Easy Homemade Christmas Cloud Cookies ☁️🎄
Get ready for some holiday baking magic with these incredibly soft and fluffy Christmas Cloud Cookies! Featuring a tender crumb and a light, creamy frosting, these festive treats are perfect for sharing or enjoying all by yourself. The secret to their tenderness? A touch of cornstarch!
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Hand Mixer
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Medium Bowl
- Spatula
- Medium cookie scoop
- Wire Rack
Ingredients
For the Soft & Fluffy Cookies
- 2.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.25 cup cornstarch (our secret for that delightful tenderness!)
- 0.75 tsp baking soda
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened to a cool room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 0.33 cup sour cream at room temperature (for a moist crumb!)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 0.25 tsp almond extract optional, but it adds a lovely touch!
For the Light & Creamy Frosting
- 2.125 cups powdered sugar sifted (2 cups + 2 tablespoons)
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter cool room temperature (1 stick)
- 0.25 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp heavy or whipping cream
- Gel food coloring if desired (or use natural powders for vibrant hues!)
- Sprinkles if desired (choose your favorite festive mix!)
Instructions
Let's Get Baking!
1. First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper for super easy cleanup.- 2. In a medium bowl, simply whisk together your dry ingredients: the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this aside for a moment.
Crafting Your Delightful Dough:
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until the mixture is wonderfully light and fluffy, which usually takes about 3 minutes. Don't forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula!- 4. Now, on low speed, add in the egg, sour cream, pure vanilla extract, and the optional almond extract. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about 2 minutes until the mixture looks thicker and smooth. Give the bowl another good scrape.
- 5. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add your dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until everything is combined and no dry streaks remain – be careful not to overmix!
Bake to Perfection:
6. Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 ½ tablespoons), drop rounded balls of dough onto your prepared baking sheets. Gently roll each ball until it's smooth, then flatten them with the palm of your hand to about ¼-inch thick. If the dough feels a bit sticky, lightly dampen your hands.- 7. Bake for approximately 11 minutes, or until the cookies look dry on top and are just barely pale around the edges. The key is to avoid overbaking to keep them incredibly soft!
- 8. Once baked, carefully transfer your beautiful cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This is essential before you add the frosting!
Whip Up the Frosting Fun!
9. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar and the cool butter. Mix on low speed until everything is smooth, then increase the speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes until it's light and creamy.- 10. Stir in the salt, pure vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, adding a tiny bit more cream if needed to reach your desired creamy consistency. If you're using food coloring, mix it in now!
- 11. Generously frost each cooled cookie with a spoonful of your dreamy icing, spreading it evenly. If you're adding sprinkles, do it right after frosting each cookie, as this homemade icing can set quite quickly.
- 12. Allow your gorgeous cookies to sit for about 4 hours, or until the frosting is firm to the touch. This makes them perfect for stacking and sharing!
Notes
Enjoy your homemade, festive treats! Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to six days, or freeze them for up to six weeks.
Nutrition Information (per cookie, estimated):
- Calories: 185 kcal
- Total Carbs: 28g
- Net Carbs: 28g
- Fats: 8g
- Protein: 2g
