Lea recipes

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Prep Time: 40 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 3 hours (including 1 hour chilling, 20 minutes cooling, and 50 minutes decorating and initial icing set) | Servings: 36 cookies (about 3-inch cut-outs)

There is a moment every December when the kitchen table disappears under flour, cutters and bowls of colored icing, and these are the cookies at the center of it. They bake up soft in the middle with edges that stay exactly where the cutter put them — no spreading, no puffing, no snowman that comes out of the oven looking like a snowdrift. The royal icing dries smooth and glossy, so a simple outline and a flood of color makes anybody look like they know what they are doing.

They are the sweet half of today’s holiday pair — the savory half is my Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball, and between the cheese ball board and a plate of these, the whole party table is handled. On a cookie tray they belong right beside the Gingerbread Cookies from Day 1 of this series — dark and spiced on one side, bright and vanilla-sweet on the other.

Ingredients

• For the sugar cookies:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 grams), spooned and leveled, plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but lovely)
• For the royal icing:
• 4 cups powdered sugar (480 grams), sifted
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of fine salt
• 9 to 10 tablespoons room-temperature water
• Gel food coloring, as desired

Instructions

1. Whisk the dry ingredients: in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until evenly combined. This dough has no baking soda on purpose — soda is what makes cut-outs spread and puff, and these are built to hold a sharp edge.
2. Cream the butter and sugar: in a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, until pale, fluffy and noticeably lighter in color. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract (if using) for about 30 seconds, until smooth, scraping the bowl down once.
3. Make the dough: add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain and the dough pulls together — about 1 minute. Do not keep mixing once it comes together; overworked dough bakes up tough. The dough should be soft and smooth, like play dough, not sticky.
4. Chill the dough for 1 hour: divide it in half, shape each half into a flat disk about 1 inch thick, wrap well, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Flat disks chill faster and more evenly than a ball, and they roll out without a wrestling match. Cold dough is the second half of the no-spread secret — warm dough melts before it sets in the oven.
5. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Work with one disk at a time and keep the other in the fridge.
6. Roll and cut: on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to an even 1/4 inch thick — thinner cookies bake crisp and brown at the edges, thicker ones stay soft but need another minute. Cut out shapes with 3-inch cutters, dipping the cutter in flour between cuts, and place the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Gather the scraps, press them together gently, re-roll once, and cut again.
7. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 11 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges look set and matte and the centers look just slightly pale and soft — there should be almost no browning. If the bottoms are golden, they are perfect; if the edges are golden too, they will be crisp rather than soft once cool. That pale finish is what you want under bright icing.
8. Cool completely: let the cookies rest on the hot sheet for 5 minutes — they are fragile straight out of the oven — then move them to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 more minutes, 20 minutes in total, until completely cool. Icing a warm cookie melts the icing off the edges, so do not rush this.
9. Make the royal icing: whisk the sifted powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla and salt together in a large bowl. Add 9 tablespoons of water and beat on low for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth, glossy and ribbon-like. You are aiming for 15-second icing: drag a knife through it and the line should melt back smooth in about 15 seconds. Too thick, add water 1 teaspoon at a time; too thin, whisk in powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. This one consistency outlines and floods, which keeps decorating simple.
10. Color and decorate: divide the icing between small bowls, tint with gel coloring (gel, not liquid — liquid thins the icing), and cover each bowl with a damp towel while you work so it does not crust. Spoon into piping bags or squeeze bottles. Outline each cookie, then flood the center and nudge the icing to the edges with a toothpick or scribe. Add sprinkles or a second color while the base is still wet if you like. Work one cookie at a time — the surface starts to set within minutes.
11. Let the icing set for at least 30 minutes at room temperature (the decorating and setting together account for about 50 minutes of the total time) until the surface is dry and glossy to a light touch. For stacking and packing, let them dry a full 6 hours or overnight — see the storage notes below. Serve on a big plate and watch the plainest shapes go first; they always do.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• They hold their shape: no baking soda and properly chilled dough mean trees stay trees and stars keep their points.
• Soft centers, neat edges: a full 1/4 inch thick and baked pale, so the bite is tender, never crunchy or browned.
• One-consistency icing: 15-second royal icing outlines and floods from the same bowl — no juggling two consistencies.
• Made for decorating days: the dough chills while you tidy, the cookies keep for a week, and undecorated cookies freeze beautifully.

Tips from Lea Bennett

• Roll to a true 1/4 inch, evenly: uneven dough is the number one cause of cut-out disappointment — thick spots stay doughy while thin spots brown. Roll from the center out, turn the dough a quarter turn often, and if you have them, rolling guides or two wooden dowels make the thickness foolproof.
• Judge doneness by the matte top, not color: at 350°F (175°C) these cookies barely color at all. Look for edges that look set and dry and a surface that has lost its raw shine. The centers will look slightly underdone when you pull the tray — they finish on the hot sheet during the 5-minute rest, and that is exactly how they stay soft.
• Count your icing to 15: the 15-second test is the whole trick to royal icing that behaves. Drag a knife through the bowl and count slowly — if the line vanishes in about 15 seconds, it will outline without breaking and flood without running off the edge. Test again after coloring, because gel color loosens it slightly.
• Cover icing like it is your job: royal icing crusts on contact with air, and a crusted bowl gives you lumpy lines no matter how well you pipe. A damp towel over every bowl you are not using, and plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface for longer pauses — this one habit makes decorating feel twice as easy.
• Decorate the ugly ones first: your first three cookies are practice, every single year, no matter how many times you have done this. Start with the shapes nobody photographs, find your pressure and pace, and save the prettiest cut-outs for when your hand has warmed up.

Variations

• Lemon sugar cookies: replace the almond extract with 1 tablespoon of lemon zest rubbed into the sugar before creaming, and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the icing — bright and wonderful in spring, too.
• Chocolate cut-outs: swap 1/2 cup of the flour for unsweetened cocoa powder and add 1 extra tablespoon of sugar — deep chocolate cookies that take white icing beautifully.
• Simple glazed version: skip the royal icing and dip cooled cookies in a quick glaze of 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla — softer finish, no drying time, same pretty tray.
• Spiced holiday version: add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to the flour for a warm, snickerdoodle-adjacent cookie that loves a plain white flood.

Make Ahead & Storage

Make ahead: The wrapped dough disks keep in the fridge for up to 3 days — let a disk sit on the counter for 10 minutes before rolling if it has chilled longer than the basic 1 hour, so it does not crack at the edges. Undecorated baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, ready to decorate whenever the table is free.

Room temperature: Decorated cookies, once the icing has dried fully (6 hours or overnight), keep stacked with parchment between layers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Royal icing is a preservative as much as a decoration — the cookies underneath stay soft remarkably well.

Freezer: Undecorated cookies freeze best: layer them with parchment in a rigid container for up to 3 months, thaw at room temperature, and decorate as written. Decorated cookies can be frozen once fully dry, but thaw them in their closed container so condensation forms on the box, not on the icing.

FAQ

Why did my cookies spread?
Three usual causes: butter that was melted or overly soft instead of room temperature, dough that went into the oven warm instead of chilled for the full hour, or an oven running cool so the butter melted before the edges set. Chill is the fix in almost every case — if your kitchen is warm, slide the tray of cut cookies back into the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.

Can I use egg whites instead of meringue powder?
Yes: use 2 large pasteurized egg whites in place of the meringue powder and reduce the water to 2 to 3 tablespoons, added gradually to the same 15-second consistency. Meringue powder is more forgiving and shelf-stable, which is why I reach for it for a big decorating day, but pasteurized whites give the same smooth, hard finish. Do not use raw unpasteurized whites for cookies you are sharing.

How long does royal icing really take to dry?
The surface is dry to a light touch in about 30 minutes, which is enough to serve the cookies on a plate. For stacking, wrapping or packing into boxes, give them a full 6 hours or overnight — pressing a thumb gently on an inconspicuous cookie is the test; fully dry icing does not dent at all.

My icing is lumpy or full of bubbles. What happened?
Lumps usually mean the powdered sugar was not sifted, or the icing sat uncovered and crusted. Bubbles come from beating on high speed. Beat on low, let the finished icing rest 10 minutes, then stir it slowly with a spatula — most bubbles rise and pop, and the rest disappear as you flood.

Can I freeze the dough instead of the baked cookies?
Absolutely — the wrapped disks freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw a disk overnight in the fridge, then roll, cut and bake as written. It is the version I keep in my own freezer in November, so decorating day in December starts with the oven, not the mixer.

More Desserts Recipes You’ll Love

• Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
• Gingerbread Cookies
• Peppermint Brownies

Conclusion

Soft vanilla cookies, glossy icing, and a table full of people decorating their fourth star like it is a competition — this is Christmas baking at its happiest. Bake a batch, keep the icing simple, and enjoy every imperfect, beautiful one of them. Merry Christmas from my kitchen to yours! 🎄

Follow along for a new recipe every day: find me on Facebook at Lea Recipes Kitchen, on Pinterest at @learecipes, and on Instagram @lea_recipes1. If you make these cookies, I’d love it if you’d leave the recipe a star rating and a comment — it truly helps other home cooks find it. Thank you! 💛

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Soft, no-spread Christmas cut-out sugar cookies with smooth, glossy royal icing — the classic cookie for decorating and sharing.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings: 36 cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

For the sugar cookies:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour 360 grams, spooned and leveled, plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional, but lovely

For the royal icing:

• 4 cups powdered sugar 480 grams, sifted
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of fine salt
• 9 to 10 tablespoons room-temperature water
• Gel food coloring as desired

Equipment

Method

 

1. Whisk the dry ingredients: in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until evenly combined. This dough has no baking soda on purpose — soda is what makes cut-outs spread and puff, and these are built to hold a sharp edge.
2. Cream the butter and sugar: in a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, until pale, fluffy and noticeably lighter in color. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract (if using) for about 30 seconds, until smooth, scraping the bowl down once.
3. Make the dough: add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain and the dough pulls together — about 1 minute. Do not keep mixing once it comes together; overworked dough bakes up tough. The dough should be soft and smooth, like play dough, not sticky.
4. Chill the dough for 1 hour: divide it in half, shape each half into a flat disk about 1 inch thick, wrap well, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Flat disks chill faster and more evenly than a ball, and they roll out without a wrestling match. Cold dough is the second half of the no-spread secret — warm dough melts before it sets in the oven.
5. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Work with one disk at a time and keep the other in the fridge.
6. Roll and cut: on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to an even 1/4 inch thick — thinner cookies bake crisp and brown at the edges, thicker ones stay soft but need another minute. Cut out shapes with 3-inch cutters, dipping the cutter in flour between cuts, and place the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Gather the scraps, press them together gently, re-roll once, and cut again.
7. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9 to 11 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges look set and matte and the centers look just slightly pale and soft — there should be almost no browning. If the bottoms are golden, they are perfect; if the edges are golden too, they will be crisp rather than soft once cool. That pale finish is what you want under bright icing.
8. Cool completely: let the cookies rest on the hot sheet for 5 minutes — they are fragile straight out of the oven — then move them to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 more minutes, 20 minutes in total, until completely cool. Icing a warm cookie melts the icing off the edges, so do not rush this.
9. Make the royal icing: whisk the sifted powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla and salt together in a large bowl. Add 9 tablespoons of water and beat on low for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth, glossy and ribbon-like. You are aiming for 15-second icing: drag a knife through it and the line should melt back smooth in about 15 seconds. Too thick, add water 1 teaspoon at a time; too thin, whisk in powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. This one consistency outlines and floods, which keeps decorating simple.
10. Color and decorate: divide the icing between small bowls, tint with gel coloring (gel, not liquid — liquid thins the icing), and cover each bowl with a damp towel while you work so it does not crust. Spoon into piping bags or squeeze bottles. Outline each cookie, then flood the center and nudge the icing to the edges with a toothpick or scribe. Add sprinkles or a second color while the base is still wet if you like. Work one cookie at a time — the surface starts to set within minutes.
11. Let the icing set for at least 30 minutes at room temperature (the decorating and setting together account for about 50 minutes of the total time) until the surface is dry and glossy to a light touch. For stacking and packing, let them dry a full 6 hours or overnight — see the storage notes below. Serve on a big plate and watch the plainest shapes go first; they always do.