Here’s my take on watermelon sugar cookies with royal icing – soft, sweet cookies decorated to look just like little watermelon slices. The royal icing adds the perfect finishing touch, making these cookies as fun to look at as they are to eat.
These cookies have become my go-to summer party treat. I usually make a double batch because they disappear so quickly at cookouts and pool parties. Nothing says summer quite like watermelon-themed desserts, right?
Why You’ll Love These Watermelon Sugar Cookies
- Perfect for parties – These adorable cookies look just like mini watermelon slices, making them the star of any summer gathering or kids’ party.
- Basic ingredients – Most of what you need is already in your pantry – just regular baking staples like flour, sugar, and butter form the base of these fun cookies.
- Make-ahead friendly – You can bake the cookies ahead of time and decorate them when it’s convenient, perfect for busy schedules or party prep.
- Customizable design – Whether you’re a beginner or experienced baker, you can make these as simple or detailed as you like – they’ll look cute either way!
- Kid-friendly activity – The decorating part is perfect for getting kids involved in the kitchen – they’ll love adding the ‘seeds’ and painting on the colors.
What Kind of Flour Should I Use?
For these watermelon sugar cookies, all-purpose flour is your best friend. While cake flour might make cookies too soft and bread flour too chewy, all-purpose flour hits that sweet spot for sugar cookies that hold their shape while staying tender. Store brands work just fine here, but if you’re picking between brands, look for ones with a protein content around 10-12% – King Arthur and Gold Medal are both reliable choices. Just remember to measure your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off, rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can pack in too much flour and make your cookies dry.
Options for Substitutions
Let me share some helpful substitutions for these cute watermelon cookies:
- All-purpose flour: You can use pastry flour for a more tender cookie, but avoid bread flour as it will make them too tough. For gluten-free cookies, try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum.
- Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, that’s fine – just skip the added salt in the recipe. For dairy-free options, use plant-based butter sticks (not spread) meant for baking, but note the texture might be slightly different.
- Watermelon essence: This is optional anyway, but you could use strawberry extract for a different fruity twist. Some bakers like using Kool-Aid powder for both flavor and color.
- Royal icing: If you’re worried about raw eggs in royal icing, try using meringue powder instead. You can also make a simple glaze with powdered sugar and milk for an easier alternative.
- Gel food coloring: Regular liquid food coloring works too, but you might need more drops. Natural alternatives like beet powder (pink) and matcha powder (green) can work, though colors will be more muted.
- Mini chocolate chips: Black sesame seeds make a great substitute for ‘seeds’, or you can use regular chocolate chips chopped into smaller pieces.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking
The biggest challenge when making sugar cookies is working with dough that’s too warm – after mixing, make sure to chill your dough for at least 2 hours (or overnight) to prevent spreading and help maintain those crisp watermelon shapes during baking.
Room temperature ingredients are crucial for this recipe, so cold butter or eggs will create a lumpy dough that’s hard to roll – take them out of the fridge 1 hour before starting, and if you’re in a hurry, cut the butter into small cubes to speed up the process.
When it comes to rolling out the dough, avoid the common mistake of using too much flour on your work surface, as excess flour can make your cookies tough and dry – instead, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper for easy handling and consistent thickness.
For the royal icing, timing is everything – wait until the cookies are completely cool before decorating, and make sure your first layer of icing is fully set (about 1-2 hours) before adding additional colors or details, otherwise your design might blur together.
What to Serve With Watermelon Sugar Cookies?
These sweet and playful cookies make a perfect addition to any summer party spread or afternoon tea setup! A cold glass of milk is the classic choice, but try serving them with pink lemonade or watermelon-mint iced tea to really play up the watermelon theme. For a fun dessert platter, pair these cookies with other fruit-themed treats like lemon bars or fresh fruit skewers. Since these cookies are on the sweeter side with their royal icing, they also go nicely with a cup of unsweetened green tea or chamomile tea to balance things out.
Storage Instructions
Keep Fresh: These cute watermelon cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place a piece of parchment paper between layers to protect the royal icing decorations. The container should be kept away from direct sunlight to prevent the colors from fading.
Freeze Undecorated: The plain sugar cookies (without icing) freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just stack them with parchment paper between each layer in a freezer-safe container. You can also freeze the raw cookie dough for up to 3 months – just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.
Make Ahead: You can make the cookie dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling and cutting. The royal icing can be made 1-2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge – just give it a good stir before using.
| Preparation Time | 30-45 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 10-11 minutes |
| Total Time | 50-60 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Medium |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 2200-2400
- Protein: 25-30 g
- Fat: 120-130 g
- Carbohydrates: 260-280 g
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (measure by spooning and leveling, 281g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, brought to room temperature (170g)
- 3/4 cup regular sugar (150g)
- 1 large room temperature egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence
- Optional for extra taste: 1/4 teaspoon watermelon essence*
- Royal icing or simple glaze icing (royal icing shown)
- Green and pink gel food coloring
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (60g)
Step 1: Prepare the Dry and Wet Mix
Start by whisking the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Set this dry mixture aside.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, approximately 1 minute.
Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is creamy, which should take about 2 minutes.
Next, add the egg, vanilla, and watermelon extract (if using), and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute.
Remember to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are mixed well.
Step 2: Combine and Chill the Dough
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until the dough is thoroughly combined.
If the dough feels too soft, incorporate an additional tablespoon of flour to achieve a better consistency for rolling.
Divide the dough into two equal parts.
Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat to about 1/4″ thickness.
Stack the rolled-out dough pieces with parchment paper between them onto a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days.
If chilling for longer than a few hours, cover the top dough piece with an extra piece of parchment paper.
Step 3: Cut and Bake the Cookies
Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator.
Using a 3-inch circle cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles.
Gather the leftover dough, re-roll it, and continue cutting until all dough is used.
Repeat this process with the second dough piece.
Cut each circle in half to form slices.
Arrange the slices on the baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are lightly browned, remembering to rotate the baking sheet halfway through.
Cool the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Step 4: Decorate the Cookies
Prepare your royal icing or easy glaze icing.
Separate half of the icing and tint it pink with a few drops of gel food coloring.
Color half of the remaining icing green using gel food coloring, and leave the rest white.
Fill a piping bag fitted with round icing tip #5 with the green icing and outline the round bottom of each cookie.
Set the cookies in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up the icing.
Next, use the same icing tip to add white icing just above the green layer, and refrigerate once again for another 15 minutes.
Finally, fill a piping bag with pink icing and cover the remaining portion of the watermelon slice.
Top each slice with mini chocolate chips to mimic watermelon seeds.
Step 5: Set and Store the Cookies
Allow the icing to dry completely at room temperature, which will take about 2 hours.
Decorated or plain cookies can be stored covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Enjoy your colorful and delicious watermelon slice cookies!
