Spring Easter Cookies (Printer-friendly)

Light, buttery sugar cookies with pastel royal icing perfect for spring celebrations

# What You'll Need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

→ Royal Icing

09 - 2 cups powdered sugar
10 - 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
11 - 3–4 tablespoons water
12 - Pastel food coloring: pink, yellow, green, purple (gel preferred)
13 - Assorted Easter-themed sprinkles (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later use.
02 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2–3 minutes.
03 - Mix in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using, until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually blend dry ingredients into wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Divide dough in half, form into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for minimum 1 hour.
06 - Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into Easter shapes using cookie cutters.
08 - Place cutouts 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 9–11 minutes until edges begin to lightly brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in medium bowl. Mix until smooth and glossy, adjusting water for desired consistency.
11 - Divide icing into small bowls. Add food coloring to create pastel shades.
12 - Apply colored icing to cooled cookies. Add sprinkles if desired. Allow icing to set completely before serving.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The dough is incredibly forgiving and rolls out smoothly without sticking to everything
  • These cookies stay soft for days unlike other sugar cookies that turn rock hard
  • Decorating becomes the main event perfect for getting everyone involved
02 -
  • Royal icing dries incredibly fast so keep any unused bowls covered with a damp towel
  • If your icing is too thick it will not flood evenly and too thin will run off the edges
  • The chilling step seems annoying but skipping it makes your cookies spread into unrecognizable blobs
03 -
  • Rotate your baking sheets halfway through for even browning
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together more smoothly and prevent overmixing

Go Back