Frosted Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Recipe (2024)

The Recipe Rebel / Desserts

written by Ashley Fehr

4.54 from 52 votes

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 24 cookies

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Last updated on March 22, 2021

These Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are soft, moist and loaded with lemon! There’s no chilling or rolling — just stir, drop, bake and frost (if you want to!). Perfect for Easter or Christmas baking. Includes how to recipe video

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Frosted Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Recipe (2)

So I stumbled upon the recipe for these Sour Cream Sugar Cookies in the cookbook my Grandma made for me last fall.

I never would have guessed how popular it would become! The problem is, some people loved it and some people hated it.

The issue was that those who didn’t like the recipereally didn’t know what to expect — the cookies are soft and cakey. They are not sugar cookies for rolling or cutting, and they’re pretty delicate.

Frosted Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Recipe (3)

So I’m back again with another variation, obviously. Bring on the haters! 😉

I wanted to try leaving out some of the moisture this time to get a slightly firmer cookie. These cookies are still very soft, and cakey, and delicious. If you’re looking for a firm sugar cookie — this recipe is not it. But they melt in your mouth and will be gone in no time!

I also wanted to add lemon because we love lemon. We love it big time.

Frosted Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Recipe (4)

With Easter coming up, my mind always goes to fresh, Springy flavors and potluck foods. Easter is a bit of a wildcard here in Manitoba — it can be cold, it can be really cold, or it can be pretty warm. You never really know what you’re going to get!

Regardless of what the temperature is, I am always so ready for Spring. The winter is long and cold and snowy and blowy and we are all anticipating blue skies and green grasses. Bring on the fresh, fruity treats! (And swimsuit-friendly meals… )

I would love to hear what your favorite Spring meals or treats are! Smoothies, popsicles, fruit salads, Easter meals? I’m itching for some fresh inspiration!

If you haven’t yet, be sure to join my Facebook group to stay up to date on new recipes and take part in polls and surveys to help me pick the best recipes to show you here!

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Frosted Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

written by Ashley Fehr

4.54 from 52 votes

Save

Review

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Course Dessert

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 269cal

Ingredients

▢ 1/2 cup butter room temperature
▢ 2 cups granulated sugar approx. 400g
▢ 4 large eggs
▢ 1/2 cup sour cream I use 5%
▢ zest of 2 lemons
▢ 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)
▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
▢ 3 teaspoons baking powder
▢ 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour about 575g

Frosting:

▢ 1/4 cup butter room temperature
▢ 2 1/2 cups powdered icing sugar
▢ juice of 2 lemons*
▢ yellow food coloring optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat until combined.
Add the baking soda, baking powder and flour and beat just until combined. Dough will be the consistency of thick cake batter — it is quite sticky and soft.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets (I get 6 on a regular baking sheet — my cookies are large!), trying to make drops as round as possible. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until no longer glistening in the center. Cool completely.
FrostingWith an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and just enough lemon juice to make a smooth, thick frosting (you can add a teaspoon of milk if it is too thick). Color with yellow food coloring if desired.
When cookies are completely cool, spread with an even layer of frosting and serve.

Notes

*I use the juice of 2 lemons and no milk and the frosting has a strong lemon flavor — if you prefer less zing, use the juice of 1 lemon and just enough milk to reach desired consistency.
**My cookies are very large. You can definitely make smaller cookies and the recipe will yield more, you will just want to decrease the baking time.

Nutrition Information

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Brends says
April 30, 2024 at 6:11 am
These cookies sound absolutely delicious. I am going to attempt them very soon. I am hoping for warmer weather here in Manitoba very soon as well haha. Keeping my fingers crossed for that!! 😉 And as for food that I like to eat in spring I’d say trying to pack as much asparagus in as I possibly can lol. It’s one of my favourite vegetables I absolutely love it.
Reply
Julie Jensen says
January 13, 2024 at 11:57 am
I just want to say that this is my new favorite cookie!! I love lemon flavored desserts and I LOVE these! And I usually don’t like frosted cookies (sugar overload) but these are perfect!
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  January 18, 2024 at 10:16 pm
  Yay! Thanks Julie!
  Reply
Betty M Zink says
November 25, 2023 at 10:25 pm
These cookies are so good. I followed the recipe and they turned out great.
Reply
Linda Herman says
August 14, 2023 at 8:48 pm
Way tooo sweet….too much sugar and with icing on top even more so. Disappointed, would love a lemony cookie without all the sugar
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  August 21, 2023 at 10:03 pm
  I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Linda. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
  Reply
Francine says
April 1, 2023 at 10:22 pm
I’m sorry to agree but was disappointed in this recipe. Not much flavor at all. Right now I’m trying to tweak and save my batter ( there is a lot) adding ingredients to the dough. Making smaller cookies. And cooking longer. I too like a cake type cookies but this was a no for me. But worth a try. Thank you.
Reply
- Francine says
  April 2, 2023 at 9:18 am
  Update on comment. After these sat overnight and I put the frosting on they taste pretty good. Would try again maybe 1/2 the recipe because I still have a lot of cookie dough. Thank you for the recipe
  Reply
  See Also
  Thin and crispy oatmeal cookies
  - The Recipe Rebel says
    April 2, 2023 at 8:04 pm
    Glad you liked them in the end Francine!
- The Recipe Rebel says
  April 2, 2023 at 8:00 pm
  I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, Francine. The method, timing, and ingredients have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would of been a hit for you too.
  Reply
Babsy says
March 19, 2023 at 11:29 pm
I made a lot more than 24 cookies and they are delicious. I followed the recipe and chose to not use as much lemon juice in the icing and used a little milk instead. Really good cookie for anyone who likes a frosted lemony soft sugar cookie. (I had to bake mine for about 16 minutes … maybe because I use what I think are called “air bake” pans.)
Reply
Stephanie says
March 13, 2023 at 10:02 pm
Mine came out looking like dinner biscuits, but the flavor was definitely there in both the cookie and the frosting. My frosting was more like a glaze, it wasn’t very thick. The outside was a little crispy and the inside was pretty soft and moist. Not sure if that’s how they should be but I still enjoyed them nonetheless
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  March 15, 2023 at 8:16 am
  Thanks for the feedback Stephanie! Glad you enjoyed them. For the frosting, if it was more like a glaze it needed either less liquid or more powdered sugar. For the actual cookie, how they look will be based on how they are scooped onto the pan. Sounds like texture was on point!
  Reply
Tanya S says
January 28, 2023 at 11:24 pm
I’m puzzled by this recipe. I used salted butter as there isn’t any other salt and found I wished I would’ve added 1/2 tsp. Also the cookies on there own are faintly lemony and barely sweet. In the icing I used the juice from 1 lemon and found that to be plenty.
I like soft pillowy cookies and really wanted to like this one. I’ll give it another go with a few tweaks.
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  January 31, 2023 at 3:01 pm
  I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t to your taste, Tanya. Myself (and others) have enjoyed it with the amounts listed, so I wished it would of been a hit for you too!
  Reply
Christy says
December 14, 2022 at 3:09 am
Is the butter in this recipe supposed to be unsalted or salted? Looking forward to making them soon!
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  December 14, 2022 at 8:22 am
  Hi Christy! You can use either but I typically use unsalted.
  Reply
Lisa says
July 21, 2022 at 10:20 am
I made these for Easter and they were a hit!! Now I am making them for my daughters wedding!! I do have a question, can I frost them before freezing?
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  July 21, 2022 at 1:41 pm
  Hi Lisa! So glad you enjoyed them! I would not recommend frosting them before freezing them.
  Reply
lyn says
March 31, 2022 at 4:21 am
Why go to all the trouble of making the icing when you can buy it on Amazon.ca. It’s made by Betty Crocker and as usual her icing is creamy and very lemony. It is amazing what cooking products that can be found just browsing. I only have one problem and that is I get so engrossed in the hunt that time just flies by.
Have tried this recipe with the Betty Crocker icing and it was awesome and saved a lot of time.
Lyn
Reply
- Bonnie says
  April 28, 2023 at 12:51 pm
  Easier is not always better, store bought frostings (no matter the brand) are loaded with preservatives and junk I cannot even pronounce. All the ingredients in this particular frosting is readily available, nothing crazy or exotic here.
  Reply
Shelby says
December 22, 2021 at 4:04 pm
I made these today, measured everything out exactly, spooned my flour and all, but the dough just didn’t feel “right” to me. I actually added in one more egg, baked 10 minutes and they are divine! I’m sure we all do things a bit differently when measuring so I would love to suggest to anyone who’s cookies may have come up dry, add a 5th egg 🙂 these are so moist and cakey and wonderful.
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  December 25, 2021 at 12:28 am
  Hi Shelby! Thanks for the feedback!
  Reply
Linda Mccoy says
November 23, 2020 at 1:30 pm
How long do these keep for after baking and icing?
Reply
- Ashley Fehr says
  November 23, 2020 at 4:26 pm
  They will keep in the refrigerator for about a week, but they also freeze perfectly and can be kept for 3 months frozen
  Reply
  - Jane says
    July 16, 2021 at 7:23 am
    Hello! How long si they keep at room temperature? Thanks!
  - Ashley Fehr says
    July 19, 2021 at 10:46 am
    I would keep them at room temperature for a day and then likely refrigerate or freeze just to keep them firm.
Jill says
May 16, 2020 at 6:49 am
Could you please please put in the amount if lemon juice in the recipe? Lemons and the amount of juice they produce vary widely. The lemons from my tree generally produce 1/2 c per lemon. Since ratios are important in baking, telling us the amount makes for a more accurate recipe and better results.
Reply
- Ashley Fehr says
  May 18, 2020 at 1:54 pm
  You’re right! I will add that in.
  Reply
LuAnn says
April 23, 2020 at 12:27 pm
I followed the recipe to a tee and they turned out like beautiful lumps of paste. Dry and tasteless. Tbe batter tasted better. And we were so looking forward to eating them. Won’t make again
My lemons were large so I had to pay attention when making the frosting. The frosting was awesome.
Reply
- Ashley Fehr says
  April 27, 2020 at 11:24 am
  Hi LuAnn! I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy them! It sounds to me like you added too much flour, which will cause these cookies which are not dry, beautiful lumps of paste to taste like dry lumps of paste.
  Reply
- Bethany says
  April 6, 2021 at 4:33 pm
  Did you level the flour with a knife when measuring?
  Reply
Gemma says
December 19, 2019 at 6:04 pm
These are absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Reply
- Ashley Fehr says
  December 21, 2019 at 7:57 pm
  Thank you Gemma!
  Reply

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Frosted Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are frosted sugar cookies so dry? ›

Tips for baking soft sugar cookies

If there's too much flour, the cookies will turn out dry and they will not spread. If possible, measure the flour with a food scale. Otherwise, to ensure the exact amount, gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level if off with a flat edge.

Should frosted sugar cookies be refrigerated? ›

Choose to store them at room temperature or in the freezer instead of the fridge. If you can store your cookies at room temperature or in the freezer - do it. The fridge should be your last resort because of the moisture that can make your cookies soggy. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

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How far in advance can you make decorated sugar cookies? ›

Although I've tested them for longer and the batches I've tried seem fine for up to 4 weeks, my general rule of thumb is up to 2 weeks.

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How long to let frosted cookies dry? ›

If adding sprinkles on top of the icing, add them right after applying icing on your cookie. Let icing dry/set: Feel free to enjoy cookies before icing completely dries. Icing dries in 24 hours. No need to cover the decorated cookies as you wait for the icing to set.

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How do I know if I overmixed royal icing? ›

Undermix, and your royal icing looks translucent and is structurally weak. Overwhip, and you're giving too much volume to the egg proteins via air, causing the structure to weaken in a different way. Overmixed icing usually looks porous when dry, and sometimes will not even fully dry and be soft/brittle.

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How do you store sugar cookies overnight before icing? ›

Room Temperature:

Decorate the cookies within 48 hours of being baked, as they will start to become stale if left at room temperature for too long. If you need to store them for longer, store the undecorated cookies in an airtight container.

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How long do you let sugar cookies cool before icing? ›

The warmth from the cookies will cause the royal icing to melt, cause colored sprinkles to bleed a rainbow of red and green, and make it impossible to create the Pinterest designs of your dreams. Let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so that they can fully chill.

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Why poke holes in sugar cookies? ›

The holes trick

There's also a new technique going around when preventing craters in a second layer of icing: poke holes in the base flood (under the area you'll cover with a second layer of icing). You can even do this when the first layer flood has completely dried!

Keep Reading ›

Should you refrigerate sugar cookie dough overnight? ›

As a general rule of thumb, you should refrigerate cookie dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. More than that, and you won't see a noticeable difference in the final product. Once the dough has chilled, let it warm up at room temperature until it's just pliable (about 5 to 10 minutes).

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What happens if you don't chill sugar cookies? ›

Chilling the dough is a key step in making sugar cookies, especially when you're making cut-outs. Even if you're tight on time, make sure to get the dough in the fridge, or even the freezer, even if it's only for a little while. Skip this step, and the dough will be sticky, and much harder to work with.

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How do you make sugar cookies less dry? ›

To avoid this, try using as little flour as possible while preparing to roll your dough. Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

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Why did my sugar cookies come out dry? ›

Overmixing the dough

If you overmix the dough, the cookies will be dry and crumbly. The best way to fix this is to add more liquid to the dough. This can be done by adding milk, water, or even melted butter. You may also need to add more flour to the dough if it is too wet.

How to make frosted sugar cookies soft again? ›

There are a few common methods for softening cookies, including microwaving them, heating them in the oven, and placing them in an airtight container with a slice of bread.

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How to keep decorated sugar cookies soft? ›

Room Temperature:

Baked and decorated cookies can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks. Make sure that your icing has hardened completely before stacking the cookies, and adding a layer of parchment paper between cookie layers is always a good idea for some additional protection.

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