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This easy recipe for decorated Easter cookies starts with a simple sugar cookie dough cut out into egg shapes and decorated with royal icing. The perfect treat for Easter baskets or spring gatherings!

decorated Easter cookies in egg shapes and lamb shapes.

Easter Sugar Cookies

These adorable Easter cookies decorated with easy royal icing are the perfect addition to any Easter celebration. This easy Easter cookies recipe starts out with the same basic sugar cookie recipe we use for Christmas cut outs. The cookies are soft and flavored with a mix of vanilla and almond extracts for that classic sugar cookie flavor everyone loves. For the taste of a frosted sugar cookie without the work, try these easy cookie bars.

flour, sugar, butter, egg, and cookie dough ingredients.

Ingredient Notes

Here’s what you need to make the cookies. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.

  • Butter — Let it soften at room temperature until it’s soft enough to work with. Don’t melt the butter. I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter.
  • White sugar — for sweetness
  • Almond and vanilla extracts — for flavor. If you’re not a fan of almond, you can use only vanilla.
  • Egg — to help bind the ingredients
  • Sea salt — or kosher salt
  • Baking powder — as a leavening agent
  • All purpose flour — for the dough

How to Make Decorated Easter Cookies

Start out by creaming the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer along with a paddle attachment. Add the remaining wet ingredients, and gradually mix in the dry ingredients until you get a soft dough. Roll the dough out, and wrap in plastic wrap to chill in your fridge. You can chill it overnight or earlier in the day if you want same day cookies.

Next, use an egg-shaped cookie cutter to cut out eggs in the chilled dough. Place the cookie dough onto a prepared cookie sheet lined with silicone baking matts or parchment paper. Make sure to space them about 2-inches apart so that you don’t overcrowd the baking sheet. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack, and decorate using royal icing or your favorite frosting.

How to Decorate Easter Egg Cookies

We use a package of meringue powder for the royal icing recipe, which is basically fool-proof! Just follow the directions on the package for mixing. We also add a little cornstarch to keep the icing shiny and smooth. Then, add food coloring. Use a piping bag to pipe the frosting onto the cookies and decorate with lines, squiggles and dots. You don’t even need a piping tip!

Use any icing for these decorated cookies, from a simple powdered sugar glaze to fluffy buttercream frosting. You can even use frosting from a can!

decorated Easter sugar cookies on plate.

Storing Cookies

Store the Easter egg cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay nice and soft usually for about a week. If you want to make these ahead of time, you can freeze the plain cookies for up to 3 months. Decorate the thawed cookies when you’re ready. The raw cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months, as well.

Helpful Tips

Make sure you take the time to fully cream together the butter and the sugar. It will take about 5 minutes and prevent the dough from spreading.

Don’t skip chilling the dough. This keeps the dough from spreading when baking and makes it much easier to work with.

For soft cookies, don’t over bake. Take them out of the oven when the edges are a light golden brown. The middles should not look wet, but they will be soft and will harden up as they cool.

Use your favorite Easter shapes. Bunnies, crosses and lambs and chicks are all easy to make and decorate.

More Easter Treats

Try our adorable lamb cake for a truly unique dessert. You’ll also love these homemade peanut butter eggs or thes cute dirt cups these easy mini egg cookies or carrot cake cookies or this super easy Easter dessert dip!

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Decorated Easter Cookies

By: Dee
This easy recipe for decorated Easter cookies starts with a simple sugar cookie dough cut out into egg shapes and decorated with royal icing. The perfect treat for Easter baskets or spring gatherings!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 4 hours
Servings: 24

Ingredients  

  • 1 cup butter slightly softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • ยฝ teaspoon sea salt
  • ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2ยพ cups all purpose flour
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Instructions 

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth
  • Add in the granulated sugar and mix together until fully combined and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes
  • Mix in the almond extract, vanilla extract and the egg
  • Add in the salt, baking powder and half of the flour. Mix well
  • Add in the rest of the flour and mix until fully combined. To avoid overworking the dough, finish mixing with a rubber spatula
  • Divide the dough into 2 equal parts
  • Place each portion onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to โ…œ inch thick
  • Cover rolled out dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight
  • After the dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350โ„‰
  • Unwrap the chilled dough and use egg-shaped cookie cutters to cut out cookie shapes
  • Place cut out cookies 2 inches apart onto a prepared baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
  • Bake for 10-14 minutes or until cookies are no longer oily looking and have very lightly browned edges
  • Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating

Notes

Make sure to use room temperature softened butter — not melted.
Cream the butter and the sugar together for at least 5 minutes to ensure the butter and sugar are emulsified. This will prevent any spreading.
Be sure to chill the dough for 4 hours or overnight.ย 
Re-roll any remaining dough and cut into shapes until all dough is used, or freeze leftover dough. You can use your favorite Easter cookie shapes here.
Both the dough and baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To make the easy royal icing — follow the directions on the package of meringue powder. They will vary between brands. I have tested and loved both brands LorAnn and Judee’s meringue powders. Add 1 tsp each of vanilla and almond extracts and 1 tablespoon corn syrup.ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 113mg, Potassium: 31mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 248IU, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
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