Easter Sugar Cookies
Easter Sugar Cookies decorated with royal icing are the perfect festive dessert! Cut into fun spring shapes and with sprinkles in the dough, they’re sure to be a favorite with kids! These cookies are soft to the bite yet hold their shape so you can decorate them with royal icing or buttercream frosting.
I’ve always loved making cut-out sugar cookies with my kids. When they were little, I started a tradition of making cut-out cookies at the beginning of each season. We made Christmas cut-out cookies, Fall cut-out cookies, and spring ones, but somehow we didn’t often get around to doing it in the summer, because we were so focused on summer desserts like homemade vanilla ice cream!
These easy Easter sugar cookies will definitely be a hit with the children in your life (but adults will love them, too!). Along with decorating Easter eggs, having an egg hunt, and making resurrection rolls, these cookies would be a fun new Easter tradition to start!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Kids Will Love Them: These fun cookies are filled with festive sprinkles and a subtle hint of almond flavoring.
- Versatile: Use a variety of cookie cutters for different effects. Make Easter egg sugar cookies with an egg-shaped cookie cutter, or use chick or rabbit cookie cutters for more spring-themed sugar cookies. You could also use a cross cookie cutter for Easter Sunday. Use different colors of food coloring to get the look you’re wanting. Pastel colors work so well for spring, but you could also use brighter colors if you prefer.
- Great for Easter Baskets: Put a few cookies in a decorative plastic bag and tuck them into your kids’ Easter baskets on Easter morning. If you’re looking for a homemade treat to include in the baskets, this would be a great one to try!
- Save Time By Making Dough Ahead: Besides being the most adorable sugar cookies, these Easter sugar cookies are also super convenient because you can make the dough ahead of time. Store cookie dough in a plastic zipper bag in the freezer for up to 4 months.
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Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper
- Cookie sheet
- Cooling rack
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Piping bags
- Scissors
- Toothpicks
- Gel food color
- Edible food marker
- Cookie cutters (this bunny cookie cutter was used for the cookies in the photos)
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Butter: Unsalted butter at room temperature.
- Sugar: This recipe calls for granulated sugar in the dough, and powdered sugar for the icing.
- Almond extract: Almond extract can be replaced with vanilla extract.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs (remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before using them to allow them to come to room temperature).
- Flour: I always buy unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Sprinkles: This recipe calls for 1/2 cup pastel-colored sprinkles (optional).
- Meringue Powder: Meringue powder is necessary for the royal icing.
- Food coloring: Gel food coloring of your choice is used. If you prefer to avoid artificial food coloring, there are quite a few naturally-tinted food colorings to choose from.
How to Make Easter Sugar Cookies
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugar.
2. While the mixer is on low speed, add the almond extract and eggs one at a time.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed so that the eggs and sugar/butter mixture fully combine.
4. Turn the mixer off and add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cornstarch).
5. Mix on low until the dough starts to come together. While on low, slowly pour in your sprinkles.
6. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto parchment paper. Use another sheet of parchment paper and place on top of the dough. Use your rolling pin to roll out the dough between the two sheets of parchment paper. I like to roll my dough to 3/8 “
7. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
8. When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
9. On a lightly floured surface, cut out your desired spring shapes (bunny cookies are so perfect for spring!) and place on the lined baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Gather the dough scraps and re-roll the dough to cut out more shapes and use up all the cookie dough.
10. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges look set and the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny.
11. Remove from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Allow to cool fully before icing them.
Ice the Cookies
1. To make the royal icing, use a small bowl and whisk together the water, extract, and meringue powder. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add more or less powdered sugar to reach a decorating consistency. You do not want it to be watery or too thick. A good consistency would be a little thicker than corn syrup.
2. Use gel food coloring to color the icing how you would like. In the pictures I used pink, yellow, and blue. You only need to add a tiny bit at a time. I use a toothpick to add little drops. Mix until you reach the shade you like.
3. Put your icing in a piping bag and tie closed.
4. Cut a small hole in the tip of your icing bag and outline the edge of your cookies. Let them dry for a few minutes.
5. When you are ready to fill in your cookies, cut the hole in the piping bag bigger to cover the cookie in icing. You can use a toothpick to even it out.
6. Set your decorated cookies aside and let dry. You want the tops of the cookies to harden so that the icing does not crack. This will make a smooth royal icing.
7. Once the cookies are completely dry, you can use black colored icing or an edible food pen for the eyes and nose. Enjoy your adorable Easter sugar cookies!
How to Store Easter Sugar Cookies
Once royal icing is completely dry, store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze already decorated cookies for up to 3 months but make sure that the royal icing is completely dry. Make sure they are in a freezer-safe container.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it for up to 4 months.
Recipe FAQs
More Cookie Recipes
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Cranberry Cookies
- Brownie Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you!
Easter Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer
- Cookie sheet
- Scissors
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup pastel colored sprinkles
Royal Icing
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 pound bag of powdered sugar
- gel food coloring of your choice
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugar.
- While the mixer is on low speed, add the almond extract and eggs one at a time.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed so that the eggs and sugar/butter mixture fully combine.
- Turn the mixer off and add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cornstarch).
- Mix on low until the dough starts to come together. While on low, slowly pour in your sprinkles.
- Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto parchment paper. Use another sheet of parchment paper and place on top of the dough. Use your rolling pin to roll out the dough between the two sheets of parchment paper. I like to roll my dough to 3/8 “
- Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, cut out your desired spring shapes (bunny cookies are so perfect for spring!) and place on the lined baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Gather the dough scraps and re-roll the dough to cut out more shapes and use up all the cookie dough.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges look set and the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny.
- Remove from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Icing the Cookies
- To make the royal icing, use a small bowl and whisk together the meringue powder, water, and almond extract. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add more or less powdered sugar to reach a decorating consistency. You do not want it to be watery or too thick. A good consistency would be a little thicker than corn syrup.
- Use gel food coloring to color the icing how you would like. In the pictures I used pink, yellow, and blue. You only need to add a tiny bit at a time. I use a toothpick to add little drops. Mix until you reach the shade you like.
- Put your icing in a piping bag and tie closed.
- Cut a small hole in the tip of your icing bag and outline the edge of your cookies. Let them dry for a few minutes.
- When you are ready to fill in your cookies, cut the hole in the piping bag bigger to cover the cookie in icing. You can use a toothpick to even it out.
- Set your decorated cookies aside and let dry. You want the tops of the cookies to harden so that the icing does not crack. This will make a smooth royal icing.
- Once the cookies are completely dry, you can use black colored icing or an edible food pen for the eyes and nose. Enjoy your adorable Easter sugar cookies!
