In my opinion, the best way to spoil any dad is with food…more specifically, sweets! These adorable Father’s Day cookies are the perfect craft recipe to make with the kiddos to show dad just how special he is. I’m a firm believer in flavor first, and these cookies are perfectly baked and full of yummy vanilla. They’re just as tasty to eat as they are fun to make! My kids loved helping to decorate these frosted sugar cookies for Father’s Day, and Pat loved their designs so much.
Father’s Day Sugar Cookie Recipe
I don’t know a Dad who doesn’t love a sugar cookie, so why not treat yours to a batch of my favorite frosted Father’s Day cookies? These square sugar cookies are made with a simple 8-ingredient dough, and you only need 2 extra ingredients to make the delicious vanilla frosting that’s quite literally the icing on the cake!
Go simple or complex with your designs–the choice is yours! My kids did really well with stick figures, animals, and basic letters. Older kids can probably handle more complex designs.
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Decorating Tips!
When I was devising how best to decorate these cookies, I decided to stick to just black and red for the coloring on a simple white base. This made it easier for my kids to come up with and execute simple designs. But more colors would be even more fun!
You can also cut out different shapes, like circles for golf balls or basketballs, or triangles for pizza or cake. I highly recommend personalizing your Father’s Day cookies to really show you care!
Father’s Day Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheet
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter slightly melted
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring in black and red
Instructions
For the Sugar Cookies
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening, sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract together until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.1 cup vegetable shortening, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.3½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until well combined and the dough starts to stick together, about 1-2 minutes. Do not overmix.
- Sprinkle a clean work surface lightly with flour and place about ⅓ of the dough onto the prepared surface to roll out. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Roll out the dough to ⅜-inch thickness and cut out cookies into 3½-inch squares.
- Place the cut out cookies onto 1 prepared baking sheet. The cookies can be placed close together on the baking sheet for this step. Place the cookies in the freezer for 20 minutes before baking.
- While the cookies chill, preheat oven to 350°F
- Place 6 cookies onto the second baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes for thick cut cookies or 8-10 minutes for thinner cookies. The tops of the cookies shoud look set (no longer wet but not yet brown), and the bottoms of the cookies should be slightly brown. The middle of cookies will still be slightly soft to the touch but will continue baking once removed from the oven.
- Repeat with remaining cookies. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.
For the Buttercream
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If the icing seems too thick, beat in a tablespoon of water.1 cup unsalted butter, 2½ cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Separate the buttercream into 3 smaller bowls to color. Use food coloring to color 2 of the bowls red and black. Stir completely to make sure all color is worked evenly into the buttercream.Gel food coloring in black and red
To Decorate
- Place the colored buttercreams into Ziplock bags and seal. Cut a small opening in the bottom corner of each bag. For background colors, the tips can be cut larger. For frostings you’ll be printing with, keep the tip cut small.
- Start decorating with background colors on all cookies. Simply start by lining the outside of the cookie then continue filling in following the shape of the cookie. Work on decorating cookies in layers – first the background color then print and stick figures.
Notes
- Sugar cookies are so easy to customize. To add a unique flavor, add ½-1 teaspoon of your favorite extract to either the cookie dough or the buttercream frosting (or both!). I like almond, lemon, maple, or orange.
- To help prevent the cookies from spreading during baking, it’s important to freeze the cookies for at least 20 minutes before baking.
- For soft and thick cookies, it’s recommended to use a rolling pin with thickness rings and use the ⅜-inch thickness ring. If you aren’t cutting these cookies out thick, you’ll want to reduce your baking time to reflect that (start checking cookies after 8 minutes instead of 12 minutes).
- I used a 3½-inch square cutter. Use a similarly-sized cutter for the best results.
- If the frosting is not squeezing out of the bag smoothly, roll the piping bag between your hands to warm the frosting a bit, making it easier to squeeze. Do not microwave the frosting to soften it. This will lead to a melted mess!
How to Make Father’s Day Cookies Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather up the list of ingredients. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Bring the eggs to room temperature and slightly melt the butter so everything is ready to go.
Mix the Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup of vegetable shortening, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons of milk, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract together until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
Combine the Dough: In a separate medium bowl, whisk 3½ cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until well combined and the dough starts to stick together, about 1-2 minutes. Do not overmix.
Cut and Bake the Cookies: Sprinkle a clean work surface lightly with flour and place about ⅓ of the dough onto the prepared surface to roll out. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Roll out the dough to ⅜-inch thickness and cut out cookies into 3½-inch squares. Place the cut-out cookies onto 1 prepared baking sheet. The cookies can be placed close together on the baking sheet for this step. Place the cookies in the freezer for 20 minutes before baking. While the cookies chill, preheat oven to 350°F. Place 6 cookies onto the second baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes for thick-cut cookies or 8-10 minutes for thinner cookies. The tops of the cookies should look set (no longer wet but not yet brown), and the bottoms of the cookies should be slightly brown. The middle ofthe cookies will still be slightly soft to the touch but will continue baking once removed from the oven. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.
Beat the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup of slightly melted unsalted butter, 2½ cups of powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If the icing seems too thick, beat in a tablespoon of water. Separate the buttercream into 3 smaller bowls to color. Use food coloring to color 2 of the bowls red and black. Stir completely to make sure all color is worked evenly into the buttercream.
Decorate the Cookies: Place the colored buttercreams into Ziplock bags and seal. Cut a small opening in the bottom corner of each bag. For background colors, the tips can be cut larger. For frostings you’ll be printing with, keep the tip cut small. Start decorating with background colors on all cookies. Simply start by lining the outside of the cookie, then continue filling in following the shape of the cookie. Work on decorating cookies in layers – first the background color, then print and stick figures.
How to Store
Store fully decorated Father’s Day sugar cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
How to Freeze
Both raw and baked sugar cookies, as well as buttercream frosting, freeze well.
- Frosting: Buttercream frosting can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature before piping.
- Dough: Cut the dough into shapes, arrange on a lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer frozen dough to an airtight container or Ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Add an additional 2 minutes to the baking time.
- Cookies: Freeze fully frosted cookies in an even layer on a lined baking sheet until solid. Transfer to an airtight container or Ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let cookies come to room temperature before serving.
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