Description
These Tie Dye Sugar Cookies feature vibrant swirls of color and a soft, buttery texture, making them perfect for parties, celebrations, or simply brightening any day. With simple pantry ingredients and easy steps, this recipe lets you create fun and visually stunning cookies suitable for bakers of all skill levels.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose blend for gluten-free version)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (or vegan butter for vegan adaptation)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (or flaxseed egg for vegan version)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coloring
- Gel food coloring (various colors as desired)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt – in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat softened butter with granulated sugar until fluffy and pale. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. Gradually combine the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
- Divide and Color the Dough: Divide the dough evenly into separate small bowls—one for each color you want to create. Add a few drops of gel food coloring to each bowl and knead gently until the color is mixed in evenly. Gel colors keep the dough moist and vibrant without stickiness.
- Create the Tie Dye Effect: Take small pieces of each colored dough and gently press them together into a single ball, being careful not to overmix and blend the colors completely. Slightly flatten the ball and roll it into a smooth cookie shape to form the marbled, tie dye look.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges just begin to turn golden. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional Decorating: Once cooled, leave the cookies as they are to showcase the natural tie dye pattern or decorate with a light glaze or sprinkles for extra fun and detail.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without sticky dough.
- Don’t overmix colored dough pieces to preserve the tie dye swirls.
- Chill dough if too soft or sticky before shaping.
- Use uniform-sized dough balls for even baking.
- Slightly underbake for soft, chewy cookies instead of crispy.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: tie dye cookies, sugar cookies, colorful cookies, party snacks, butter cookies, baking recipe