St. Patricks Day Sugar Cookies (Printable)
Tender sugar cookies with green icing and sprinkles, perfect for St. Patricks Day celebrations.
# Ingredient List:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
→ Icing & Decoration
09 - 2 cups powdered sugar
10 - 2–3 tablespoons milk
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - Green food coloring
13 - Green and gold sprinkles (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined.
02 - Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2–3 minutes.
03 - Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. Mix until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture on low speed, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Divide dough in half and shape into flat disks. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut shapes using shamrock or round cookie cutters.
08 - Place cut cookies on prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between each cookie.
09 - Bake for 8–10 minutes, until edges are just beginning to turn golden. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add green food coloring gradually until desired shade is achieved.
11 - Spread or pipe green icing onto completely cooled cookies. Top with sprinkles while icing is still wet. Allow icing to set completely before serving or storing.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The almond extract adds this subtle depth that makes people wonder what your secret ingredient is
- The dough is incredibly forgiving and rolls out beautifully without sticking
- These cookies stay soft for days unlike so many other sugar cookie recipes
02 -
- Warm dough is the enemy here so don't skip that chilling time or your shapes will spread
- Overbaking by even one minute will make these tough so pull them when edges are just barely golden
- Thick icing spreads beautifully while thin icing creates that perfect smooth coating
03 -
- Rolling dough between two sheets of parchment paper prevents sticking without adding too much flour
- Rotate your baking sheets halfway through for even browning