Description
Rainbow Sugar Cookies are soft, buttery cookies that feature fun and vibrant swirls of rainbow colors. These eye-catching treats are perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or simply bringing a little color into your day. They’re easy to make, fun to decorate, and loved by kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
- Optional: Sprinkles or sanding sugar for decoration
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the dough evenly into 6 portions. Tint each portion with a different gel food coloring: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Knead each color until fully combined.
- Roll each colored dough portion into a log, then press the logs together side-by-side. Gently twist and roll to form a rainbow swirl log. Do not overmix to preserve color separation.
- Wrap the dough log in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the chilled dough into 1/4-inch rounds and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Optionally, press sprinkles onto the tops of the cookies.
- Bake for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are just set and the centers are still slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Gel food coloring works best because it provides vibrant colors without altering the dough consistency.
- To make ahead, freeze the dough log for up to 2 months. Thaw slightly before slicing and baking.
- Use a serrated knife to slice chilled dough cleanly without smearing the colors.
- For extra sparkle, roll the edges of each cookie in sanding sugar before baking.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg