Swirls of bright color baked into a sweet, buttery sugar cookie dough make these Tie-Dyed Sugar Cookies so fun and delicious.
Tie-Dyed Homemade Sugar Cookie Recipe
Bright, colorful Tie-Dyed Sugar Cookies bake up soft, sweet and swirled with vibrant pink, purple, blue and yellow. Just mix food dye into a scrumptiously buttery cookie dough for a treat that’s as fun to eat as it is delicious! And they’re dusted with sugar before baking for a little added sweetness!
Easy Birthday Party Sugar Cookies
These easy cookies bring so much fun to any celebration. They’re simple to make, and so sweet and buttery. I love the texture of these dense, chewy sugar cookies. And the vibrant color adds so much fun to birthday parties, playdates and sleepovers. They’re sure to be a big hit with the kids!
Tie-Dyed Sugar Cookies Ingredients and Supplies
(see recipe card at the bottom of this post for measurements and details)
Ingredients
- Softened unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Food coloring: blue, yellow, pink and purple
- Granulated sugar
Supplies:
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- 4 small mixing bowls
- Shallow bowl (for sugar)
How to Make Tie-Dyed Sugar Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until well combined.
- Add the egg and beat until well incorporated.
- Add the flour and salt and beat on low speed until a thick dough forms.
- Divide the dough evenly among 4 mixing bowls. About 1 heaping cup per mixing bowl.
- Color the dough in each mixing bowl with a different color of food coloring until of desired color. We usually add 4-5 drops of food coloring to each mixing bowl and color them blue, yellow, pink and purple.
- Place about 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Take about 1 teaspoon of each color of cookie dough and combine them into a smooth ball so that you can see each color.
- Roll each ball of cookie dough in the granulated sugar.
- Place dough balls a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Using the bottom of a round cup that’s been dipped in the granulated sugar as well, press down on each ball of dough so it forms and even circle that’s about 1/4 inch thick.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until set around the edges and starting to crackle a little on top. You don’t want them to start browning too much so they keep their vibrant color.
How to Store Tie-Dyed Sugar Cookies
Store tie-dyed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze cookies, let cookies cool completely, stack with parchment paper in between each layer of cookies and store in a freezer safe container or resealable plastic bag. Let thaw completely at room temperature.
Sugar cookie dough can also be frozen up to 3 months. To freeze sugar cookie dough, wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe resealable plastic bag to freeze. Let defrost in the refrigerator overnight before dividing and adding color. Then proceed with recipe as written.
More of My Favorite Cookie Recipes
I am crazy about cookies! So I could not be more excited to share My Favorite Cookie Recipes. Crafted by a true cookie-lover, these treats are absolute cookie perfection.
- Loaded M&M Cookies: A mouthful of mini chocolate candies in every bite! These Loaded M&M Cookies are chewy, chocolatey and totally delicious!
- My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies: Crispy, chewy, sweet, salty, nutty and oh-so chocolatey! My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies are cookie perfection!
- Classic Peanut Butter Cookies: With their famous criss-cross pattern and soft, chewy bite, these Classic Peanut Butter cookies are everything a perfect cookie should be. You’ll be hooked at first bite!
- Carrot Cake Cookies: Topped with a white chocolate drizzle, these Carrot Cake Cookies are so delicious and perfect for anytime baking!
- And more!
If you make these Tie-Dyed Sugar Cookies, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. 
I love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Tie-Dyed Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
Description
Swirls of bright color baked into a sweet, buttery sugar cookie dough make these Tie-Dyed Sugar Cookies so fun and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Food coloring: blue, yellow, pink and purple
- Granulated sugar, for rolling the dough in
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until well combined.
- Add the egg and beat until well incorporated.
- Add the flour and salt and beat on low speed until a thick dough forms.
- Divide the dough evenly among 4 mixing bowls. About 1 heaping cup per mixing bowl.
- Color the dough in each mixing bowl with a different color of food coloring until of desired color. We usually add 4-5 drops of food coloring to each mixing bowl and color them blue, yellow, pink and purple.
- Place about 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Take about 1 teaspoon of each color of cookie dough and combine them into a smooth ball so that you can see each color.
- Roll each ball of cookie dough in the granulated sugar and then place a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Using the bottom of a round cup that’s been dipped in the granulated sugar as well, press down on each ball of dough so it forms and even circle that’s about 1/4 inch thick.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until set around the edges and starting to crackle a little on top. You don’t want them to start browning too much so they keep their vibrant color.
This recipe has no baking powder or baking soda listed for the ingredients? Is this intentional so they do not rise? There was also no flavoring extract listed. We switched to our usual sugar cookie recipe halfway through to ensure the cookies would work. The color idea is very fun though
Hi Jess! Great question! Yes—this is intentional 😊 I keep these cookies sweet and simple with no leavening so they stay nice and flat and really show off those fun tie-dye colors. They’re still soft and chewy! You can definitely add a splash of extract if you’d like a little extra flavor, too. I hope yours turned out great!
I had problems trying to mix the food coloring in the dough. They look ok. Any suggestions? I tried to take a picture but couldn’t put it in the comments.
Hi, E! Can you send it to me at info@thebakermama.com? That will help me figure out how to help you get the desired outcome! ❤️