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Easter Cookies (Decorated & Festive) Recipe

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4.3 from 9 reviews

These festive Easter Cookies are soft, buttery, and decorated beautifully with royal icing or cookie glaze for a perfect holiday treat. The recipe features classic sugar cookie dough flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, cut into fun Easter shapes like eggs, bunnies, and carrots, then decorated with colorful icing and sprinkles. They make delightful gifts or a charming centerpiece for your Easter celebration.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)

Decoration Ingredients

  • Royal icing or easy cookie glaze icing
  • Gel food coloring
  • Sanding sugar sprinkles
  • Mini marshmallows, halved (for bunny tails)

Instructions

  1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside to prepare for combining with the wet ingredients.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a handheld or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. This creates the base texture of the cookies.
  3. Add Egg and Extracts: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using, then beat on high speed until just combined, approximately 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as necessary to ensure even mixing.
  4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be soft; if sticky, add an additional tablespoon of flour to facilitate rolling later.
  5. Divide and Roll Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll each piece out on lightly floured parchment paper or silicone baking mats to about 1/4-inch thick. Use flour as needed to prevent sticking and ensure an even thickness.
  6. Chill Dough: Layer the two rolled dough portions with parchment paper in between, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or up to 2 days. Chilling helps the dough firm up for clean cookie shapes.
  7. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Heat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  8. Cut Shapes: Remove the top dough layer and use cookie cutters to cut shapes like eggs, bunnies, and carrots. Re-roll scraps and cut until all dough is used.
  9. Bake Cookies: Arrange cookies 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 11-12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Rotate pans halfway if needed to avoid hot spots. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  10. Prepare Icing: Make royal icing or cookie glaze icing. Use piping bags and tips for precision. White icing should be kept mostly for bunnies and carrot tops, while orange is used for carrot bodies. For eggs, divide icing into several colors.
  11. Decorate Bunnies and Carrots: Outline and flood bunny and carrot cookie shapes with white icing and orange icing for carrots respectively. Add sanding sugar on carrot tops and halved mini marshmallow tails for bunnies while icing is wet.
  12. Decorate Easter Eggs: Flood eggs with base colors such as sky blue, lemon yellow, violet, fuchsia, and white. Allow to set in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, then pipe decorative details with a smaller tip. Allow icing to fully set.
  13. Set Icing and Store: Let royal icing set for about 2 hours or cookie glaze icing for about 24 hours. Store decorated cookies covered tightly at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerated for up to 10 days.
  14. Enjoy: Serve these festive cookies at your Easter gathering or package them as sweet gifts!

Notes

  • If dough feels too sticky when rolling, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve desired consistency.
  • Chilling dough before cutting ensures sharper cookie shapes and easier handling.
  • To speed up icing drying, decorate cookies on baking sheets and refrigerate.
  • Royal icing provides sharper detail and sets faster than cookie glaze icing.
  • Cookies stay soft for about 5 days at room temperature when stored tightly covered, or up to 10 days refrigerated.
  • Halved mini marshmallows create adorable bunny tails when added while icing is wet.
  • For best results, use freshly softened butter and room temperature egg.

Find it online: https://recipefeastful.com/easter-cookies-decorated-and-festive-recipe/