Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Originally published March 2019; Updated Dec 2023
Soft, buttery, a little tangy, and slathered with a thick layer of creamy frosting: my list of what makes a perfect sugar cookie. You know those soft sugar cookies you find in most grocery store bakeries with the crazy thick layer of sugary frosting? Like those, only more buttery, less plastic-tasting (you know it’s true), and made with ingredients I can pronounce. These Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies are the closest I’ve come to those infamous grocery store cookies.
Soft, Satisfying, and Perfect for Holiday Baking!
These cookies are on the softer side, but they still have a slight firmness that makes them SO satisfying to bite into. They have a little cream of tartar in them, which gives them that tangy flavor I just love. On their own, they’re amazing. But top them with the dreamiest cream cheese frosting, and they’re insanely good.
I got this cookie recipe YEARS ago (like about 20 years ago!) from a past roommate. I can’t for the life of me remember which roommate it was (if it’s you, please remind me so I can properly thank you!), but I still have the sticky note they wrote it on for me. Check it out:
Side note: You know those people who have their recipes neatly and systematically organized? Yeah, I’m not one of them (though posting them all on this blog is sure helping me stay organized!). My recipes are floating around my house on butter-stained scraps of paper (or sticky notes, in this case), most of them in a messy pile on a shelf with my cookbooks, some of them tossed into cupboards or drawers.
Seriously, I’m not sure how I manage to find the same recipe twice. I’ve started typing them up, but when I actually make them I still end up using the greasy scraps of paper I first wrote them on. The upside? Less butter on my keyboard.
The Creamiest Cream Cheese Frosting
Anyway, back to the cookies. As I mentioned earlier, they’re so, so delicious on their own. Throw on a few sprinkles, and you’re good to go. But the cream cheese frosting takes them over the top.
This frosting recipe is inspired by the one I used to make in huge vats at a local bakery(talk about a dream job!). I don’t remember that recipe exactly, but this is close. It’s so creamy and so fluffy, it’s hard not to eat it with a spoon.
These soft cut out sugar cookies are a fantastic choice for any holiday — Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patty’s Day, you name it. When I first posted this recipe back in March of 2019, I was feeling the need for a bit of St. Patty’s Day cheer on a cold, blustery March day, so I opted for a shamrock shape, a little green food coloring, and some green and gold sprinkles.
More recently, I made a batch for Christmas. I’m not much of a cookie decorator (props to those who are, I just don’t have the patience for it), but even with just a swoop of frosting and a handful of sprinkles, these cookies are so pretty and appetizing.
If, however, you do like to get a bit fancier with your decorating, this frosting is great to pipe out (just chill it a bit first).
However you decide to decorate them, I know you’ll enjoy these cookies as much as I do. So get out your rolling pin and cookie cutters and dig in!
A Few Notes To Help You Make Your Best Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- I like to use regular salted butter for cookies. I know, I know, that’s supposedly a baking no-no. But I do it anyway because I like the added saltiness it offers (and because I’m not about to keep two kinds of butter on hand at all times). However, if you’re not as much of a salt freak as me, go ahead and use unsalted butter (or reduce the amount of salt added).
- Make sure your butter and egg are at room temperature. This makes for a much smoother dough.
- Same goes for the butter and cream cheese for the frosting. I typically set mine out on the counter at least a few hours before. If they’re both room temp and soft, you won’t have to worry about chunks in your frosting.
- If your dough seems a little sticky, don’t worry. Just flour your work surface and rolling pin well, and roll out gently, sprinkling on more flour as needed. The dough should be nice and soft and easy to roll out.
- Roll the dough only about 1/4″ thick. Any thinner, and your cookies will turn out crispy (but still delicious, so you know, don’t stress about it too much).
- You shouldn’t need to grease your cookie sheets, as these cookies have plenty of butter in them. If you’re worried about that though, you can line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.
- I used a 2 1/2″ cookie cutter. Use any kind or size you like, just keep in mind that a larger cookie will need to bake a little longer, a smaller one will need less time…you get the picture.
- Store these cookies in the fridge. The cream cheese frosting is pretty soft at room temperature, and you don’t want melty cookies on your hands. The unfrosted cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Ok, ready to bake? I hope you enjoy this recipe and that you have a wonderful holiday season surrounded by the ones you love.
Happy Holidays!
Looking for More Sugar Cookie Recipes?
If you’re a sugar cookie lover, I’ve got a couple more sugar cookie recipes you’ll enjoy! Try my Lemon Drop Sugar Cookies or my Sour Cream Sugar Cookies.
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Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 c butter, softened*
- 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 1/2 c flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 c butter, softened*
- 1/2 c cream cheese, softened*
- 1/2-1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
- 2 c powdered sugar
- few drops food coloring, if desired
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and cream of tartar and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl), beat butter and powdered sugar together until fluffy.
- Add in egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until well combined. Continuing to mix on low speed, add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing until combined.
- Gather dough into a ball. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/4″ thick. Cut as desired (I used a 2 1/2″ cutter).
- Bake for 7-8 minutes or until tops look dried out and bottoms are just beginning to brown slightly. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheets for 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, mix butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well-mixed and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add almond or vanilla extract and mix well. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing well in between. Add food coloring, if desired.
- Once everything is well combined, mix at medium-high speed until frosting is fluffy. If frosting becomes a little too melty, pop it in the refrigerator to firm it up a bit.
- Frost and decorate cookies as desired.
- Store frosted cookies and any leftover frosting in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Alternatively, freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw completely before frosting.
Notes
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