Tie Dye Cookies

Who doesn’t love a fun dessert? These Tie Dye Cookies are a vibrant twist on a simple sugar cookie and are very easy to make. I threw in some lemon zest and juice as well as almond extract to my standard sugar cookie recipe for some added flavor. The best part? You can choose whatever colors you like! Whether you want neon colors for a summery vibe or red and green for Christmas, the choice is yours.

Make the Cookie Dough

Follow these steps to make the base cookie dough:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat softened butter on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar and lemon zest and mix until light and fluffy.

3. Add one egg, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) and mix until fully combined.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

The result should be a soft dough that isn’t sticky.

Divide and Color the Dough

Divide the dough into three even sections. Dye each portioned section a different color of your choosing. For a saturated look, fully mix the food dye into the dough. For a more marbled look, only partially mix the dye into the dough so you have swirls of the base cookie dough peaking through (like in the image below).

Make Multicolored Dough Balls

Now, combine pieces the three colors into balls of dough about the size of a ping pong ball.

To do this, take pieces of each color dough and roll them together in your hand to form a ball. If you want the colors more separated, just use one larger piece of each color. If you want the colors more blended and swirled together, use multiple small pieces of each color, alternating colors.

See the image below for a reference on what your tie dye dough balls should look like. I chose to go with more smaller sections of alternating colors.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough balls for 30 minutes.

Bake the Cookies

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Place the chilled balls of dough on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until the tops of the cookies begin to crack. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.

Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.

Yield: 24

Author: Laura's Bake Lab

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Tie Dye Cookies

Buttery sugar cookies with a hint of lemon and dyed three different colors for a vibrant tie dye look.

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 10 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

Ingredients

• 2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional, to taste)
• 3 colors of food dye

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) and mix until fully combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. You will have a soft dough.
5. Portion the dough into thirds. Dye each third of dough a different color. For a saturated look, fully mix the food dye into the dough. For a more marbled look, only partially mix the dye into the dough so you have swirls of the base cookie dough peaking through.
6. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
7. Now, combine the three colors into balls of dough about the size of a ping pong ball. To do this, take pieces of each color dough and roll them together in your hand to form a ball. If you want the colors more separated, just use one larger piece of each color. If you want the colors more blended and swirled together, use multiple small pieces of each color, alternating colors.
8. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
10. Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the tops just start to crack. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
11. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

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