookies that might beat the real thing.

Some of our other favorite cookie recipes we have on our site include: Best Cinnamon Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe, Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (Sandwich Cookies), and Meltaway Lemon Cookies.

A full plate of frosted Lofthouse cookies with sprinkles. YUM

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Low‑Protein Flour = Tender Crumb
Using cake flour (lower gluten than all purpose flour) keeps the cookie dough light and gives that signature fluffy texture.
Sour Cream Is the Secret Weapon
A little sour cream adds moisture and subtle tang, creating a super soft sugar cookie that stays pillowy for days in an airtight container.
Quick‑Whip Frosting
Butter, powdered sugar, and a dash of whole milk to a cloud‑like topping. Add gel food coloring and rainbow sprinkles—suddenly you’ve got bakery‑worthy sweet frosting in five minutes.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):

cake flour
baking soda
cream of tartar
baking powder
salt
unsalted butter
powdered sugar
sour cream
large egg
vanilla extract
almond extract
milk
gel food coloring
sprinkles

HOW TO MAKE LOFTHOUSE COOKIES:

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.
Mix in the powdered sugar until combined, scrape down the sides if needed.
Add the sour cream, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, stir it in until fully combined, mixture may appear curdled.
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.
Add the powdered sugar and salt combine as well as you can.
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.
Add food coloring now if using. Scrape down the sides to make sure all the frosting is colored.
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.

These are pictures of all the steps it takes to make the cookies.

FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:

IS THIS A COPYCAT RECIPE?

Yes! These homemade Lofthouse cookies mimic the soft cookie and creamy frosting of the original Lofthouse cookie but with simple pantry ingredients—no sodium aluminum sulfate, no carnauba wax.

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD?

Totally. Chill unbaked cookie dough balls covered in plastic wrap up to 48 hours or freeze for two months. Bake straight from the freezer—add one extra minute of oven time. Finished cookies stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for 4 days.

Another beautiful picture of the cookies stacked on top of each other.

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ANY ADDITIONS?

As cookies go, these guys are super easy to change up. Check it out!

Swap sprinkles seasonally (hearts, shamrocks, spooky bats)
Stir mini chocolate chips into the dough
Spread Nutella under the frosting for double layers
Sprinkle crushed peppermint on Christmas batches
Dust with cocoa powder for mocha flair
Pipe a swirl of peanut butter on top before frosting sets
Add lemon zest in dough for bright flavor
Roll dough in cinnamon sugar for snickerdoodle vibes
Dot frosting with mini M&M’s for color bombs
Drizzle melted dark chocolate in zigzags after frosting firms

ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?

I like to keep things interesting for ya! Try a thing or two from this list if you’re up for it.

Cake flour → sifted all‑purpose flour + 2 Tbsp cornstarch (per cup)
Sour cream → full‑fat Greek yogurt
Butter → vegan butter or margarine (same quantity)
Almond extract → more vanilla or lemon extract
Powdered sugar in frosting → blend coconut sugar until fine (darker color)
Milk → oat, soy, or almond milk for dairy‑light option

HOW TO STORE:

ROOM TEMPERATURE: Place cookies in a single layer in an airtight container up to 4 days. Slip parchment between layers if stacking so frosting doesn’t glue cookies together.

REFRIGERATOR: Cover with plastic wrap; keep up to 1 week. Bring to room temp 10 minutes for best mouth texture.

FREEZER: Freeze un‑frosted cookies wrapped tight for 2 months. Thaw, frost fresh, and add sprinkles to avoid soggy tops.

DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:

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.

FInal picture of the three cookies stacked with a bite out of the cookie on top.

There it is — Lofthouse cookies you can bake in your own oven, no mysterious label with folic acid or monocalcium phosphate needed. Soft cake‑like centers, bright frosting, and sprinkles that make you smile—these treats prove that bakery magic can happen right at home!

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If you’ve tried these LOFTHOUSE COOKIES, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!