Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies Recipe

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These Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies are a fun and simple treat that can be made any time of year, but thanks to the addition of a bit of sweet cinnamon they are a fun holiday treat as well.

These Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies are a fun and simple treat that can be made any time of year, but thanks to the addition of a bit of sweet cinnamon they are a fun holiday treat as well.

Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies

My family has always been big on making all kinds of cookies and treats over the holiday season. We usually don’t even have enough room in the fridge for all of these goodies so we place them in the entryway so that they can stay cool and we can keep making more!

For the first few years of our marriage, I wasn’t big on the holidays. It seemed rather boring to me to make all kinds of things for just the two of us. Boy, has my opinion changed over the last 4 years! Now I can’t wait to make another bowl of dough with my little ones “helping” me. These Amish Sour Cream Cookies are a favorite because they like to take turns sprinkling on the delicious cinnamon topping that gives them their delicious holiday taste.

I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do!

Soft sour cream cookies on parchment paper with milk in the background.

Ingredients in Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies Recipe

  • All-purpose flour. You could also use All purpose gluten-free flour to make these cookies gluten-free.
  • Baking powder and Baking soda. We will use a combo of these leavening agents to make our cookies rise properly.
  • Salt. Use any salt that you have on hand. I usually use Pink Salt.
  • Butter. This must either be softened or at room temperature to incorporate in the recipe correctly.
  • Sugar. I use regular white sugar in this recipe.
  • Eggs. You need a few eggs here to keep these cookies together.
  • Sour cream. This is our special ingredient in these cookies that makes them soft and slightly tangy.
  • Vanilla. You can use Homemade Vanilla Extract or store-bought in this recipe.

For making sugar cookies I like to substitute Almond extract in place of the vanilla. Makes for a nice flavorful cookie.

Colleen, Little House Living reader
Mixing the sour cream cookies batter with an electric mix in a bowl.

Step By Step Instructions for Making Sour Cream Cookies

In a large bowl, beat the salt, butter, sugar, and eggs together until fluffy. Add in sour cream and vanilla. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture slowly to the sugar mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Cinnamon and sugar mixed together in a small bowl.

For the cinnamon sugar topping you will need:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix these ingredients in a small bowl. Drop a teaspoonful onto a greased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper) and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on the cookies before baking.

My mom sprinkled them with sugar and nutmeg instead of cinnamon. So wonderful!

Lauri, Little House Living reader
Sour cream cookies cooling on a wire rack with a blue plaid cloth underneath.

Enjoy these little treats warm from the oven, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge to snack on later after cooling them on a wire rack.

How to Freeze Sour Cream Cookies

You can also bake these in advance and freeze them until you need them. Just place the cooled cookies in a freezer bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw, simply place the freezer bag or container of cookies on the counter or in the fridge overnight before enjoying.

Variations to the Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies

These sour cream drop cookies are absolutely perfect as is, but if you want to change it up a bit, here are some ideas.

  • Add a frosting like Buttercream frosting or even a Cream Cheese Frosting.
  • Add half brown sugar instead of some white sugar to give them a slight caramel flavor.
  • Add in almond extract instead of vanilla extract for a new flavor.
5 stars

I made this recipe today, delicious!!! Super easy, makes a great amount and the family love them!! Thanks for sharing.

Justine, Little House Living reader
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Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies Recipe

Simple, soft, and tasty cookies that are reminisent of snickerdoodle cookies, but even better!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 214 kcal
Creator Merissa

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the topping you will need:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the salt, butter, sugar, and eggs together until fluffy. Add in sour cream and vanilla.
  2. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture slowly to the sugar mixture and mix well.
  3. Refrigerate for about an hour.
  4. Mix the topping ingredients together in a small bowl, set to the side.
  5. Drop by teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top.
  6. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Enjoy these little treats warm from the oven or store in an airtight container in the fridge to snack on later. You can also bake these in advance and freeze them until you need them. To thaw, simply place the freezer bag or container of cookies on the counter or in the fridge overnight before enjoying.

Nutrition Facts
Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 214 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Trans Fat 0.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 40mg13%
Sodium 158mg7%
Potassium 37mg1%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 0.5g2%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 316IU6%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 27mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Sour cream cookie with a bite taken out of it. More sour cream cookies in the background.

These are such a fun, simple cookie treat to make during the holidays!

Old Fashioned Filled Drop Cookies

More Cookie Recipes

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What are some of the types of cookies that you are going to make (or have already made!) this holiday season?

Did you make this recipe and love it? Be sure to leave a star rating on the recipe card above, and don’t forget to share with your friends on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and through Email using the sharing buttons below.

Me and Kady

Merissa Alink

Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.

This Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies recipe was originally posted on Little House Living in December 2015. It has been updated as of December 2023.

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30 Comments

  1. These look great! I’m always up for new holiday cookie recipes. Plus, being able to freeze them is certainly a bonus. I love making a batch a couple of weeks in advance and pulling them out when company comes.

  2. These cookies look wonderful, I am always looking for non-nut based cookies, my granddaughter is allergic. For this Christmas, I am returning to an old favorite called Kiffles, a cream cheese based low sugar cookie that I stuff with whatever preserves my mother-in-law has made. But my grown children love them with raspberry and pear preserves.

  3. Those look yummy! I love recipes with sour cream. I live in France, so I would substitute with creme fraiche, but I think it would be just as good! I love that you sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top. That is a super nice touch! Thanks for sharing this!

  4. You had me at old fashioned – tried and true recipes are the way I like to go. I think I’d like to try making these for the holiays – thanks for sharing this delicious sounding recipe, found you at Turn it Up Tuesday!

  5. These sound soooo good for Christmas. I can’t wait to give them a try! Thanks for sharing on the Let’s Get Real link up 🙂

  6. These look wonderful. I love anything baked with sour cream in them. By the way, I LOVE your blog theme. The little eggs as links are adorable 🙂

  7. I love cookies and these are being added to my must make list. I bet the sour cream makes them moist. Thanks for sharing,Bev

  8. What a great way to use sour cream before it goes bad…it’s always happening in our house! Next time it’s going bad, I’m making cookies! Happy This Is How We Roll Thursday!

  9. Thank you for this recipe! I love that you can freeze them already baked and just put them in the fridge the night before to use if friends drop by. Perfect!

  10. I love old fashioned cookie recipes! These look delicious! Pinning. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with us at Snickerdoodle this week!

  11. We will love your Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great weekend and come back to see us real soon!
    Miz Helen

  12. Can’t beat the old fashioned way . These are mouth watering. Thanks, for sharing the recipe. Im pinning it for later.
    Lisa

  13. They sound delicious Merissa. I’m also a hige fan of cookies made with sour cream, it just adds that extra depth somehow

  14. I love old-fashioned recipes! We just started the Whisk It Wednesday link party and I thought you might be interested in sharing there too! Thanks, Carrie

  15. For making sugar cookies I like to substitute Almond extract in place of the vanilla. Makes for a nice flavorful cookie.

  16. I want to try making these but I have 2 ques:

    Are these soft or crispy cookies?

    Why do we have to keep them in the fridge for snacking on later? Can’t they last simply in jars outside the fridge?

    1. These are soft cookies and I store them in the fridge because of a personal preference. You can store them where you are comfortable with having them.

  17. 5 stars
    I made this recipe today, delicious!!! Super easy, makes a great amount and the family love them!! Thanks for sharing.

  18. My grandmother used make these when I was a wee tot. However, her version was more puffed up. I never saw her recipe however, I am sure she must have used more baking powder and baking soda.

  19. Hi – These sound delicious! Can the dough be made ahead and frozen? Also, any idea how many cookies in a batch? Thank you. Can’t wait to try