St. Patrick’s Sugar Cookie Tutorial
Celebrate your St. Patrick’s Day with these delicious holiday cookies. Festive and fun, this St. Patrick's Sugar Cookie is easy to make!
It’s the perfect bonding activity with your kids for a St. Patrick’s Day party. Have fun decorating them with St Patrick’s day cookie royal icing, with your little helpers in the kitchen.
Make some shamrocks cookies or make your creative cookie designs. Enjoy these quick and easy St. Patrick’s Day cookies!
Why You’ll Love These Sugar Cookies
- A delicious snack
- Easy to make
- Perfect holiday gifts or giveaways
- Easy to find ingredients
- Kid-friendly
- Customizable recipe
Looking to add a festive touch to your sweets this St. Patrick's Day? Check out this easy tutorial for making colorful sugar cookies!
With just a few simple ingredients and some green food coloring, you can transform your plain old sugar cookies into something special that is perfect for celebrating the holiday.
So get in the spirit of things and give this fun recipe a try!
The full ingredient list and directions are in the printable recipe card below.
Equipment Needed to Make Your St. Patrick’s Day Treats
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling Pin
- Baking sheet
- Wire rack
- Cookie Cutters
- Icing bottles
- Icing tips
- Toothpick
Ingredients for Your St. Patrick's Sugar Cookie
For Sugar Cookie:
You will need the following ingredients:
- 1 package Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
For the Royal Icing:
The following ingredients are needed:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 8-12 tablespoons room temperature water
- Gel food coloring
How to Make a St. Patrick’s Sugar Cookie
Sugar Cookies:
Step 1. Combine dough and flour.
Step 2. Roll to ¼” thickness.
Step 3. Cut out cookie shapes.
Step 4. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
Royal Icing Recipe
Step 1. In a stand mixer, combine the sugar and the meringue powder.
Step 2. Add 8 tablespoons of water. Using the whisk attachment, beat for 1 minute on low. Continue to add water, one tablespoon at a time, until the icing slowly drizzles from the whisk when lifted.
Step 3. Once prepared – if the icing is too hard, add more water one drop at a time. If it is too runny, add more icing sugar one teaspoon at a time.
Step 4. Separate the icing into small mixing bowls and add desired food coloring. Mix well.
Step 5. Scoop the icing into piping bags or icing bottles.
Cookie Decorating:
Step 1. Line around the edge of the design with icing and fill the middle.
Step 2. Use a toothpick to poke bubbles or direct icing into holes. Allow each design area to dry before moving on.
Step 3. Let the icing dry completely at room temperature for at least four hours before adding piping details to the top.
Suggested Designs:
Polka Dots: Before the flooded area dries, add dots of different colored icing.
Shamrocks: Create a shamrock by adding three dots of white icing then drag a toothpick through each dot to form the shape. Do this before the flooded area dries.
Zig zag design: Before the flooded area dries, add stripes of different colored icing and then drag a toothpick through the stripes.
Sprinkles: Before the flooded area dries, add sprinkles.
Plaid pattern: Allow the flooded icing to dry. Add stripes of white and light green icing to the cookie, creating a plaid pattern.
Additional instructions:
Candy: glue to the cookie with a drop of icing.
Edible marker: before using the icing, allow the icing to completely harden for at least four hours.
What to Serve with Your Sugar Cookies
You can serve your holiday cookies with coffee, tea, apple cider, or hot chocolate.
Chocolate chips, nuts, and fruits are great with these holiday cookies.
Your St. Patrick’s sugar cookies taste great when served with white wine or champagne.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Chocolate
- Pretzels
- Chopped-up cookies
- Sprinkles
- Nuts such as almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, or pistachios
- Breakfast cereal
- Dried cherries or cranberries
- Potato chips
- Shredded coconut
- Coated chocolate candies
- Raisins
- Coffee
- Chopped-up candy bars
- Ginger (crystallized)
- Crushed toffee bars
- Marshmallows
How to Reheat & Store St. Patrick’s Sugar Cookie
Once the icing has dried completely, you can store your St. Patrick’s Sugar Cookies in an airtight container. You can stack them on each other, with wax paper in between.
They can be left on the counter and should last you about a week or two, at room temperature. Make sure not to leave them in direct sunlight.
Best Way to Store St. Patrick’s Treats Leftover
You can put them in an airtight container, at room temperature. They should not be under or near any heat-producing appliance or direct sunlight.
They can also be wrapped with plastic wrap or a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
How Long Will St. Patrick’s Sugar Cookie Last in the Fridge?
You can refrigerate frosted or unfrosted cookies, layered and lined in between with wax paper, in an airtight container. But they can dry out in the fridge.
You have to consume them within 2 to 3 days. However, you can refrigerate your sugar cookie dough for up to 3 days.
This should be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap.
Can I Freeze St. Patrick’s Cookies?
Your St. Patrick’s Sugar cookies can be frozen once the royal icing is completely dry. Stack them in layers with wax paper in between, then place them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Then you can pop them in the freezer.
This should last you for about 3 months.
How to Thaw Sugar Cookies
To thaw your sugar cookies, remove a batch of sugar cookies from the freezer. Leave them on the counter at room temperature for two hours.
St. Patrick’s Day Cookies FAQ
How long does royal icing last?
The royal icing leftover can last you for about two weeks when stored in an airtight container, at room temperature.
Why are my sugar cookies bumpy?
You have to mix your dough thoroughly to avoid getting bumps when baked.
How do you thicken royal icing?
You can add more sifted powdered sugar to your royal icing until you reach your desired consistency.
Can you over-mix royal icing?
Yes, you can over mix your royal icing. To have a silky-smooth finish, you have to mix it on low. This will avoid getting a crunchy-sponge frosting.
Other St. Patrick’s Day Treat Recipes You’ll Love
- Irish Tea Cake
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Bailey's Creme Frosting
- Baileys® Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
- Mum's Irish Apple Pie
- Dublin Drop Cake
- Irish Cream Ice Cream
- Irish Soda Bread Cookies
- Rainbow Cookies
- Irish Potato Candy
- Irish Bananas
- St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Pie
- Luck o' the Irish Brownie
Whether you are looking for a fun recipe to make with your kids or want to bring something special to a St. Patrick's Day party, these sugar cookies are sure to please.
They are easy to make and can be customized in lots of different ways, so you can let your creativity run wild. Be sure to give them a try this year!
St. Patrick's Sugar Cookie Tutorial
St. Patrick's Sugar Cookie Tutorial
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 package Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
Royal Icing Recipe
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 8-12 tablespoons room temperature water
- Gel food coloring
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Combine dough and flour. Roll to ¼” thickness. Cut out cookie shapes. Bake at 350 for10 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
Royal Icing Recipe
- In a stand mixer combine sugar and meringue powder. Add 8 tablespoons of water, using the whisk attachment, beat for 1 minute on low. Continue to add water one tablespoon at a time until the icing slowly drizzles from the whisk when lifted.
- Once prepared – if the icing is too hard, add more water one drop at a time. Too runny, add more icing sugar one teaspoon at a time.
- Separate the icing into small mixing bowls and add desired food coloring. Mix well. Scoop the icing into piping bags or icing bottles.
Decorating instructions:
- Line around the edge of the design with icing and fill the middle. Use a toothpick to poke bubbles or direct icing into holes. Allow each design area to dry before moving on. The icing should completely dry, at room temperature for at least four hours, before adding piping details to the top.
- Polka Dots: before the flooded area dries, add dots of different colored icing.
- Shamrocks: before the flooded area dries, add three dots of white icing, drag a toothpick through each dot, creating a shamrock.
- Zig zag design: before the flooded area dries, add stripes of different colored icing and then drag a toothpick through the stripes.
- Sprinkles: before the flooded area dries, add sprinkles.
- Plaid pattern: allow the flooded icing to dry. Add stripes of white and light green icing to the cookie, creating a plaid pattern.
Additional instructions:
- Candy: glue to the cookie with a drop of icing.
- Edible marker: before using on the icing, allow the icing to completely harden for at least four hours.
