It seems like the big thing in Utah now is drive-thru soda places that serve all sorts of flavors of sodas with tons of mix ins paired with a sugar cookie. When my parents were visiting Provo last summer I started frequenting one of the soda drive-thru windows just to get one of their cookies. I knew I had to create a copycat recipe to make them myself. I think this recipe is it. These sugar cookies are the bomb. Seriously, super yummy. I first made them for my son’s birthday party back in November to give out in treat bags. I also made them for a bake sale this past weekend and everyone was requesting the recipe and lots of people came back to buy more after they ate one.
Some notes about the recipe. If you’ve never had a Swig sugar cookie, I think they are less sweet and have a thicker less fluffy texture (more shortbready) than regular sugar cookies. I mix my sugar cookies by hand, and the frosting in a stand mixer. It helps the dough not to get over mixed. I refrigerate my cookies after they have cooled, but I like to eat them at room temperature. The cookies are so moist that if you stack them in the refrigerator put parchment paper in between to keep them from sticking together. Also, these don’t work to roll out and cut shapes because the dough is so soft. One time I lessened the vegetable oil to 1/2 cup and I was able to roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and cut out shapes.
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Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter softened
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
5 1/2 cups flour
Preheat oven to 350. Cream together the softened butter, oil, and sugar. Add the eggs, sour cream, extracts and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients last and mix until a nice soft dough forms. (I like to knead the dough by hand to incorporate the last bit of flour.) Roll dough into golfball size balls and placed on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Using the back of a drinking glass sprayed with cooking spray, smash the balls into round circles about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 8-10 minutes- cookies should not brown at all. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack if desired. Allowing them to cool on the cookie sheet is very important because they continue to cook. Don’t take them off too soon! I rotate two pans when I cook these so my first pan of cookies has the time to cool.
Frosting
1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream*
2 pounds powder sugar
red food coloring (if desired)
Whip the butter in the bowl of the stand mixer on medium speed for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and a few drops of red food coloring and mix for another minute, then gradually add the powdered sugar a cup at at time. You want the frosting to be nice and stiff, not runny. I usually add a few cups of sugar, check the consistency and taste and then add more if needed. You might not use the whole 2 pounds of powdered sugar. Frost the cooled cookies. I like using the Wilton 1M tip for rosettes.
*I use the reduced fat because it’s not as thick as regular sour cream
I love these! My favorite cookie!
These were SO stink’n good! When we bought some at your yard sale and gave them away each person asked for the recipe. My mouth is watering just looking at them. I need to make these babies soon!!
How many cookies will/should this recipe yield? (I may have missed it.)
Sorry I don’t know how I missed this comment before. The recipe makes approximately 32 cookies.
Do you think it’s ok to use canola oil instead of vegetable oil?
Yes canola oil should work to substitute.
Thank your for this delicious cookie recipe!!! They are better than swigs if I dare say! I used a different frosting recipe that was perfect for the cookie. Not too sweet, holds its shape, fast to cook! They were a hot choice at my work!
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
would love if this had a “print” option
Tyana, thanks for the feedback. I will have to look into getting a print option for my recipes.
I saw you say you like to refrigerate the cookies but eat them at room temp. Is that before you frost them or after that you refrigerate them? I’m confused about that part….thanks!!!
And if you do refrigerate them after you frost them how does the frosting hold up? Does it still stay pretty and not get flattened? Making these for a group so i would be refrigerating s bunch of them at once. Thanks again.
Hi Dawn! I refrigerate the unfrosted cookies after I bake them. Then I let them come to room temperature and frost them before serving. Some people like them cold straight from the fridge, but I don’t.
Do these need to be refrigerated?
I refrigerate them if they are frosted. If unfrosted no they don’t need to be.
I’ve looked at a bunch of Swig recipes, and so far yours is the only I’ve seen that includes sour cream in the cookie recipe itself. Have you tried it without? What difference does the sour cream make?
I haven’t made it without. I don’t think sour cream makes much of a taste difference but it does add to the moistness of the cookie.
These are the best sugar cookies I have ever made. I’ve tried them all in my 50 yrs of marriage. They were perfect in every way. Did not change a thing. Gave them to several friends and all gave a thumbs up. Will be trying the creamsicle version next.
I did not spray my glass with cooking spray every time I pressed down a cookie. Sprayed once and dipped in sugar each time I pressed down a cookie. Worked perfect for me.
Dianne, thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed them :). A creamsicle versions sounds delicious!
Made them yesterday with my step grandkids, everyone loved them. They are the BEST cookies I have ever made without a doubt, thank you for the recipe.
So glad to hear you loved them! 🙂
Hi Jenny,
I just made these cookies and they turned out so great! I used coconut oil instead of vegetable and they add a subtle, but great flavour. I wondered if you had tried freezing these cookies once they are iced? I am going to eat them all if I don’t get them in the freezer! I hate to waste the icing if only the cookies can be frozen. Thanks.
Hi Lisa! I haven’t tried freezing both the cookies and icing but I think they would be okay. Maybe freeze one iced cookie as a test and try it?
These look amazing! Would I be able to leave the almond extract out or is it a must?
I love the flavor the almond extract adds, but you could leave it out or replace with vanilla extract.