The BEST Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
I’ve baked plenty of Christmas cookies, but had never baked Halloween cookies. This was the year to change that. These sprinkled-up cookies are buttery soft, tender, slightly chewy without any cakiness. They’re based on two recent favorites, Softbatch Funfetti Cookies and Lofthouse-Style Soft Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies. I love the baked-in sprinkles in the Softbatch Funfetti Cookies. It’s such a timesaver not having to frost and decorate cookies when all you want to do is dive into them, not frost them.
I adapted the dough base from the Lofthouse Peanut Butter Cookies, because it’s soft and lightweight, without being dry or crumbly. Real Lofthouse Cookies are the incredibly soft, featherlight cookies sold in grocery store bakeries, with a signature layer of frosting and sprinkles. I added cornstarch to the cookie dough. It’s a true workhorse in cookie-baking because it helps create a super soft and supple texture. I’ve used it in at least 15 cookie recipes, including Lofthouse-Style Soft Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies, Pumpkin Spice Cookies, Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Cookies, M&M’s Cookies, Snickers Cookies, Twix Bar Cookies, Caramel Corn Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Smores Cookies. You’ll love the softbatch-style results.
I used one-half cup of 3 different types of sprinkles, each from the Target dollar bins. Love those bins for fun finds like sprinkles, spatulas, and cupcake liners. I only wish my impulse buys at Target were confined to the dollar bins section. The two types of sprinkles I used are multi-colored jimmies and one type is minuscule orange, yellow, and white non-pareils (little balls). Use your favorites! The fall cookies are soft, buttery, and just melt in your mouth. The abundance of sprinkles adds texture and little pops of flavor in every bite. Some of the sprinkles I used were chocolate and some bites were subtly chocolaty. Bonus.
Around Christmas, substitute red and green sprinkles for easy, no-roll, soft sugar cookies. And feel free to frost the cookies with your favorite vanilla buttercream or or vanilla cream cheese frosting, or make sandwich cookies with them. I can’t believe I’m already thinking about holiday baking and Christmas cookies. Let’s get through Halloween first. Boo.
What’s in the Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies?
To make these pillowy soft fall sugar cookies, you’ll need:
Egg Unsalted butter Granulated sugar Light brown sugar Vanilla extract Cake flour Cornstarch Baking powder Baking soda Salt Sprinkles
How to Make Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter, egg, sugars, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined, then gently fold in the sprinkles. Scoop the cookie dough into 2-inch balls, then chill for at least 3 hours before baking. My cookies don’t spread much while baking and I give them a gentle tap-tap with the back of a spoon right as they come out of the oven. If yours emerge from the oven as domed igloos, flatten them a bit.
Can I Substitute the Cake Flour?
These fall sugar cookies are similar to the real thing, thanks in part to using cake flour. Normally I shy away from using ingredients you may not have on hand, but in this recipe, it’s irreplaceable and creates the classic soft, light Lofthouse-style cookie. You can buy it in any grocery store baking aisle, Target, or other big box stores. It’s inexpensive and you can make these cookies or these with it, too. A DIY version of cake flour can be made by measuring out 1 cup all-purpose flour, removing 2 tablespoons of it, and in its place, adding 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Then, sift the flour and cornstarch together at least 3 times for the ultra-fine, soft texture that cake flour is known for. That sounds like way too much work and I’d rather buy it, but suit yourself.
Can I Use Different Colored Sprinkles?
Of course! Switch up the sprinkles to suit whatever holiday it is that you’re celebrating.
How to Store the Fall Sugar Cookies
Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. Unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Tips for Making Soft Lofthouse Cookies
There’s a very high sprinkle-t0-dough ratio in this recipe. If you don’t love sprinkles as much as I do, 1 cup may be enough. The dough is very soft and borderline sticky, and must be chilled before baking or the cookies will spread into flat puddles. I prefer to chill it at least overnight, and there’s no harm in letting it chill for up to 5 days and then bake off just 4 or 6 cookies, or as needed. Make sure not to over bake the cookies, even if they seem light, glossy, and pale at the 8- to 9-minute mark because they firm up as they cool. They’re best when they’re super soft without any browning and if you overcook them, by day 2 they’ll be on the crunchier rather than softer side.
More Fall Cookies:
White Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies — These Halloween cookies are PACKED with candy corn and white chocolate chips. They’re easy to make and are always a hit with the kids! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies— These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are bursting with chocolate chips in every bite! They’re thick, hearty, perfectly chewy, and not at all cakey.
Soft Butter Pecan Cookies — Buttery soft dough with big chunky pecans in every bite! Salty-and-sweet and so hard to resist!!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies— Between the molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin pie spice extract that I used, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies beautifully showcase the flavors of fall!
Pumpkin Spice Cookies— These pumpkin spice cookies are made without pumpkin puree but are full of flavor thanks to the pumpkin pie spice! These are so soft and fluffy!
Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies — Soft, chewy, loads of white chocolate, and so much pumpkin flavor!! A pinch of salt balances the sweet white chocolate for a salty-and-sweet treat!!
Soft & Chewy Molasses Gingerdoodles— These soft molasses cookies taste like a cross between chewy gingerbread cookies and crinkly snickerdoodles. An unbeatable holiday cookie recipe!
