These whole wheat sugar cookies taste delicious and have a soft and tender texture, thanks to sour cream and soft white wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour). They hold their shape while baking, making them great cut out cookies for decorating.
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We have been on a mission to create a great whole wheat sugar cookie recipe. One that actually tastes good, and not like a blob of flour. The trick is lots of vanilla and a touch of sour cream. Using fresh milled or high quality flour makes a huge difference in the taste and texture of the cookies as well.
Our cookie series of classic cookies made with whole wheat flour had to have a sugar cookie recipe in it, and we think these are the best sugar cookies we’ve ever had! See all the recipes in our cookie series below:
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Snickerdoodle cookies
- Soft molasses cookies
- Oatmeal raisin cookies
- Orange coconut cookies
- Cut out sugar cookies (this recipe)
- Double chocolate cookies
- Peanut butter cookies
What's Cool About This Recipe
- 100% whole wheat: These cut out sugar cookies are made with 100% whole grain whole wheat flour. We use soft white wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour).
- Keep their shape: They keep their shape while baking, making them excellent cookies for decorating.
- Flavor: We use lots of vanilla and a little sour cream to flavor these cookies, they are so good!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Whole wheat flour: We use whole wheat flour milled/ground from soft white wheat. You’ll want to get a flour that is very finely ground. We prefer to use fresh milled flour, or this flour from Janey’s Mill
- Baking powder: Make the cookies rise up and give them a slightly fluffy texture.
- Salt: Helps bring all the flavors together and prevents blandness.
- Butter: The flavor of your butter can make or break your cookies. Fresh butter always has the best flavor, did you know that once your butter has come to room temperature if you put it back in the refrigerator the flavor will deteriorate? Our favorite brand of butter is Kerrygold.
- Raw cane sugar: We use raw granulated cane sugar or organic cane sugar.
- Egg: Eggs are extremely important to the texture of the cookies, they help hold them together, keep them soft and help them rise.
- Sour cream: gives the cookies a soft, tender texture and a slightly tangy, rich flavor.
- Vanilla: Adds flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- You can add citrus zest to the dough, such as lemon or orange.
Instruction Photos
Overview of instructions with photos. See recipe card for quantities and full instructions.
Step 1: Beat the butter and sugar together until well combined.
Step 2: Add the egg and beat until lightened in color and fluffy.
Step 3: Add the sour cream and vanilla, mix until incorporated.
Step 4: Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Step 5: Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. You can skip this step, but the dough won’t be as easy to work with.
Step 6: Roll out on a well floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into your desired shapes. Gather the scraps and knead a couple of times to bring them together, roll out and cut.
Step 7: Place the cookies about 1 inch apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Step 8: Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are set.
Serving Suggestions
Sugar cookies are usually topped with some kind of frosting or icing:
- Cream cheese frosting (shown in the photos)
- Dark chocolate cream cheese frosting
- Sour cream icing
- Lemon glaze
- Royal icing
- Buttercream
Storage
After the cookies are completely cooled, store them covered at room temperature for 4-5 days.
If the cookies are frosted with a dairy based frosting (cream cheese, butter, sour cream etc) they will need to be stored in the refrigerator.
How to Freeze
To freeze sugar cookie dough: Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press into a disk or rectangle shape. Wrap tightly and place into a freezer safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then proceed with the recipe.
To freeze cookies without frosting: Freeze the cookies in a single layer before placing into a freezer safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To freeze cookies with frosting: Freeze cookies in a single layer until hardened. Place the cookies in a freezer safe bag or container with a piece of parchment or waxed paper between layers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Tips From Our Kitchen
If the dough is super sticky add more flour. You want the dough to be slightly sticky but relatively easy to handle with floured hands.
If your flour is freshly milled you might need a little more than if it is pre milled.
If your flour has really large pieces of bran in it you can sift it out, just measure the flour for the recipe after it is sifted.
FAQ
If your sugar cookies didn’t hold their shape while baking they probably need more flour in the dough.
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Whole Wheat Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Stand Mixer optional
- kitchen scale optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup (157 g) granulated cane sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream full fat
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) soft white wheat flour* whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 batch cream cheese frosting or frosting of choice
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter and ¾ cup (157 g) granulated cane sugar until well combined.
- Add 1 large egg and beat on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, mix just until incorporated.
- Add 2 ¼ cups (270 g) soft white wheat flour*, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon sea salt, mix just until combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, flatten slightly and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours (you can skip this step, but the dough is easier to work with if it is cold).
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Roll the cookie dough out on a generously floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Cut out into your desired shapes.
- Place the cut out cookies about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a thin spatula dipped in flour to lift the cookies off your surface. Gather the scraps into a pile, knead a couple time to bring them together. Repeat the roll and cut steps.
- Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are set and no longer shiny on top. If you want crunchy cookies, bake them for a couple extra minutes.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
We calculate these nutritional facts using an estimate and they can vary drastically between ingredients used and measuring technique. So, they are not intended for medical use.
Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you!