Gourmet cookies and soda shops have been big in Utah for years. There’s Chip, Crave, Crumbl, Twisted Sugar, Ruby Snap, Dirty Dough and more. But Swig might have started the whole thing off with it’s famous dirty Dr. Pepper and frosted soft sugar cookie combo. Our favorite version actually draws from many of these cookie shops, using a base that’s more Swig or Crave (it’s actually from Crave’s published version that they use) and a frosting that’s more Crumbl with a little almond extract for flavoring to achieve what is, for us, the perfect sugar cookie. After lots of testing, these copycat swig sugar cookies are the best sugar cookies I have made for a couple of reasons. First, they have just the right amount of sweetness so they aren’t overwhelmingly sweet, which can be a risk when you are adding a swoop of frosting on top of a cookie. Second, the addition of almond extract to the frosting adds such good flavor and dimension that pairs perfectly with the buttery cookie. And finally, the rusting looking cracked edges and dense texture is unparalleled with a melt-in-your-mouth crumb that we love! It reminds us a lot of our favorite Glazed Lemon Cookies. People rave about the Crumbl sugar cookies, but these are the superior, in our opinion. We did a bake-off this summer making multiple versions and had a dozen taste-tasters all choose these as the best cookies in a blind taste-test. It’s one of our favorite cookie recipes and a go-to choice for taking to friends or when we are going to bake sales or an event and need to bring treats.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Butter AND oil – I often combine these two in cake and cupcake recipes for the best of both worlds in terms of texture and flavor and it works just as well here too. The oil keeps the cookies moist and chewy for days. Granulated sugar AND powdered sugar – Replacing some granulated sugar with powdered sugar results in a sandier texture that’s almost like shortbread cookies I know you’ll love it! Eggs Vanilla extract All-purpose flour Baking powder Cream of tartar Salt Almond extract – This is for the frosting and it adds great dimension and interest to sugar cookies.
How to Make This Swig Sugar Cookie Recipe
Beat the room temperature butter, oil, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamy and smooth. You will want to stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl partway through. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl again. Add the dry ingredients of flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix on low speed just until combined, but do not overmix. Roll the cookie dough into 16 balls and arrange each ball of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with space between each ball. Spray the bottom of a glass or measuring cup with cooking spray then dip in granulated sugar. Press down on each cookie with the bottom of the glass while twisting gently to flatten and create cracks around the edges. Bake for 10-12 minutes just until the edges of the cookies start to turn slightly golden brown. Do not overbake. Remove and cool completely on a wire cooling rack. The cookies will continue to set up as they cool even if they are slightly underbaked.
Frosting
Beat butter on high speed for 3-4 minutes until creamy, smooth, and lightened in color. Add half of the powdered sugar along with the vanilla extract, almond extract, and half of the cream. Mix on low speed until it starts to come together. Add remaining powdered sugar and cream. Mix on low until combined, then add food coloring (affiliate link) 1 drop at a time while mixing until you achieve your desired color. You can use any color you like and go with a more intense look, but we decided to stick with classic pink. Increase the speed and mix on medium-high to high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add additional cream if needed to achieve a soft, spreadable creamy frosting consistency. Frost the cooled cookies with a generous swirl of frosting before serving. Many people enjoy these classic sugar cookies served chilled for at least 30 minutes, although personally I like enjoying them at room temperature.
Tips for Success
Make these for any holiday just by changing the color of the frosting and adding some festive sprinkles. It’s a great Christmas cookie with red, white, or green frosting! Don’t overmix after adding the flour. You want the dough to be the texture of playdough and evenly mixed together, but the more you mix the tougher and drier the cookies will be. Underbake slightly. The edges should be the faintest hint of golden brown when you pull them out. If you overbake them the cookies will run the risk of drying out.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
These Swig sugar cookies stay nice and fresh when stored in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days or in the fridge for about 5 days.
More Cookie Recipes
Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies Biscoff Cookie Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies Chocolate Marshmallow Almond Rocky Road Cookies Almond Joy Cookies
Copycat Crumbl Cinnamon Swirl Cookies
Frosted Fruity Pebbles Cookies
Glazed Lemon Cookies
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