This Panera Bread Sugar Cookie is a soft and cakey recipe, which calls for sour cream and vanilla bean paste. It’s a large bakery-style treat, ready in about 40 minutes (plus chilling).
Jump to RecipePanera Bread Sugar Cookie Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
- ½ cup sour cream (full fat)
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
How To Make Panera Bread Sugar Cookie
- Cream fats and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla bean paste and sour cream until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the dough comes together and no flour streaks remain.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough in half and flatten into disks. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight). This dough is sticky and needs to firm up.
- Roll and cut: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Use large cookie cutters (3-4 inches) to cut shapes.
- Bake: Arrange cookies on the prepared sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 8–10 minutes. The cookies should be puffed and set, but pale. Do not let the edges brown significantly; they should remain soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate: Once cool, decorate with royal icing or buttercream frosting as desired.
Recipe Tips
- Sour Cream Secret: The sour cream is the key ingredient. It reacts with the baking soda to create a tender, soft, almost cake-like crumb that mimics the famous Panera texture.
- Don’t overbake: These cookies are meant to be soft. If you bake them until they are golden brown, they will be dry. Pull them when they look matte on top.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: Using paste adds those lovely black specks of vanilla that give the cookie a premium bakery look and flavor.
- Thick dough: Keep the dough relatively thick when rolling. If you roll it too thin, you lose the soft center.
What To Serve With Panera Bread Sugar Cookie
These large cookies are a snack in themselves.
- Milk: Essential for dipping.
- Coffee: A vanilla latte pairs perfectly.
- Tea: Earl Grey complements the vanilla.
- Ice Cream: Use two cookies to make a giant sandwich.
How To Store Panera Bread Sugar Cookie
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They stay soft well.
- Freeze: Freeze baked cookies (unfrosted) for up to 3 months.
Panera Bread Sugar Cookie Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 310kcal
- Protein: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fat: 12g
- Saturates: 7g
- Sugar: 22g
- Salt: 0.3g
Nutrition information is estimated per large cookie (based on 12 cookies).
FAQs
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Yes, full-fat Greek yogurt is a good substitute, though it may make the cookies slightly tangier.
Why is the dough sticky?
It is a soft dough by design. Use plenty of flour on your rolling pin and surface, and ensure it is thoroughly chilled before rolling.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes, the dough disks freeze very well. Thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling.
Panera Bread Sugar Cookie Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: EasyServings
12
servingsPrep time
20
minutesCooking time
10
minutesCalories
310
kcalA soft, fluffy, and cake-like sugar cookie made with sour cream and vanilla bean, perfect for decorating with icing.
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Directions
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, vanilla, and sour cream.
- Mix in dry ingredients.
- Chill dough for 1 hour.
- Roll to ¼-inch thick and cut shapes.
- Bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes (keep pale).
- Cool completely before icing.
Notes
- Adding sour cream introduces acidity and fat, which tenderizes the gluten and results in a cookie that is soft and pillowy rather than crisp and snappy.
- Baking until just set (pale) preserves the moisture inside the cookie; browning implies the sugars have caramelized too much, leading to a crunchier texture.
- Vanilla bean paste provides a more robust and aromatic vanilla flavor than extract, essential for a simple cookie where vanilla is the primary flavor note.
