Pastel Crinkle Cookies (Printable)

Soft, chewy cookies with crackled powdered sugar coating and delicate pastel colors—perfect for spring celebrations or any sweet occasion.

# What You Need:

→ 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

# Directions:

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 well.
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 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and tops are crackled but still soft in the center.
10 - Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • These cookies look like springtime itself, with that stunning crackled finish and soft pastel colors that make people gasp when you bring them to a party
  • The texture is absolutely perfect, soft and chewy in the center with that characteristic crinkle that makes them look professionally made
  • They're surprisingly forgiving and easy to make, even if you've never worked with colored dough before
02 -
  • Gel food coloring is absolutely worth the extra trip to the store, liquid colors will make your dough too sticky and affect the texture
  • The chilling step isn't optional if your kitchen runs warm, soft dough spreads too much and you lose those pretty crackles
  • Don't skimp on the powdered sugar coating, it needs to be thick enough to create the dramatic crackle effect as the cookies spread
03 -
  • Scoop all your dough balls before rolling them in sugar, this helps ensure uniform sizing and even baking
  • If you want extra crackles, roll the dough balls twice in powdered sugar, letting them sit for a minute between coats

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