Rainbow Cookies {Sugar Cookies}

Quick and easy rainbow cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. These cut out sugar cookies are multicolored, require no chilling and hold their shape. Perfect for kids birthday parties or St.Patrick's Day!

I feel really sick after my road trip to Canada. Eating in that shady diner on my way back was definitely not a good idea. Even though my stomach feels weird, I am craving these crispy cookies. Who the heck thinks of eating when they are sick?! Apparently me! Anyways, they are so colorful and fun, making them perfect for kid parties or for those whimsical adults in your life.These Italian rainbow cookies (Venetians) are entirely different than this recipe, but also feature color and delicious flavors but in a much more elegant form. However, this Easy Rainbow Desserts collection has all the fun and vibrant baking ideas you could ever need!

How to make easy rainbow cookies recipe from scratch?

1. Prepare dough- Divide it into 6 balls.
2. Dye each ball a different color- Use gel colorings.
3. Roll them together- Into one big ball of dough.
4. Roll out the dough- Use cookie cutters to cut out pieces.
5. Bake- Until the edges are firm.
6. Cool cookies- On the tray. Enjoy!

Key ingredients

• Sugar cookie dough- I used the small batch recipe linked in the recipe card below.
• Food coloring- Make sure they are gel-based.

Variations for rainbow biscuits

Make cookie sandwiches with a filling- Use frostings such as American Buttercream Frosting Recipe, Lemon Frosting (Lemon Buttercream), or Best Cream Cheese Frosting.

Dip cookies- In melted chocolate and cover in sprinkles.

Make earth day cookies- Use blue and green colored doughs and a circle cutter. They will end up looking like the planet Earth.

Use other extracts in your dough- The classic choice is typically vanilla, but you could use almond, orange, or even lemon.

Make a cookie log- Then chill, cut slices and bake, similar to my Christmas Pinwheel Cookies. You will end up with a cool spiral pattern.

Decorate with fondant- Prepare the dough but don't color it. Bake cookies and decorate with multicolored Homemade Marshmallow Fondant pieces.

Use themed colors- Such as red, white, and pink for Valentine's Day. Use green, orange, and white for St. Patrick's Day. Use orange and black for Halloween. Use red, green, and white for Christmas. The possibilities are endless!

Roll the edges in sprinkles- First roll the edge of the cookie in melted semi-sweet or even white chocolate, then roll the cookie in sprinkles! This adds even more fun to these cookies.

Rainbow sugar cookies

This is another ideas to consider. Instead of combining the various colored doughs to form multicolored cookies like above, you simply make individual colored doughs and roll those out separately to make individual colored cookies. Dip them halfway in melted chocolate and cover in sprinkles for an added color boost. These cookies are meant to be crispy because they are rolled out in a thin layer. They bake quickly and crisply this way. Make sure to keep an eye on them so they don't become brown!

Tips and techniques

Thin cookies bake quickly- If you roll out your cookies thin, keep a close eye on them when you are baking them since they will be ready very quickly- in about 6 minutes.

You must line the baking tray with parchment paper- To prevent the cookies from sticking and breaking.

Roll dough between two sheets of parchment paper or wax paper- Because it prevents the dough from sticking to the rolling pan and you don't have to sprinkle flour on your surface either.

Use gel colors for tinting dough rather than liquid food coloring- Because liquid food coloring can make the dough sticky.

Why is my cookie dough sticky? Your measurements were inaccurate. Please use measuring cups and don't eyeball anything. Another reason could be your kitchen is too warm and dough needs to be chilled before it's rolled out.

Combine the colored doughs roughly and don't combine them fully- Because otherwise you won't be able to see the separate colors and end up with an ugly mess.

The number of cookies you get from this recipe will depend on the size of your cutter- A smaller cutter= More cookies and Larger cutter= Fewer cookies.

Bigger, thicker cookies will take longer to bake than smaller ones- Adjust bake time accordingly.

Don't over-bake cookies- Because the edges start browning.

Don't remove cookies immediately after baking- Let them cool in the tray because the residual heat continues to bake them further to perfection.

How to know when the cookies are done? The edges of the cookies will be firm, and not browning.

Storage of homemade cut out cookies

Room temperature- Leftovers can be stored in a cookie jar for about 2 days.

Refrigerate- In a sealed container for 3 days.

Freeze- In a sealed container for up to 1 month.

More rainbow desserts

• Easy Rainbow Cake (With Cake Mix)
• Rainbow Sprinkle Cake
• Rainbow Cereal Balls (No Bake)
• Rainbow Cupcakes (With Cake Mix)
• Rainbow Marshmallow Bars (With Froot Loops)

Recipe