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Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

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  • Prep Time 25 min
  • Total 1 hr 20 min
  • Servings 12
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What is your favorite type of sugar cookie to eat? If you’re a fan of those round, thick, soft, and pillowy cookies, slathered with a thick layer of frosting you can buy at the store bakery, then this is the recipe for you!

Our recipe starts with Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix to get a jump start on these tasty favorites. We’ve taken the mix to our Test Kitchens to discover how to turn our yummy cookie mix into those soft, sink-your-teeth favorites with your fresh ingredients! To make it even simpler, they’re frosted with our easy homemade buttercream frosting that makes these irresistible cookies even better than the original. Once you taste the homemade freshness of these sweet treats, you’ll be passing them up in the store.

How are these different than our classic sugar cookies? Classic sugar cookies are thin and crisp and hold their shape when baked. These cookies will be soft, thick, and easier to make because you don’t have to take out the cookie cutters or put the dough in the fridge to get cold. These soft cookies are finished with a thick layer of frosting, typically not used with classic sugar cookies. Classic sugar cookies are holiday favorites, with customized shapes and decorating to suit the holiday.

Soft sugar cookies are easy to make and enjoy year-round. They can be decorated with whatever colored frosting (and sprinkles) you may wish to use, to suit not only any holiday, but season or occasion!

What could be better than spending time with your family, baking, and decorating these velvety cookies? The comforting aroma of fresh cookies will fill your home, as you create some unforgettable memories together. Is your mouth watering? Grab an apron and gather your ingredients to bake some soft frosted sugar cookies today!

Updated Jun 26, 2024
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How to Make Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

Our frosted cookies are easy to make and deliver the best homemade flavor. Use these fundamentals to understand how they come together, and the recipe below for all the specifics:

Mixing Sugar Cookie Dough

Combine Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix, dry vanilla instant pudding and pie filling, softened butter, water, and an egg and mix in a large bowl.

Shaping and Placing the Dough

Shape the dough into 12 balls (about 3 tablespoons of dough each). Place 3 inches apart onto two large cookie sheets. You might be tempted to fit them all on one cookie sheet, but the dough is meant to spread, so be sure to leave plenty of room between them, using only about six balls of dough per cookie sheet!

Baking and Cooling the Cookies

Bake cookies until the edges are set. The centers of the cookies will still be soft. We prefer to bake one cookie sheet at a time in the center of the oven. If you want to make them quickly, you can put both sheets on separate racks in the oven (with room all around them to bake evenly) to bake at once. Cool them on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes so they’ll be sturdy enough to move. Then move onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Mix the Buttercream Frosting

Beat softened butter with a mixer until ultra smooth. Mix powdered sugar with almond extract and some of the milk to make the mixture creamy. Then add the remaining milk a teaspoon at a time to control the thickness of the frosting without making it too thin. If you want to tint your frosting, be sure to use gel food color as liquid can have a thinning effect. Check out our favorite tips for making sugar cookie frosting.

Frosting the Cookies

These cookies get a generous amount of frosting, for an indulgent finish. After frosting, you can even decorate the cookies with sprinkles before putting them in the refrigerator to allow the frosting to set.

How to Frost Sugar Cookies

Following the instructions, once you’ve added just enough milk to make a frosting that’s easy to spread (it’s not too stiff or too thin), place about 2 tablespoons on a cookie. Holding the cookie in one hand, use an off-set metal spatula or a butter knife to spread the frosting over the top of the cookie. You can stop when you’re about 1/4-inch from the edge.

The frosting is initially soft, due to the softened butter in it, but when the cookies are refrigerated (or the temperature of your kitchen is on the cool side), the butter will firm up. For this reason, you’ll want to add sprinkles, over the Buttercream frosted sugar cookies before the butter has a chance to firm up.

Want to know the secrets to professionally frosted cookies? Check out our best frosting tips!

If you love classic shaped frosted Christmas cookies, you’ll love this top-rated classic sugar cookie recipe.

Crazy for Christmas cookies? You could always color these soft sugar cookies green and red for the holiday season! If you’re looking for even more options, we have Mrs. Claus’ favorite recipes all in one place, with our Christmas Cookie Headquarters.

Storing Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

For the best frosted sugar cookie texture and flavor, we prefer these cookies baked and enjoyed the same day they are made. However, if you want to make them ahead of time, here’s what we recommend:

Refrigerator Storage: Store cookies, single layer in a loosely covered container for up to 3 days. Enjoy them cold right out of the fridge or remove and uncover them 30 minutes before serving (but do not store cookies at room temperature).

Freezer Storage: Baked (unfrosted) cookies can be stored in freezer-safe food-storage containers or resealable freezer bags up to 3 months. Frosted cookies can be stored in a single layer in freezer-safe food-storage containers for up to 1 month. To thaw, place frozen cookies on plate or tray at room temperature about an hour before serving.

Ingredients

Cookies

Frosting

  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • Betty Crocker™ Red Gel Food Color

Steps

  •  
    1
    Heat oven to 350°F.
  •  
    2
    In large bowl, mix cookie mix, dry pudding mix, 1/2 cup softened butter, the water and egg with spoon until soft dough forms.
  •  
    3
    Shape into 12 (1 3/4-inch) balls, about 3 tablespoons each. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased large cookie sheets.
  •  
    4
    Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  •  
    5
    In medium bowl, beat 1/3 cup softened butter with electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. On low speed, gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the milk and the almond extract until smooth and creamy. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting is spreading consistency. Tint frosting with red food color to desired pink color.
  •  
    6
    Spread about 2 tablespoons frosting on top of each cookie. Store covered in a single layer in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies get stored in the refrigerator because of the buttercream frosting.
  • tip 2
    To create the pink color, squeeze a tiny bit of gel food color into the frosting, or use a toothpick to control the amount. Then stir to blend. You can always add more food color if you are looking for a darker color, but it’s easier to start out using less and adding more as needed.
  • tip 3
    Change the color of the frosting to suit the occasion! Feel free to top the frosted cookies with your favorite sprinkles, to make them even more festive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Add Different Flavors?

We haven’t tested these cookies with other flavors of instant pudding & pie filling mix, but if you’d like to, feel free to try! Keep in mind that other flavors can color the cookie dough. You can also change the almond extract in the frosting, giving it a different flavor profile. Substitute an equal amount of vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract for the almond extract if you like.

Or give these cookies a fresh citrus flavor twist by substituting freshly squeezed orange juice for the milk or adding a tablespoon of orange or lemon zest with the powdered sugar, adding texture to the frosting. Or add a little of your favorite ground spice with the powdered sugar. We like ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice!

Can I Make These Cookies Ahead of Time?

Yes! They will keep for 3 days in the fridge or in the freezer unfrosted for 3 months. If you’re looking to make these cookies when you have more time or to get ahead of prep for a big event, follow our Storing Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies recommendations above.

Nutrition

440 Calories, 15g Total Fat, 2g Protein, 72g Total Carbohydrate, 55g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Calories
440
Calories from Fat
140
Total Fat
15g
23%
Saturated Fat
9g
46%
Trans Fat
1/2g
Cholesterol
50mg
17%
Sodium
310mg
13%
Potassium
35mg
1%
Total Carbohydrate
72g
24%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
55g
Protein
2g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
8%
8%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
0%
0%
Iron
6%
6%
Exchanges:
1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 4 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 3 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
5
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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