These Soft Frosted Bakery-Style Sugar Cookies start with a tender crumb, a dreamy swirl of pastel icing, and just the right hint of nostalgia. But if your sugar cookies usually turn out dry or flat instead of thick and bakery-style soft, you're not alone. In this easy recipe I share the exact method I use for making soft sugar cookies with frosting that stay soft for days -no rolling, or cutting needed. Just scoop, bake, and frost. It's the easiest sugar cookie recipe, and the texture is everything.
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If you love the old-school classics, like lemon slice, big fat bakery-style muffins, and (my favourite!) yo yo cookies, then these old-fashioned sugar cookies are for you! They're soft in the middle, lightly golden underneath, and topped with a not-too-sweet pink vanilla icing that sets just enough to stack them. If you've been searching "how to make bakery-style frosted sugar cookies at home", my recipe for classic pink frosted cookies is definitely the one for you to save.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- They're unbelievably soft and pillowy with a hint of vanilla
- The frosting is dreamy, creamy, and so, so pink 💕
- No fancy ingredients or chilling the cookie dough for hours
- It's the perfect bakery-style sugar cookie made easy at home
- They're the perfect cookies for kids to decorate
📝 Key Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookies:
- Unsalted butter: softened, for that perfect melt-in-your-mouth crumb.
- Pure icing sugar: (powdered sugar) is finer than granulated and gives that soft bite.
- Egg: adds richness and structure.
- Vanilla paste: for deep, warm, bakery flavour.
- Plain flour + cornflour: keeps these cookies tender and soft.
- Baking powder: for a bit of lift, without puffing up too much.
- Salt: to balance the sweetness.
For the Pink Frosting:
- Butter & cream: to create that luscious, smooth texture.
- Vanilla paste: another layer of flavour.
- Icing sugar: gives sweetness and structure.
- Pink food colouring: optional, but so pretty.
- Sprinkles: because they're sprinkles!
🍯 Variations and Substitutions
- Swap vanilla paste for extract if needed.
- Try lemon zest or almond extract for an old-school bakery flavour.
- Use concentrated gel food colouring for bold colour, without the taste.
- Sub in dairy-free butter and cream for a lactose-free version.
- Leave them unfrosted and roll in cinnamon sugar for a snickerdoodle vibe.
🥣 Step-by-step Instructions
1. Make the cookie dough
- Preheat oven to 180℃/350℉ (160℃ fan).
- Line 2 trays with baking paper.
- In a bowl, beat butter and icing sugar with an electric mixer until combined and creamy.
- Add egg and vanilla paste. Beat again until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cornflour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add dry mix to the butter mixture, beating slowly until just combined. Finish folding with a spatula.
- Chill dough for 10 minutes.
2. Scoop and bake
- Use a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons).
- Roll into balls, place on trays, flatten slightly.
- Bake 15-18 minutes until tops are matte but not browned.
- Cool on tray 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
3. Frost and decorate
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat butter and cream until melted.
- Add vanilla and most of the icing sugar. Stir well.
- Adjust consistency by adding more icing sugar.
- Tint with a few drops of food colouring.
- Spread frosting over cooled cookies and top with sprinkles.
👩🏼🍳 Expert baking tips
Why your frosted sugar cookies aren't bakery-soft:
- Over mixing the dough can make them tough. Stop as soon as the ingredients come together.
- If the butter is too cold or too hot, the texture won't be right. Room temperature is key.
The secret ingredient? Cornflour.
- That little tablespoon of cornflour is the not-so-secret trick to that bakery-style softness.
Want soft, chewy sugar cookies that last?
- Don't overbake! Take them out while they still look slightly underdone. They finish baking on the tray.
- Store them in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them soft for days.
🧹 Storage suggestions
- Room Temp: Keep in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
- Freeze Unfrosted: Stack with baking paper between cookies. Freeze up to 3 months.
- Freeze Frosted: Flash-freeze in a single layer, then store in a sealed container.
🍽️ Serve with
- A glass of cold milk or hot cocoa
- Ice cream for a soft-cookie sandwich
- A pot of tea for afternoon nostalgia
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes! Chill it for up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temp for 10 mins before scooping.
Can I use granulated sugar in the cookies, instead of icing sugar? Icing sugar makes the cookies soft and tender -I wouldn't swap!
Why did my frosting go runny? Too much liquid or not enough icing sugar. Keep stirring and adjusting until it thickens.
How do I get my frosting super smooth? Make sure the butter is melted and hot enough to dissolve the sugar, and stir vigorously.
Do I need to chill the dough longer? Not really. A quick 10-minute chill is all it needs to be scoopable.
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📸 Share Your Bake
Baked these soft frosted sugar cookies? I'd love to see! Tag @apple.cake.annie on Instagram or use #applecakeannie so I can share your creation!
Want more nostalgic sweets? Check out:
Quick and Easy No Bake Caramel Slice
Soft Frosted Bakery-Style Sugar Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Soft Sugar Cookies
- 200 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 210 grams pure icing sugar powdered sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla paste
- 300 grams plain flour all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornflour corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Pink Frosting
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste
- 200 grams pure icing sugar
- 2-3 drops pink food colouring I use an oil based, concentrated colour
- 2 tablespoons sprinkles
Instructions
Soft Sugar Cookies
- Pre heat oven to 180℃/350℉ or 160℃ fan and line 2 trays with baking paper
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter and icing sugar with a handheld electric mixer (you can also choose to do this with a stand mixer). Start on low speed and gradually increase to medium-high, beating until well combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla paste, then beat again until mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Whisk the cornflour, baking powder and salt into the flour, using a fork, then add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
- Using the hand mixer, beat on low-medium until mixture is almost combined. Finish mixing with a silicone spatula, to avoid over mixing the dough.
- Place mixture into the fridge for 10 minutes, to allow it to stiffen up. This will make rolling the cookies easier.
- Using a large (3 tablespoon) cookie scoop, scoop out the mixture, rolling it into a ball, then placing onto the baking sheet before pressing it down slightly with the palm of your hand.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cookies are no longer shiny, but haven't quite turned golden.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cake rack to cool completely. Once cooled, make the frosting
Pink Frosting
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter and cream until the butter has melted and hot.
- Add most of the vanilla paste and icing sugar and stir well. If the frosting is too thin, add more of the icing sugar, until you reach a spreadable consistency.
- Add 2-3 drops of food colour until you get the colour you want (the colour usually deepens a little as it rests).
- Decorate with your chosen sprinkles.
Nutrition
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Sandra says
This was so easy to make!