Decorative sugar cookies make a festive addition to just about any party, but piping intricate details on royally iced cookies can prove to be quite time-consuming! If you want to pain-free, quick method for decorating Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing, try painting them instead. Painted Cookies are simple, easy, and the creative possibilities are endless!
Here, you’ll find a quick and easy method for painting your own sugar cookies, one simple recipe that can be applied to any food coloring under the rainbow, plus our best tips for avoiding hiccups along the way! If you love decorating cookies, be sure to check out our fan-favorite cookie recipes like this simple recipe for Sugar Cookie Icing (that hardens), along with this fluffy Sugar Cookie Frosting that's perfect for Lofthouse Cookies!
PAINTING COOKIES MAKES DECORATING SUGAR COOKIES EASY
Let's face it, royal icing isn't necessarily the least complicated way to ice a cookie, but it is certainly one of the most beautiful ways to do it. By the time you've got your dough rolled out, cookies cut, baked in the oven, icing made, icing piped...icing dried...you very well may be ready for an end in sight, and Painted Cookies are the answer!
No matter how easy those Tasty videos make it look, detailed work with royal icing is a time-consuming and meticulous job, but I am happy to report -- there is an easy way out. I came across the decorative cookie method of painting on royal icing in one of my favorite baking books, The Art of the Cookie. Within the pages of this book were these rustic, yet elegant little Christmas trees that looked as though they had been brushed with watercolors. They were rustic and beautiful all at the same time.
You can make Painted Cookies as simple or as intricate as you'd like. The hand-painted sugar cookies shown here are most definitely on the simple side.
MATERIALS FOR PAINTED COOKIES
For painting on royal icing, generally speaking, you'll need a batch of Royally Iced Sugar Cookies, food-safe paint brushes, gel food coloring (found at specialty craft stores), and water. For these Christmas trees I used cocoa powder for the trunk, but you could also use brown gel food coloring if desired.
You can find food-safe paint brushes in a set or sold singularly at specialty craft stores, and of course, online.
Looking for another festive cookie recipe? Our Andes Mint Cookies are always a hit!
MAKE THE PAINT USING GEL FOOD COLORING
To make "paint" for Painted Cookies, you simply add a splash of water to gel food coloring and mix until combined. To be more exact, that is:
½ tsp gel food coloring + 1 tsp water
For this Christmas tree design in particular, I used a ½ teaspoon of Wilton's Juniper Green Gel Food Coloring mixed with 1 teaspoon of water for the Christmas tree branches; and for the trunk, 4 teaspoons of cocoa powder, mixed with just over 1 tablespoon of water.
HOW TO PAINT YOUR OWN SUGAR COOKIES
1. Make sure the royal icing is completely set and dried before you begin. It is best to let the cookies set out overnight after icing, and paint them the next day.
2. When your royal icing cookies are set and ready to be painted, prepare your workstation by laying a large sheet of wax paper on the counter, and placing the cookies upon it. Have ready your cookie paint and brushes.
3. Before making brush strokes on the royal icing cookies, dip the brush into the food coloring mixture and press the brush against the sides of the bowl to rid of any excess liquid. If this precaution is not made, your paint may run and spread across the cookie.
4. Paint your cookies!
Hand Painted Cookies may be the easy way out when it comes to decorating, but I can't imagine we'll hear any complaints on the matter. It's quick, it's easy...it's stunning. Please, enjoy!
If you're looking for more festive cookies to give as gifts this year or just another excuse to get into the kitchen and get to baking, here are a few more cookie recipes that absolute must-tries: Chocolate Swirl Pinwheel Cookies, Bite-Sized Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies, gluten-free Easy Coconut Macaroons, flavorful Almond Biscotti, and the best-ever Ginger Molasses Cookies!
5 MORE FROSTED DESSERTS YOU'LL LOVE
- Royally Iced Sugar Cookies are beautiful and perfect for gifting as they can be stacked and easily transported. This recipe makes easy work of making royal icing, along with detailed tips for icing your cookies.
- Egg Hunt Blondies are an adorable Easter dessert featuring a homemade buttercream frosting made to look like Easter grass and M&M candies made to look like eggs for an egg hunt!
- Homemade Brownies with Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing and Fresh Berries features a light-as-air, whipped strawberry cream cheese frosting, topped with an assortment of beautiful berries. This dessert makes a seriously impressive presentation!
- Christmas Sugar Cookies with Sugar Cookie Icing are as beautiful as they are tasty! Simple, homemade sugar cookies with an easy buttercream frosting for cookies. Plus, how to ice tree and wreath cookies to look like grass.
- Halloween Sugar Cookies will show the secret to making your cookies look as though they are suspended in air! Yes, hanging sugar cookies is a real thing, and they’re easier to make than you think! This can be applied to bats and ghosts for Halloween, as well as ornament, shaped sugar cookies with Christmas.
A simple recipe for painting on royally iced sugar cookies.
- 1 batch Royally Iced Sugar Cookies, set and dried
- ½ teaspoon gel food coloring
- 1 teaspoon water
- 4 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon water
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In a small bowl mix together the gel food coloring and water until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.
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In a small bowl mix together the cocoa powder and water until mixture is smooth.
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Prepare your workstation by laying a large sheet of wax paper on the counter, and placing the cookies upon it. Have ready your cookie paint and brushes.
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Before making brush strokes on the cookies, dip the brush into the food coloring mixture and press the brush against the sides of the bowl to rid of any excess liquid.
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Gently make brush strokes on the cookies as desired. Set aside until completely dry, 4-5 hours.
Recipe Video
Make sure the royal icing is completely set and dried before you begin. It is best to let the cookies set out overnight after icing, and paint them the next day.
Allow 4-5 hours for the paint to dry completely.
Makes enough to paint 3 dozen cookies.
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
Oh wow these are beautiful!! Now I'm excited for the holidays, these look both delicious and fun to make!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Annie! We love making these!!
Marc @ NoRecipes says
I love the look of these. I noticed the brush has notches cut out of it, do they come that way or did you just trim a flat brush?
Demeter says
This is such a great idea! So much easier and honestly, sounds like more fun in the kitchen to me too! Pinning this for the holidays!
kim says
This is a brilliant idea! My kids would love doing this. We bake Christmas cookies together every year, but we've never done anything like this.
Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites says
I can't wait to make Christmas cookies this year - definitely trying this painting technique out with the kids - they will love it!
Sunrita says
This is such a brilliant idea! Thanks for the tip!
Kelly Anthony says
You're welcome, Sunrita!
Gloria says
Those are so pretty. You could almost use them as tree decorations. But that would not be a good thing....my tree would end up with NO decorations. They would all be eaten.
Amanda says
These are adorable! This sounds like such a fun project for the holidays. Pinning! Thanks for sharing.
Stine Mari says
YES! I completely agree, I just am never up for those meticulous decorations - they look good, but I want to eat them asap you know. This is so much better! And they look so pretty too.
Alisa Infanti says
I actually have never tried using royal icing before but these cookies are so beautiful you have inspired me to give it a try.
Nelle Weaver says
Hi Kelly,
These are beautiful! We have an event coming up at church where we will be decorating sugar cookies. I am definitely saving this post as a reference. Thank you!
Nelle
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you so much, Nelle! Have SO much fun at your event! That sounds like a blast 🙂
Chef Mireille says
oh wow these are so pretty - they look so good I wouldn't want to eat them! I would just use them to decorate the table 😉
Nayna Kanabar says
These look adorable and would make great Christmas gifting.You have decorated them with such artistic flair.
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Nanya! 🙂
Karyl Henry says
Wow, these are gorgeous! I definitely don't have the patience to do all that, so I would just have to buy some and pretend LOL
Jacqueline Debono says
I've never tried royal icing but these cookies are fabulous. I love the idea of just painting on brushstrokes! They'd make great Christmas tree decorations!
Adriana Lopez Martin says
These are lovely cookies like a work of art. Nice idea to paint them so much fun to make and I bet this will be great to include the complete family in the painting process. Love the holiday season and the cookies!
April says
I've always wondered how it's done. I thought you had to go through training and stuff but your recipe makes it look so simple that I want to try it now! Thank you so much!
Anna Hettick says
What a fun idea!!! I know my kids would love to use this paint to decorate cookies this year!!
Linda says
Oh wow! This is so smart and I love how easy it is to decorate cookies but they all look so nice, charming, and professional. This is it! I'm gonna steal this idea for Christmas 😀
Stephanie Simmons says
These are some gorgeous cookies! I can't wait to try out this technique!
Aditi Bahl says
adorable .my kids will just love them. we have a kids pot luck around christmas. This recipe will be surely welcome by my little reindeers.
Kelly Anthony says
Aw! That's so sweet. Thank you! Hope y'all have a fabulous party!
Sherri says
This looks like a lot of fun for the whole family! I bet my girls would love to try it! Not sure ours would look as beautiful as yours; they are so pretty! 🙂
Kelly Anthony says
It's so much easier than you think! I'm sure they would be gorgeous! And, thank you, Sherri 🙂
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
These cookies are GORGEOUS!! I would love some of these cookies for Christmas!
Kiki Johnson says
These are ADORABLE! Way too pretty to eat myself but the perfect gift for the holidays! You are an artist, mam!
Nicole says
How pretty! These are the perfect Christmas cookie for the holiday! I don't trust my artisitic ability on this one
Kelly Anthony says
Ha! You really don't need any 😉 I have close to none!
Lauren says
I’m always super jealous of the people that can make those super intricate sugar cookies that look like they were decorated by a robot. I just don’t have the patience for that. These are beautiful and look a bit more manageable. I love that the colors are painted on abstractly so you can make each one a little different.
Gina Hoskins says
These are beautiful! I can't wait to make them for my nephew's first Christmas!
Kelly Anthony says
Oh thank you! Merry First Christmas to your nephew! 🙂
Ruchi says
This cookies look so adorable and absolutely gorgeous! I love the deep green color you created- so beautiful!
Sri Mallya says
This is so creative. Looks so pretty too. Perfect holiday treat. I want to try these cookies soon.
Brittany Hollie says
I used to sell sugar cookies for the holidays and honestly wish I had had your recipe for this sugar cookie paint. It would have made my life so much easier!
Kelly Anthony says
Ha! Me too! It's exactly why I resorted to painting! 😉
Michelle says
These look so cute!! What a great idea and so creative. These would be perfect for making with the kids over the holidays.
Michele says
I love cookie decorating, but I have never tried this paint-on method. It's so simple and beautiful! Your instructions make it look so easy too. Looking forward to trying this!
Lathiya says
These cookies looks absolute gorgeous...no doubt about it’s taste..hope I will be brave enough one day to hand paint cookies ..lol
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Lathiya! There SO easy! Really, truly a cinch! You'll do great 🙂
Sandi says
How fun to paint cookies! My kids will love this.
Cindy @ The Sweet Nerd says
I love the way you painted the trees - very delicate. Did you cut the brush that way?
Adrianne says
These are so creative, I love them! Painting is so fun and therapeutic a task and to combine food and painting, I think it is win, win!! Cheers, so pinning!
Kelly Anthony says
It really is! Thank you so much, Adrianne!
Pam says
What a great idea! I would have never thought of painting cookies myself. Perfect for any occasion or holiday!
Cindy Gordon says
So beautiful and such a keeper recipe for each year! Bookmarked this to come back too!
Anita @ Daily Cooking Quest says
You are very talented with the painting. But I think this is going to be such a fun project with the kiddos, even if we end up making a mess out of it. 🙂
Eden | Sweet Tea and Thyme says
Love this, not only for Christmas but for any holiday! I'll be using this technique for Easter, the 4th of July, and Halloween, too! It's such a fun project!
Mary Bostow says
Love these cookies! It’s now my daughter and my tradition to make the every Christmas! Best idea Ever!