Greek Yogurt Sugar Cookies are the softest, fluffiest sugar cookies of all time, and they keep their shape super well. The not-so-secret secret ingredient? Greek yogurt, of course!
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. You can use a stand mixer, an electric hand mixer, or a fork and some elbow grease to do this.
Add the egg and vanilla, and stir until very smooth.
Add the Greek yogurt, and stir until combined.
Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all-purpose flour and stir until well combined. The dough will be sticky.
Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disk, wrap well, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 36 hours.
When you are ready to bake the dough, remove it from the fridge, unwrap, and divide it into 2 pieces. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick on a well-floured surface, and cut into shapes (I used a 3-inch circle cookie cutter). Place the cut out cookies on a parchment- or baking-mat-lined cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10-11 minutes. The tops of the cookies will be light but the bottom should be lightly brown.
Repeat with remaining dough.
To make the frosting, add the butter, vanilla, 1 tablespoon of cream or milk, and the dash of salt to a large bowl, and beat until fluffy, about a minute. (A stand or hand mixer works well for this). Add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add the additional tablespoon of cream or milk and beat again.
When the cookies are completely cooled, add a generous helping of frosting and sprinkles.
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Notes
Don't skip chilling the dough. It's a must-do step.
You can flavor these cookies by swapping out the vanilla for an extract like lemon, orange, or even coconut or almond. It's a delicious way to switch things up a bit. You could also do that to the icing!
Be sure to follow the correct measurements, especially for sugar and butter. Too much sugar and butter can cause cookies to spread while baking.
These are a perfect cookie for any holiday or party and can be designed for the specific occasion—red, white, and blue coloring and sprinkles for 4th of July or Memorial Day, your child's favorite colors for birthdays, red and green for Christmas...the options are endless!