Easter Sugar Cookie Decorating with Royal Icing (Beginner Tutorial + Video)

Carrots, Bunnies and Chicks – oh my! Learn how to decorate the most adorable set of Easter sugar cookies with royal icing. In this step-by-step video tutorial, I share all my tricks for simple beginner-friendly cookie decorating, from royal icing tricks to piping techniques, as well as sharing my tried and tested recipes and all the templates you need to recreate this cookie set.

I love making and decorating cookies and have spent many years teaching cookie decorating classes. The joy I get from seeing someone try it for the first time and realize that they CAN do it is just so special.

Beginner-Friendly Cookie Decorating

These cookies might look complicated, but they just take a few simple steps to make, and I’m confident that you can do it too!

Whether you are new to Easter cookie decorating, a beginner cookie decorator, someone who loves baking with kids, or someone who wants to make professional-looking cookies at home, this is the perfect place to start.

Techniques You’ll Learn

There’s a lot packed into this tutorial, and even more if you watch the full real-time video. Here’s a quick overview of the techniques you’ll learn:

• Wet-on-wet royal icing technique for polka dots
• How to flood cookies smoothly
• How to use tipless piping bags
• How to make and use royal icing transfers
• How to attach transfers cleanly

Supply List

This Easter sugar cookie decorating tutorial uses basic cookie decorating items as well as a few household items. I like to make sure I have all of my supplies laid out before I sit down to decorate, so that I’m not trying to find something mid-decorating.

The supply tools are all available to purchase on Amazon in my Easter Cookie Decorating Supply list, and here’s the individual items as well: Disclaimer: I may make a small commission on them if you click the links. Don’t worry – it doesn’t cost you a penny more, but I do appreciate the support:

• No-Spread Sugar Cookies – crisp edges every time give a cleaner, professional finish
• Royal Icing – just a small batch for these cookies
• Tipless Piping Bags – textured bags are great for beginners*
• Scissors – make sure they are nice and sharp
• Scribe Tool – use a toothpick if you don’t have one
• Parchment Paper – the best medium for creating transfers
• Circle Cookie Cutter – hand-cut template included below
• Carrot Cookie Cutter – hand-cut template included below

Baker’s Tip: We are not using any piping tips in this tutorial. In the video, I explain how to cut the bags to ensure the right amount of icing comes out when you pipe.

Printable Templates

To make the royal icing transfers, you’ll need to print this full-page transfer sheet.

And if you don’t have cookie cutters and want to hand cut them, print this cutter template sheet.

Colour Mixing

Here’s my handy colouring sheet so that you can replicate the colours used in this tutorial. I always recommend Americolor Gel Colouring as the colours are allergy-friendly, inexpensive to buy, and don’t fade over time.

These are water-based colours which will not split your icing. You can also use the same colour formulas with buttercream frosting. For these cookies, we’ll be using a hybrid consistency royal icing, which is ideal for both outlining and flooding.

How to Decorate Easter Sugar Cookies

These Easter sugar cookies require a few decorating stages and drying time before assembling. I’m including a printable workflow to help you plan out this set:

All of this can be done in the same day, if you start first thing in the morning, and use my drying tips to speed up the process.

Carrot Cookies

These are simple to decorate with just two colours of icing: peach and our green mix (leaf and avocado).

Start by flooding the bottom section of the carrot, using a scribe tool to pop any bubbles in your icing. Once crusted over, add the green leaf detail. Finally, add lines to the carrot base.

Circle Cookies

The circle cookies are the base for the royal icing transfers.

Start by flooding the cookies with the blue and green icing. Do one cookie at a time and add white dots to each one before the icing crusts over. Use a scribe tool to pop any air bubbles in the icing as it settles.

Royal Icing Transfers

I love using transfers to add a three-dimensional twist to cookies. And the beauty of them is that you can fully customize them any way you like, depending on the theme of your cookies. I always recommend piping more than you need, in case of breakages, which can occasionally happen when removing the transfers from the parchment paper.

Making extras = less heartache when it’s time to assemble the cookies!

Using the template provided, work on one face at a time, as the icing will crust too quickly otherwise. Pipe the outline of the shape, then immediately flood fill.

Then pipe the small chick beak and bunny nose details on the transfer sheet. Use the scribe tool to smooth out any imperfections and air bubbles in any of the transfers.

Once the transfers are dry, add details to the faces with a black edible marker pen.

Carefully peel the transfers off the parchment paper – you might find that they pop off on their own. Carefully pick up the transfer, then pipe a small amount of royal icing onto the back of the transfer.

Gently press the transfer onto the dried cookie and let it dry fully before packaging.

I am obsessed with how cute these turned out! Simple techniques and a whole lot of fun to make.

Recommended Recipes

Any type of sugar cookie will work for this tutorial. My go-to is my basic vanilla recipe, but here are a few other variations that are always popular (plus they are all no-chill, no-spread):

• Strawberry Lemonade Sugar Cookies – pink cookies with a pop of citrus flavour.
• Orange Spice Sugar Cookies – perfect small batch recipe for Fall and Winter decorating.
• Funfetti Sugar Cookies – combining sprinkles and classic flavours.

And to decorate the cookies, you’ll need a reliable royal icing recipe.

• Small Batch Royal Icing – classic meringue-based recipe that’s great for beginners.
• Vegan Royal Icing – a simple 2-ingredient egg-free icing.

Drying Methods

Decorated cookies should be stored flat away from direct sunlight, heat or airflow while they dry. I prefer to let them dry overnight or for 24 hours if they are being packaged. You can also speed up drying with these two methods:

• Dehydrator: Pop the decorated cookies in a dehydrator at the lowest temperature. This will dry out the icing quicker than air drying.
• Oven: Turn on your oven to the lowest temperature. Once heated, turn it off and open the door. Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with kitchen paper. The low heat from the oven acts like a dehydrator and pulls the moisture out of the icing more quickly. Just make sure to leave a note on your oven in case someone else needs to use it and doesn’t realize your cookies are in there (ask me how I realized this was important!).

Storage Tips

Decorated sugar cookies store well at both room temperature and in the freezer. I personally don’t recommend storing them in the fridge as the condensation will eventually spoil their consistency and icing texture. Here are my recommendations that I use at home, and also how we stored them when I managed a local cookie bakery.

• Unpackaged: Store decorated cookies on kitchen paper in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Packaged: Place each decorated cookie in a food-safe bag and either heat-seal or tie with a ribbon. This will prolong their shelf-life by an additional 2 weeks. I’ve tried cookies after 3 weeks at room temperature, and they are still good, but I recommend consuming them within 2 weeks for optimal freshness.
• Freezer: Place decorated cookies standing upright in an airtight container with parchment between each cookie. You can also freeze them individually bagged – this is a great option if you’re a plan-ahead baker. Store for 3 months. When you need the cookies, let them thaw at room temperature on kitchen paper, away from direct sunlight or airflow. You will see some condensation appear, but this will subside as their temperature evens out. Do not bag until at least 1 hour after removing from the freezer.

Common Cookie Decorating Questions

These easy Easter cookies are perfect for beginners, kids, and anyone looking for simple but impressive cookie decorating ideas.

More Cookie Tutorials

If you love cookie decorating, check out these tutorials:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and love the cute cookies. Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever tried cookie decorating.

Happy Easter!