Sugar Cookies with Cotton Candy Frosting (2024)

I ended up making about six different types of cookies over Christmas. However, being under a bit of a time crunch and needing a break from the Internet, I failed to blog about any of them. Sorry about that.

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon I thought this would be a good time to revisit one of my favorite cookies, but with a little twist. So, today I’m sharing a classic sugar cookie recipe with you. I feel that sugar cookies are a little like pie crust. Everyone has a favorite. Some people like them thicker; others prefer them thin. Some folks have to have them frosted; others just want a little sugar sprinkled on top. My dad likes his plain, thick, and heated up in the microwave. Today, I’m going to share my mom’s sugar cookie recipe that I’ve come to know and love. My great uunt also has a recipe for a much thicker cookie that I’ve actually never made. I will share that recipe as soon as I can get my hands on it.

When I was growing up, my mom, grandma, and I made these cookies every Christmas. My mom made the dough and was in charge of the rolling and baking. Grandma frosted the cookies and I decorated them. The frosting was always white and the decorations were always a variety of sprinkles. It was cold outside when we made them, so after they were frosted and decorated we’d put them on trays, cutting boards, and whatever else we could find and put them in the garage so the frosting could set before we packed them away. I always looked forward to that day. Always.

Nowadays, things have changed, I’m the one in charge of making the sugar cookies. And, while they are a tad time consuming, there’s something wonderfully nostalgic about them, so I’ll continue to make them with joy year after year.

However, this time around I decided to give them a fun little twist. A few months ago I bought a couple bottles of cotton candy extract (you can find it on Amazon) for another recipe which I ended up making. So, I thought I’d try out the extract in the recipe. While it doesn’t drastically alter the flavor, it definitely adds something different and delicious to these cookies. Plus, they smell even more heavenly than your typical sugar cookie.

I opted to add a little color to my frosting as well to emphasize the cotton candy theme.

The cookies turned out pretty cute, didn’t they? Of course, how can a sugar cookie covered in frosting with sprinkles on top be anything but cute.

If your mouth is watering, it’s understandable.

I feel that part of making a good sugar cookie is practice. The first time I made them I rolled out my dough too thin and baked them for too long. They were about as crunchy as a Nilla Wafers. Just take your time and have patience.

Old family recipes are often based on weird factors like “how the dough feels” or “the right consistency of the frosting.” These things will make absolutely no sense until you do it a few times. And eventually it will make perfect sense. This is why our parents’ and grandparents’ recipes were always the best. They knew those secret little touches that were really never explained in the recipe.

Anywho, I really hope you enjoy this recipe! It was a pleasure sharing it with you. Happy baking, my friends!