Swig Sugar Cookie

Name: Swig Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 19 min
Ingredients: 5 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon cream of tartar; 1 cup unsalted butter, (softened); 1 cup butter-flavored shortening; 1¼ cups granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon almond extract; 2 eggs; ¼ cup granulated sugar, (set aside in a shallow dish); ½ cup unsalted butter, (softened); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 4 tablespoons heavy cream; ½ cup sour cream; 4 cups powdered sugar; red food coloring

overhead shot of Swig Cookies on a plate

Swig cookies are a buttery sugar cookie glazed with a unique sour cream frosting that you will love to sink your teeth into.

Jump to Recipe

Table of Contents

Swig Cookies Ingredients
How To Make This Swig Cookies Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
More Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE

These copycat Swig cookies are buttery, tasty, and glazed with a unique tangy frosting made with sour cream. This soft sugar cookie recipe is sure to make a delicious treat that everyone in the family will love.

a close up shot of swig cookies on a cooling rack

Swig Cookies Ingredients

swig sugar cookie raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

For the Cookies

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup butter-flavored shortening
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
¼ cup granulated sugar, set aside in a shallow dish

For the Frosting

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
4 cups powdered sugar
Red food coloring

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

CREAM OF TARTAR: You can use lemon juice to replace the cream of tartar. For best results, use an equal amount of lemon juice for the cream of tartar the recipe calls for.

HEAVY CREAM: Combining milk and butter can be used as a heavy cream substitute. Mix ¼ cup of melted butter and ¾ cup of milk together to make 1 cup of heavy cream.

COLOR: If you prefer to make your creamy frosting a different color for these classic Swig cookies, add a few drops of food coloring, and you are all set.

SPRINKLES: Add festive sprinkles on top of these popular cookies to match a specific holiday.

How To Make This Swig Cookies Recipe

STEP ONE: First, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

STEP TWO: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Set the bowl of dry ingredients aside.

STEP THREE: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer and a large bowl, cream together the butter and butter-flavored shortening on medium-high speed for 1 to 1½ minutes.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Don’t melt the butter! It needs to be softened, but melted butter will ruin your cookies.

STEP FOUR: Add the sugar and continue mixing on medium-high speed for 1 minute.

STEP FIVE: Lower the mixer speed to low and add the almond extract. Then add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each egg.

STEP SIX: Keeping the mixer speed on low, slowly add the flour mixture 1 cup at a time. Mix just until all ingredients are well combined.

flour mixture added to the butter mixture

STEP SEVEN: Using a 1½ tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough. Roll the dough into a ball. Space the dough balls 3 inches apart.

STEP EIGHT: Using the sugar set aside in a shallow dish and a drinking glass with a smooth round bottom, 2½ inches wide, lightly dampen the bottom of the glass and dip it into the sugar.

STEP NINE: Press down in the center of your dough ball until it is about ¼-inch thick. You will need to keep dipping the bottom of the glass in the sugar before pressing down on each cookie. When the cookies are baked, they will measure about 3 inches in diameter.

PRO TIP:

Make sure not to press the ball of dough too thin. Aim for about ¼-inch thick. If your cookies are too thin, they’ll end up crispy instead of soft. Nobody wants that!

STEP TEN: Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

STEP ELEVEN: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, mix the softened butter, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and sour cream for about 1 minute.

STEP TWELVE: Lower the mixer speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Continue mixing until the frosting is smooth.

powdered sugar added to the flour mixture

STEP THIRTEEN: Keeping the mixer speed low, add 5 to 6 drops of the red food coloring. This is just enough to make the frosting a delicate pink.

STEP FOURTEEN: Ice the cookies with the pink frosting right before serving.

How To Serve

These buttery cookies make the best afternoon or evening snack. Enjoy them with a cold, refreshing glass of iced tea or a warm mug of homemade hot chocolate to wash them down.

We know this sugar cookie recipe is a little bit different than the traditional, so if you’re looking for classic sugar cookie recipes, try our no spread sugar cookies or our lemon sugar cookies.

MORE COOKIE RECIPES

Cookie Recipes

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookie Recipes

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Store this unique sugar cookie recipe in an airtight container wrapped in parchment paper. They’ll be best for up to 7 days. They need to be refrigerated since there’s milk in the frosting.

IN THE FREEZER: Store these amazing cookies in an airtight container wrapped in parchment paper, so they don’t stick together. They’ll keep in the freezer for 2 to 4 weeks.

close up shot of swig sugar cookie stacked on top of each other

We know you’ll love these tasty Swig cookies. This might become your new go-to recipe since they’re quick and easy, and can be iced, or decorated any way you wish for many special occasions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I store these cookies on the counter at room temperature?

These copycat Swig sugar cookies need to be kept in the fridge since they have milk in the frosting. They will keep for up to a week.

Why are these cookies called “Swig”?

The original Swig cookies were sold at the famous Utah Swig soda shop, which is how they got their unusual name.

Can I freeze these cookies?

This copycat recipe can be kept in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Swig Cookies

5 from 1 vote

Swig cookies are a buttery sugar cookie glazed with a unique sour cream frosting that you will love to sink your teeth into.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 19 minutes

Servings cookies

Print Recipe Review Recipe

Ingredients

Cookies

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup butter-flavored shortening
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
¼ cup granulated sugar, set aside in a shallow dish

Frosting

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
4 cups powdered sugar
red food coloring

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Set the bowl aside.
Using a stand (or handheld) mixer and a large mixing bowl on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and butter-flavored shortening for 1 to 1½ minutes.
Add the sugar and continue mixing on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
Lower the mixer speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each egg.
Keeping the mixer speed on low, add the almond extract and mix just until the flavoring is incorporated.
Keeping the mixer speed on low, slowly add the flour mixture 1 cup at a time. Mix just until all ingredients are well combined.
Using a 1½ tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough. Roll the dough into a ball. Space the dough balls 3 inches apart.
Using the sugar set aside in a shallow dish and a drinking glass with a smooth round bottom, 2½ inches wide, lightly dampen the bottom of the glass and dip it into the sugar.
Press down in the center of the dough ball until it is about ¼-inch thick. You will need to keep dipping the bottom of the glass in the sugar before pressing down on each cookie. When the cookies are baked, they will measure about 3 inches in diameter.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Allow the cookies to completely cool before frosting.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, mix the softened butter, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and sour cream for about 1 minute.
Lower the mixer speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Continue mixing until the frosting is smooth.
Keeping the mixer speed low, add 5 to 6 drops of the red food color. This is just enough to make the frosting a delicate pink.
Ice the cookies right before serving.

Notes

Don’t melt the butter! It needs to be softened, but melted butter will ruin your cookies.
Make sure not to press the ball of dough too thin. Aim for about ¼-inch thick. If your cookies are too thin, they’ll end up crispy instead of soft. Nobody wants that!
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition

Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Rhadonda Sedgwick Creative Director
Sian Cox Photographer
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant
Andra Willits Writer + Editor
Teresia Shrum Recipe Developer