Firework Sugar Cookies (Tutorial and Recipe)
Just like fireworks, the flavor of these cookies is an explosion of buttery, soft sugar cookies with royal icing. Firework cookies are a beginner friendly design that’s perfect for the summer or the 4th of July.
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Firework Sugar Cookies
Before we get to decorating, we have to talk about the most important part, the sugar cookie! In case you need convincing, I used this exact recipe when I sold custom made decorated sugar cookies to customers. This was the first recipe I ever created and it’s my tried and true sugar cookie.
This post features my soft cut-out sugar cookie recipe as the base and my easy 2-ingredient royal icing recipe for decorating.
Make sure that you are fully prepared before you get started! Gather all of the ingredients, sprinkles, and cookie cutters so there’s no need to run out to the store last minute.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Buttery flavor
- Not sweet (perfect for pairing with royal icing)
- Slightly crisp edges with soft centers
- Takes 10 minutes to bake each tray
- Holds their shape
- Easy design to practice as a beginner cookier
- Bright and cheerful
- Sprinkles add a nice texture when you bite into the cookie
8 ingredients in this recipe
You’ll need a combined total of 8 ingredients to make the sugar cookies and royal icing.
BIG TIP! Make sure that the butter and egg is at room temperature before baking. Room temperature ingredients will make the baking process much easier and the texture of the cookie just right.
- Unsalted butter, room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt (I use Kosher)
- Egg whites (you can use meringue powder, check out my royal icing recipe post for more on that)
- Powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar, super fine, or confectioners sugar)
What do I need for decorating firework sugar cookies?
I’m glad you asked!
To follow this decorating process exactly, you’ll need some helpful extras like food gel dye and different sprinkle options. If you have similar items already at home, feel free to use those!
- Sun shaped cookie cutter (if you have a sunflower cookie cutter, use that! the design shape will be slightly different)
- Mini star cookie cutter
- Piping bags
- Edible gold glitter stars
- Edible gold candy stars (the brand I used is no longer available but these are similar)
- Sanding sugar! Feel free to use what you own! My favorites are the Betty Crocker blue sugar, Wilton red sugar, Wilton pink sugar, and Wilton pearlized gold sprinkles. Since Celebakes is no longer around, I suggest using Wilton purple sugar.
- Gel food dye! Gel dye doesn’t contain liquid like other food dyes. Since it’s more concentrated, a little drop goes a long way and will last you longer. I recommend getting this AmeriColor 12 color kit, that has the colors I used (sky blue + royal blue, teal + sky blue, deep pink, super red, and violet).
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Sugar Cookies
Make the sugar cookie dough and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough and cut out the shapes. I recommend baking one tray at a time in the center of your oven for the best cookies. Give them enough time to fully cool down before decorating. They don’t take very long to cool!
Step 2: Royal Icing
Make the royal icing frosting and divide it equally into as many bowls as you need depending on the colors you picked.
I used five gel food colors so I divided the icing equally into five bowls.
Start with 1 drop of dye, mix with a silicone spatula, and then decide if you need to add more. Less is more with food gel dye. As the icing sits it will deepen in color.
From top to bottom:
- 1-2 drops teal + 1-2 drops sky blue
- 1-2 drops royal blue + 1-2 drops teal
- 1-2 drops violet
- 1-2 small drops super red
- 1-2 small drops deep pink
Transfer the icing into piping bags. Cut a small hole at the piping bag tip.
Step 3: Prepare for decorating
Pour sprinkles into individual bowls, I find shallow bowls work the best.
Fireworks
Lay a cookie on a flat surface. Pipe four slightly curved lines of royal icing. Dip the cookie into the sprinkles.
Pipe the other four lines but don’t dip into the sprinkles.
Continue the same process with the other colors. Move the cookies to a wire cooling rack to dry.
Little stars
Outline the star cookies and fill in with royal icing. Dip some stars into the sprinkles, and leave other stars plain. Move the cookies to a wire cooling rack to dry.
How long do cookies take to dry?
Since you didn’t flood the cookies completely with icing, these cookies should take about 4-6 hours to dry. I always suggest for the best results, let the cookies dry completely overnight, uncovered.
What to do with leftover icing?
***You will most likely have leftover royal icing. Since you can’t really half an egg white, and therefore half the recipe, I save the icing and freeze it.***
Freeze up to 3 months in an airtight container. You can also freeze the leftover icing in the piping bags, just add them into a freezer bag. Make sure to get out as much air as possible and label the bag to remember when you put it in the freezer. The easiest way to thaw it is to move the icing to the refrigerator overnight. Then, take the icing out and let it reach room temperature.
RECIPE CARD
Firework Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand held mixer
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature) (226 g)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar (228 g)
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g)
Royal Icing
- 3 egg whites or 3.4 fl oz pasteurized liquid egg whites
- 4 cups powdered sugar (460 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
Instructions
Sugar Cookies
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, equip the paddle attachment. If using a hand held mixer, equip beaters. Mix the butter on high speed for 30 seconds until creamy. Add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature) , 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt and mix on medium until just combined.1 egg (room temperature), 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, 1 pinch kosher salt
- Add in half of the flour and mix until incorporated, then add the other half. Stop mixing when there are no streaks of flour and the dough comes together.3 cups all-purpose flour
- Spread out a piece of plastic wrap onto the counter. Turn out the dough onto the plastic wrap. If the dough is slightly crumbly, gently knead it together. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Prepare your baking trays with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into two parts. Lightly flour a clean flat surface and place the dough on top. Gently knead the dough and press flat with your palm. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough, turning it as you roll for even thickness. If it's sticky, sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut out your shapes and place on a baking tray, 2 inches apart. Tip: bake the larger firework cookies on one pan, and the small stars on another pan. Because of the difference in size, the mini stars can burn if baked for as long as the larger fireworks cookies. Bake the firework cookies for 9-10 minutes. Bake the stars for 6-7 minutes.
- When the cookies look very light golden brown on the side and bottom, take them out of the oven and move them immediately onto a wire cooling rack. Don't let them sit on the hot pan or they will keep baking. Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating.
Royal Icing
- Attach the whisk attachment to your stand mixer. If using liquid egg whites, measure out 3.4 fl oz. If using fresh eggs, separate your egg whites from the yolks. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add your egg whites.3 egg whites or 3.4 fl oz pasteurized liquid egg whites
- Beat the egg whites at low speed until frothy, about 30 seconds.
- Add powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix on low speed in-between additions. (Add optional vanilla extract)4 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- After all the sugar is added, set the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form (5-8 minutes). When removing the whisk attachment, the peaks should stand up without running back into the bowl.
Decorating
- Divide the royal icing equally into bowls. Add 1 drop of food gel dye and mix, add more gel until your desired color. Transfer the icing into piping bags. Cut a small hole at the piping bag tip.
- Pour sprinkles into individual bowls, I find shallow bowls work the best.
- Fireworks: Lay a cookie on a flat surface. Pipe four slightly curved lines of royal icing. Dip the cookie into the sprinkles. (See images in the section "fireworks" in the post) Pipe the other four lines but don't dip into the sprinkles. Pipe the other four lines but don't dip into the sprinkles.
- Continue the same process with the other colors. Move the cookies to a wire cooling rack to dry.
- Mini Stars: Outline the star cookies and fill in with royal icing. Dip some stars into the sprinkles, and leave other stars plain. Move the cookies to a wire cooling rack to dry.
- Let the cookies dry overnight. Plain cookies or decorated cookies can last in an airtight container for 1 week at room temperature.
Notes
- Freezing: Cookie dough can be frozen up to 3 months. Let the dough thaw before rolling but not all the way until room temperature. Begin from step 5 above with slightly chilled dough. You can freeze undecorated cookies for 3 months. Let the cookies thaw before serving.
- Decorate: Ice cookies with royal icing. See my easy royal icing recipe with egg whites to answer all your royal icing questions. This royal icing recipe was made to pair with these sugar cookies. The cookies are buttery and not overly sweet, so the icing gives it a nice sweetness.
- Tools: The things that help me bake the perfect sugar cookies: Nordic Baking Pans 13 x 18 inches | Stand mixer or Hand held mixer | | Rubber spatula | Digital scale | Rolling pin
- Everything you need for decorating: AmeriColor soft gel paste food coloring 12 color kit | Piping bags | Sun shaped cookie cutter | Mini star cookie cutter | Edible gold glitter stars | Edible gold candy stars | Betty Crocker blue sugar | Wilton red sugar | Wilton pink sugar | Wilton pearlized gold sprinkles
