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Our ALL-TIME favorite frosted sugar cookies are so soft and have the best, creamy frosting with hints of almond!
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.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
BAKE TIME: 10 minutes
- ¾ 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
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract – or use 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour – How to Measure Flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 4½ cups powdered sugar – sifted to remove lumps
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter softened – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
- ¼ cup milk – plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- food coloring – We prefer gel food coloring
- optional sprinkles
How to Make Frosted Sugar Cookies
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease baking sheets and set aside.
- BATTER. Cream ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ 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 ¾ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
- SHAPE. Use a rolling pin to roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about ⅜ 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.
- BAKE. Bake on the prepared cookie sheet for 9–12 minutes. Let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool.
- FROSTING. Mix 4½ cups powdered sugar, ⅓ cup unsalted butter softened, ¼ cup milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ 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.
- Other frostings we like:
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Frosted Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 4½ cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup milk, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. 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 ⅜ inch thick (roll thinner for more crunchy sugar cookies).
- Cut with cookie cutters (or the top of a cup) and bake for 9–12 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
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.
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.
Do I have to use cheese?
I haven’t tried leaving it out, so not sure in what ways it would change it.
what can i substatute for creamy chesse and almond extract thank you!
You can use vanilla extract, instead of the almond & a lot of people like to use Greek yogurt for cream cheese, though I have not tried.
I made theses for my granddaughter ‘S B-DAY PARTY 2 WEEKS AGO AND MY SON CALLED ME TONIGHT wanting me to make them for his Superbowl party this SUNDAY. He said everyone RAVED about THEM ? GO CHIEFS!
Yay! That makes me so happy! Hope they were a hit there!
Excellent recipe ?
Thank you so much for letting me know!
iS IT POSSIBLE TO SUBSTITUTE SOMETHING ELSE FOR THE ALMOND EXTRACT?
I would just use vanilla extract instead 🙂 Enjoy!
This recipe is the real deal! I don’t consider myself a baker by any means and rarely bake at home, however, with the Christmas season upon us and having my son who is 3 I thought it would be nice to try not hand at it. This recipe is called “the best” for good reason! The flavor is truly delightful with the notes of almond extract and cream cheese. I’ve never had anything quite like it. And although the directions state the serving size is 24, ibwas able to bake 3 dozen cookies from this and still have a little bit of dough left over. My son and husband love it and I can’t wait to share it with my co-workers. My only con is that I did find the dough when I originally made it very sticky and soft and I had to add more flour. I was worries about over handling the dough but it turned out just fine! This will certainly not be the last time I make these cookies. Thank you, lil’ Luna!
You are so welcome!! I am so glad you tried it!! Thank you, thank you! So happy it was a hit!
THIS STUCK TOGETHER SO BAD THAT I HAD TO END UP MOLDING IT INTO CIRCLES IN MY HANDS… 🙁 WHAT DID I DO WRONG?? HOWEVER, THEY WERE TASTY. 🙂 JUST NOT PRETTY BECAUSE I MOLDED THEM TOGETHER BY HAND AND WASN’T ABLE TO ROLL THEM.
It stuck together, so you couldn’t use the cutters or it stuck to the counter when you rolled it out? Did you use enough flour & powdered sugar? It shouldn’t have been too sticky.
I was just telling my mom ive only made sugar cookIes twice in 12 years (i have deprived children) beCause they take so long, but this Recipe was quick and yummy. Thanks for sharing.
These cookies were great for valentines day! they were super soft and everyone loved them!
These sugar cookies really do look perfect. I’ve never put cream cheese in a sugar cookie, but maybe that is the trick!
It helps so much!! Hope you like them!