Best Frosted Sugar Cookies

If you are looking for the best soft sugar cookies with frosting, this is the recipe you’ll come back to again and again. These frosted sugar cookies topped with cream cheese frosting bake up perfectly tender and stay soft for days.

We are two days away from Valentine’s Day and I just have to share my recipe for Frosted Sugar Cookies because we can’t celebrate Valentine’s Day in our home without sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting.

I grew up with a Mom who made Valentine’s Day extra special. I always came home from school to a plate of pink frosted sugar cookies on a plate. I looked forward to these cookies all day long! Now, my kids know that they get the same Valentine’s sugar cookies every single year and it has been such a fun tradition.

If you like sugar cookies, you’ll love my buttery sugar cookies or plain soft sugar cookies.

This complete guide walks you through how to shape sugar cookies, prevent spreading, choose the best baking sheet, chill dough correctly, frost like a pro, and store cookies for freshness — plus answers to the most common sugar-cookie questions.

Ingredients:

Scroll down to the bottom to find the recipe card with the amounts and directions.

Sugar Cookies:

• Unsalted Butter – Provides rich flavor and creates a tender texture.
• Granulated Sugar – Helps create lightly crisp edges.
• Eggs – Add moisture and structure while keeping the cookies soft.
• Vanilla Extract – Enhances the classic sugar cookie flavor.
• All-Purpose Flour – Gives structure without making the cookies dense.
• Baking Powder 
• Baking Soda
• Salt 

Buttercream Frosting:

• Butter – Room temperature butter creams properly with sugar for the best structure.
• Cream Cheese
• Powdered Sugar – Creates a smooth, creamy buttercream consistency.
• Vanilla or Vanilla Bean Paste

How to make the Best Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies:

Follow these detailed instructions to create thick, tender, bakery-style sugar cookies perfect for Valentine’s Day. See the recipe card below for more information.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together for a full 4 minutes until the mixture becomes light in color, fluffy in texture, and smooth. This extended creaming step incorporates air into the dough, which helps create soft, tender cookies instead of dense ones.

Mix in the egg and egg yolk, along with the vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything blends evenly.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
Avoid overmixing, which can make cookies tough instead of tender.

Cover the dough or wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Chilling helps firm the butter so cookies spread less, improves flavor, and creates thicker, softer cookies.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll the chilled dough to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness for soft cookies. Dip cookie cutters in flour, then cut into shapes. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. If the dough has warmed, chill the cut cookies for 10 more minutes before baking.

Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are set, the centers look slightly soft and pale, and the bottoms are just barely golden

Do not overbake! Slight underbaking keeps cookies pillowy and tender. Let cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting, by creaming together softened butter and softened cream cheese for 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add food coloring as desired.

Once fully cooled, spread frosting using an offset spatula in soft swirling motions, then finish with colored frosting or festive sprinkles.

How to roll and cut out sugar cookie dough:

1. Roll dough 1/4 to 1/2 inch for soft cookies.
2. Lightly flour the surface and rolling pin.
3. Dip cookie cutters in flour to prevent sticking.
4. Cut shapes close together to reduce re-rolling.
5. Transfer cookies to a lined sheet, then chill 10 minutes before baking.

How to frost sugar cookies:

One of the simplest ways to create beautiful bakery-style cookies is using a small offset spatula. How to do it:

1. Scoop a small mound of frosting onto the center of a cooled cookie.
2. Hold the offset spatula at a slight angle.
3. Gently spread outward in a circular motion, letting the frosting naturally form soft swirls.
4. Lift the spatula lightly at the end to create a pretty peak or swoop.

This technique gives cookies a professional look with almost no effort.

No offset spatula?
A butter knife or spoon works—just use light pressure and small circular motions.

If you want to make different colored frostings, I suggest using gel food coloring for vibrant shades without thinning the frosting. Start with a tiny amount, then deepen gradually. A little goes a long way with gel food coloring!

If you are adding sprinkles, jimmies, sparkling sugar, sprinkle them on immediately after frosting, before it sets, so they stick perfectly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):

1. Can I use store-bought frosting?
   Yes, but homemade buttercream tastes much better and is easy to make.
2. How do I make them thicker?
   Use slightly more flour or chill the dough before baking.
3. Can I freeze frosted sugar cookies?
   Yes. Freeze in a single layer until firm, then store in an airtight container.
4. Why are my sugar cookies hard?
   Usually from too much flour or overbaking. Bake until centers look just set, not golden.
5. Can I make the dough ahead of time?
   Yes—refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months.
6. Why add cream cheese to frosting?
   It creates a less-sweet, richer flavor and smoother texture that pairs perfectly with soft cookies.

Storage:

Store frosted sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for up to 5 days if needed. Freeze (frosted or unfrosted) for up to 3 months. To freeze already baked sugar cookies, let them cool completely and then place them in a Ziploc freezer-safe bag. Let thaw at room temperature before serving.

Favorite Baking Tools:

I only use light colored aluminum baking sheets. They heat evenly and prevent over-browning on the bottoms. My favorite are the USA Baking Pans. I buy the XL pan to fit more cookies on it.

The reason I prefer and highly suggest using light-colored baking pans is that dark nonstick pans can brown too quickly on the bottom because they retain more heat. For consistent results in baking, I suggest choosing heavy-gauge aluminum sheet pans.

For frosting sugar cookies, I like to use an offset spatula. It makes it so easy to frost beautiful swirls on sugar cookies.

I use my Kitchenaid Mixer every single day! It is my most used appliance in my kitchen and I love it.

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Lemon Sugar Cookies

Frosted Strawberries and Cream Cookies

Sugar Cookie Bars

Best Soft Sugar Cookies