Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Dupe (Artificial Color and Artificial Flavor Free)

The iconic cookie that kids love without the artificial dyes and colors! And okay- it’s not just kids that love them. I’ve included an option with sourdough discard, and an option without for those that prefer to skip it.  This is a must try! 

***As an amazon affiliate, this post may contain affiliate links. Which means I may receive a commission for qualifying purchases. I will only recommend products that I personally love and use.***

Dry Ingredients:

• 3 cups (360g) bread or cake flour

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cream of tartar

Wet Ingredients:

• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1¼ cups (150g) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar (Note: you’ll want to use this as it contains cornstarch important for the recipe)

• ¼ cup (60g) Greek yogurt (unless omitting discard then use 1/2 cup)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 egg, room temperature

• 1 egg yolk, room temperature

• ¼ cup (60g) sourdough discard

(Note: if you want to omit discard, substitute with greek yogurt by increasing yogurt to 1/2 cup)

• ⅛ tsp almond extract (Watkins organic link https://amzn.to/3UnLFzp) 

Frosting:

• ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp (15ml) cream

• ⅛ tsp salt

Decorations:

• Natural food coloring (Go Supernatural color packets are what I used, https://amzn.to/3C5YS9F )

• Go Supernatural chocolate softie sprinkles (link here https://amzn.to/3Ujomqw)

Instructions:

1. Prepare Dry Ingredients:

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups (360g) flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp cream of tartar. Set aside.

2. Cream Butter and Sugar:

In a large bowl, cream ½ cup (113g) butter and 1¼ cups (150g) confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add Wet Ingredients:

Mix in ¼ cup (60g) Greek yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, ¼ cup (60g) sourdough discard, and ⅛ tsp almond extract (optional) until fully incorporated.

4. Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients:

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms.

5. Chill Dough:

Scoop dough onto plastic wrap, and wrap into a square.

Chill the dough for 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.

6. Bake:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out dough to about ¼ inch thick and cut out cookie shapes- I used these circular cookie cutters (link here https://amzn.to/4edKt97). Gather scraps and re-roll and cut shapes until you’ve used all your dough (note: dough can get tough if overworked so try not to knead too much). If dough is too firm, allow to sit out 30 minutes before rolling. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes, until edges are just set but not browned. Allow cookies to cool completely.

7. Prepare Frosting:

In a large bowl, beat ¾ cup (170g) butter until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp (15ml) cream, and ⅛ tsp salt. Beat until light and fluffy. 

Add natural food coloring to the frosting if desired (you can leave it white if you want and skip this step). I used a half packet of orange and magic berry from Go Supernatural Food color packets. You just mix 1/2 teaspoon of water with color and blend well to activate color. To achieve the purple add a few drops of lemon juice as well. Combine colors into your icing with beaters for best results in separate bowls. 

Transfer to piping bag or ziplock and cut off 1/4 inch of tip. 

8. Decorate:

Frost the cooled cookies by applying frosting in a circular motion starting at the edge and working to the center. You can smooth this out or leave it, this is up to you. I topped mine with Go Supernatural artificial dye and color free soft chocolate sprinkles. 

I found letting my frosting set for a bit (1 hour) and then pouring the sprinkles in a shallow bowl and dipping cookies into sprinkles the easiest way to get them to stick. 

Enjoy! Makes 16 sugar cookies 

Click here to view my shop and see what I use to make my recipes!