The Best Soft Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
These Soft Lofthouse Sugar Cookies are the perfect copycat version of the iconic store-bought cookies that everyone loves. With a soft, cake-like texture and a generous layer of sweet pink frosting, these cake mix cookies are sure to be a hit at any gathering.
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These perfect copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies are a nostalgic favorite that brings back memories of childhood bake sales, school parties, and trips to the grocery store. The familiar soft texture and sweet, creamy frosting have made these pillowy soft cookies a beloved treat for generations.
There’s just something about the combination of the melt-in-your-mouth cookies and the generous helping of pastel-colored frosting that makes them irresistible.
Now you can make them in your own kitchen with a cake mix! These homemade lofthouse cookies rival the ones you find at the grocery store bakery. They also do not require a rolling pin or cookie cutter, just like these Rainbow Cookies.
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Tips & tricks to achieve the most delicious cookies of your life!
What goes into this recipe
- White Cake Mix: Starting with a cake mix helps to give these cookies a wonderful cakey texture. It also contains the sugar and baking powder or baking soda you would normally add to a cookie recipe. Vanilla or yellow cake mix can also be used.
- Butter: Softened butter is use to create a light and fluffy base for this copycat recipe. I always use salted butter but you can use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Corn Starch: Corn starch is the secret ingredient used in the dough and helps create a fluffy texture that is unlike a typical sugar cookie.
- Butter Flavored Shortening: The frosting uses a combination of butter and butter-flavored shortening to create a rich, creamy texture that spreads easily on the cookies. It is also used in this Chilled Crumbl Cookie.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Soft Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
- Mix together the butter and shortening until creamy using a hand held {or stand} mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix into butter until just combined. Finally, add the white cake mix, cornstarch and all purpose flour to the wet ingredients. Continue to use the mixer until a dough forms and has a nice thick consistency.
- Use a medium cookie scoop and scoop mounds of sugar cookie dough into your hand and roll them into smooth balls of dough. Place them onto a silicone mat {or parchment} lined baking sheet. Press them into a round disc shape.
- Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies are set and the edges are starting to turn light brown. Remove from the oven and move the cookies immediately from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack. Once all of the cookies have been baked and cooled, you can turn your attention to the frosting. Whip the butter and butter flavored shortening together with a hand held mixer {or by hand}, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Mix until you have a good spreadable consistency {add a little more milk if you need to}. Then add a couple of drops of pink food coloring and stir to combine.
- I used a piping bag to get an even round amount of frosting on each cookie but you could also use an off-set spatula to get the same effect. Before the frosting sets, give each cookie a healthy sprinkling of colored sprinkles. For best results, you might want to gently push them into the frosting.
Expert Tips
- Roll the cookies in your hand to get a smooth cookie. When you scoop cookies, they can sometimes have jagged edges, so rolling them gives them a more polished look, like the original lofthouse cookie.
- Use a piping bag to get a nice and thick layer of frosting. Bakeries don’t skimp on the frosting, so using a piping bag helps ensure an even, generous layer on each cookie.
- Give the cookies a generous topping of rainbow sprinkles. A lofthouse cookie recipe isn’t complete without them.
- Change the color of the frosting to make Christmas cookies. Use a red or green gel food coloring and holiday sprinkles for festive and soft lofthouse cookies.
- Add a little almond extract to the dough in addition to vanilla extract. This will help give the cookies great flavor.
Storage and Freezing
Store: Store the cake-like cookies in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days. Be sure to let the frosting set completely before stacking the cookies to prevent them from sticking together.
Freeze: You can freeze the unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. When ready to eat, thaw the cookies at room temperature and frost them.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use regular shortening in place of the butter-flavored shortening. However, the butter-flavored shortening makes the frosting taste more like the bakery style Lofthouse sugar cookies.
Yes, you can make the cookie dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before baking. When ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes to soften slightly before scooping and baking as directed.
The cookies are done when they are set around the edges and just starting to turn golden brown. They should still be soft in the center, so be careful not to overbake them. This can lead to dry, crumbly cookies instead of the soft cookie texture we’re going for.
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The Best Soft Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- ½ cup butter {softened}
- ½ cup butter flavored shortening
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 box white cake mix {13.25 ounces}
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
Frosting
- ½ cup butter {softened}
- ½ cup butter flavored shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 2-3 drops pink food coloring
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
Cookies
- Combine the butter and butter flavored shortening in a large bowl and mix together using a hand held {or stand} mixer until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and continue to mix until combined.
- Finally, add the white cake mix, flour and corn starch to the wet ingredients and mix until you have a thick sugar cookie dough.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to measure out cookie dough into your hand. Roll the dough into a smooth ball and place onto a silicone mat {or parchment} lined baking sheet. Then form the smooth cookie dough balls into a round disc.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies are baked through but not over baked. Remove from the oven and move the cookies to a cooling rack. Continue until all of the cookies are baked.
Frosting
- While the cookies are cooling combine the butter and butter flavored shortening in a medium bowl. Mix with a hand held mixer {or by hand} until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Mix until you have a smooth and thick frosting. Use a little more milk to thin out frosting, if needed. Add a few drops of pink food coloring and mix until you have an even pink color.
- Either spread the frosting on each cookie with an off-set spatula or put the frosting in a piping bag and pipe the frosting in a thick layer on top of each cookie. Top with rainbow sprinkles and press them down lightly. Allow the frosting to set up for about an hour before stacking the cookies.
