ⓘ
Cutout cookies are always a special treat since they require a bit more care to create than a basic drop cookie (though we love these easy cookie recipes too). Cut in cute or classic shapes, these cookies are a delight, but the most eye-catching part has to be the icing. It’s also the most finicky part of decorating cookies. However, frosting cookies with classic royal icing doesn’t need to be overly complex. We’ve got a few simple techniques that’ll have you making professional-looking cookies in no time. Make sure you know these helpful cookie decorating tips.
Royal icing sounds fancy, but it’s actually really simple to make. Follow our easy royal icing guide where we break down the process step-by-step using our Test Kitchen’s go-to royal icing recipe.
Like most icings, you can alter the consistency with how much water or confectioners’ sugar you add. Depending on the decoration style you’re going for, you’ll want different consistencies.
- For a base coat or flooding, you’ll want your icing to be a bit thinner.
- For piped designs, use a bit less water (or a bit more sugar) for a thicker icing.
Whatever consistency you aim for, just be sure to avoid these common royal icing mistakes.
The Supplies You Need for Decorated Sugar Cookies
Taste of Home
Before you start decorating, you’ll want to stock up on a few basic supplies.
- A shallow dish
- Food coloring. For royal icing, you’ll want to opt for gel dye as it creates great, saturated color without diluting your icing. Get a 12-pack here.
- Toothpicks
- Decorating squeeze bottles. They’re easier to manage than piping bags, especially for children.
Royal Icing Decoration Method 1: Dipping
Taste of Home
The easiest way to decorate cookies with royal icing is to dip them. This method serves as a great base for all kinds of embellishments. And dipping cookies is just as easy as it sounds: Prep a thin royal icing, place it in a shallow bowl, then dip the top of your cutout cookies into the icing—done!
From here, you can set the cookies aside and let them dry completely or keep decorating while wet.
Royal Icing Decoration 2: Dipping and Swirling
Taste of Home
Another super-easy way to decorate with royal icing is to try a wet-on-wet method—essentially piping more icing over icing with a wet finish. To do this, grab either a piping bag or decorating bottle filled with thinner, colored icing. You can pipe this frosting on in a twisty, turvy pattern. Then use a toothpick and swirl the colored and white icing together to create a marbled effect.
Taste of Home
Use this same technique to create swirls and a herringbone pattern. For swirls, just pipe on dots and run the toothpick through them. You can make heart shapes this way or an interesting spiral design. For the herringbone, pipe straight lines of frosting and run the toothpick through the lines perpendicularly. The techniques are very similar to the way you might put a swirl in a cheesecake.
Royal Icing Decoration 3: Pipe Designs
Taste of Home
If you’d like a more intricate design on your cookies, you can create those too with the same tools. Instead of piping cookies while the base layer is wet, you’ll let the base dry completely.
Using a slightly stiffer royal icing—just add in some extra confectioners’ sugar—you can pipe on whatever design you like with either a piping bag or the decorating squeeze bottles. Our Test Kitchen likes a simple tone on tone design. White on white is great for winter—but you can easily make flowers, dots or other patterns using the same tools. The sky’s the limit.
Editor’s note: Experiment with your design on a piece of parchment paper to get the icing flowing before you decorate the actual cookie. And remember, practice makes perfect!
The Finished Product
No matter which method you use to frost cookies, you’ll end up with a polished result. Royal icing dries smooth and level, making your cutout cookies look absolutely professional.
Use Royal Icing on these Cutout Cookie Recipes
Ombre Cutout Cookies
Talk about playing with your food! An edible color spray lets you create ombre and color blends unlike other decorating techniques. To create the ombre effect, hold a sheet of paper over already-painted sections as you add layers the color. —
Shannon Norris,
Taste of Home Senior Food Stylist
Also, check these
 sugar cookie tips for the best-ever treats.
Go to Recipe
Chocolate-Glazed Doughnut CookiesMy little nieces love to help decorate these doughnut-shaped cookies. They top them with sprinkles, chopped pecans or crushed candy canes. —Jolie Stinson, Marion, Indiana
Need some help with your cutouts? Check out our best
cutout cookie tips.
Orange Sugar CookiesI make these citrusy cookies for parties and special occasions, and we always get to eat the ones that don't come out perfectly. Eventually I had to start making extra "mistakes" to keep my family happy! —Myrrh Wertz, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
White Velvet CutoutsWe make and decorate these cutouts for different holidays and give lots of them as gifts. Last year, we baked a batch a week before Christmas to be sure we'd have plenty to give and plenty for ourselves, too. These rich cookies melt in your mouth. —Kim Hinkle, Wauseon, Ohio
Brown Sugar Cutout CookiesOur neighbor made these for me when I was little, and now I make them for my kids, my grandkids and the children at school. Serve them with milk for the kids and tea for the grown-ups. —Nancy Lynch, Somerset, Pennsylvania
Unicorn ManesEveryone loves a classic shortbread cookie. Make each cookie magical with a quick dip into melted baking chips and rainbow-colored sprinkles. Your unicorns will love these rainbow bites. —Angela Lemoine, Howell, New Jersey
Peanut Butter Cinnamon Snap CookiesThese peanut butter cinnamon cookies are perfect for bake sales, potlucks or holiday gift baskets. Use fun cookie cutters for any occasion you are celebrating. The cookie glaze dries shiny, so they look professional. —Kallee Krong-McCreery, Escondido, California
Wookie CookiesWho wouldn’t want a Chewie cookie? These adorable cutouts will be a fan favorite at any kind of "Star Wars" party. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Jumbo Chocolate CutoutsThe recipe for these light cookies has been passed down from generation to generation. Have a little extra fun with frosting if you like. They freeze well, too!—Helen Brown, East Dover, Vermont
Peanut Butter Cutout CookiesI used peanut butter in place of the butter in my take on a traditional cutout cookie, which turned out super nutty and soft. My children love to decorate the cookie with frosting, sprinkles and some creativity. —Cindi Bauer, Marshfield, Wisconsin
Viennese CookiesA Swedish friend shared this recipe with me many years ago. A chocolate glaze tops tender cookies filled with apricot jam. —Beverly Stirrat, Mission, British Columbia
Great-Grandma's Oatmeal CookiesThis yummy cookie—a favorite of my husband's—goes back to my great-grandmother. At Christmastime, we use colored sugar for a festive touch. —Mary Ann Konechne, Kimball, South Dakota
Roll-Out CookiesI collect cookie cutters (I have over 5,000!), so a good cutout recipe is a must. These cookies are crisp and buttery-tasting with just a hint of lemon, and the dough handles nicely. —Bonnie Price, Yelm, Washington
(Here's
how to roll out cookie dough like a pro!)
White Chocolate-Cappuccino CookiesThese adorable cookies shaped like coffee cups don't last long with my friends and family. For an even richer flavor, I use a mocha latte coffee mix. —Nancy Sousley, Lafayette, Indiana
Letter-Stamped Butter CookiesAlphabet cookie stamps make creating these one-of-a-kind treats a snap. Surprise your guests with dessert before dinner! —
Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Mom's Soft Sugar CookiesThis delicious sugar cookie recipe has been passed down in our family for 75 years. Try it and you'll see why it remains our very favorite cookie! —Arnita Schroeder, Hoagland, Indiana
Walnut Sugar CookiesWhen we were growing up, my mother made sugar cookies dotted with ground walnuts as a special treat to welcome us home from school. —Debbie Miller, La Verne, California
Grandma's Star CookiesMy husband's grandma would make these butter cutouts only with a star cookie cutter. I use various shapes for celebrations throughout the year. —Jenny Brown, West Lafayette, Indiana
Gingerbread Cookies with Buttercream IcingWhen it’s time to start the cookie-baking season, this recipe always kicks off the festivities. My mother-in-law first shared it with me, but it’s too good to keep to myself! You can tint the buttery gingerbread cookie icing a cheery pink or green and pipe it on with a decorating tip. —Ann Scherzer, Anacortes, Washington
Almond Raspberry StarsThe first Christmas that I baked these, I ended up quickly making a second batch! The whole family enjoyed them. —Darlene Weaver, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Deluxe Sugar CookiesChristmas cutouts signal the holiday season. For variety, sprinkle half of the cookies with colored sugar before baking and frost the remaining ones after they're cooled.—Dawn Fagerstrom, Warren, Minnesota
Glazed Maple Shortbread CookiesWhenever I visit friends in Lutsen, Minnesota, I make sure to buy maple syrup there because I think it's even better than in Quebec. These delicious cookies can be decorated with sprinkles but they're just fine as is.—Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario
Caramel-Apple Shortbread CookiesThere is nothing like seeing my friends almost melt to the floor when they bite into something I made. These cookies never fail to elicit oohs and aahs. —Amber Taylor, Lenoir City, Tennessee
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Lemon CutoutsFull of lemony flavor, these cookies are great for any time of year and always popular with family and friends.—Patricia C. Quinn, Omaha, Nebraska
ZimtsterneDuring December, homes and bakeries in Switzerland are filled with the aroma of classic cookies like these "Zimtsterne." —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Snowy Mountain CookiesI was so excited to bake these with my mom after coming home from studying abroad in Germany. They remind me of the Swabian Alps I could see from my room there. Be careful not to overheat the white chocolate; it’ll lose that attractive shine. —Stephanie Bouley, North Smithfield, Rhode Island
Sweetheart Coconut CookiesRuby red jam and coarse sugar add a festive look to these crisp sandwich cookies that are the perfect gift for loved ones. My husband likes coconut, so I make these for his birthday. —Jo Ellen Helmlinger, Columbus, Ohio
Chocolate Walnut CrescentsI use a round cookie cutter to form the crescent shapes for these nutty favorites. They're so pretty sprinkled with sugar and drizzled with chocolate. —TerryAnn Moore, Vineland, New Jersey
Lemon ShortbreadsEvery year my mom and I collect cookie recipes we want to try and then get together in early December for an afternoon of baking. These no-fail lemon cookies have become an annual tradition. They're a wonderful homemade holiday gift. —Kristen Stecklein, Glendale, Wisconsin
Linzer CookiesThis specialty cookie takes a little extra effort, but the results are sweet! They really help to make the holidays feel special. —Jane Pearcy, Verona, Wisconsin
Pixie Dust CookiesThese crisp and buttery cookies are based on a favorite Scottish shortbread recipe. They're just the right amount of sweet—and fun to decorate! —Peggy Goodrich, Enid, Oklahoma
Cutout Christmas CookiesThese
old-fashioned Christmas cookies have been a holiday tradition in my family for many years. It was a joy to make these cookies for my children, and now my little granddaughter will soon be enjoying them, too. —Carolyn Moseley, Dayton, Ohio
Lemon Butter CookiesThese tender cutout cookies have a slight lemon flavor that makes them stand out from the rest. They're very easy to roll out compared to other sugar cookies I've worked with. I know you'll enjoy them as much as we do. —Judy McCreight, Springfield, Illinois
Sugar CookiesThis sugar cookie dates back to a Swedish woman born in 1877! Her daughter, Esther Davis, shared the recipe with me and she came up with all the exact measurements, since the original cookies were mixed by feel and taste. These are my favorite cookies and I hope they'll become yours as well. —Helen Wallis, Vancouver, Washington
Raspberry Linzer CookiesThese wonderful cookies require a bit of extra effort to make and assemble, but the delight on the faces of family and friends when I serve them makes it all worthwhile. —Schelby Thompson, Camden Wyoming, Delaware
Â
Updated: Jan. 31, 2024
