If Super Bowl Sunday is any indication, football snacking is at an all-time high. And sometimes you need a little something sweet after all those snacks. Enter football sugar cookies! I used my classic sugar cookies recipe for these cute football-shaped treats. The dough is similar to a traditional sugar cookie that you roll out and cut into shapes. So, whether you’re gearing up for college football, the NFL playoffs, or the Super Bowl, this fun cookie is sure to become a new fan favorite.
Tell Me About these Football Cookies
Texture: If you roll the dough out thick enough, the baked cookies are soft and thick with perfectly crisp edges. Flavor: These sugar cookies are irresistibly buttery and sweet with hints of vanilla and almond. Ease: It’s easy to make with the right tools (see Decorating Tools below). Time: I recommend setting aside an afternoon for making and decorating these cookies. The dough requires at least 1-2 hours to chill before baking, and you’ll need to leave time for cooling, making the icing, and then decorating. All told, it’s almost 5 hours from start to finish. There are make-ahead options below, too, including freezing the cookies (see Note).
Order is Important
Order is important when you’re making these football cookies. Each layer of this cookie is divided into steps. Complete each step before moving on to the next one for the best-tasting (and best-looking!) cookie.
Decorating Tools
Decorating sugar cookies with royal icing is one of my favorite creative outlets. I’ve always struggled with making beautifully piped confections, but the more I do it, the better I get. Here are some low-stress tools that make decorating easier and more fun. Gotta show up to practice, right? 😉
Football cookie cutter – I always use and trust Ann Clark cookie cutters. Brown food coloring – You can buy it separately or get the whole Americolor gel food coloring kit I love (brown is included). I used 3 drops for the football shade of brown. Wilton piping tip #5 or Wilton piping tip #4 – this is for the brown icing Wilton piping tip #2 or Wilton piping tip #3 – this is for the white laces/lines.
Even though I’m not switching tips/colors, I typically use couplers for my piping bags to help prevent icing from seeping through the tip of the bag. (Beginner’s note: The purpose of a coupler is to allow you to easily switch icing tips. It keeps the tip on the outside of the bag instead of on the inside of the bag.) For more decorating inspiration, see my how to decorate sugar cookies tutorial, and for more tool recommendations, you can see this full list of my favorite cookie decorating supplies.
Choose Your Favorite Icing: Royal or Easy Glaze
You have two icing options for these football cookies. Both are delicious, so choose whichever works best for you. My secret ingredient for royal icing is meringue powder. No raw eggs required!
- Royal Icing. If you want your cookies to look like the ones in the photos, use my royal icing recipe. It’s my personal favorite for icing sugar cookies. I even have a royal icing video to help you achieve the perfect consistency. Here are a few other reasons you will love this recipe:
Meringue powder. Traditional royal icing recipes use raw egg whites, but I prefer meringue powder. It results in the same consistency and dries on the cookies within 1-2 hours. You can find meringue powder in most baking aisles, craft stores, or online. Softer is better. Royal icing can harden into a cement-like texture, but my recipe is on the softer side and still sets perfectly on the cookie. Versatility. This icing is easy to work with, especially on cookie-cutter sugar cookies like this recipe. Add a few drops of gel food coloring if you want to mix up the colors. I use a variety of different colors to make these fun Valentine’s Day cookies and Halloween cookies!
- Easy Glaze Icing. Another option is my easy cookie icing. This cookie icing is simpler than royal icing because you don’t need an electric mixer or the perfect icing consistency for success here. It’s thinner than royal icing, though, so it won’t have the sharp detail you get with royal icing decorations. It also takes a good 24 hours to dry.
More Cookie Recipes
Peanut Butter Cookies Brown Butter Sugar Cookies White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies Brownie Cookies Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
