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Make Lofthouse sugar cookies at home! These sugar cookies have a delicious buttery vanilla flavor, delicate crumb, and melt in your mouth. Then they’re topped with creamy frosting & tons of sprinkles.
I absolutely love Lofthouse sugar cookies. I love the pink frosting and sprinkles. And there’s nothing better than pillowy soft sugar cookies topped with a thick layer of creamy buttercream.
As a teenager, my friends and I would buy a box of Lofthouse cookies and watch movies all night. Our bellies would be sore from laughing and we’d finish every single crumb.
We don’t often have the chance to get together anymore, but Lofthouse cookies always remind me of those nights and bring a big smile to my face.
So I decided to find the perfect copycat Lofthouse sugar cookie recipe. These are just as thick, soft, and have the most delicious delicate cookie crumb. Then they’re topped with a thick layer of buttercream frosting. You’re going to love them.
How to Make Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
For the perfect sugar cookies, there’s a few key ingredients and steps. You can find the detailed recipe below, but I’m going to highlight why we’re using certain ingredients.
- First we’re using a combination of butter and shortening. Butter for flavor and shortening makes the cookies extra soft.
- Then we’re adding 1 large egg plus 1 extra egg white. Eggs add tenderness.
- For this recipe we’re using cake flour. Cake flour makes the cookies have a delicate texture that melts in your mouth.
- Finally, I like to add a little almond extract to these sugar cookies for even more flavor. It’s seriously delicious.
Make sure to chill the dough so the cookies stay thick. Then form them into balls and flatten slightly by pressing them down with the bottom of a cup. You can make regular sized cookies by forming them into balls about 2 tablespoons in size, or make jumbo cookies with a large cookie scoop (about 3.5 tablespoons in size each).
Then after the cookies have cooled, it’s time to get on with the frosting. Simple, creamy, vanilla buttercream. What could be more delicious? I like to play around with the frosting and sprinkles for different holidays – like red and green for Christmas or pink and red for Valentine’s Day.
But no matter what day of the year you make these Lofthouse sugar cookies – they’ll disappear quickly!
Valentine’s Day RECIPES
Looking for more Valentine’s recipes to share with the ones you love?
- 5 Minute Valentine’s Snack Mix
- Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes
- Strawberry Pink Ombre Cake
- White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars with Raspberry Sauce
- No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes with Raspberry Sauce
- Red Velvet Churros
- No Bake Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookie Pie
- Chocolate Rose Red Velvet Cupcake
- Cookies and Cream Red Velvet Molten Lava Cakes
Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Lofthouse Cookies
- 2 3/4 Cup Cake Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening
- 1 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Large Egg White
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
Frosting
- 1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 3-3.5 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 3-4 Tablespoon Milk or Cream
- Food Coloring
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- In a large bowl sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.2 3/4 Cup Cake Flour, 2 teaspoon Baking Powder, 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- In a separate bowl beat together the butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy.1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, 1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening, 1 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- Then beat in the egg, egg white, vanilla extract and almond extract.1 Large Egg, 1 Large Egg White, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
- With the mixer on low beat in the flour mixture about 1/2 at a time.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Form the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons in size and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Press the tops down slightly using the bottom of a cup dipped in flour.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the tops are set.
Make the Frosting
- In a large bowl beat the butter and shortening until fluffy.1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter, 1/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening
- Beat in the vanilla extract and salt.1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- Beat in the powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, then beat in the milk/cream about 1 tablespoon at a time, adding a little more powdered sugar as necessary.3-3.5 Cups Powdered Sugar, 3-4 Tablespoon Milk or Cream
- Then mix in the food coloring (I used about 5-6 drops of red).Food Coloring
- Frost cooled cookies with a flat knife and decorate with sprinkles.Sprinkles
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Red Velvet Sugar Cookies
Soft Sugar Cookie Bars
These sugar cookie bars are soft, buttery & completely delicious!
Hello, these cookies look so soft and delicious just like our favorite lofthouse!! I would love to make these for my son but have no balance and use a walker so standing for long periods isnt possible. I am wondering if instead of making each individual cookie would this work as a slice and bake by rolling into a log, freezing slightly and just slicing. Also want to try something new, do you think ad ins would work with this recipe such as orange or lemon peel or chopped almonds or cranberries? Thank you so much for this great recipe, Merry Christmas!!!
Hi Cherri! I’ve never made rolled log cookies to be honest, so I’m not sure if that would work. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work though. Any add-ins should be fine as well.
My granddaughter and I made these on Friday as she anted to make Valentine cookies. My son and husband loved them and they were gone by Sunday . I didn’t have any of the issues I have read below. Mine were fluffy, not greasy at all and had great texture. I think most of the issue I read below is mixing error. I made them again 3 days after my first batch and wish I would have known they would disappear so quickly as I tossed out the extra frosting. That is the only thing I had to change. The frosting is enough for more than 2 batches.
Thank you so much for the feedback Christa!! So glad you enjoyed them!
I hate the frosting why would you ever put so much vegetable shortening in a cookie and the frosting disgusting DONT TRY THIS RECIPE!
I’m sorry you didn’t like it! Not everything is for everyone! :/
These cookies were really good but they did not taste at all like lofthouse cookies. The icing was greasy tasting but the cookies were really good, I’d make them again, they didn’t have that cake like consistency.
Thank you for the feedback Shelley!
These were. . .okay. I think the recipe could use some tweaks. For instance; I had to bake these at LEAST 5-10 minutes longer than recommended. My first batch baked for 12 minutes and fell apart after completely cool trying to take them off the tray (very doughy and undercooked). I found they tasted very heavy and greasy, the end consistency was far more moist than light and cakey like those from the store. I personally would cut down the butter in this and maybe even the sugar (They’re pretty sweet but so are the Lofthouse ones, so if you’re looking for an exact copy the OP is pretty spot on with sugar.)
On some side notes some of the issues I may have had could have been from over beating or even under beating. It’s probably the easiest thing to mess up, but there aren’t a lot of indications on what the finally dough is supposed to look like.
Under cooked, greasy, or not. My dad likes them a lot. I probably won’t make them again, though.
Thank you for the feedback!
50 years ago my mother in law made the best cookies, Sour Cream Cut outs with buttercream frosting. Along came this lofthouse cookie and it tastes just like hers! If day your version is missing the secret ingredient … Sour Cream.
We chill our dough overnight, take a small amount out of the refrigerator at a time, roll it out on a floured surface, cut out shapes and bake. Yummy frosted Christmas cookies.
Thank you for the feedback Vicki!!
I really had hope for this recipe because I love Lofthouse Sugar Cookies, but this is borderline slander. This is an awful recipe. There are too many grease substances required and too much sugar. The cookies come out too sweet and they are nothing like Lofthouse Sugar Cookies, the should be called terrible white cookies to throw in the trash. Try Again.
It must be baker error because I have made them 4 times and won a comp for their lofthouse likeness. Try Again.
Yay! That’s awesome Elle! Thanks for the feedback and backup! 😉
These turned out okay. They didn’t really disintegrate in my mouth like the store-bought cookies did, but the flavor was decent. They kind of tasted like a whole grain version of the classic Lofthouse cookies. I would recommend baking for 5-7 minutes to avoid the graininess.
Thank you for the feedback Val!
Mine taste great but they flattened out like pancakes. Could not be further from loft house style cookies.
Well shoot! That is definitely not Lofthouse if they are flat! Here are some potential causes: the butter was too soft or partially melted, the flour was under measured, the dough wasn’t chilled long enough, or the cookie sheet was too hot. Cookies can be so temperamental!
Would this recipe work for shaped sugar cookies using cookie cutters?
Hi Krista,
I wouldn’t use this recipe to make really intricate shapes because the dough will spread as it bakes. But shapes like hearts and circles would be fine. To make this recipe into shaped cookies – I’d add probably 2 more tablespoons of flour. Then after making the dough, divide it in 2, form each portion into a disc shape and wrap in plastic wrap then chill in the fridge for 3 hours. Then when ready to bake, make sure to use a really well floured surface and rolling pin. 🙂
Thank you! These are my favorite cookies! I don’t allow myself to buy them at the store anymore (sugar, calories etc!) but if I made them at home myself.. Grin. I’ve been too intimidated to attempt them.
haha, my kind of thinking!