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Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Printable Gift Tags

These snowflake sugar cookies are absolutely gorgeous and super fun to create! Learn how to use this watercolor technique on your next batch of sugar cookies.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies

These classic sugar cookies are easy to make and bring to your next winter themed party or event! I’m a huge fan of creating treats for every occasion, especially delicious ones like these.

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 super versatile and simple to make with only a few ingredients from the grocery store. You will need basic ingredients like butter, granulated sugar and all purpose flour.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies

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 watercolor 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 into the cookie.

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.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies

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.

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!

Valentine Sugar Cookie Bar Process

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

sugar cookie process

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.

sugar cookie process

3. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour. This helps to prevent the dough from spreading when baked.

sugar cookie process

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.

This recipe will make about 80 1.5″ circle shaped cookies.

Round Cookies Process

Use my Easy Royal Icing Recipe to make the best icing for these cookies! You will only need to create white icing as the watercolor is added directly on top of the cookies.

I prefer to use icing bottles over a piping bag because I find the bottles easier to handle.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies

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.
Easy Royal Icing Recipe Process

These instructions will show you how to decorate snowflake 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 – this watercolor technique is super versatile and fun to experiment with.

How to decorate snowflake sugar cookies:

Additional supplies: food safe paintbrush and a shot of Vodka.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies Process

1. Ice the cookies with white icing. Allow the cookies to completely dry before moving on to the next step. Two hours is usually the minimum time required for drying.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies Process

2. Place a drop of blue and yellow food coloring onto a bowl or plate.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies Process

3. Use the paintbrush and a drop of alcohol to mix the food coloring together to get your desired shade. The vodka is quick drying and allows the color to blend while not making the icing run or melt.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies Process

4. Paint each cookie using the paintbrush, vodka and food coloring. Swirl and mix the colors to create a watercolor effect.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies Process

5. Allow the food coloring to completely dry.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies Process
Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies Process

6. Use the white icing to pipe snowflake patterns onto the cookies. I like to use a #2 tip for this.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Printable Gift Tags

These watercolor snowflake cookies turned out to be absolutely beautiful! These are fairly easy to create and use a technique that can easily be used for other cookie shapes and designs.

I have used a very similar technique in the past with this Fall Cake Tutorial, I love the look of watercolors on delicious desserts!

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Printable Gift Tags

Allow the icing to completely harden for at least four hours before packaging or storing the cookies. These look amazing wrapped in cellophane and packaged up with a bit of twine.

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Printable Gift Tags

Add my free printable gift tag and voila! These easy watercolor snowflake sugar cookies make a delicious treat!

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Printable Gift Tags

Be sure to check out all of the fun sugar cookie ideas on the blog!

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Printable Gift Tags

This post contains affiliate links.

Some of my baking essentials:

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Printable Gift Tags

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Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Printable Gift Tags

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Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Printable Gift Tags

Watercolor Snowflake Sugar Cookies

Yield: 80
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 27 minutes

These snowflake sugar cookies are absolutely gorgeous and super fun to create! Use this watercolor technique on your next batch of 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.

Notes

Use the step by step instructions in the blog post to decorate these cookies.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 80 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 33Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 33mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 0g

All values are approximate and based on ingredients used by the recipe writer. Always calculate your own individual nutritional values for the most accurate calculation.

Did you make this recipe?

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about heather

Hello, I’m Heather!

I'm an active mom of twin boys who is always looking for opportunities to inspire creativity through fun crafts, do-it-yourself projects and delicious recipes. This blog has been an integral part of supporting my little family and I am so grateful to have you become a part of our journey! Let's create together... Read more...

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Those look really yummy! What is sweet milk?? I see that you used regular milk, but I am curious what sweet milk is. :-)