How to Color Cookie Dough

How to Color Cookie Dough for Easy Cookie Decorating | The Bearfoot Baker

Have you ever colored cookie dough? It’s a simple little thing you can do to give your cookies a kick or a twist and it will make the icing pop a little bit. You can also color cookie dough so the main design of the cookie is the color you add. I am working on several designs where the colored dough makes the cookies pop and gives the design something special.

How to Color Cookie Dough - The Easy Way to Make Cookies | The Bearfoot BakerBut before we get started on those designs, I want to make sure everyone has a good tutorial on how to make color cookie dough.

 Supplies for How to Color Cookie Dough:

Sugar Cookie Recipe
Food Gel Colors-I prefer AmeriColor and Wilton but you can use what you are comfortable with. Just make sure not to use a liquid color like you buy at the grocery stores. It will mess with the consistency of your dough.
Food Safe Gloves-or else you will have rainbow hands like I have most of the time.

How to Color Cookie Dough - The Easy Way to Make Sugar Cookies | The Bearfoot BakerStart by making the cookie dough. I like to divide my and only add color the amount of dough I need. It may be a little hard to guess how much so I suggest making more than you think because you can always make extra cookies. It will be hard to match the exact color once you run out.

Color Cookie Dough for Unique Cookies | The Bearfoot BakerBegin my mixing the dough with the food gel color. It may take more gel than you think or it may not. Usually in post and recipes I say add a little at a time, but if you do that you may over work your dough. We all know that over working or mixing your dough can cause it to spread when baking.

Keep in mind I do not have professional training. I am self taught and do things over and over until I see what works and what doesn’t. With that said, brown and darker colors are a little harder to mix so I add a little more color than I think I need so hopefully it will work out the first time. It seldom does though. Add a Little Color to Your Cookies - Color Cookie Dough | The Bearfoot BakerKeep adding and mixing until you get the color you want. How to Color Cookie Dough-Fun Way to Decorate Cookies | The Bearfoot BakerYou can always use a chocolate roll out cookie recipe but the person I was making these for didn’t want chocolate. Who doesn’t like chocolate! RIGHT!?

Next, roll the dough out and stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. I have really hot hands so I have to chill it or it will lose it’s shape when I try to pick it up. As a matter of fact, I always chill my dough before I bake my cookies. Just thought I would let you know that!
How to Color Cookie Dough for Simple Cookies | The Bearfoot BakerOnce you have colored the cookie dough, roll it out and cut your shapes.How to Color Cookie Dough for Ice Cream Cookies | The Bearfoot BakerCan you tell what we are making yet?Color Cookie Dough for Fun Cookies | The Bearfoot BakerUse a wooden BBQ skewer to polk holes in the top of the cookies.

Now do you know what we are making? NO? Color Cookie Dough | The Bearfoot BakerIce cream sandwich cookies! I knew you would figure it out!

Once you have the cookies cut out and have make the holes bake them according to your recipe. Let them cool before decorating.
Each sandwich cookie requires 2 cookies. Flip on over so the holes are on the bottom and pipe with thick white icing. Then, place another cookie on top and let them dry completely. How to Color Cookie Dough | The Bearfoot BakerColored cookie dough is a quick way to decorate cookies without having to wait on different layers of icing to dry. You can use them in a platter or think outside of the box and make them to sand out on their own. If you use your imagination, I bet you can think of a million cookies that will look great with colored cookie dough!

More way to make Color Cookie Dough cookies: 

Frankenstein Cookies by Munchkin Munchies
Fall Wreath Cookies by Elizabeth Roehrig
Cute Little Christmas Cookies 

Bear hugs,

Lisa