Mitten Cutout Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
Bring a little sweater-weather charm to your Christmas cookie tray with these mitten sugar cookies! The buttery cutout cookies are decorated with red and green royal icing and simple white details for a cozy winter look. You can add dots, stripes, or little cuffs without needing an elaborate decorating plan. Bake a batch for a holiday gathering, share them as homemade gifts, or save a few for an afternoon of cookie decorating with the kids.
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Ingredients for Mitten Sugar Cookies
These cookies start with a simple sugar cookie dough that you’ll chill, roll, and cut into mitten shapes. Divide your royal icing into red, green, and white portions, reserving the white for decorations.
For the sugar cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the royal icing (I use this recipe):
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 9–10 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
For decorating:
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
Helpful tools:
- Mitten-shaped cookie cutter
- Piping bags or small icing bottles with small round tips
- Toothpick or scribe tool
- Parchment paper
How to Make Mitten Sugar Cookies
Step 1: Make the dough.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms.
Step 2: Chill and roll.
Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. I use ⅜ inch if I know kids will be helping because it makes the cookies sturdier.
Cut out mitten shapes and carefully transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lift each cookie gently to avoid stretching the thumb or cuff. If the dough gets soft or sticky, return it to the refrigerator briefly before continuing.
Step 3: Bake.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
Start checking at 8 minutes. Larger or thicker cookies may need a little longer.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4: Make and color the royal icing (Full instructions here).
Sift the powdered sugar and meringue powder into a large mixing bowl. Add 9 tablespoons of water and beat with a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment for about 1½–2 minutes.
Check the consistency by lifting the whisk. For coating the cookies, the icing should drizzle back into the bowl and smooth into the surface within about 5–10 seconds. Add the remaining water a little at a time as needed.
Reserve a small portion of white icing for decorations. Divide the remaining icing between two bowls, tinting one red and the other green with gel food coloring (or use whatever fun colors you want!).
Keep the white icing slightly thicker if you want to pipe lines and dots that hold their shape. Cover all three colors when you aren’t using them so the icing doesn’t begin to dry out.
Step 5: Ice the mitten cookies.
Transfer the icing to separate piping bags or icing bottles fitted with small round tips.
Outline each mitten with your chosen base color, then fill the center with more icing. Use a toothpick or scribe tool to guide the icing around the thumb and into the cuff, fill small gaps, and pop air bubbles.
Step 6: Add white icing decorations.
Use the reserved white royal icing to decorate the red and green mittens. Try simple dots, stripes, zigzags, or a white cuff at the bottom of each cookie.
For smooth, flat designs, add the white icing while the base color is still wet. Work with one or two cookies at a time so you can finish the details before the surface begins to crust.
For raised decorations with more defined edges, let the red or green base set before adding the white details. Use light pressure when piping so you don’t dent the base.
Let the finished cookies dry uncovered for at least 6–8 hours or overnight before stacking or packaging. Thick icing or humid conditions may require additional drying time.
Pro Tips for Pretty Mitten Cookies
- Keep the dough cool. Chilled dough is easier to cut and transfer without stretching the mitten shapes. Give it another short chill if it becomes difficult to handle.
- Roll an even thickness. Cookies of similar thickness bake more evenly. A slightly thicker cookie is also easier for little hands to decorate.
- Be gentle around the thumb. Support the dough as you transfer each mitten to the baking sheet so the thumb doesn’t stretch or tear.
- Try dipping for easier icing. Dip the top of each cooled cookie into red or green royal icing, let the excess drip off, then turn it right-side up. Pop bubbles with a toothpick. This is faster than outlining and filling, though the edges will look less tidy.
- Choose your decorating method before you start. Add white details to wet icing for a flat design, or let the base set first for raised piping.
- Keep the patterns simple. A few white dots, stripes, or a contrasting cuff can give the mittens a finished look without lots of detailed piping.
- Let the icing dry thoroughly. The surface can feel dry before the icing underneath has hardened. Give the cookies plenty of time before stacking them or placing them in gift bags. I’ve smeared many cookies due to my own impatience; learn from my mistakes!
FAQs
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! Keep the wrapped dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze it for later. If it’s too firm to roll straight from the refrigerator, let it sit at room temperature briefly until workable.
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Expect about 3 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your mitten cutter and how thickly you roll the dough. Larger cutters and thicker cookies will give you fewer cookies. I got around 3 dozen medium-small mittens, but I also rolled my dough thick.
Will one batch of royal icing be enough?
One batch should be more than enough to coat the cookies and add white decorations. The amount you use will depend on the size of your cookies, the thickness of the icing, and how much excess drips off if you use the dipping method.
Should I let the base icing dry before adding white decorations?
It depends on the look you want. Add white icing while the red or green icing is wet for smooth, flat patterns. Let the base set first if you want the white details to sit on top with more defined edges. Personally, I like to let the base set first, but that’s also because I’m clumsy and tend to smear the icing if it’s not set.
Do I need special piping tips?
A small round tip works well for outlining, filling, and adding simple details works best. You can also use piping bags with a small (like very small!) opening snipped from the end.
How long does royal icing take to dry?
Allow at least 6–8 hours or overnight before stacking or packaging. Drying time varies with icing thickness and humidity, so check that the icing is fully firm first.
How should I store decorated cookies?
Once the icing has dried completely, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Separate layers with parchment paper and handle them gently to protect the decorations.
Pair these mitten cookies with mugs of hot chocolate for a winter treat, or arrange them alongside your other decorated Christmas cookies. You could even decorate matching pairs to package as little gifts. However you finish them, you’ll have a batch of buttery cookies ready to make someone’s day a little sweeter.
Mitten Cutout Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 2-3 Piping bottles or bags with a small round tip
- Mitten-shaped cookie cutters
- toothpicks optional, but helpful
- parchment paper optional, to make decorating more neat
Ingredients
For the sugar cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
For the royal icing (I use this recipe):
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp meringue powder
- 9–10 Tbsp water plus more as needed
For decorating:
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
Instructions
Step 1: Make the dough.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms.
Step 2: Chill and roll.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. I use ⅜ inch if I know kids will be helping because it makes the cookies sturdier.
- Cut out mitten shapes and carefully transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lift each cookie gently to avoid stretching the thumb or cuff. If the dough gets soft or sticky, return it to the refrigerator briefly before continuing.
Step 3: Bake.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
- Start checking at 8 minutes. Larger or thicker cookies may need a little longer.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4: Make and color the royal icing.
- Full instructions here: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/royal-icing/Sift the powdered sugar and meringue powder into a large mixing bowl. Add 9 tablespoons of water and beat with a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment for about 1½–2 minutes.
- Check the consistency by lifting the whisk. For coating the cookies, the icing should drizzle back into the bowl and smooth into the surface within about 5–10 seconds. Add the remaining water a little at a time as needed.
- Reserve a small portion of white icing for decorations. Divide the remaining icing between two bowls, tinting one red and the other green with gel food coloring (or use whatever fun colors you want!).
- Keep the white icing slightly thicker if you want to pipe lines and dots that hold their shape. Cover all three colors when you aren’t using them so the icing doesn’t begin to dry out.
Step 5: Ice the mitten cookies.
- Transfer the icing to separate piping bags or icing bottles fitted with small round tips.
- Outline each mitten with your chosen base color, then fill the center with more icing. Use a toothpick or scribe tool to guide the icing around the thumb and into the cuff, fill small gaps, and pop air bubbles.
Step 6: Add white icing decorations.
- Use the reserved white royal icing to decorate the red and green mittens. Try simple dots, stripes, zigzags, or a white cuff at the bottom of each cookie.
- For smooth, flat designs, add the white icing while the base color is still wet. Work with one or two cookies at a time so you can finish the details before the surface begins to crust.
- For raised decorations with more defined edges, let the red or green base set before adding the white details. Use light pressure when piping so you don’t dent the base.
- Let the finished cookies dry uncovered for at least 6–8 hours or overnight before stacking or packaging. Thick icing or humid conditions may require additional drying time.
