Lofthouse Cookies Recipe
Get ready to fall in love with these Lofthouse Cookies. They’re the pillowy-soft, melt-in-your-mouth treats you can’t help but grab at every bakery counter—and now you can bake them up at home! With their signature cloud-like texture and colorful frosting, each cookie is a delight for both your taste buds and your eyes. The magic of Lofthouse Cookies lies in their gentle vanilla flavor, tender crumb, and creamy frosting (plus, sprinkles make everything better). Trust me: once you master this recipe, they’ll become a joyful tradition in your kitchen.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The secret to perfect Lofthouse Cookies? Simple, quality ingredients working in harmony. Every component brings just the right flavor, texture, and color, making each cookie impossibly soft and crave-worthy. Don’t skip a single step—each serves a purpose!
- Salted butter, softened: Gives the cookies richness and a tender, bakery-style crumb.
- Powdered sugar: Both in the cookie and icing, it creates a smooth sweetness and almost fudge-like softness.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the cookies ultra-moist, ensuring they stay soft for days.
- Large egg: Adds structure and a bit of chewiness without making them dense.
- Clear vanilla flavoring: Brings that nostalgic, sweet bakery aroma and taste.
- Cake flour: Low protein for the signature tender, meltaway texture—don’t substitute!
- Baking powder: Helps the cookies rise and stay fluffy.
- Baking soda: Reacts with acids for just the right lift.
- Cream of tartar: Adds tang and helps activate the leavening agents for extra fluffiness.
- Shortening: Key for that thick, creamy frosting that holds its shape and melts gently.
- Heavy cream or milk: Thins out the icing to spreadable perfection—use heavy cream for extra decadence.
- Pinch salt (optional): Balances sweetness and brightens the other flavors.
- Sprinkles: The perfect finishing touch for a festive pop of color.
How to Make Lofthouse Cookies
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough
Begin by beating your softened butter and powdered sugar together until the mixture becomes delightfully light and fluffy. This step is all about incorporating air—don’t rush it! Creaming well here is key to achieving that ethereal, bakery-style texture in your Lofthouse Cookies.
Step 2: Add the Wet Ingredients
Next, add the large egg, vegetable oil, and clear vanilla flavoring to the fluffy mixture. Beat until everything is clearly combined and the dough looks silky-smooth. The oil and egg help guarantee these cookies turn out so soft, you might wonder if you’re eating cake!
Step 3: Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar. This not only removes any lumps but also ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed, so every Lofthouse Cookie rises and bakes up perfectly.
Step 4: Form the Dough and Chill
Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until everything is just combined. Don’t overmix—you want to keep the dough tender. Now, chill the dough for at least one hour. This rest gives the cookies their classic, puffy bakery look and prevents spreading.
Step 5: Shape and Bake the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the chilled dough to 1/2-inch thick between two sheets of parchment paper to avoid sticking. Cut out circles using a round cutter for the iconic Lofthouse Cookies shape. Arrange the rounds on your cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes—you want the bottoms to be just barely colored, which keeps them heavenly soft.
Step 6: Make the Frosting
While the cookies cool completely, whip together the shortening, powdered sugar, and clear vanilla using an electric mixer. Add heavy cream or milk slowly, beating until the frosting is thick, smooth, and easily spreadable. Feel free to swirl in a drop or two of food coloring for that classic pastel look!
Step 7: Decorate!
Spread a generous, thick layer of frosting on each cooled cookie. Then top with your favorite sprinkles for that playful and irresistible finish. These Lofthouse Cookies don’t just taste dreamy—they look it, too!
How to Serve Lofthouse Cookies
Garnishes
Classic Lofthouse Cookies almost demand a cascade of rainbow sprinkles, but you can jazz them up even more with edible glitter, themed shapes, or a dusting of colored sugar for holidays. The vibrant top is as much joy for the eyes as the cookies are for your palate, so have fun with it!
Side Dishes
Though the cookies are stars on their own, serve them alongside a tall glass of cold milk, hot cocoa, or rich iced coffee for the ultimate nostalgic snack. At parties, pair with fresh fruit or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to let the Lofthouse Cookies steal the show.
Creative Ways to Present
Set out your Lofthouse Cookies on a cake stand for birthdays, arrange them in pretty boxes as homemade gifts, or stack them up in a colorful tower for a festive dessert table centerpiece. Try frosting different batches with varied pastel shades for a rainbow effect—the presentation possibilities are endless!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Keep Lofthouse Cookies soft and fresh by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. Layer a sheet of wax paper between each layer to protect the frosting. They’ll stay pillowy for 3-4 days, making them ideal for sharing and gifting.
Freezing
You can freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 2 months—just cool completely and store in a zip-top bag, squeezing out excess air before sealing. You can also freeze frosted cookies, but flash-freeze on a baking sheet until the icing sets, then transfer to a container, separating layers with wax paper.
Reheating
Enjoy Lofthouse Cookies straight from the countertop, or gently warm unfrosted cookies in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. This revives the lovely softness without melting the icing. Avoid reheating frosted cookies, as the topping can become too runny.
FAQs
What makes Lofthouse Cookies so soft?
The combination of cake flour, oil, and whipped butter is what creates their unique, airy texture. Chilling the dough also helps keep them thick, extra tender, and never crumbly.
Can I use regular flour instead of cake flour?
Cake flour is what gives Lofthouse Cookies their delicate, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. If you substitute all-purpose flour, the cookies will be denser, so it’s worth sourcing cake flour for authentic results.
Can I make the dough in advance?
Absolutely! You can prepare and refrigerate the Lofthouse Cookies dough up to 48 hours ahead. Just keep it tightly covered, and if it gets too firm, let it sit at room temperature a few minutes before rolling out.
How do I get vibrant frosting colors?
Use gel food coloring for the brightest shades without thinning out your icing. Start with a tiny amount and mix well—you can always add more for bolder pastel hues!
Are Lofthouse Cookies good for decorating with kids?
They’re perfect! The thick, spreadable frosting is easy for small hands, and kids love choosing and sprinkling their own decorations. It’s a fun, creative baking project for any occasion.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever dreamed of baking up bakery-style Lofthouse Cookies at home, now you have the magic formula! Every batch is a soft, frosted celebration waiting to happen. So grab your ingredients and make a memory—these cookies are ready to sweeten any gathering or brighten even the simplest afternoon.
Print
Lofthouse Cookies Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delicious Lofthouse Cookies recipe that yields soft, fluffy cookies topped with a sweet frosting and colorful sprinkles. Perfect for any occasion!
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1/2 cup salted butter (softened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- pinch of salt (optional)
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Cookies – Beat softened butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.
- Frosting – Beat shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla; add cream until smooth.
Add eggs, oil, and vanilla flavoring; beat until combined.
Sift together dry ingredients, mix into butter mixture.
Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Roll out dough to 1/2″ thickness between parchment paper.
Cut out cookie shapes.
Bake for 8 minutes, until barely colored on the bottom.
Add food coloring, if desired.
Spread frosting on cooled cookies, top with sprinkles.
Notes
- You can customize the frosting colors to suit different occasions.
- For a softer cookie, slightly underbake them.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 60mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: Lofthouse cookies, soft cookies, frosted cookies, homemade cookies
