These Sour Patch Kids cookies are a fun way to combine a sweet and tender sugar cookie with bites of deliciously sour candies! Don't worry if you aren't a fan of sour treats because the sourness tones down during baking. The result is a delightfully fruity dessert that will be loved by kids and adults alike!
Easy Sour Patch Kids Cookies
If you love baking cookies as much as I do but are looking for a new and unique recipe to bake, this Sour Patch Kids cookies recipe is a must-try! The recipe starts as a classic sugar cookie, then chopped sour candies are added for extra fun flavor!
Even if 'sour' candy is not your favorite, the sourness reduces as the cookies bake, and you'll end up with a deliciously fruity taste. They're the perfect treat to whip up when you need a last-minute dessert to bring to any occasion!
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🥘 Sour Patch Kids Cookies Ingredients
If you love baking, you'll likely already have most of these common baking ingredients! Plus, the candies are widely available at many different stores.
- Butter - ¾ cup of butter or use a butter substitute. Or a blend of - ½ cup softened butter and ¼ cup shortening is my preferred ratio.
- Sugar - 1 cup of granulated white sugar.
- Egg - 1 large egg at room temperature or use an egg substitute.
- Vanilla - 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or a vanilla extract substitute.
- Baking Soda - ½ teaspoon of baking soda or a baking soda substitute.
- Salt - ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Flour - 2 cups of all-purpose flour or an all-purpose flour substitute.
- Sour Patch Kids candies - 1 cup of Sour Patch Kids candies that are chopped into halves or thirds to make ¾ cup. Reserve the rest for placing 1-2 pieces of candy on the cookies.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Sour Patch Kids Cookies
A bonus to these cookies is that they are incredibly easy to make and perfect for inexperienced bakers! To start, take out some measuring cups, spoons, kitchen shears, a mixing bowl, a silicone spatula set, and baking sheet(s).
This fun cookie recipe yields 24 cookies. You can keep a dozen for yourself and give the other dozen to a friend or family member if you'd like!
- Prep. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C), then line the baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
- Combine. Cream the ¾ cup butter (or butter and shortening blend) with 1 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until well combined, then mix in the ½ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Add ingredients. Gradually add in the 2 cups all-purpose flour, mixing it until smooth, then fold in the chopped 1 cup Sour Patch Kids candies until evenly distributed in the dough.
- Portion dough. Portion the cookie dough onto your baking sheet(s) in tablespoon portions. Leave approximately 2 inches of spacing between the cookies for spreading.
- Bake & cool. Bake the cookies for 9-12 minutes at 350°F (175°C) or until the bottoms are just starting to become a light golden brown. Take the cookies out of the oven and cool them for at least 5 minutes on your baking sheet. Then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
These delicious cookies are the perfect treat to enjoy any time of the year! No matter the occasion, they will surely be a hit with anyone who tries them. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- I used a 12-ounce share-size bag of Sour Patch Kids with just enough candies to make these cookies.
- Your kitchen shears will work best for chopping the Sour Patch Kids. Allow the cut pieces to drop onto a small plate with a couple of tablespoons of sugar. This will keep the sticky side of your cut pieces from sticking together. *I like to prep this before mixing the cookie dough so that the candies are ready to fold into the dough.
- I have made these cookies as balls and drop cookies before, but the form I prefer the most - is as a disc that has been gently flattened after being formed into 1-inch round balls (each containing about 1 heaping tablespoon).
- Don't remove your cookies for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. The sour patch kids cookies continue cooking while sitting on your baking sheet.
- The cookie dough can be prepared ahead of time if you shape it into a ball or disc and carefully seal it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for several hours or overnight. I recommend baking within a day for the freshest cookies.
🥡 Storing
Transfer your completely cooled cookies to an airtight container or storage bag and store them at room temperature. These cookies will last up to 7 days.
Freezing Sour Patch Cookies
To freeze these Sour Patch Kids cookies, you'll need to first wrap each one in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty plastic bag. Enjoy within 3 months.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
You do not have to chill the cookie dough in this recipe before you bake the cookies in the oven. I recommend baking them immediately unless you plan to freeze the dough for later. The candies may harden if you chill the dough, which can cause a tougher texture.
If your cookies were flat, the butter was likely too warm, or you might have used too much butter. Also, it could be that you might not have used enough flour. It's important to use room-temperature butter and not melted butter.
Yes! If you can't find any Sour Patch Kids or prefer another type of sour candy, you could also use sour gummy bears or sour worms! I recommend chopping the candy you choose so that it's easier to spread them throughout the dough.
🍪 More Tasty Cookies To Try
- Ginger Molasses Cookies - A sweet and comforting cookie recipe that's full of warm spices!
- Thumbprint Cookies - A customizable sugar cookie you can fill in with your favorite jam or preserves!
- Lemon Almond Cookies - A tasty citrus cookie that's incredibly easy to make and combines two fantastic flavors!
- Greek Almond Cookies - A traditional butter cookie with sweet almond flavor, slivered almonds, and powdered sugar!
- Red Hot Cookies - A soft and tender sugar crinkle cookie with bites of red hot candies!
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - A delightfully soft, chewy, and tender cookie loaded with sweet raisins!
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📖 Recipe Card
Sour Patch Kids Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter (or a blend - ½ cup softened butter and ¼ cup shortening is my preferred ratio)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Sour Patch Kids candies (chop into halves or thirds to make ¾ cup and reserve the rest for placing on top of the cookies)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) then line the baking sheet(s) with parchment paper, or use a silicone baking mat.
- Cream the ¾ cup butter (or butter and shortening blend) with 1 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the 1 large egg and 2 teaspoon vanilla extract until well combined, then mix in the ½ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Gradually add in the 2 cups all-purpose flour, mixing it into the dough until it is smooth, then fold in the chopped 1 cup Sour Patch Kids candies until evenly distributed in the dough.
- Portion the cookie dough onto your baking sheet(s) in tablespoon portions. Leave approximately 2 inches of spacing between the cookies for spreading.
- Bake the cookies for 9-12 minutes at 350°F (175°C) or until the bottoms are just starting to become a light golden brown. Take the cookies out of the oven and cool them for at least 5 minutes on your baking sheet. Then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- I used a 12-ounce share-size bag of Sour Patch Kids and had just enough candies to make these cookies.
- Your kitchen shears will work best for chopping the Sour Patch Kids. Allow the cut pieces to drop onto a small plate with a couple of tablespoons of sugar. This will keep the sticky side of your cut pieces from sticking together. *I like to prep this before mixing the cookie dough so that the candies are ready to fold into the dough.
- I have made these cookies as balls and drop cookies before, but the form I prefer the most - is as a disc that has been gently flattened after being formed into 1-inch round balls (each containing about 1 heaping tablespoon).
- Don't remove your cookies for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. The sour patch kids cookies continue cooking while sitting on your baking sheet.
- The cookie dough can be prepared ahead of time if you shape it into a ball or disc and carefully seal it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for several hours or overnight. *I recommend baking within a day for the freshest cookies.
- Transfer your completely cooled cookies to an airtight container or storage bag and store them at room temperature. These cookies will last up to 7 days.
- To freeze these Sour Patch Kids cookies, you'll need to first wrap each one in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty plastic bag. Enjoy within 3 months.
Doug says
Do you roll balls in sugar before baking? Looks like it in the pictures but does not mention it in directions. Can you clarify?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, I did but it's optional. Thanks for asking!
barbara hunt says
how long can i store these for not frozen
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
These should last usually 3-5 days at room temp, about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Hope that helps!