If you’re planning a wedding and want to add a personal, elegant, and delicious touch to your big day, wedding sugar cookies are a perfect choice. These cookies are not just a dessert — they double as edible décor, party favors, and a heartfelt way to thank your guests for celebrating with you.
Whether you’re looking for a traditional recipe, a modern twist, or a way to customize them to match your wedding theme, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about baking the perfect wedding sugar cookies.
Why Wedding Sugar Cookies Are Perfect for Your Big Day
When it comes to wedding desserts, couples often want something beautiful, delicious, and easy to serve. Here’s why wedding sugar cookies check every box:
- Versatile Design: Sugar cookies can be cut into heart, wedding dress, or monogram shapes and decorated with royal icing to match your color scheme.
- Guest Favors: Package them in clear bags with a ribbon or place them at each setting as a take-home treat.
- Budget-Friendly: Making sugar cookies yourself is cost-effective compared to custom-ordered wedding desserts.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can bake and decorate them days in advance, which saves time leading up to your wedding.
The Best Wedding Sugar Cookie Recipe
This recipe creates soft, buttery cookies with crisp edges that hold their shape — perfect for cutting into wedding-themed designs.
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (or almond extract for a wedding-cake flavor)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Royal Icing:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons water (plus more as needed)
- Gel food coloring (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until a dough forms.
Step 2: Chill the Dough
- Divide the dough into two disks, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling prevents spreading and ensures clean cookie edges.
Step 3: Roll and Cut
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
- Use cookie cutters in wedding-themed shapes — hearts, rings, cakes, or initials — to cut out cookies.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Step 4: Bake
- Bake for 8–10 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden.
- Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
Step 5: Prepare the Royal Icing
- In a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water.
- Beat until glossy and smooth (about 5 minutes). Adjust consistency with small amounts of water for flooding or outlining.
- Divide icing into bowls and add gel coloring to match your wedding palette.
Step 6: Decorate
- Use piping bags with fine tips to outline and flood cookies.
- Add details like lace patterns, dots, or metallic gold accents with edible paint for an elegant touch.
Creative Decorating Ideas for Wedding Sugar Cookies
To make your cookies truly stand out, try one (or more) of these decorating ideas:
1. Monogram Cookies
Personalize your sugar cookies with the couple’s initials or wedding date. These work beautifully as escort cards or favors.
2. Wedding Dress Cookies
Use a gown-shaped cutter and pipe intricate lace or ruffle details. Add edible pearl dust for a classy finish.
3. Floral-Inspired Cookies
Match your bouquet by decorating cookies with buttercream flowers or hand-painted royal icing florals.
4. Metallic Accents
Edible gold or silver leaf adds a glamorous touch to your cookies — perfect for a black-tie wedding.
5. Color-Themed Designs
Coordinate icing colors with your wedding theme for a cohesive look across your dessert table.
Tips for Perfect Wedding Sugar Cookies
- Use Room-Temperature Ingredients: Butter and eggs should be at room temperature for the best dough texture.
- Chill, Chill, Chill: Chilling dough prevents spreading and helps maintain the cookie shape.
- Bake Evenly: Rotate baking sheets halfway through baking for even browning.
- Practice Piping: If you’re new to royal icing, practice on parchment before decorating your cookies.
- Store Properly: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze undecorated cookies for up to 3 months.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
Wedding prep can be stressful, so plan ahead:
- Bake Early: Sugar cookies can be baked and frozen weeks before the wedding.
- Decorate in Stages: Outline one day, flood the next, and add details last. This ensures your icing fully dries between steps.
- Transport Carefully: Use cookie boxes with layers of parchment to prevent breakage when delivering them to your venue.
Serving & Presentation Ideas
How you present your wedding sugar cookies can make them even more memorable:
- Place Settings: Put one cookie on each plate as a sweet welcome for guests.
- Dessert Table: Arrange cookies on tiered stands with cupcakes and macarons.
- Cookie Bar: Offer a variety of shapes and flavors so guests can choose their favorite.
- Favors: Wrap cookies individually in cellophane bags tied with ribbon and a thank-you tag.
Why Homemade Wedding Sugar Cookies Are Worth It
While ordering custom cookies can be convenient, making them yourself adds a personal touch and allows you to customize flavors and designs. Plus, baking together can be a fun pre-wedding activity for you, your partner, or your bridal party.
Final Thoughts
Wedding sugar cookies are more than just a dessert — they are a meaningful, customizable, and budget-friendly way to add beauty and sweetness to your special day. With this easy recipe, helpful tips, and decorating ideas, you can create cookies that will impress your guests and add an extra layer of charm to your wedding celebration.
Whether you keep it classic with white royal icing or get creative with intricate designs, your wedding sugar cookies are sure to become a memorable part of your big day.