These Easter Cookies are the perfect way to welcome spring and add a little sweetness to your holiday celebration. Whether you’re making them with kids, setting up a cookie decorating station, or gifting a batch to friends or family, these cookies are soft, buttery sugar cookies topped with easy royal icing or buttercream and decked out in pastel colors, sprinkles, and bunny ears.
Cut them into eggs, chicks, bunnies, carrots, or flowers—they’re as cute as they are delicious, and they’re super fun to personalize.
What You’ll Need
For the Sugar Cookies (makes 24–30 cookies):
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional, but adds amazing flavor)
For the Icing:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk or water
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring (pastel shades)
- Optional: piping bags, squeeze bottles, and sprinkles
Pro Tips for Cookie Decorating Fun
🐰 Chill your dough before cutting shapes—it makes cleaner cookies that hold their form.
🎨 Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning your icing.
🍪 Outline and flood for smooth icing – use a thicker icing for edges, thinner for filling in.
👧 Kids love to decorate! Set out sprinkles, eyes, and icing in squeeze bottles for easy fun.
🌷 Let cookies dry overnight for icing to fully set—great for make-ahead!
Tools You’ll Need
- Easter cookie cutters (egg, bunny, chick, carrot)
- Rolling pin
- Mixing bowls
- Baking sheets + parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Piping bags or squeeze bottles
- Toothpicks for detail work
Substitutions & Variations
🌾 Gluten-free? Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour
🌱 Dairy-free? Use vegan butter and a plant-based milk for the icing
🍫 Chocolate version: Add cocoa powder to the dough for chocolate sugar cookies
🌈 Buttercream option: Use tinted buttercream instead of icing for fluffy texture
Make-Ahead Tips
- Dough can be made ahead and chilled for up to 3 days
- Cookies freeze well (undecorated) for up to 2 months
- Iced cookies can be stored at room temp for up to 1 week after drying
How to Make Easter Cookies
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Mix in egg, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Gradually add dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Divide and chill dough for 1 hour.
Step 2: Roll, Cut & Bake
- Roll dough to ¼-inch thick and cut with Easter cookie cutters.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes, until edges are just golden.
- Cool completely on racks before decorating.
Step 3: Make the Icing
- In a bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
- Divide and tint with gel food coloring.
- Adjust consistency: thicker for outlines, thinner for flooding.
Step 4: Decorate the Cookies
- Outline cookies with thicker icing, let set briefly.
- Flood with thinner icing and use a toothpick to smooth.
- Add sprinkles, eyes, or other fun designs before icing sets.
- Let dry completely (preferably overnight) before stacking or gifting.
Leftovers & Storage
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 1 week
- Undecorated cookies can be frozen for 2 months
- Layer cookies between parchment if stacking
Final Thoughts
These Easter Cookies are sweet, festive, and the perfect way to get creative in the kitchen this spring. Whether you keep it simple or go all-out with piping and sprinkles, they’re sure to bring smiles to everyone who sees (and eats!) them.
💬 Did you go classic bunny and chick, or get creative with tie-dye eggs and carrots? Share your cookie masterpieces in the comments—I’d love to see your Easter magic! 🐣🍪🌷
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