This Sugar Cookie Recipe is the perfect pink frosting swirled on top of the best basic sugar cookie. It is my go-to recipe when I want to impress! If you are looking for cut-out sugar cookies for decorating, check out my Cutout Sugar Cookie recipe.
Sugar Cookie Recipe
You may have found this cookie recipe and noticed that they look a lot like the famous Swig Cookies. These cookies are special because you don’t have to roll out the dough like regular sugar cookies. After they are baked, frosting is added to make them even more delicious. For an additional treat, be sure to try these cookies chilled! For another frosted cookie favorite, try my Pink Velvet Sugar Cookies with Easy Swiss Meringue, too!
Ingredients
Confectioners’ Sugar: Confectioners’ sugar is not the most common type of sugar in cookie dough, but do not leave it out! It adds some texture and softness to the cookies.
Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar is not a cream at all, but a powdery acid. It can be found in the baking aisle, near the spices at your local grocery store.
Sour Cream: An unexpected ingredient in the frosting is sour cream. It adds a little tang to each bite. Greek yogurt can be substituted if that is what you have on hand!
Food Coloring: All you need is a few drops of red food coloring for the light pink color. Of course, you could make the frosting any color you prefer!
How to Frost Sugar Cookies
This frosting is so velvety smooth and creamy and it is really easy to use! Just follow the simple steps below to achieve the perfect frosted cookie.
- Place a dollop of frosting onto an offset spatula. Then, smooth it around the center indentation of the cookie.
- For the final “swoop”, hold the offset spatially steady, turn the cookie in one direction, then turn it back in the other direction, moving the spatula slightly lower.
This technique may sound tricky, but with some practice, you’ll master it in no time!
Storing & Freezing Frosted Sugar Cookies
- After the cookies have been baked and frosted, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- You can freeze these cookies frosted or unfrosted. First, lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the freezer until frozen. Then, transfer the frozen cookies to an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to one month. Don’t forget to label and date your container!
- To freeze this cookie dough, follow the instructions for making the dough. Then, place the scooped-out dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm. Transfer the frozen cookie dough to a labeled and dated airtight, freezer-safe container for up to one month.
Sugar Cookie with Sugar Cookie Frosting
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (94 g) confectioners' sugar
- ¾ cup (168 g) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 5 ½ cups (688 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Sugar Cookie Frosting
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (173 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4-5 cups (440-550 g) confectioners' sugar
- red food coloring
Instructions
Sugar Cookie
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, granulated sugar, and confectioners' sugar. Mix on medium speed until just combined.
- Drizzle in oil and add eggs. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, and salt.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Allow the mixer to combine until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, drop the golf-ball size portions of dough onto a lined baking sheet.
- Roll each cookie dough ball until it is smooth and round.
- Using the bottom of a wet kitchen glass that has been pressed into granulated sugar, press down on each cookie dough ball until the center of the cookie is pressed flatter than the edges. Repeat this on all cookies.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until edges are just slightly starting to brown and the center no longer appears wet. Allow the cookies to cool as you make the frosting.
- NOTE: It is important to NOT over-bake the cookies. Be sure to check your cookies at 7 minutes. Every oven is different and overbaking can result in a tough, crumbly, tasteless cookie. Let your first batch be a test batch so you can ensure the remaining cookies are perfect and soft!
Sugar Cookie Frosting
- In a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, sour cream, and salt.
- Once ingredients are fully incorporated, start adding the confectioners' sugar, about ½ cup at a time. (You may not need all 5 cups. Keep an eye on the frosting to determine when it has reached your desired consistency. If it gets too be too thick you can add milk one teaspoon at a time.)
- Mix in a few drops of red food coloring for the soft pink color.
- Spread the frosting onto the cooled cookies using an offset spatula or butter knife.
Video
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Try my perfect Cut-Out Sugar Cookies & Sugar Cookie Icing or Easy Sugar Cookies for more fun baking!
Updated: SUGAR COOKIE TROUBLESHOOTING – everything you wanted to know about sugar cookies!
Looks great I have to make these sugar cookies
I made these and for some reason one cookie on each sheet that i made basically melted…. have you seen/heard of that happening or do you know what might have caused that?
Oh goodness! That is odd! Maybe it’s a hot spot in your oven?
These were the absolute worst sugar cookies I ever made. I double checked the ingredients & they turned out like hockey pucks!
Sorry you had that experience, Linda! This recipe has been tested numerous times, and never in all my testing or reader experience have I ever heard of “hockey pucks” being the outcome. Were they over baked? Was your oven setting correct and is it calibrated? Are your leavening ingredients fresh? Even if all of those factors were slightly off it still shouldn’t result in a hockey puck. Can you be more specific about your process, ingredients, timing, and oven settings? Thanks!
I can’t wait to try them! Does this icing set up.
I had never heard of swig cookies so when I saw this on Pinterest I couldn’t wait to try them. The recipe works, but for my personal preference, I would definitely change a few things. For those wondering how many it makes, I was able to get about 5 1/2 dozen 1.5” cookies (I made 67 cookies to be exact) using a medium cookie scoop. The cookies are definitely not a “crunchy” sugar cookie, but I wouldn’t call them soft either. The cookies are somewhat dry and flavorless. I ended up adding 1 tsp of almond flavoring to the second half of the dough and they turned out better imo. Also, the icing is very strange for a sugar cookie, almost like a cream cheese icing with a twang. I used that icing on one cookie and then just made my normal vanilla buttercream. I enjoy trying new cookie recipes so it wasn’t a complete waste of time, but not sure I would make these ever again.
Hi Lindee. Thanks for the in-depth review! I agree that almond extra can do beautiful things to a sugar cookie, I actually have a recipe where I use it in a cut out cookie. https://iambaker.net/christmas-cookies/
The icing is different than a traditional buttercream, “strange” is an interesting word to use… but if you only like traditional sugary American buttercream I understand it would be different for you.
It sounds like the cookies were a bit overbaked resulting in the “dry”ness you wrote about. They are definitely not a dry and “flavorless” cookie.
Sorry it wasn’t up to your liking!
Really looking forward to trying these! Wondering if the amount of cream of tartar is important? If I don’t use all the flour will the cookie dough miss out on it since they are mixed?
Yes, the amount are important to make sure you get the right consistency. 🙂
I just made these cookies and followed the recipe to the tee and they didnt come out sweet at all. I think it needs more sugar.
It is not an overly sweet cookie, but with the amount of sugar added, it should be sweet enough! sorry you didn’t like it.
This is the sugar cookie my grandmother used to make and it is delicious. I have also seen it called Amish Sugar cookies. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve never heard of a swig cookie but they look like what we pink cookies. We got pink cookies when we lived in Washington.
I haven’t iced them yet but even without frosting they are delicious. I love soft, melt in your mouth sugar cookies and these definitely are just that.
Thank you fo sharing.
One of the very best sugar cookie recipes ever! I made a similar frosting that had only a couple of Tablespoons of sour cream and I used whipping cream instead of milk.