Buttermilk Cookies

  3.8 – 47 reviews  • Sugar Cookie Recipes

These sugar cookies are fluffy and tasty, but they also have a tinge of buttermilk. My family adores these cookies so much that I struggle to keep them in the cookie jar; a friend of mine brought them to me years ago! Just before baking, you can lightly sprinkle some granulated sugar over the tops of these, or you can ice them once they have cooled fully.

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 6 mins
Total Time: 26 mins
Servings: 36
Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients

  1. 1 cup shortening
  2. 2 cups white sugar
  3. 4 eggs
  4. 4 cups all-purpose flour
  5. 4 teaspoons baking powder
  6. 2 teaspoons baking soda
  7. 1 teaspoon salt
  8. 1 cup buttermilk
  9. 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
  3. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 157 kcal
Carbohydrate 22 g
Cholesterol 24 mg
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Protein 2 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Sodium 204 mg
Sugars 12 g
Fat 6 g
Unsaturated Fat 0 g

Reviews

Angela Smith
I really appreciate having a use for leftover buttermilk, and the other comments here were helpful: half the recipe made 28 cookies, I sprinkled them with turbinado sugar (generously) before baking, and baked them 9 minutes when the edges started to turn golden. Nice cakey little cookie.
Derrick Ellison
Great cookies ,I made half the recipe. Then divided into 3. Added almond extract to one, 1 TBL spoon of orange zest to one ,and 1TBL spoon of lemon zest to one. Made 36 cookies . Did the same with icing. First batch was too big. Need to use teaspoon to drop, about 1 inch. They spread a lot.
Gregory Rodriguez
So happy I read the reviews! I had lost my original recipe, and when I read the reviews it reminded me that my original has Nutmeg in it. Add a tsp or two to the recipe, helps take away the blandness.
Kevin Green
Really nice light and fluffy cookie. Great flavor with a little tang to it. Did not even frost them. Kids love them.
Jillian Hicks
Warning! Do not follow this recipe’s baking instruction for a 425 degree oven. My cookies were burnt on the bottom and raw in the middle. I researched similar recipes and the setting should be around 375 degrees. The ingredients were right on target and once I adjusted the temperature, delicious.
Amy Ellis
I made these cookies per the recipe, and they were good. They are cake like, and they are not overly sweet. If you have children such as myself, then you can appreciate the fact that they are not too sweet. We enjoyed them.
Mackenzie Richards
Great soft sugar cookie, especially when covered in a thick icing. Watch the cooking time — do NOT underbake. They will brown a little, but they remain soft. Will add butter flavoring and more vanilla next time.
Lori Watson
Something was off with these. If I try them again I would reduce the amount of Baking Powder and Baking Soda. We disliked them so much we threw the entire batch away, I am an avid baker and was very disappointed
Kyle Booth
Did these cookies today. instead of using shortening I use butter and I ran out of baking powder well I only had one teaspoon. I actually loved the way they came out. It’s a cake like cookie very soft for me moist too. not a very sweet cookie just very slightly but delicious with a cup of coffee I chose not to add frosting my kids did add chocolate chip in theirs. This recipe is definitely a keeper thank you so much for posting this recipe.
Tyler James
My guys loved them. I put in chocolate chips in since so many people said they need something else to it. And I used margarine. You can do a lot with a recipe like this. I will make these again probably in the near future.
Melissa Perry
They are too fluffy and they have no flavor. I iced them with a sugar cookie icing from this site and it didn’t help. They just taste like weird sugary biscuits. If you’re looking for a recipe to use up buttermilk, I recommend “Buttermilk Pie” from this site – that was really good. These, not so much.
Victoria White
Very thick dough. I used brown sugar, and some cinnamon extract. Turned out very good. Tried to roll a few of them in Cocoa. Don’t do it. Even though the dough was very sugary, it bakes with a subtle sugary taste to my surprise. Bakes very quickly, watch after five min., take out when they are a little brown. (turn quickly)
Teresa Mccarthy
I really didn’t like these cookies. A lot of them spread and most of them did not cook all the way through even though I gave them extra time.
Felicia Mckee
The first time I made these I followed the recipe exactly and they were WAY too salty for me. However, I really liked the texture and the basic taste so I tried them again and I am so glad I did! I cut the salt down to just a dash – next time I’ll probably omit it completely – and they were absolutely delicious. I sent plates over to a few neighbors and they all asked me for the recipe. The rest didn’t last long at my house. We ate them plain without any frosting or glaze. They do have a somewhat plain flavor and they are very soft/cakelike, but that was fine for us.
Natalie Coleman
this is an amish cookie my grandmother made when we were kids, they are wonderful,my grandmother used lard and my dad loves them, this is the closest i have found to hers, if your cookies are spreading then just add more flour, use a scoop and gently pack the flour in and level it off with a butter knife the dough will stay fluffy and not spread,i added 2 tablespoons of sour cream to it and put walnuts on top with colored sugar just like grandmom and they bring my grandmom back home to us. i miss her but it is like she is here again.
Diana Martinez
Adding semi-sweet chocolate chips and topped with sugar make all the difference with these cookies. Also, best if eaten the next day!
Kyle Hopkins
Not too shabby. I thought it was weird that they were cake-y, but that’s not so bad (like having miniature cakes). They go well with coffee, and I liked the simple flavor. Will probably make these again if I have leftover buttermilk.
Tiffany Henry
I grew up in alabama so I wasn’t a stranger to buttermilk I didn’t realize you can do wonders with it these cake cookies are good
Brittany Caldwell
Super yummy! I sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar before I baked them.
Tyler Barker
I substituted 1/2 c. brown sugar for white, and these cookies baked up just as all the others reported. Frosted them with confectioners sugar frosting with lots of lemon to add zip!
Julie White
The cookies are okay at best. They are very cake like. They have little taste, but are very soft and fluffy.

 

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