My Aunt Clara's old-fashioned Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are a New England family favorite. The soft, lightly spiced cookies are topped with a sweet, maple syrup glaze.
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These Sour Cream Sugar Cookies are a family recipe handed down through my great-Aunt Clara, grandmother, and mom. They were always on hand at holiday time when we were kids.
An old-fashioned sour cream sugar cookie is unlike a regular sugar cookie which has either a crispy or chewy texture. The soft sugar cookies are flavored with a hint of nutmeg and orange. And my own twist to the family recipe? Sweet maple glaze. Spread over the tops, this glaze puts makes these cookies even more delectable!
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: A cherished family recipe for our Aunt Clara's sugar cookies. They're wonderfully soft and pillowy! My New England twist on the recipe is a sweet Vermont maple glaze.
- You'll love this part: The cookies are a joy to make since the dough requires no chilling and mixes up quickly. They're especially nice to share for the holidays.
- How it's made: JUst mix the cookie dough ingredients together, scoop the cookies out, and bake.
Jump to:
Notes from fellow cooks:
"These look so good! I noticed the Underdog glass in one of the pictures and I used to love that show when I was really little." — Heidi
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Why should I put sour cream in my sugar cookies?
Sour cream does amazing things for sugar cookies! It has more fat than milk, and fats help make baked goods more tender and cakey. Because sour cream is thick, it won't thin out your cookie batter the way milk will.
These cookies have a bite that falls somewhere between a cookie and a biscuit: they're very soft and pillowy.
Finally, sour cream is ... sour! It lends a bit of tangy flavor while the acids activate the baking soda and baking powder to make these cookies puffy and light.
Why you'll love this recipe
Easy sour cream sugar cookies are fun to make with the family and with friends. The soft texture makes them a unique treat in a cookie exchange, and the spice blend gives them a holiday flavor.
The cookie dough mixes up lickety-split in your stand mixer or with a hand mixer. It's also a no-chill dough, meaning you can begin baking cookies as soon as your dough is finished mixing. The glaze is simple to whisk up, too!
🔪 How to make Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Ingredients:
- Butter: For a tender and tasty cookie
- Sugar: Use white granulated sugar
- Eggs: Large eggs are what I use here
- Orange Juice: Just a little is all you need for the flavor
- Sour Cream: This ingredient makes a really soft cookie texture
- All-Purpose Flour: King Arthur Flour is my go-to brand
- Baking Powder & Soda: These leaveners help the cookies rise
- Nutmeg: Just enough to lightly scent the cookies
- Maple Syrup: Use the pure stuff, from Vermont, of course!
- Confectioner's Sugar: With maple syrup to make the glaze
Mix the batter
Cream the butter and sugar, then mix in the eggs and other wet ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then add them to the wet mixture.
Scoop the dough
Use a cookie scoop to place mounds of batter on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Bake 'em!
Bake the cookies in a 350° F oven until they're lightly browned.
Add the maple glaze
Mix together the ingredients for the maple glaze. Once the cookies have cooled, dip the tops into the glaze. Let the cookies rest on a cooling rack until their tops are set.
Sour Cream Sugar Cookies FAQs
Yes, unglazed cookies freeze very well: Once the baked cookies are completely cool, place them in a single layer in a freezer-proof Ziploc bag. Store the cookies in the freezer for up to three months.
Let the cookies thaw still in the bag in the refrigerator. They can now be glazed and served.
Use pure maple syrup for these cookies! Vermont Maple Syrup is the absolute best, in my opinion, but if you have local sugarmakers in your state, by all means, support them. The flavor of real maple syrup gets to shine on these cookies, so don't use the fake stuff!
The grade of maple syrup you use is up to you: I like the intense maple flavor of Grade A Very Dark, but lighter grades will also be delicious in the glaze.
Tips:
- Unglazed cookies freeze very well: Once the baked cookies are completely cool, place them in a single layer in a freezer-proof Ziploc bag. Store the cookies in the freezer for up to three months.
- Let the cookies thaw still in the bag in the refrigerator. They can now be glazed and served.
You will really love old-fashioned, sour cream cookies from my family recipe box.
(Other family recipe favorites include Chocolate Wacky Cake and Walnut Coconut Cookies.) They'll become a fave for your family and friends, too!
Don't just take my word for it...
"I made these for Christmas cookie platters, and they were a big hit. I loved that they were not cutouts like the other cookies. The light texture, the hint of nutmeg, and maple glaze were a great combination." — Kristy P.
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The recipe for Aunt Clara's Glazed Sour Cream Sugar Cookies is below. Here are more cookie recipes you should try as well:
💬 Have you tried this recipe? Leave a comment!
📖 Recipe
Sour Cream Sugar Cookies, Aunt Clara's Recipe
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Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4⅓ cups all-purpose flour unbleached
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the glaze:
- ½ cup Vermont maple syrup
- 1⅔ cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- Optional: grated nutmeg and orange zest for tops
Instructions
Make the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat together the softened butter and sugar for 5 minutes until they are light and fluffy. With the mixer running add in the whisked eggs and mix to combine them. Mix in the orange juice and then the sour cream, until the batter is smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Add this dry mixture to the batter in two or three additions, mixing after each addition to incorporate it. The batter will be thick and sticky.
- Use a 1½ tablespoon sized scoop to drop mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, about two inches apart. If you don't have a scoop do rounded tablespoons of batter.
- If you want the tops to be smooth, run a wet finger over the scoops of dough.
- *Note: keep the rest of the batter waiting in the fridge between bakes. If the batter gets too warm the texture of the cookies will be affected.
- Bake the cookies for about 16-18 minutes until they are set and have a little color around the edges and on top. The cookies should only spread a little if at all.
- Move them to a cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool completely.
Prepare the glaze:
- Use a mixer or a whisk to combine the maple syrup and the confectioner's sugar in a medium bowl, until the mixture is smooth.
Glaze the cookies:
- Use a spoon or icing spatula to spread glaze over the tops, and then place them on a cooling rack or a sheet of waxed paper.
- Allow the cookies to rest until the glaze has set: about 30 minutes.
- Makes about 38 cookies. Store the cookies in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Unglazed cookies freeze very well: Once the baked cookies are completely cool, place them in a single layer in a freezer-proof Ziploc bag. Store the cookies in the freezer for up to three months.
- Let the cookies thaw still in the bag in the refrigerator. They can now be glazed and served.
Nutrition
Kristy Perry says
I made these to go on cookie platters for Christmas gatherings, and they were a big hit. I loved the fact that they were not cutouts like the other cookies. The light texture, hint of nutmeg, and maple glaze were a great combination. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Nancy!!
Nancy Mock says
Kristy I’m so glad you liked them and made them for your gathering! Thank you for sharing here, you made my day!
Heidi says
These look so good, Nancy! I noticed the Underdog glass in one of the pictures and I used to love that show when I was really little.
Nancy Mock says
Same here! I have tons of character glasses, I should include more of them in my posts. Thanks Heidi!