Pastel Crinkle Cookies (Printable)

Soft, chewy cookies with pastel colors and crackled powdered sugar tops, ready in 30 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
08 - ¼ cup whole milk

→ For Coloring

09 - Pink, yellow, green, and blue gel food coloring

→ For Rolling

10 - ¾ cup powdered sugar

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated.
05 - Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in two parts, alternating with milk, mixing until just combined.
06 - Divide dough evenly into 3 or 4 bowls. Tint each portion with gel food coloring, mixing gently to achieve pastel shades.
07 - Chill dough for 20 minutes if it feels too soft to handle.
08 - Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough, roll in powdered sugar until well coated, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set and tops are crackled but centers remain soft.
10 - Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • These cookies look like you spent hours on them, but the dough comes together in under 20 minutes flat
  • The crackled exterior gives way to the softest, most tender crumb youll ever taste
  • People literally gasp when they see the pastel colors arranged on a serving platter
02 -
  • Chilling the colored dough before rolling prevents the colors from bleeding into the powdered sugar while baking
  • Resist the urge to overbake—these should look slightly underdone when you pull them out, or they lose their signature softness
03 -
  • Use a small cookie scoop to ensure uniform sizing so everything bakes at the same rate
  • If you want flavor variations without affecting the colors, try lemon, almond, or even coconut extract

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