Easter Sugar Cookies
Sometimes you just need a classic, and these Easter Sugar Cookies are exactly that. Soft, buttery sugar cookie stopped with a smooth layer of sweet frosting and finished with a sprinkle of pastel Easter magic; they’re the kind of treat everyone reaches for first. No surprises, no complicated flavors, just that perfectly nostalgic cookie that never goes out of style. They’re simple, festive, and truly can’t go wrong, making them the perfect addition to any Easter dessert table.
One Cookie, Endless Celebrations
The best part about these sugar cookies? They’re endlessly versatile. Swap the pastel sprinkles for red and green at Christmas, pink and red for Valentines Day, orange and black for Halloween, you name it! The soft, buttery base and classic sweet frosting are the perfect blank canvas for any holiday or celebration. It’s that go-to recipe you can dress up a hundred different ways and know it’ll turn our perfect every single time!
Why I Measure in Grams (and You Might Want To, Too)
If you’ve ever made the same recipe twice and gotten two totally different results, the measuring method is often the reason.
Professional bakeries almost always measure by weight, not volume. Measuring cups leave room for inconsistency—especially with ingredients that pack differently depending on how you scoop or pour them. A scale removes all of that guesswork.
One of the biggest offenders is sugar. Different sugars (and even the same sugar measured by different people) can vary wildly in volume, but 100 grams is always 100 grams. Measuring by weight gives you repeatable, bakery-consistent results and cuts down on extra dishes at the same time.
A food scale is one of the best (and most affordable) investments you can make for your kitchen if you love baking and want your recipes to turn out exactly the same every time.
Ingredients To Prepare
Before baking, take a few minutes to gather the ingredients below and to ensure that they are soft, fluffy, and perfect for Valentines!
Once you have all of the ingredients ready to go, you’re officially set up for Easter Sugar Cookie success. I always recommend measuring everything out ahead of time so the process is smoother, and you can focus on making the best cookies possible!
Easter Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt optional
- 1 cup butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Easter sprinkles
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (convection).
- In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat your room temperature butter for 3–5 minutes, until it turns light and slightly off-white. This step is key for creating a soft, fluffy cookie base!
- Add in your granulated sugar and continue beating for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Properly creaming the butter and sugar helps give your cookies structure and softness.
- Add your egg and mix until fully combined.
- Stir in your vanilla extract, making sure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Add in your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- If using a stand mixer, mix on low speed just until combined.
- If mixing by hand, gently fold everything together using a spatula.
- Be careful not to overmix — stop once a soft dough forms.
- Using a 1/3 cup scoop (or whatever size you prefer), scoop one single dough ball onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- This is your test cookie!
- Always bake one cookie first to: Make sure you didn’t forget an ingredient. Check for oven hot spots. See how much your cookie spreads. This helps you adjust before baking the full batch.
- Once your test cookie looks perfect, scoop the remaining dough balls onto your tray. Use your test cookie as a guide to see how many will comfortably fit.
- (I was able to fit 6 per tray, and I gently flattened mine slightly before baking.)
- Bake for 11–13 minutes (for 1/3 cup scoops), or until the edges are set and the centers look just done.
- For perfectly round cookies, place a circular bowl or cup over each cookie immediately after baking and gently swirl it around to smooth the edges.
- Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and shortening until light and off-white.
- Gradually add in your powdered sugar, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Add your heavy cream and extracts, then whip until light and fluffy. The heavy cream helps create a smooth, airy texture.
- Optional tip: If you plan on piping, gently mix the frosting with a spatula at the end to remove excess air bubbles — this helps prevent bubbles when decorating.
- Frost your cooled cookies and add sprinkles (or any toppings you love).
- Store in the fridge for up to 10 days, or at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
Just wanted to know how much time it takes to make most of the time when you do the frosting and the cookies. Could you please get back to me telling me the pre-time the cooking time and the clean-up time for first-time makers?
I have tried this batter 2x and both times has come out more crumbly before baking. Yours looks smoother in the video. I have used the cup method and used a spoon to scoop flour first then level so not too much flour.
These are so good! I’ve made them several times and they are such a crowd pleaser. My fiancée begs me to bake them for him lol. I have a friend who has a dairy allergy so I’m trying to figure out a way to remove the butter. Any tips are appreciated 🙂
Omg, these are incredible!
omg I made these and they r so good. They took awile tho