These Sourdough Lofthouse Cookies are inspired by the iconic grocery store cookie: soft and fluffy, and topped with a thick layer of buttercream frosting (and sprinkles!). The frosting is very customizable and can be made in any color or sprinkle combination to make these cookies perfect for a holiday, birthday party, or any celebration!
Looking for other sugar cookie ideas? Try these Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookies and these Sourdough Discard Lemon Sugar Cookies.
Why you'll love this recipe
- These Lofthouse cookies are made with powdered sugar so it's easier to dissolve the sugar granules in the butter.
- The buttercream frosting is thick and delicious and adds much of the sweetness that makes these cookies a favorite!
- Make these cookies for any holiday, birthday party, or celebration by changing the color of the frosting and the sprinkles!
- You might also like these Sourdough Discard Sugar Cookie Bars!
- This recipe uses sourdough discard, but you could use active sourdough starter if you prefer.
- Looking for other cookie recipes? Try these Sourdough Chocolate Espresso Cookies and these Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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Ingredients
There are only a few simple ingredients you'll need to bring these cookies together.
- Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed for a sourdough starter that uses a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients.
- Learn more about how to make a sourdough starter.
- Confectioner's sugar: You'll use confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar) in the cookie dough as well as the frosting.
- Sour cream: This recipe also uses 2 tablespoon of sour cream. If you don't have any on hand, you can substitute with Greek yogurt.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use active sourdough starter - While it's not needed for leavening purposes, if you'd rather use active sourdough starter, you can. To do so, substitute the sourdough discard for active starter (200g).
- Food coloring and sprinkles - You can easily change the look and feel of these cookies by using different food coloring and / or sprinkles! Customize them for a birthday party, the 4th of July, a baby shower, and more!
How to Make Sourdough Discard Lofthouse Cookies
There are a few easy steps to pull these Lofthouse-inspired cookies together!
- Step 1: Mix together the dry ingredients, then set aside.
- Step 2: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the liquid ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, shape into a disk, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Step 5: Divide the chilled dough into two portions (so we're not overworking the dough).
- Step 6: Roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness using a rolling pin.
- Step 7: Use a biscuit cutter or a cookie cutter to cut your cookies. Get as many as you can out of each roll!
- Step 8: Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake until cookies are set and just lightly browning on the bottom.
- Step 9: While the cookies cool, make the buttercream frosting. Add food coloring, if desired.
- Step 10: Spread your cooled cookies with buttercream frosting, then a dash of sprinkles (optional). Serve and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- When you're rolling the cookie dough, that first rolled batch will have the best final shape. Once the dough has been rolled, and then you re-roll with the scraps to cut again, the dough will become thicker with each roll (you're effectively kneading the dough). Still delicious, but try to maximize the number of cookies in that first roll!
- Using a rolling pin with thickness rings makes rolling the dough so much easier! Set the ring to your desired thickness, and then you won't have to think about it again!
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting, otherwise the frosting will melt.
- For the dough and the buttercream frosting, use butter that has been softened to room temperature. Butter that is too cold (or too warm) will not give you the desired texture that you're looking for!
- If you're looking for other sourdough discard desserts, try this Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll Focaccia and these Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels.
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5-6 days.
Freezer Storage: Store the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Before serving, let the cookies thaw to room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Why are cookies from the second or third rolling of the dough thicker?
As you gather the scraps and re-roll the dough to cut more cookies, you are effectively kneading the dough (something that is common with bread, but not needed with cookies). This develops the gluten structure a bit more and gives you a thicker cookie.
Does it matter if my ingredients are room temperature?
Yes, that will make a difference with this recipe. To get the desired texture (for the cookie dough and the buttercream frosting), you'll want to make sure you're working with room-temperature ingredients. This includes butter that has been softened (but not melted).
More Sourdough Discard Cookie Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Lofthouse Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Lofthouse Cookies
A thick and fluffy cookie topped with buttercream frosting and sprinkles, perfect for any holiday or celebration.
Equipment
- Biscuit cutters or other cookie cutters
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk dairy or non-dairy
- food coloring optional
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Make the cookies. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and confectioner's sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sourdough discard, egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until combined. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a disk. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Divide the disk of dough into 2 halves (this helps prevent overworking the dough). Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness, then cut out your shapes with the cookie cutters. Transfer the cut cookies to the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between each cookie. Gather the dough scraps, then re-roll and cut your cookies, repeating until you've used all the dough.*
- Bake for 8-9 minutes until the cookies are set, and just starting to lightly brown on the bottom. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully.
- Make the frosting. Once the cookies are fully cooled, cream the butter until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, then slowly mix in the confectioner's sugar. Add the vanilla extract and milk, mixing until fully smooth and incorporated. Add more milk if you feel that the frosting is too thick. If using food coloring, add a few drops and mix until you reach your desired color.
- Spread the cookies with a layer of buttercream frosting, add sprinkles (optional), and serve!
Video
Notes
*The first roll will be the best. You'll find that with subsequent rolls (the second and third time), the dough is thicker and those baked cookies will be thicker. They're still delicious, but you'll get the "best" shape from the cookies in the first roll of dough. Get as many as you can out if it with each roll!
To make these cookies with active sourdough starter, replace the sourdough discard with active starter (200g). You do not need to change any other ingredients in the recipe.
1 serving = 1 cookie.
Nutrition
Calories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 74mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 255IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
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Jessica Vogl says
Love how thick and fluffy the cookies are, and the customizable frosting makes these perfect for any occassion!