This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Indulge your sweet tooth with these delightful small batch Sugar Cookies. These soft, lofthouse-style treats are designed to melt in your mouth and are generously topped with a luscious buttercream frosting.
It’s an easy, one-bowl delight that results in perfectly buttery and soft treats. With this recipe, you’ll bake approximately six flawless sugar cookies.
If you’re in search of more small batch cookie recipes, explore our delightful collection. Try our chewy Oatmeal Cookies, rich Molasses Cookies, decadent Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, and classic Butter Cookies. You’ll find these and many more tempting recipes on our website.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Cookie Recipe
- Buttery Perfection: These sugar cookies are the epitome of buttery goodness, promising a melt-in-your-mouth experience.
- Quick and Simple: Easy mixing and a speedy 10-minute bake make this recipe a breeze.
- Scalable Delight: This recipe doubles effortlessly, so you can share the joy or save some for later.
- Versatile: These cookies are perfect for any occasion, from casual snacking to special celebrations.
RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes
RELATED: The Best Cookie Recipes For One
What Are Lofthouse Cookies?
Sugar cookies, both timeless and versatile, are celebrated for their delightful buttery flavor and tender texture. Crafted from fundamental ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder, they serve as a blank canvas for culinary creativity.
Lofthouse Cookies, a delightful offshoot of sugar cookies, are renowned for their soft, cake-like consistency and lavish, sweet frosting. Typically round and generously adorned with vibrant icing and sprinkles, these treats have earned their place in the hearts of many in the United States. Frequently available as pre-packaged delights in stores, lofthouse cookies boast a melt-in-your-mouth quality and shine in their ability to be customized with a spectrum of frosting flavors and colors, making them a go-to choice for both casual indulgence and special celebrations.
Ingredients
- Butter: We recommend using softened salted butter for that extra flavor and buttery goodness in every bite. Softened butter is crucial in this sugar cookie recipe as it allows you to cream the butter and sugar together, creating essential air pockets that result in light and airy cookies. Softened butter should feel cool to the touch but leave an indentation when pressed with a finger.
- Sugar: Opt for granulated sugar to achieve the ideal level of sweetness.
- Egg: Just one egg is all you need to provide structure to your cookies.
- Vanilla extract and salt: These ingredients enhance the flavor profile of your cookies.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for its versatility and ideal texture.
- Baking powder: This little ingredient plays a crucial role in giving your cookies a slight lift, ensuring their perfect texture.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.
Recipe Variations
Get creative with your sugar cookies by trying out these delightful variations:
- Lemon Sugar Cookies: Add lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice for a refreshing twist.
- Chocolate-Dipped: Drizzle or dip your cookies in melted chocolate for an extra layer of indulgence.
- Sprinkle Funfetti: Make your sugar cookies extra cheerful by adding colorful sprinkles directly into the dough. These funfetti sugar cookies are perfect for celebrations and bring a burst of color and joy to every bite.
How To Make Sugar Cookies
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small batch of frosted sugar cookies. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Prepare the Dry Ingredients: Begin by whisking together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set this bowl aside for later use.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In another medium-sized bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the softened butter and granulated sugar for approximately 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract and the egg until well incorporated.
- Blend the Dough: With the mixer on low speed, gradually introduce the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix only until the ingredients are fully combined. Cover the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
- Preheat and Shape Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Take a quarter cup of the chilled dough and roll it into a ball. Place the dough ball on a baking sheet and gently flatten it using your fingers or a spatula. Repeat this process with the remaining dough, ensuring you space the cookies at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake and Cool: After the oven has preheated, bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until they are just set. After baking, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cookie rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream Icing Ingredients
Refer to the recipe box below for specific ingredient quantities.
- Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Milk or cream
- Food coloring (optional)
For the frosting, whisk together powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk until you achieve a smooth consistency. If needed, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired texture.
If you wish to add color to your frosting, simply incorporate 3 to 4 drops of food coloring. To complete your cookies, use a knife, offset spatula, or spoon to generously frost the cooled cookies. For an extra touch of charm, consider adding sprinkles as a delightful topping.
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Breakfast Recipes
Serving Suggestions & Gift Ideas
Explore creative ways to enjoy these delightful sugar cookies:
To Serve
- Classic Enjoyment: Savor these soft sugar cookies with a glass of cold milk for a timeless treat.
- Tea Time Delight: Pair these cookies with your favorite tea or coffee for a delightful afternoon snack.
- Dessert Sandwich: Create cookie sandwiches by adding a thick layer of frosting between two cookies for an extra indulgent dessert.
- Ice Cream Companion: These cookies make an excellent accompaniment to a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Party Platter: Arrange these cookies on a festive platter with sweet treats like Pralines, Chocolate Truffles, or Peanut Butter Fudge for special occasions or gatherings.
Gift Ideas
- Cookie Jars: Fill a charming cookie jar with these sugar cookies and give it as a thoughtful gift.
- Decorative Boxes: Place the cookies in decorative boxes or tins, adding a ribbon for a festive touch.
- Gift Baskets: Include these cookies in a homemade gift basket with other goodies and treats.
- Party Favors: Wrap cookies individually and offer them as party favors for birthdays or celebrations.
- Holiday Gifting: During the holiday season, these cookies make delightful homemade gifts for friends and family.
Expert Tips
- Softened Butter: For this sugar cookie recipe, use softened butter, not cold butter. Softened butter should still feel cool to the touch, but when you press your finger into it, your finger will leave an indentation. The best way to achieve this is to leave the butter on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes before using it. If you need to soften it quickly, microwave the cold butter for 10 to 15 seconds. Be cautious and watch closely to prevent any melting.
- Proper Flour Measurement: Ensure precise flour measurement by employing the spoon and level method. To measure flour correctly, scoop it with a spoon into a dry measuring cup, slightly overfilling it. Then, use the back of a knife or another straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Avoid scooping, as it compacts the flour and may lead to using more than the recipe specifies.
- Chill the Dough: The secret to achieving exceptional sugar cookies is to refrigerate the cookie dough before baking. Chilling the dough solidifies the fat. During baking, this solidified fat (butter) takes longer to melt, resulting in cookies that don’t spread out excessively and maintain their ideal shape.
- Precision Baking: Keep a close eye on your cookies in the oven; they should just be set and not overly browned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, sugar cookies store well in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. If refrigerated, they last for 1 week.
Absolutely! The frosting can be made ahead of time and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to frost those delicious cookies. For optimal results, remember to bring the frosting to room temperature before using it. Give it a good stir with a spoon or use a hand mixer to ensure it’s well-mixed and creamy. You might find it necessary to incorporate a bit more milk to achieve the ideal spreading consistency.
Experiment with food coloring or flavored extracts for endless frosting variations.
Yes! If you want to make a dozen cookies just double the ingredient amounts.
Explore More Small Batch Cookie Recipes
Discover a delightful array of small batch cookie recipes to satisfy your sweet cravings:
- Lace Cookies
- Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies
- Meringue Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Soft Ginger Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- M&M Cookies
- Ricotta Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
These recipes are perfect for when you’re in the mood for a small batch of sweet treats.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
To see examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried these soft sugar cookies or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
FOR THE SUGAR COOKIES
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons salted butter , softened
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
FOR THE FROSTING
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons salted butter , softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk , begin with 2 tablespoons of milk to achieve the desired frosting consistency. If you prefer a thinner frosting, simply add more milk. Alternatively, you can use cream for a creamier texture.
- 3 to 4 drops food coloring , optional
- sprinkles , optional
Instructions
Make the sugar cookies
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Begin by whisking together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set this bowl aside for later use.
- In another medium-sized bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the softened butter and granulated sugar for approximately 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract and the egg until well incorporated.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually introduce the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix only until the ingredients are fully combined. Cover the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Take a quarter cup of the chilled dough and roll it into a ball. Place the dough ball on a baking sheet and gently flatten it using your fingers or a spatula. Repeat this process with the remaining dough, ensuring you space the cookies at least 2 inches apart.
- After the oven has preheated, bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until they are just set. After baking, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cookie rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk until you achieve a smooth consistency. If needed, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired texture.
- If you wish to add color to your frosting, simply incorporate 3 to 4 drops of food coloring. To complete your cookies, use a knife, offset spatula, or spoon to generously frost the cooled cookies. For an extra touch of charm, consider adding sprinkles as a delightful topping.
Video
Notes
- Softened Butter: For this sugar cookie recipe, use softened butter, not cold butter. Softened butter should still feel cool to the touch, but when you press your finger into it, your finger will leave an indentation. The best way to achieve this is to leave the butter on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes before using it. If you need to soften it quickly, microwave the cold butter for 10 to 15 seconds. Be cautious and watch closely to prevent any melting.
- Proper Flour Measurement: Ensure precise flour measurement by employing the spoon and level method. To measure flour correctly, scoop it with a spoon into a dry measuring cup, slightly overfilling it. Then, use the back of a knife or another straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Avoid scooping, as it compacts the flour and may lead to using more than the recipe specifies.
- Chill the Dough: The secret to achieving exceptional sugar cookies is to refrigerate the cookie dough before baking. Chilling the dough solidifies the fat. During baking, this solidified fat (butter) takes longer to melt, resulting in cookies that don’t spread out excessively and maintain their ideal shape.
- Precision Baking: Keep a close eye on your cookies in the oven; they should just be set and not overly browned.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi Joanie, we made these cookies with gluten free flour and they turned out really well except we had to bake them for a total of 18 minutes. It was a brand new stove so I don’t think it was the oven and I’ve never had that problem with gf flour before. Despite this they were melt in your mouth yummy!
Delicious recipe! If I wanted to make the butter cream frosting look like a matt finish so I could write on it would you recommend heating the butter cream frosting for 30 seconds to loosen it up? Thanks
I would add in more powdered sugar which will absorb some of the frosting’s oil from the butter. You can also cool the frosting by putting it in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes. This should make the frosting easier to write on.
I made these yesterday, I was just wondering how to adjust the recipe to make cutout type cookies. We really liked them, I have never made a successful sugar cookie before. I am going to add a tad more sugar to the dough. These were really good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies. This sugar cookie recipe doesn’t work very well for cut-out sugar cookies and we don’t have a recipe for those types of cookies yet – stay tuned though.
Hi,
Is this suitable for preparing ahead of time and freezing (without the icing)?
Thanks!
MJ
The baked cookies can be frozen. I haven’t frozen the cookies before baking but I see no reason why you couldn’t.
Joanie,
Do you have diabetic (keto) recipes? I live alone and enjoy your recipes, but I must watch my sugar.
Thanks
Yes we do, Roxie. Please use the search box which looks like a magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner of the page and search for low carb and keto recipes.
I made these cookies for me and my daughter since we were craving something sweet. These were so easy to make and came out delicious! So buttery and soft! Will be making them a lot for Christmas
I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed the cookies. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
My cookies didn’t spread/rise, do I need to add more baking powder or maybe use baking soda instead?
Hi Katie,
The cookies really don’t spread all that much. They should be big and puffy though. The ingredient amounts are accurate, I would check the expiration date of the baking powder you used. Expired baking powder loses its potency after its use-by date and this can cause your cookies to improperly rise.
Delicious! This is my second batch, hubby who is a die-hard chocolate chip cookie fan has just declared his new favourite.
Only change I made was to use a mocha buttercream frosting- thanks for sharing.
Hi Pat,
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed the cookies – they’re some of my favorites too. I bet they were fantastic with mocha buttercream, I’ll have to try that.
Take care,
Joanie
Can I add Ricotta cheese to the Sugar Cookie recipe, reminds me so much
of the Italian cookies. Thanks for your time and trouble
Hi Jayne,
I’ve never tried adding ricotta cheese to the recipe. If you add it, please let me know how they turn out.
Thank you.
Joanie
Thanks Joanie for your quick reply… Will start experimenting and let
you know.
Hello..I was just wondering what amount of almond extract to use instead of vanilla? These cookies are magnificent by the way ❤
Can’t I substitute cake and pastry flour and not add baking powder.
Angela,
Just about any substitution will alter the taste and texture of anything you are baking. In the case of these sugar cookies, I have not tested the recipe with anything other than the ingredients listed in the recipe. If you do use cake or pastry flour, you would still need to add baking powder because flours need a leavener to make the cookies rise. Feel free to experiment though and if you do, please let me know how they turn out.
Joanie