Sour Cream Cookies are deliciously rich and buttery, vanilla-scented, and crisp outside with a soft interior. They’re impressive to look at, but easy to make in less than 30 minutes!
These are the type of cookies that make me think of afternoon tea. The swirls are so delicately pretty dusted with powdered sugar!
Enjoying a fancy teatime is always such a treat. I’ve been to a few different places – Harrods in London, The Plaza in New York, Ladurée in Paris, Waldorf Astoria in Orlando, and Russian Tea Room in Chicago – and as much fun as it is to get dressed up and go out, I have to admit, I think I might prefer making a beautiful afternoon tea at home! Planning it is half the fun.
These simple, yet gorgeous cookies are the kind of treat that I would love to include. Sour Cream Cookies look fancy and elegant, but couldn’t be easier to make. And they whip up in less than 30 minutes!
These also make a delicious treat paired with a cup of coffee. You can sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar to make them extra pretty. And if chocolate is your thing, mini chocolate chips are a good addition. Or if you like jam shortbread sandwiches, go ahead and sandwich these cookies together.
These rich, buttery, vanilla-laced cookies are crisp outside and soft inside, and sure to be a new favorite!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy. In less than 30 minutes (including the time it takes to clean up the kitchen), you’ll have a gorgeous batch of delicious cookies!
- Great flavor and texture. These have a similar rich, buttery flavor as shortbread, but are a bit softer thanks to the addition of sour cream.
- Bakery quality. These swirled cookies are as pretty as the ones you’d get in a bakery!
Can You Taste Sour Cream in Cookies?
No! You can’t taste sour cream in these cookies. If you tasted one and didn’t know it had sour cream, it would be a nearly impossible ingredient to guess.
The sour cream does two things in this recipe: 1) it adds a slightly tangy flavor to balance the sweet richness (without being a prominent flavor that you can pick out), and 2) it makes them a bit softer than regular shortbread cookies.
The Best Easy Sour Cream Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Sour cream
- Vanilla
- Powdered sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
Add the butter, sour cream, and vanilla to a large bowl, and cream together until smooth (you use a handheld electric mixer or do this by hand). Stir in the powdered sugar, flour, and salt until combined.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the dough out into round circles onto the baking tray, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
Bake until the cookies are light golden on the bottom, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking tray and then remove with a thin metal spatula.
Storage
Store Sour Cream Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Variations on This Recipe
- Chocolate chip. Add 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips to the batter before piping.
- Jam sandwiches. Sandwich 2 cookies together with your favorite jam. Or use jam and buttercream if you like.
- Powdered sugar dusting. For an elegant look, sift a little powdered sugar on top right before serving.
More Beautiful Cookies to Make
- Ma’amoul (Middle Eastern Date-Filled Cookies)
- Fresh Strawberry Cookies
- Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
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xoxo, Faith
Sour Cream Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter on the soft side of room temperature (not melted)
- 1/4 cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus an additional 1 tablespoon if cooking at low elevation
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Get out a large baking tray (no need to grease it or line it).
- Add the butter, sour cream, and vanilla to a large bowl and cream together until smooth (you use a handheld electric mixer or do this by hand).
- Add the powdered sugar, flour, and salt, and stir to combine.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the dough out into round circles onto the baking tray, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake until the cookies are light golden on the bottom, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Cool on the baking tray and then remove with a thin metal spatula.
Faith’s Tips
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes 12 cookies; each serving is 1 cookie.
- Make Them Extra Pretty: If desired, serve with a dusting of powdered sugar on top.
- Storage: Store Sour Cream Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
When piping, do you start in the middle or the outside
Jackie, I like to start in the middle and work out from there.
Can they be frozen without losing flavor or texture?
Paula, Yes, these cookies freeze very well. After freezing, I like to re-crisp them briefly in the oven, here’s how to do that: 1) thaw the cookies to room temperature, and 2) put them on a cookie tray in a 350F oven for 3 to 5 minutes.
Can I triple the recipe for a large batch?
Vickie, Yes, this recipe is very easy to scale up.
Can’t wait to try these cookies. Thanks for sharing!
What size tip did you use for piping?
Judy, I used the Kayaso 1C piping tip, which is 1.2 inches at the base, 1.9 inches tall, and 1 inch at the top.
Will the dough be stiff? I made some butter ones but the dough was really hard to pipe.
Audrey, The dough is really nice for piping; it’s stiff enough to hold its shape when baked, but not too stiff to pipe. :)
Can they be made with a cookie press?
Barbara, Yes, this recipe works well with a cookie press!