Easy Lofthouse Cookies Copycat Recipe (2024)

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By Courtney ODell

Jul 23, 2019, Updated Dec 10, 2023

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Easy Lofthouse Cookies Copycat Recipe – delicious soft, sweet cookies that taste just like Lofthouse cookies from your grocery store, but a million times better!

Easy Lofthouse Cookies Copycat Recipe (2)

If you love the puffy, soft, delicious frosted sugar cookies in your grocery store, you’re going to love this copycat recipe.

Lofthouse cookies are a major addiction at our house – and this copycat lofthouse recipe is so simple to make, it’s sure to become your favorite new sugar cookie recipe.

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Lofthouse sugar cookies are known for the light and fluffy consistency, with a rich not too sweet buttercream frosting icing and tons of sprinkles – they taste fabulous chilled, and are one of thee most popular soft sugar cookies around.

I hope you love this delicious recipe as much as my family!

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Just Take Me To The Lofthouse Cookies Copycat Recipe Already!

I get a lot of comments and questions on my recipe posts since I have readers of all sorts of skill level and experience in the kitchen.

I provide lots of tips and tricks in my post to make sure you get the best results every time – if you’d prefer to skip this, please scroll to the bottom of the post, just before comments, where you will find the easy printable recipe.

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To Make These Easy Lofthouse Style Cookies, You’ll Need:

These Lofthouse-style frosted sugar cookies are so delicious, and don’t require a ton of ingredients you aren’t likely to have on hand.

If you bake often, you probably have everything you need to make these right away!

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For The Cookies, You’ll Need:

  • Cake Flour (2 3/4 cups): Cake flour is used in this recipe to give the cookies a tender and delicate texture. It has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which results in a softer crumb.
  • Baking Powder (2 tsp): Baking powder is a leavening agent that helps the cookies rise and become light and fluffy.
  • Salt (1/4 tsp): Salt enhances the flavor of the cookies and balances the sweetness of the other ingredients.
  • Unsalted Butter (1/2 cup, softened): Butter adds rich flavor and moisture to the cookies. Softened butter is easier to cream with sugar, creating a smooth cookie dough.
  • Vegetable Shortening (1/3 cup): Vegetable shortening contributes to the tenderness and texture of the cookies. It also helps prevent them from spreading too much during baking.
  • Granulated Sugar (1 1/4 cups): Sugar sweetens the cookies and also aids in creating a tender texture. It can provide some crispness on the cookie’s outer edges.
  • Large Egg (1) and Large Egg White (1): Eggs act as binders and add structure to the cookies. The yolk adds richness, while the egg white contributes moisture.
  • Vanilla Extract (2 tsp): Vanilla extract imparts a pleasant vanilla flavor to the cookies, enhancing their overall taste.
  • Almond Extract (1/2 tsp): Almond extract provides a subtle almond flavor that complements the vanilla. It adds a unique and delightful twist to the cookies’ flavor.
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For the Frosting, You’ll Need:

  • Unsalted Butter (1/3 cup, softened): Butter adds a rich and creamy flavor to the frosting. Softened butter is easier to mix and creates a smooth texture.
  • Vegetable Shortening (1/3 cup): Vegetable shortening contributes to the frosting’s stability and texture. It helps the frosting hold its shape and prevents it from becoming too soft at room temperature.
  • Vanilla Extract (1 tsp): Vanilla extract enhances the flavor of the frosting, giving it a pleasant vanilla taste.
  • Salt (1/4 tsp): Salt balances the sweetness of the frosting, enhancing its overall flavor without making it overly sweet.
  • Powdered Sugar (3-3.5 cups): Powdered sugar, also known as confectioners’ sugar, is the primary sweetener and thickener in the frosting. It creates a smooth and sweet consistency.
  • Milk or Cream (3-4 tbsp): Milk or cream is used to adjust the consistency of the frosting. It thins out the frosting and makes it easier to spread or pipe onto the cookies.
  • Food Coloring: Food coloring is optional but adds vibrant and fun colors to the frosting. You can customize the frosting’s color to match your preferences or the occasion.
  • Sprinkles: Sprinkles are decorative elements that add a pop of color and texture to the cookies. They are often used to make the cookies visually appealing and festive.

To see some of my favorite baking essentials, please visit my Amazon baking picks list!

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How To Make Lofthouse Style Cookies

While these sugar cookies are easy to make – just mix, make the frosting, and bake – there are a couple of steps to make sure you get the pillowy, soft, and melt in your mouth delicious texture that makes Lofthouse style cookies so perfect.

The most essential step of these sugar cookies is to chill them for at least 3 hours to overnight – you want the dough to be completely chilled throughout to make sure the dough performs how you’d like, and doesn’t spread out.

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Other Delicious Desserts You’ll Love:

If you love these easy soft frosted sugar cookies, be sure to check out my other favorite delicious desserts – cookies, cupcakes, and more!

I am not a baker by nature, so I try to focus on easy, never-fail recipes that are tried and true – your family will love some of these!

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Easy Lofthouse Cookies Copycat Recipe

If you love these easy lofthouse cookies as much as I do, please give them a five star review and help me share on facebook and pinterest!

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Easy Lofthouse Cookies Recipe

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Chilling Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes

Easy Lofthouse Cookies Copycat Recipe - delicious soft, sweet cookies that taste just like Lofthouse cookies from your grocery store, but a million times better!

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

  • 2 3/4 cup cake flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg white
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

For the Frosting:

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3-3.5 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp milk or cream
  • food coloring
  • sprinkles

Instructions

For the Cookies:

    In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Use a sifter, so you have light fluffy flour that wont clump.

    In a separate medium sized bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, shortening and sugar. Mixture should be very pale yellow and fluffy.

    Vigorously beat in the egg, egg white, vanilla extract and almond extract using a wooden spoon or a paddle attachment of a stand mixer.

    With the stand mixer on low, beat in the flour mixture about 1/2 at a time.

    Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

    After completely chilling the cookie dough, preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

    Prep cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper, nonstick foil, or silicone baking mats. I prefer parchment paper.

    Roll the dough into ping pong sized balls and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.

    I try to flatten the dough in my hands, to make a thin disc shape, or will use a silicone rolling pin or even the bottom of a cup. Just toss a little flour on your hands or whatever you're using so it doesn't stick!

    Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the tops are set.

    Do not over cook, as these cookies are best when not browned around the edges like a chocolate chip cookie.

For the frosting:

    In a large bowl or stand mixer (I like to use bowls with a rubber base so it won't slide), cream together shortening and butter.

    Add vanilla and salt, mix well.

    Using a spoon in the powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, then beat in the milk/cream about 1 tablespoon at a time, adding a little more powdered sugar as necessary.

    Then mix in the food coloring (I used about 5-6 drops of red).

    Frost cooled cookies with a flat knife and decorate with sprinkles.

    Nutrition Information

    Yield 32Serving Size 1
    Amount Per ServingCalories 253Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 28mgSodium 76mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 0gSugar 30gProtein 2g

    Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

    Easy Lofthouse Cookies Copycat Recipe (22)

    Categorized as:
    Cookies, Desserts, Recipes

    About Courtney

    Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style at lifestyle blog Sweet C’s Designs. Sweet C's devoted to finding the best food and drinks you'll want to make or find, around the world!

    Read More About Me

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    Easy Lofthouse Cookies Copycat Recipe (2024)

    FAQs

    Why are Lofthouse cookies so soft? ›

    What Makes Lofthouse Cookies So Soft? Unlike a standard sugar cookie, Lofthouse cookies are made with both baking soda and baking powder for a softer, less crumbly texture. The dough also includes sour cream to keep the cookies moist. The texture is soft and airy, like a cross between a cookie and a cupcake.

    What are Lofthouse cookies made of? ›

    Lofthouse cookies are typically made from a mixture of flour, sugar, margarine, eggs, leavening agents, and flavorings. The signature frosting is often made with powdered sugar, margarine, and flavorings.

    What is the history of Lofthouse cookies? ›

    Origin of Lofthouse Cookies

    In 1994, Lofthouse Foods began producing soft, cakey, sugar cookies known as “Lofthouse sugar cookies.” These cookies were predominantly distributed to in-store bakeries in United States supermarkets, which is why they are strongly associated with grocery stores.

    How thick should cut out cookies be? ›

    With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use more flour if the dough seems too sticky.

    What is the trick to making soft cookies? ›

    Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.

    What is another name for Lofthouse cookies? ›

    The cookie that has many names; Lofthouse, frosted cookie, supermarket cookie, those dry ass cookies with the frosting, or as I call them, cake cookies. You've probably seen them in the bakery section of the grocery store, and if you get them fresh they are delightful and soft and sugary sweet.

    What is the shelf life of lofthouse cookies? ›

    The cookies will keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

    How to make soft cookies from store-bought dough? ›

    Add brown sugar

    Adding it to the pre-made dough will give it more sweetness, a chewier texture, moisture and that homemade flavor you're craving. You can also melt butter with brown sugar and incorporate it into the dough for extra tender, chewier cookies.

    Why are they called Toll House cookies? ›

    The Toll House Inn was an inn located in Whitman, Massachusetts, established in 1930 by Kenneth and Ruth Graves Wakefield. The Toll House chocolate chip cookies are named after the inn.

    What is the oldest cookie in the world? ›

    Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico” in the village of Colcullo in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

    What were cookies called in the 1800s? ›

    The first American cookies that showed up in cook books had creative names like Jumbles, Plunkets and Cry Babies which gave no clue to what was inside the cookie. As the expansion of technology grew in the United States, new ingredients started to show up in cookie recipes.

    Who is the CEO of Lofthouse Cookies? ›

    We started out with $2,000 of our savings and just lived very frugally the first year," said Dave Stone, chief executive officer and chairman of Lofthouse Foods Inc., a Clearfield-based company.

    Is butter or shortening better for cut out cookies? ›

    Which One Should I Use in Cookies? Basically, cookies made with butter spread more and are flatter and crisper if baked long enough. However, they are more flavorful than cookies made with shortening. Cookies made with shortening bake up taller and are more tender, but aren't as flavorful.

    Why put cornstarch in sugar cookies? ›

    The corn starch helps to get the sharp edges on the cookies (aka the no spread part of the no spread sugar cookies). If you prefer a softer cookie, use less corn starch (but note that the edges won't be as crisp).

    What does cream of tartar do in sugar cookies? ›

    Cream of tartar makes cookies chewy, as it precludes the sugar in the dough from crystalizing, which would lead to crispiness (ie: the opposite of chewiness).

    Why do my cookies come out too soft? ›

    The butter or dough was too warm.

    If the dough seems too soft, chill it for 10 to 15 minutes before baking. Use shortening instead of butter or a combination of the two if you don't want to sacrifice that buttery flavor.

    Why are my cookies soft instead of crispy? ›

    Soft cookies have a water concentration of 6% or higher – moisture being the variable in texture. To make cookies crispy, add less liquid or bake it in the oven for longer to dry out the dough. Generally bake around 13-15min at 180C for a crispy cookie.

    Are any Girl Scout cookies soft? ›

    Trefoils/Shortbread

    These cookies pair great with coffee if you're a cookies-in-the-morning kind of person. This simple shortbread cookie is baked in the shape of the Girl Scouts logo and has a soft texture that melts in your mouth like cotton candy.

    What keeps packaged cookies soft? ›

    A simple hack: A slice of bread in the container can keep cookies soft.

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