Easter Sugar Cookies are a great way to celebrate the Easter holiday! Sugar cookie dough balls are rolled in colored sugar then baked to perfection. The end result is soft cookies with a bright and cheery appearance.

Sugar coated sugar cookies on a cooling rack.

I really enjoy making soft roll out sugar cookies, but there are times I just don’t have the time to make them.

When that’s the case, I resort to making easy sugar cookies like these ones.

Why you’ll love this recipe

There are two profound things you’ll appreciate about this recipe:

  1. It uses one bowl. Period, end of story. I mean that kind of sells me already.
  2. These cookies are soft and sweet.
  3. Rolled in colored sugar makes them so fun! This is a great recipe for kids to make, by the way. It’s easy and perfect for little hands that are aching to participate.
  4. You can change the color of the sugar to match the holiday you’re celebrating. For example, use orange, black, and purple sugar for Halloween or red and green for Christmas.

Ingredients

We use colored sugar in this recipe. I took the easy route (life has been busy!!) and purchased some pastel colored sugar on Amazon. I couldn’t find the exact one I purchased but I found a similar one here.

To make your own colored sugar at home Taste of Home has a great guide. 

  • Unsalted butter – softened to room temperature.
  • Granulated sugar
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract
  • All purpose flour
  • Baking soda – leavening agent used to give lift to the cookies.
  • Salt – for flavor.
  • baking powder – the agent the baking soda reacts with causing the cookies to rise just a tad.

3 bowls of pastel colored sugar, with a sugar cookie dough ball in each bowl.

How to make Sugar Coated Sugar Cookies

  1. Make the cookie dough. Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl (you can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer). Roll the dough into 2 tablespoon sized balls.
  2. Roll in colored sugar. Roll each ball in colored sugar. Place the sugar coated cookie balls on a baking sheet, leaving 1 1/2″-2″ inches between each ball.
  3. Bake. The cookies will bake for 9-11 minutes in a 375°F oven.
  4. Let cool. Once cool, store in an airtight container in order to keep the cookies as fresh as possible. Store for up to 3 days at room temperature.

A baking sheet lined with sugar coated sugar cookie dough balls.

Tips for success

Roll the sugar cookie dough balls in the colored sugar right after you’ve formed them into a ball. If you let the dough balls sit on the counter for too long the balls dry out, making it difficult for the colored sugar to adhere.

Don’t over bake the cookies. To ensure a soft sugar cookie you should remove the cookies when the edges and tops are just set.

For flatter sugar cookies, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 11-13 minutes.

Pastel sugar coated sugar cookies.

Related Recipes

I love cookies. Like, LOVE cookies. So be sure to check out my cookie recipes archive where you’ll find oodles and oodles of recipes. 

A bite taken out of a pastel sugar coated sugar cookie.

 

Sugar coated sugar cookies on a cooling rack.
Print Review

(One Bowl) Easter Sugar Cookies

These pastel sugar coated sugar cookies are a fun way to celebrate the Easter holiday! Soft and sugary cookies... what more could you want?!
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 28 mins
Servings: 20 cookies

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter - softened
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg - at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • colored sugar

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Place the colored sugar in small separate bowls.
  • Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. 
  • Add the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and mix until just combined. 
  • Scoop and roll into 2 tablespoon sized balls.  Roll each dough ball in the colored sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
  • Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges and tops are just set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 3 minutes on pan. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

For flatter sugar cookies, bake at 350°F for 11-13 minutes. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal (10%)Carbohydrates: 25g (8%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 10g (15%)Saturated Fat: 6g (30%)Cholesterol: 33mg (11%)Sodium: 61mg (3%)Potassium: 33mg (1%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 13g (14%)Vitamin A: 296IU (6%)Calcium: 11mg (1%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
author: Whitney Wright
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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