These old-fashioned sour cream cookies are a soft and fluffy, tender cookie perfect with a cup of tea!
sour cream cookies with frosting (or not!)
Once again, I turned to my trusty 1963 edition of Betty Crocker's COOKY BOOK, adapted the recipe for sour cream cookies.
Sour cream cookies are soft and fluffy, buttery and tender with a hint of nutmeg. They are lightly sweetened with a sprinkle of sugar.
Serve with tea or coffee for a snack. Or, for a sweeter treat, top with buttercream frosting.
more cookies to try
how to make sour cream cookies
you will need:
BUTTER
While the standard is to use unsalted butter when baking, I personally prefer salted. I feel it gives an extra depth to the cookies.
I suggest European-style butter, or for a less expensive option, try the Land O’ Lakes butter.
Butter should be slightly softened but still cold.
SUGAR
You’ll need some good old-fashioned granulated sugar.
EGG
Use one large egg for this recipe.
VANILLA EXTRACT
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. I prefer pure extract, not imitation flavoring.
ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
- Preferably unbleached flour. Chemicals used in bleached flour produce a softer, less-dense texture. Unbleached flour is denser and more structured and can hold up your baked goods better.
- That said, both work!
BAKING SODA
Baking soda helps the cookies rise and prevents the cookies from tasting too “cakey.”
BAKING POWDER
Baking powder adds carbon dioxide to encourage the cookies to rise up and out.
SALT
Never forget your salt in cookies! You will notice. Salt keeps away the bland.
NUTMEG
Add just a bit of nutmeg for a traditional sour cream cookie with a hint of nutmeg flavor.
SOUR CREAM
I prefer to use full-fat sour cream for the tastiest results.
CONFECTIONER’S SUGAR and MILK
If you choose to frost the cookies, try the recipe below for buttercream frosting. You'll need butter, vanilla, salt, and confectioner's sugar.
The confectioner’s sugar, also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar, is best for buttercream. You can use any milk you prefer.
SUPPLIES YOU'll NEED
- baking trays
- parchment paper to line the baking trays
- rolling pin
- 2-inch circle cookie cutter
- food coloring (optional)
LET'S MAKE COOKIES!
Sour cream cookies require a hot oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Line cookie trays with parchment paper.
You'll need 3 to 4 trays. Unless you're using the convection feature, I suggest baking one tray of cookies at a time in the center of your oven.
step one: mix your dry ingredients
In a bowl, place 2 ⅔ cups flour (400 grams or 14.1 ounces), 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
Briefly whisk together and set aside.
step two: cream your butter and sugar
In the bowl of a standing mixer with the flat beater OR in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, place ½ cup of slightly-softened butter (I use salted) (113 grams or 4 ounces). Mix to start to cream the butter. Add 1 cup sugar (201 grams or 7 ounces) and beat until fluffy.
Add a large egg and a teaspoon of vanilla extract and blend well.
step three: add the dry ingredients
Blend in the dry ingredients alternating with ½ cup sour cream (281 grams or 8 ounces)
step four: chill and bake
Chill the dough for about one hour.
On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough about ¼ inch thick. Cut out 2-inch circles.
Place on a parchment paper-lined baking tray (you should fit 15 cookies per tray).
If you are not frosting the cookies, sprinkle sugar on each cookie.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
Makes 48 to 50 cookies.
step five (optional): the frosting!
To make buttercream frosting, blend together ½ cup slightly-softened butter (113 grams or 4 ounces), 2 cups confectioner's sugar (248 grams or 9 ounces), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk.
Add additional milk if the frosting is too thick for spreading.
If desired, add food coloring.
Use a knife or offset spatula to top cookies.
should I refrigerate sour cream cookies?
Because the cookies contain sour cream, I do suggest storing the cookies in the refrigerator.
TIPS to MAKING PERFECT COOKIES
An oven thermometer is a must-have, especially for older ovens. I find my oven starts 25 degrees too cold and then gets 25 degrees too hot, so I adjust accordingly.
Parchment paper is better for lining cookies than silpat because it doesn't trap moisture.
Keep the rest of the dough in the refrigerator while cookies are in the oven.
Cookies are done when the edges are golden brown.
WEIGH your ingredients using our grams or ounces! It's very important for accuracy, especially for flour.
Don't bring your butter to room temperature! It should be softened, but still cold.
video
printable recipe
sour cream cookies
Vintage SOUR CREAM COOKIES from the 1963 edition of Betty Crocker's COOKY BOOK. Pair with classic buttercream frosting if desired.
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (400 grams or 14.1 ounces), plus additional
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
- ½ cup slightly-softened butter (113 grams or 4 ounces)
- 1 cup sugar (201 grams or 7 ounces), plus additional
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream (281 grams or 8 ounces)
- FOR FROSTING
- ½ cup slightly-softened butter (113 grams or 4 ounces)
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar (248 grams or 9 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 tablespoons milk.
- food coloring (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line cookie trays with parchment paper.
In a bowl, place flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Briefly whisk and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer with the flat beater OR in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, place butter. Mix to start to cream the butter.
Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract and blend well.
Blend in the dry ingredients alternating with the sour cream.
Chill for one hour.
Roll out the cookies on a well-floured surface ¼-inch thick.
Cut out circles with a 2-inch cookie cutter.
If you are not topping with frosting, sprinkle sugar on each cookie.
Bake one tray at a time, keeping the unused dough in the refrigerator.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookie edges are golden brown.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING
Blend the butter, confectioner's sugar, extract and milk. Add additional milk if needed to thin. Add food coloring, if desired.
Let the cookies cool and frost.
STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR
Notes
An oven thermometer is a must-have, especially for older ovens. I find my oven starts 25 degrees too cold and then gets 25 degrees too hot, so I adjust accordingly.
Parchment paper is better for lining cookies than silpat because it doesn't trap moisture.
WEIGH your ingredients using our grams or ounces! It's very important for accuracy, especially for flour.
Don't bring your butter to room temperature! It should be softened, but still cold.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
48Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 104Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 80mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 1g
HowToMakeEasyCookies.com offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you use to create this recipe.
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