These copycat Lofthouse frosted sugar cookies are beyond sweet, soft, and cakey. The easy buttercream frosting adds a fun and festive touch for Halloween.
If you've had Lofthouse cookies before, you know just how good they are. And if you have never heard of them, let me break it down for you. These frosted sugar cookies, which can be found at the grocery store, are extra sweet.
They are melt-in-your-mouth soft, more cake-like than cookie-like, and they're always topped with brightly colored frosting and fun sprinkles.
So for Halloween this year, I decided I needed to figure out a way to make gluten free Lofthouse cookies. And let me tell you, it was such a fun process! I was so excited when I took my first bite and realized that I had succeeded.
This frosted cookie recipe is very straightforward and easy. While I do love a good cut out sugar cookie, I chose to go with drop cookies because I find it much quicker.
You can see that this makes for a slightly imperfect round. If you want your cookies to be perfect, you can reinforce the round shape using a small round cookie cutter right when they come out of the oven, while they are still warm.
Why You'll Love These Cookies...
- Just look at them! These Halloween sugar cookies are so much fun and would be great for a party.
- They're super easy to make. These cookies do require some chill time (just 1 hour though), so you'll need to be patient. That's probably the hardest part of the whole process!
- Because who doesn't love buttercream frosting?
What You'll Need...
- GF flour (my favorite is Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1, it's the only one I use!)
- Arrowroot (to thicken)
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar (adds to the cakey texture)
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer
- Vanilla
- For the frosting: butter + powdered sugar + milk + vanilla
How To Make...
Make the cookie dough:
To make my copycat Lofthouse sugar cookies, we'll start by combining the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk it up and set it aside... we'll come back to it in a few!
Next, grab your mixer and cream the butter with both sugars. Add the yogurt, egg replacer, and vanilla extract. Then add the dry mixture in and beat to combine. Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator. We'll want to chill the dough for at least 1 hour before baking.
When the dough is ready, scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and arrange on a lined baking sheet. Bake on 375ºF for 9 minutes.
Make the frosting:
To make the buttercream frosting, you're going to want to beat the butter first until it's nice and creamy. Then, add in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract and continue beating.
Tips For Making The Best Lofthouse Frosted Sugar Cookies...
- As always, my #1 tip is to weigh the flour using a scale, if at all possible. This is the best way to ensure accuracy. And I'd say it's especially important when it comes to soft, buttery, and cakey cookies like these. Too much flour will really mess with the texture.
- The chill time is important! These cookies are meant to be thick, meaning there should be minimal spreading. The only way you can achieve this is by letting the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- I like drop cookies because they're just so easy. You might not end up with perfectly round cookies. This doesn't bother me, but if it bothers you, you can easily fix it by grabbing a round cookie cutter (or the rim of a clean glass) and gently reinforce the round shape as soon as the cookies are out of the oven, while they're still warm.
- When making the frosting, you really want to beat the butter on its own first until it's smooth and creamy. This could take a few minutes, which is totally normal.
- Make sure your cookies are completely cooled before attempting to frost. Add the sprinkles right after frosting, before the buttercream has set/hardened.
- You can store these Lofthouse sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. After that, I'd recommend moving into the refrigerator.
Ingredient Substitutions...
- Rather than using arrowroot, you can substitute 1 tablespoon cornstarch instead. Both arrowroot and cornstarch have that similar thickening effect.
- If you are not looking to make Lofthouse cookies without eggs, you can go ahead and use 1 egg instead of the egg replacer.
Did you try my copycat Lofthouse frosted cookies? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog!
For More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes, Check Out My...
📖 Recipe
Lofthouse Frosted Sugar Cookies - Gluten Free, Eggless
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (259g) gluten free flour blend
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (56g) Greek yogurt room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the buttercream frosting:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the cookies:
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, arrowroot, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with both sugars until smooth. Add the Greek yogurt, prepared egg replacer, and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until soft cookie dough forms. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out cookie dough, measuring about 2 tablespoons per cookie, and roll into a ball. Flatten slightly with your hands. Arrange on the lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake 8-9 minutes, or until edges look slightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
To make the buttercream frosting:
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Pipe or spread frosting on cooled cookies and immediately top with sprinkles, if using.
Notes
- Cornstarch can be used instead of arrowroot as a 1:1 substitute.
- Be sure to follow the instructions on the package of Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer. Once mixed with water, the egg replacer must sit for just a few minutes to thicken.
- If you are not looking to replace eggs, you should be able to use 1 egg instead of the egg replacer.
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