Cotton Candy Cookies (Printable)
Soft pastel cookies bursting with sweet cotton candy flavor, swirled in pink and blue for a whimsical treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 - 1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring (or to taste)
→ Color & Finish
11 - Pink and blue gel food coloring
12 - 1/4 cup colored sprinkles (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and packed light brown sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy.
04 - Beat in the large egg, vanilla extract, and cotton candy flavoring until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Divide the dough evenly into two separate bowls. Add pink gel food coloring to one bowl and blue gel food coloring to the other. Fold gently until soft pastel shades are achieved.
07 - Pinch off a small portion from each colored dough and gently press them together to form a swirled, multi-colored ball. Place each ball on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Optionally, roll each dough ball in colored sprinkles before placing on the sheet.
08 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers appear slightly underbaked for a soft texture.
09 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The swirl of pink and blue makes every single cookie look different, which kids absolutely lose their minds over.
- Cotton candy flavoring gives these a sweet, nostalgic twist without being overpowering or cloying.
02 -
- Overbaking is the easiest mistake to make and pulling them out when the centers look slightly raw saves you from dry, crumbly cookies.
- Gel food coloring is essential because liquid coloring changes the dough consistency and can make the cookies spread too much.
03 -
- Chill the shaped dough balls for fifteen minutes before baking and they will hold their swirl pattern much better.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough so every cookie is the same size and bakes evenly.