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Look no more; this is the best copycat recipe out there for the famous Swig sugar cookie! These Swig sugar cookies are perfectly soft and topped with the most delightfully sweet frosting that you will ever try. You will definitely not be able to stop at just one!
These cookies are perfection. Well, So are these classic chocolate chip cookies. Or these oatmeal cookies. Or how about these no-bake cookies?! Ok, ok, So I like cookies… try them all, and you’ll be one happy camper!
What is a Swig Cookie?
Sugar cookies are always a favorite of mine but have you had a Swig cookie or even heard of them? Well, they are pretty much the best sugar cookie in town and this is a copycat from the fun soda shop. I drove five hours just to get one and waited in line for 30 minutes just to eat one! And let me tell you, it was worth every second!! It is a soft and delicious cookie with its signature rough edge. The best part to me is the frosting.
I was so excited to make this copycat recipe and see if it was just as good as the Swig cookie that I drove five hours for! It was perfect. Just as soft and delicious as I remember, and the frosting was the bomb! I couldn’t get enough, and now I am so happy to say that you can have them in the comfort of your own home. No driving to get them!
Ingredients in Swig Sugar Cookies
The best part about these cookies is how easy they are! And I bet that you already have all of these ingredients in your kitchen. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Butter: I used unslated butter and let it sit out on my counter so that it could soften before I mixed it in!
- Vegetable Oil: This is what will make your cookies nice and soft!
- Sugar: You MUST use sugar in sugar cookies!
- Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar is ultra sweet and adds in some extra flavor.
- Water: I used cold water for the cookies.
- Eggs: I like to use large eggs whenever I am baking!
- Baking Soda: The baking soad will act as a leavening agent and help your cookies rise and get nice and soft.
- Cream of Tartar: This prevents the sugar from crystalizing.
- Salt: The salt enhances all of the flavors in the sugar cookies.
- Flour: I used all purpose flour for these cookies and they turned out great!
Frosting:
- Butter: Use unslated butter that is softened to room temperature.
- Sour Cream: This is the secret ingredient in this delicious frosting!
- Powdered Sugar: This adds a sweet taste and dissolves easily making the frosting smooth and creamy.
- Salt: A pinch of salt brings out all of the delicious flavors of the cookies!
- Milk: I used one percent milk but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Food Coloring: Red or pink food coloring will make these cookie exactly like the ones from Swig!
How to Make Swig Sugar Cookies
Trust me when I say that these will be one of the best sugar cookies that you will ever eat! Why else would I drive so far to get one? They are insanely delicious.
- Prep and Mix Dry Ingredients: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, vegetable oil, sugar (1 1/4 C), powdered sugar, and water. Add in eggs.
- Combine: Slowly add in flour mixture until combined. Roll the cookie dough into golf sized balls and roll in the reserved 1/2 cup of sugar before place onto a non stick cookie sheet.
- Press Cookies: To give the cookies their signature rough edge, dip the bottom of a glass or flat measuring cup into the remaining sugar and press onto the cookie ball to flatten the cookie. You still want the cookie to be thicker so don’t press them too thin.
- Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom is lightly brown. The centers should be just barely baked as they will continue to bake while they cool. Don’t overbake, or your cookies won’t be nice and soft!
To Make the Frosting
- Mix and Frost: Cream together butter, sour cream, and salt. Add the powdered sugar and then add in the milk to the desired consistency. Add a drop of red food coloring to make the perfect pink frosting! Spread over cooled cookies.
Sugar Cookie Baking Tips
I love copycat recipes. Having delicious food that I can make from my own house and have it taste equally delicious as the restaurant (or better!) is the best. Here are a few tips to help this Swig sugar cookie recipe turn out just right.
- Room temperature ingredients: Before mixing up your dough, take the time to set your ingredients out so that they can soften up. Room temperature ingredients mix up SO much better, and your dough and frosting will be so smooth with no lumps!
- Don’t open the oven: So many people are tempted to open the oven to check out how their cookies are doing. Don’t do it! This causes the hot air to be released and can result in your cookies being baked unevenly. Use the oven light instead!
- Do I have to chill the dough? Nope! Not with these cookies. All the more reason to make them right now! For another no-chill sugar cookie, click here!
How to Store and Serve Swig Sugar Cookies
Swig cookies are known for being served COLD! Once the cookies are frosted, store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Place a piece of parchment paper between the cookies so the frosting doesn’t stick. Refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw about 5-10 minutes before enjoying!
More Delicious Frosted Cookies
I’ll be honest, I am one of those people that loves the frosting almost more than the cookie itself! That’s why these Swig sugar cookies are so delicious! Try out a few more of my cookie recipes that use frosting. They are all SO good!
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Swig Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 large eggs
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- red or pink food coloring
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup vegetable oil, 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup powdered sugar, and 2 tablespoons water using an electric hand mixer. Add 2 large eggs and mix until combined.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Roll the dough into golf-sized balls. Then, roll each ball of dough in ½ cup granulated sugar before placing it onto a non-stick cookie sheet.
- To give the cookies their signature edge, use the bottom of a glass to press into the dough ball to flatten the middle of the cookie. You still want the cookie to be thicker, so don't press them too thin!
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom is lightly brown. The centers should be just barely baked as they will continue to bake while they cool. Don't overbake, or your cookies won't be nice and soft!
Frosting
- In a large bowl, cream together ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons sour cream, and 1 teaspoon salt using an electric hand mixer. Mix in 4 cups powdered sugar. Add 3-4 tablespoons milk to reach the desired consistency. Mix in a couple of drops of red or pink food coloring if you want to give the frosting its signature color!
- Frost the cookies in the middle where the indentation of the glass is, leaving the edges exposed.
- Swig cookies are known for being served COLD! Store them between pieces of parchment paper in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to serve. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Dough properly baked is too hard. You have to underbake to make a softer cookie. Salt seems too high, and I didn’t enjoy the sour cream frosting.
What could I do to roll these out and use cookie cutters? Is it possible with this recipe?
Hi Jen, thank you for your question. This recipe spreads, so I don’t recommend it for cut-out sugar cookies. This is a better recipe for cut-out cookies!
Hello,does the frosting harden or stay soft? thank you
The frosting should stay soft!
fun cookie even as a new one to me since I’d never heard of them, love your copycat recipes,, thank you
I made these today and added 2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract which made them amazing
What a beautiful picture! She looks like such a sweet baby!!! Love it.
AWE!! Thank you so much! We are all in love with her and just smitten. I can’t believe she is growing so fast!! Thanks you for your kind words! XOXO
What a beautiful picture! She looks like such a sweet baby!!! Love it.
I’ve never had a swig cookie. However, I heard about them on a favorite blog and decided to look for a copy cat recipe. I came across this one and let me tell you.. they are amazing! They taste similar to a shortbread cookies but super fluffy and the frosting is sooooo good. I’m not even a dessert person but I can’t get enough of these.
Your information is incredibly intriguing
I’m confused as to why you’ve listed yourself as the recipe’s author when this is someone else’s recipe? Her blog post also clearly requests that people not copy it as their own content as you have done. When I find bloggers that do this sort of thing it always bums me out. I won’t be back to your blog.
Her original recipe was from somewhere else as well. I try to come up with original content but will give bloggers credit where credit is due. Many big bloggers do not do that and take popular recipes and just post them. I am sorry you won’t be back to my blog. 🙁
I tried these out and they are delicious! My one problem was that although I pressed them down with the glass, they didn’t get that cracked look at all! What did I do wrong? My cookies are smooth on both the sides and the top.
Congratulations on your bub ! 🙂
I made these for a dance. They were yummy. I didn’t have sour cream so I used strawberry Greek yogurt and it added a light pink color to the frosting.
These look delicious! Can the dough be rolled and cut?
I’m dying to try these! Quick question – do you use unsalted or salted butter? Thanks!
I always have salted on hand but either would work!
Should these be a bit salty? Or did I mess something up? lol (They’re not bad, I just want to be sure!)
Ahahaha! I just went back and read over the recipe again. I only dipped my glass cup in salt. No sugar. LOL (I bake a LOT too. SMH) 😀
Ok so someone else commented about it being salty! I don’t even remember them tasting to salty at all! I am going to have to make them again and double check!