Back to School Sugar Cookies with Printable Gift Tags
These Back to School Sugar Cookies are totally fun to make and decorate with royal icing! Grab the free printable tag below to make a darling gift this year.
These classic sugar cookies are fun to make to celebrate Back to School at your next event or party. Creating treats like these for school is actually super easy – let me teach you how!
Too busy to make this right away? Pin it for later! Pin this easy recipe to your favorite board on Pinterest and it will be waiting there when you’re ready.
Sugar cookie dough is totally versatile and easy to make with only a few ingredients from the grocery store. You will need simple ingredients like butter, granulated sugar and all purpose flour.
Be sure to set aside enough time to decorate the cookies, you may even want to spread it out over a few days. When adding details it’s important to wait until the layer of flooded icing is completely dry otherwise the icing may crack and the colors will bleed.
Before you get started make sure that you have everything that you need to make and decorate these cookies. I found our cookie cutters and icing bottles at Michaels but you can also order them from Amazon below.
This post contains affiliate links.
Sugar cookie supplies:
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cookie cutters
- Icing bottles
- Wire cooling rack
- Cookie scribe or toothpick
- Food writers
This is my grandma’s classic sugar cookie recipe – time tested and delicious. The only thing that I have changed over the years is swapped out shortening for butter.
Back to School Sugar Cookie Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 4 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Tip: Pre-made Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough can be used to create these cookies as well. Simply add 1/4 cup of flour to the dough, combine well and roll as directed. I love quick mom hacks like this!
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine dry ingredients. Add butter, egg, milk and extract. Mix on medium speed until a soft dough forms.
3. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour. This helps to prevent the dough from spreading when baked.
4. Dust your surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4″ thickness on the floured surface.
5. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes from the dough. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake until the cookies are lightly brown around the edges, about 7 minutes.
7. Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool.
This recipe will make about 60 rectangular shaped cookies.
Use my Easy Royal Icing Recipe to make the best icing for these cookies! You will need light green, pink, yellow, brown, blue, red and white royal icing that has been tinted with food coloring.
I prefer to use icing bottles over a piping bag because I find them easier to handle. Here I have our different colors of icing ready in each bottle.
My royal icing tips:
- If the icing is too hard, add more water one drop at a time.
- If the icing is too soft, add more powdered sugar one teaspoon at a time.
- Icing can be stored at room temperature in a an airtight container for up to two weeks.
- To use, mix the royal icing with a hand mixer so that it becomes smooth and shiny again.
- Flood consistency is reached when a spoonful dropped onto a flat surface takes 10 – 15 seconds to become completely smooth.
These instructions will show you how to decorate school themed cookies like these ones. The sky is the limit though, have fun with this process! You can decorate each cookie with all sorts of patterns and designs.
How to decorate back to school cookies:
1. Outline each shape with a line of icing and flood the center. A red apple, white paper and yellow pencil shape.
2. Use a toothpick or scribe to coax icing into corners or spaces. Allow each of the cookies to dry for about 30 minutes.
3. Add a stem and leaf to the apple, eraser and tip to the pencil.
4. Allow the icing to completely dry before adding details. This will take at least two hours.
5. Use a black food writer to add a tip to the pencil. Add yellow piping details and a white accent to the eraser.
6. Use a red and blue food writer to add lines to the sheet of paper. Add a white accent to the apple.
These easy school sugar cookies make a delicious treat! They are far easier to create than you would think, all you need is a little patience and practise.
Allow the icing to completely harden for at least four hours before packaging or storing the cookies. These look amazing wrapped in cellophane and tied up with a bit of twine.
Add my free printable gift tag and voila! A darling gift to brighten any day!!
Be sure to check out my Back to School Printables for more fun ideas!
This post contains affiliate links.
Some of my baking essentials:
- I love using this non-stick bakeware for all of my baking.
- These silicone mitts are perfect for grasping hot pans and baking dishes.
- This Henckel Knife is my favorite for slicing and dicing in the kitchen.
- These parchment paper bags are perfect for packaging and these large Rubbermaid food storage containers are great for storing baking in the freezer.
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Be sure to check out all of the creative ideas in this months Creative Crafts blog hop!
More back-to-school ideas:
- Beth of Creatively Beth is sharing an Upcycle Wine Cork Apple that would make the cutest back-to-school gift for that special teacher.
- Create a sweet gift for your new teacher with a fun set of Back-to-School Themed Bracelets that you can make in about an hour. Lindsay of Artsy Fartsy Mama shows you how.
- Greet your new teachers with a Free Printable Pencil Card created by Liz from Liz on Call. Tuck a gift card inside!
- Create colorful Paint Pour Notebooks with this fantastic step-by-step tutorial created by Blanca of Creativities Galore.
- Candice of She’s Crafty Crafty is showing her team spirit with a colorful set of Back-to-School Felt Flags. A great way to learn your ABC’s and 123’s.
- Learn how to make Back-to-School Stickers with your Cricut cutting machine. Michelle of Michelle’s Party Plan-it is sharing a complete tutorial.
- Jane from DIY by Jane is sharing a set of Upcrafted Book Journals. Take the covers from your favorite books and create the cutest notebooks.
- Make those first day photos the cutest with Back-to-School SVG Cut Files that can be made into shirts. Diana from The Girl Creative is sharing the free files.
- Laura of Me and My INKlings has created an Upcycled Book Apple, the perfect back-to-school gift for your favorite teacher.
If you love these Back to School Sugar Cookies, please give them a five star review and help me share them on Facebook or Pinterest so that others can enjoy them too!
Be sure to check out my other Sugar Cookie Recipes.
Back to School Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 4 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- 1. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- 2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine dry ingredients. Add butter, egg, milk and extract. Mix on medium speed until a soft dough forms.
- 3. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour. This helps to prevent the dough from spreading when baked.
- 4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- 5. Dust your surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4" thickness on the floured surface.
- 6. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes from the dough. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
- 7. Bake until the cookies are lightly brown around the edges, about 7 minutes.
- 8. Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool before decorating with royal icing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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These sugar cookies are so cute! I’ve never made sugar cookies before but these make me want to try and make some.
You should! They are so fun <3