A classic Spring Sugar Cookie recipe in the shape of Easter eggs flavored with both vanilla and almond extract. The cookies are then decorated with what I like to call my "royal icing hack" and colorful sprinkles.
Your dessert table will look perfect with these bright, fun cookies on a tray with the other Easter desserts being served.
This sugar cookie recipe works great all year long. You can use any shape cookie cutter you want for the event you're celebrating.
If you don't want to use the icing recipe listed below, you can leave them plain and drizzle with melted chocolate for a fun twist.
Table of Contents
Sugar Cookies Recipes
Here are a few other sugar cookie recipes you might also enjoy:
- Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies
- Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
- Easy Sugar Cookies - dipped in melted chocolate.
Sugar Cookies with Icing Recipe
This recipe uses a store-bought frosting, only I'm sharing with you a "recipe hack" for turning it into royal icing:
- Remove both the lid and seal for the cannister of frosting. Place it uncovered in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Remove and stir. The frosting should resemble a thick royal icing.
- If you want a thinner consistency, microwave for an additional 30 seconds.
- Transfer the icing to a piping bag and decorate the cookies.
Sugar Cookies Baking Tips
- Chill the dough before cutting out the shapes.
- Dip the cookie cutter into flour or powdered sugar first before cutting out the shape in the dough. That way the cookie cutter will not stick to the dough.
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat when baking cookies. Don't use aluminum foil.
- Watch the cookies while baking. All ovens operate differently and cooking times can vary. So keep an eye on them. When you see the edges turning lightly brown, you can take them out of the oven.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
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Main Ingredients Needed
Exact measurements are listed below in the recipe card. Make sure you scroll down to print and save the recipe for later!
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Almond and Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar or Flour for rolling the cookies out.
- Royal Icing
- Sprinkles
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 | Combine the Ingredients
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl with the paddle attached, blend the butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add the egg, almond extract and vanilla extract. Mix well until the ingredients are well combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. The dough will be a little crumbly, but should still come together.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a surface that's dusted with either a little flour or powdered sugar. Press the dough into a ball and then roll out into ¼ inch thickness.
- Use an Easter egg shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookie shapes.
Step 2 | Baking Instructions
- Carefully lift the cookies onto a baking sheet that's been lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until they are slightly golden brown. Do not overbake.
- Allow the cookies to cool for at least 20 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
Step 3 | Decorating Instructions
- After the cookies have cooled completely, decorate with the "royal icing."
- While the icing is still wet, add the colored sprinkles.
- Allow the icing to dry completely before stacking and storing the cookies.
Tried any of my recipes? Let me know in the comments!
Recipe Variations
- You can use this recipe for any other occasion simply by changing the shape of the cookie cutter, the color of icing and the type of sprinkles.
- Leave the cookies plain without any frosting or sprinkle them with the colored sugar before baking.
- You could also use a circle shape cookie cutter and turn them into sandwich cookies once they're baked. Spread melted sugar, strawberry jam or even hazelnut spread in between the two cookies...yum!
How to Store Sugar Cookies
- Store the decorated cookies in an airtight container on the counter for about 3 to 5 days.
- You should layer the cookies with either waxed or parchment paper if you are going to stack the cookies.
How to Freeze Unbaked Sugar Cookies
- To freeze unbaked cookies, roll them out and cut into shapes.
- Place on a baking sheet and then place them in the freezer.
- It's really okay to fit as many cookies as you can onto the pan.
- Once frozen, remove the cookies from the tray and place in a freezer-safe bag for up to a month.
- When you're ready to enjoy the cookies, remove them from the freezer and bake as usual. You don't need to thaw them, but you should but add a minute or two to the cooking time.
How to Freeze Baked Sugar Cookies
- Allow the cookies to cool completely.
- Do not frost or decorate them!
- Place the baked, undecorated cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the freezer to flash freeze them.
- Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer safe plastic bag or container.
- Freeze the sugar cookies for up to a month.
- When you're ready to enjoy the cookies, remove them from the freezer, spread them out on a baking tray and allow them to come to room temperature.
- Once they are completely defrosted, you can decorate them following the instructions given in the recipe card.
Yield: 24 cookies depending on size of cookie cutter
Spring Sugar Cookies
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
9 minutes
Cooling & Decorating Time
1 hour
Total Time
1 hour 19 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter; softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 can vanilla frosting
- Spring decorative sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, almond extract and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. The dough will be a little crumbly.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a surface sprinkled with a little extra flour or powdered sugar.
- Press the dough into a ball and then roll out into ¼ inch thickness.
- Cut out the shapes using the egg shaped cookie cutter.
- Carefully lift the cookie shapes and place on the parchment lined baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes making sure they don't get brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool for at least 20 minutes on the baking sheet before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack.
Prepare the Frosting and Decorate
- Remove both the lid and seal for the cannister of frosting. Place it uncovered in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Remove and stir. The frosting should resemble a thick royal icing.
- If you want a thinner consistency, microwave for an additional 30 seconds.
- Transfer the icing to a piping bag and decorate the cookies.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 244Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 185mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 0gSugar: 21gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information is calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you, please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator.
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