Homemade sour cream is culinary gold in Amish kitchens. Sour cream is often in plentiful supply on Amish farms that have milking cows. Once you have the sour cream, you can use the flavor in anything from casserole to cookies.
These are simple sour cream cookies that can be used for Christmas, afterschool treats, the holidays, whatever. They’re easy to make and they’re delicious. A moist soft cookie.
These cookies age well too, they taste good several days later. Why are cookies so popular among the Amish? Well, if you have 120 people over for church services, cookies are just very portable. You can make a bunch of them, put them in a sealed container, people can grab and go, they can eat a cookie as they mill around the yard. Cookies don't require a plate necessarily unless you’re neurotic about crumbs. So while cookies are a lot of work on the "front end", ie. using a gazillion cookie sheets, spoons to drop the cookies onto the sheet, and a bunch of ins and outs of the oven, cookies do save time on the "back end", i.e. no dessert plates, forks, spoons, and the like. And if crumbs are an issue, in Amish homes the place will be swept anyway after everybody leaves.
Pies, for instance, are very popular among the Amish, but, they aren’t as “portable “as a cookie. Cookies please adults and kids, don’t require a fork, spoon, a crust, they just I just very "user-friendly>"
Plus, these cookies hold up very well over time. They taste better, I think, a day or two after making them.
These cookies have very basic ingredients: fresh better, sour cream, of course, sugars, eggs, and, yes, just a very basic cookie that delivers a great flavor punch.
You can use a stand mixer,a paddle, or a wooden spoon. I mean, obviously, most Amish cooks are going to use a wooden spoon, but you can avail yourself of modern technology and use something electric.
🙋 FAQ
Yes, buttermilk is a super substitute. It'll have a slightly richer flavor, but that isn't a bad thing. Greek yogurt can also be used!
If you have the time, do refrigerate the cookie dough for awhile before baking. Overnight is optimum, but even an hour in the fridge really helps those flavors congeal.
You can decorate these with festive Halloween sprinkles or as the Christmas holiday gets closer, some nice green and red sprinkles.
🍪 Easy Amish Sour Cream Cookies
- 4 cups brown sugar
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups margarine and shortening
- 6 eggs, well beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Enough flour to make a soft dough (approx 6 to 8 cups)
Frosting:
- 1 /2 cup butter, melted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon hot water
📋 Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together until you get a smooth dough.
- Put in a cool cellar or a refrigerator overnight, if possible. If you can’t, even an hour in the refrigerator is helpful.
- Then roll or drop by spoon and flatten with a glass.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- Put confectioners' sugar frosting on top.
🍪 More Amish Cookie Recipes
Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
🖨️ Full Recipe
Easy Amish Sour Cream Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cups brown sugar
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ cups margarine or shortening
- 6 eggs, well beaten
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- Enough flour to make a soft dough (Approx 6 - 8 cups)
Frosting
- 1 /2 cup butter, melted·
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla·
- 1 tablespoon hot water
Instructions
- Mix all all ingredients together until you get a smooth dough.
- Put in a cool cellar or a refrigerator overnight, if possible. If you can’t, even an hour in the refrigeratoris helpful.
- Then roll or drop by spoon and flatten with a glass.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- Put confectioners' sugar frosting on top when cool
Rose
4-Teaspoons of baking soda oh I don’t think so they will taste like baking soda I think there should be some baking powder in there to make those cookies raise and flour just enough to make a dough what’s that how many how much flour and to what consistency is the dough to be r you Amish? Please let me know after you check the recipe Thanks confused
Kevin Williams
Thanks, Rose, I clarified the recipe, should be more clear now!
Teresa R. Music
It says 1 1/2 cups margarine AND shortening. Does that mean 1 1/2 cups of each or 3/4 cup of each or
1 1/2 cups of margarine OR shortening? Help
Kevin Williams
I am sorry, should have read "or", thanks for catching that, I changed it!