Spring Easter Sugar Cookies (Printable)

Buttery sugar cookies with colorful pastel icing for Easter 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

→ Royal Icing

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

# 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 until fully incorporated into the butter mixture.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Divide dough in half, form into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, 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 - Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes until edges begin to lightly brown.
09 - Transfer cookies to wire rack and allow to cool completely before decorating.
10 - Combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in medium bowl. Mix until smooth and glossy, adjusting water as needed.
11 - Divide icing into small bowls. Tint each portion with pastel gel food coloring.
12 - Apply colored icing to cooled cookies. Add sprinkles while icing is wet. Allow icing to set completely before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough is incredibly forgiving and bakes up tender every single time
  • You can customize the colors and decorations to match any Easter theme or mood
  • These cookies stay fresh for days, making them perfect for gifting and sharing
02 -
  • Chilling the dough is absolutely essential or your cookies will spread too much
  • The icing consistency should be thick like honey for outlining and thinner for flooding
  • Gel food coloring is worth the extra cost for true pastel shades
03 -
  • Rotate your baking sheets halfway through for even browning
  • Let the icing dry overnight before stacking to prevent smudges

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