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These copycat Lofthouse frosted sugar cookies are delightfully sweet, soft, and cakey. A simple buttercream frosting finishes them off with a festive look perfect for Halloween.
If you’ve tried Lofthouse cookies, you know they’re a special kind of treat. For those who haven’t, picture extra-sweet, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that are more cake-like than crisp. They typically come topped with bright frosting and playful sprinkles — exactly what makes them so fun.
This year I wanted to recreate that soft, frosted cookie experience in a gluten-free, eggless version. After a few tests I landed on a recipe that has the same tender, cakey texture and a classic buttercream for decorating.
The cookie dough is straightforward and quick to prepare. While I enjoy making cut-out sugar cookies on occasion, I prefer drop cookies for busy holidays because they’re faster and still deliver the round, frosted look. If you prefer perfectly round cookies, you can gently press a small round cookie cutter around each warm cookie as it comes out of the oven to refine the shape.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- They look festive and are perfect for parties or holiday gatherings.
- They are easy to make — the only patience required is chilling the dough for one hour.
- The buttercream frosting is classic and irresistible.
What You’ll Need
- Gluten-free flour blend (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1)
- Arrowroot (or cornstarch as a substitute)
- Baking powder and salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar and powdered sugar
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer (or 1 egg if not eggless)
- Vanilla extract
- For the frosting: butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla
How To Make
Make the cookie dough
Start by whisking the dry ingredients — gluten-free flour, arrowroot, baking powder, and salt — in a medium bowl and set aside. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter with both sugars until smooth. Add the Greek yogurt, prepared egg replacer (mixed with water according to package directions), and vanilla. Mix to combine, then add the dry ingredients and beat on low until a soft dough forms.
Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Chilling helps the cookies hold a thick, cakey shape with minimal spreading.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Flatten each ball slightly with your hand and arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 8–9 minutes, or until the edges look just slightly browned. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
For the buttercream, beat room-temperature butter until creamy. Add sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and continue beating until smooth. Spread or pipe the frosting on completely cooled cookies, then press on sprinkles immediately so they stick before the buttercream sets.
Tips For Best Results
- Weigh your flour if possible. Accurate measurements are crucial for soft, cakey cookies — too much flour makes the texture dense.
- Chill the dough for at least one hour. This prevents excessive spreading and keeps the cookies thick.
- If you prefer perfectly round cookies, use a small round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass to gently nudge each warm cookie into shape right after it comes out of the oven.
- Beat the butter on its own until smooth before adding powdered sugar for the frosting; this yields a fluffier, creamier buttercream.
- Frost only fully cooled cookies. Add sprinkles immediately after frosting.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days; after that, refrigerate.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Use 1 tablespoon cornstarch in place of arrowroot for the same thickening effect.
- If you do not need the recipe to be eggless, substitute 1 whole egg for the egg replacer.
Did you try my copycat Lofthouse frosted cookies? Leave a comment or tag @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog on Instagram!
For More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes, Check Out My
- Maple snickerdoodles
- White chocolate raspberry cookies
- S’mores cookies
- Chocolate chip cookies
📖 Recipe
Lofthouse Frosted Sugar Cookies – Gluten Free, Eggless
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (259g) gluten free flour blend
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (56g) Greek yogurt room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the buttercream frosting:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the cookies:
-
In a medium bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour, arrowroot, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
-
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with both sugars until smooth. Add the Greek yogurt, prepared egg replacer, and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a soft cookie dough forms. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
-
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls, flattening slightly with your hands. Bake 8–9 minutes, or until edges are just lightly browned. Let cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
To make the buttercream frosting:
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Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined. Pipe or spread onto cooled cookies and top with sprinkles immediately.
Notes
- Cornstarch can be used instead of arrowroot as a 1:1 substitute.
- Follow the egg replacer package instructions; once mixed with water it needs a few minutes to thicken.
- If you’re not replacing eggs, you can use 1 whole egg instead of the egg replacer.