Easy Graduation Cap Cookies (Printer-friendly)

Crisp sugar cookies shaped like caps with smooth royal icing and colorful decorations for celebration.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cookies

01 - 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
04 - 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Royal Icing

08 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 2 large egg whites or 4 tablespoons meringue powder plus 6 tablespoons water
10 - 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - Black gel food coloring
12 - Yellow gel food coloring

→ Decoration

13 - Mini yellow M&Ms or candy pearls for tassels

# How to Make It:

01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined. Gradually incorporate flour mixture, stirring until dough forms completely.
02 - Divide dough into two equal portions and shape each into a disk. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough to 0.25 inch thickness.
04 - Cut dough using a graduation cap or square cookie cutter. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges turn golden brown. Cool completely on baking sheets.
05 - In a clean bowl, beat egg whites or meringue powder mixture until foamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar while beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, approximately 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract.
06 - Divide prepared icing into portions. Tint the larger portion black using gel food coloring and reserve a smaller portion, tinting it yellow. Adjust consistency by adding water for flooding consistency or additional powdered sugar for piping consistency.
07 - Using black royal icing, outline each cooled cookie and flood the surface. Use a toothpick to guide icing toward edges. Allow 30 to 60 minutes for icing to set completely.
08 - Pipe yellow royal icing tassels and buttons on each graduation cap design. Place a mini M&M or candy pearl at the end of each tassel.
09 - Allow decorated cookies to dry completely for several hours or overnight before serving or packaging.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look showstopping but the decorating is genuinely forgiving, even if you've never piped before.
  • The buttery cookie base holds up beautifully for days, so you can bake ahead without stress.
  • Watching someone recognize their own achievement in cookie form is pure magic.
02 -
  • Powdered sugar must be sifted before adding to the egg whites, or your icing will have tiny lumps that clog the piping bag tip and ruin your moment of creativity.
  • Gel food coloring is non-negotiable for black icing because liquid colors turn your icing grey and watery, which I discovered the hard way on my first attempt.
03 -
  • Invest in gel food coloring if you make royal-iced cookies more than once, because it transforms the experience from frustrating to actually enjoyable.
  • Roll dough between parchment paper instead of on a floured surface to prevent sticking entirely and save yourself fifteen minutes of cleanup.
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