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Our ALL-TIME favorite frosted sugar cookies are so soft and have the best, creamy frosting with hints of almond!

Frosted sugar cookies with white frosting and sprinkles on top.
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So Soft and So Good!

We LOVE homemade cookies, especially frosted sugar cookies, but we are very picky about how they should be. They need to be soft, not crunchy, the frosting-to-cookie ratio should be spot on, and hints of almond are always a must!

Fortunately, my mom found the BEST sugar cookie recipe years ago and we’ve been making it ever since! If you love sugar cookies as much as we do, you’ll also love our Sugar Cookie Bars and No Roll Sugar Cookies.

WHY WE LOVE IT:

  • Very simple. The steps are simple, PLUS – there’s no need to chill, which makes these frosted cookies even easier (and quicker).
  • Celebrations. Adjust the colored frosting and sprinkles for holidays like Easter and Christmas.
  • Great for parties! We love to have cookies made in advance and let kids (and adults) frost and decorate them.
Sugar cookie dough in Kitchen-Aid mixer.

Ingredients

  • ยพ cup unsalted butter, softened – We use unsalted, but salted can be used just omit the added salt.
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ยฝ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract – or use 1ยฝ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2ยพ cups all-purpose flourHow to Measure Flour
  • ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt

Frosting 

  • 4ยฝ cups powdered sugar – sifted to remove lumps
  • โ…“ cup unsalted butter softened – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
  • ยผ cup milk – plus more as needed
  • ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ยฝ teaspoon almond extract
  • food coloring – We prefer gel food coloring
  • optional sprinkles

How to Make Frosted Sugar Cookies

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF. Lightly grease baking sheets and set aside.
  2. BATTER. Cream ยพ cup unsalted butter, 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, ยฝ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 egg in a large bowl or stand mixer until fluffy.
    • In a medium bowl, combine 2 ยพ cups flour, ยฝ teaspoon baking powder, and ยฝ teaspoon salt.
    • Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
  3. SHAPE. Use a rolling pin to roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about โ…œ inch thick (roll thinner for more crunchy sugar cookies). Cut with cookie cutters (or the top of a cup). Overworking the dough can result in a tough cookie.
  4. BAKE. Bake on the prepared cookie sheet for 9โ€“12 minutes. Let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool.
  5. FROSTING. Mix 4ยฝย cups powdered sugar, โ…“ย cupย unsalted butterย softened, ยผย cupย milk, ยฝย teaspoon vanilla extract, and ยฝย teaspoon (along with food coloring if desired). Add milk as needed to adjust the consistency. Frost cookies and let set before storing. Be sure to check out our Sugar Cookie Frosting recipe for more tips and tricks.
Frosted sugar cookies with sprinkles on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

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4.97 from 222 votes

Frosted Sugar Cookies

By: Lil’ Luna
Our ALL-TIME favorite frosted sugar cookies are so soft and have the best, creamy frosting with hints of almond!
Servings: 24
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients 

Cookies

  • ยพ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ยฝ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 egg
  • 2ยพ cups all-purpose flour
  • ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt

Frosting

  • 4ยฝ cups powdered sugar
  • โ…“ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ยผ cup milk, plus more as needed
  • ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ยฝ teaspoon almond extract
  • food coloring

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
  • Cream butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, powederd sugar, almond extract, and egg in a large bowl or stand mixer until fluffy.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
  • Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about โ…œ inch thick (roll thinner for more crunchy sugar cookies).
  • Cut with cookie cutters (or the top of a cup) and bake for 9โ€“12 minutes on the prepared cookie sheet. Let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool.

Frosting

  • Mix powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a medium bowl with a hand mixer. Adjust the consistency by adding a little more milk. Add food coloring, if desired.
  • Frost cookies and let set before storing.

Video

Notes

Prep ahead of time. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 days or place the wrapped dough in a freezer Ziploc and freeze for 3 months. Store the frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 weeks or freeze for 3 months.ย 
Store. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frosted, allow frosting to set, and separate layers with wax or parchment paper.ย 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 260kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 54mg, Potassium: 34mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 33g, Vitamin A: 271IU, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

How to prep ahead of time?

Dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 days or place the wrapped dough in a freezer Ziploc and freeze for 3 months.
Frosting. Store the frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 weeks or freeze for 3 months.ย 

How to store?

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frosted, allow frosting to set, and separate layers with wax or parchment paper.ย 

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and Iโ€™m the mom of SIX stinkinโ€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinโ€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momโ€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iโ€™m one of the many crafty โ€œLilโ€™ Lunasโ€ in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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4.97 from 222 votes (139 ratings without comment)

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227 Comments

  1. Rebecca says:

    For the sugar cookie icing, does it harden to where they can be stacked or placed in treat bags and not look smooshed?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      They do hardened, but it doesn’t get hard, if that makes sense. I would definitely frost them in the morning or night before, depending on when you need to stack or put them in sacks.

  2. Donna says:

    Is there a way to pin this sugar cookie recipe?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      I know for me, if my cursor is over the picture, the PIN button will appear. You should be able to PIN any recipe ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Donna says:

        Thanks. For some reason that doesnโ€™t work on my phone but maybe it will on my desk top.

      2. Kristyn Merkley says:

        I hope it does! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. DonnaWeable says:

    Looking forward to your recipes

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Thank you! I look forward to you trying them!

  4. Sammy says:

    About how many cookies does this recipe yield?

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      I guess it depends on how big you make them. You can get 2 dozen or more. Hope that helps! Hope you also like this recipe!

  5. Maggie says:

    These look so good. I do have a question though. Would it be ok to double the vanilla and not use the almond extract in case someone can not have it? Thank you so much!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      I personally haven’t done that, so I’m not sure if that would make it too vanilla-y or not. I wish I could say. I do love vanilla though!

  6. Debbie says:

    Do you use self rising flour in the soft sugar cookie recipe or plain flour??

  7. Joann says:

    Just saw the recipe for the soft sugar cookies, my son loves the ones you can get in the grocery store, but a little expensive. So now I can make them for him :). I do have a question, when do you add the egg and the almond extract? Thanks again for a delicious looking recipe. Have a wonderful day. ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Amanda says:

    At what part in the directions do you add the egg and almond extract?

    1. Kathryn says:

      You would add these after you cream the sugar, cream cheese and butter.Before the flour.

  9. kathy says:

    Can you substitute creamcheese with anything else?