Football Sugar Cookies are soft, buttery, and decorated for game day. Perfect for football parties, tailgating, or Super Bowl celebrations.
Football Sugar Cookies are a fun, festive, and delicious treat perfect for game day, tailgating, or Super Bowl parties. Soft, buttery, and easy to decorate, these cookies can be shaped and frosted to look like footballs, making them a hit with both kids and adults.
With simple ingredients and a straightforward recipe, these cookies come together quickly, adding a sweet and playful touch to any football celebration.
If you love football desserts, try Football Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cookies, How to Make a Football Cake, Football Dirt Cups, and Football Rice Krispie Treats.
Table of contents
Why We Love These Football Sugar Cookies
- Soft & Buttery Texture – Perfectly tender cookies that melt in your mouth.
- Game Day Fun – Decorate like footballs or your favorite team colors.
- Kid-Friendly Recipe – Easy enough for kids to help with decorating.
- Quick & Simple – Comes together fast with common pantry ingredients.
- Perfect for Parties – Makes a festive and crowd-pleasing treat for football fans.
Ingredients
Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour – Spoon into the measuring cup instead of scooping to avoid packing and ensure accurate measurement.
- Unsalted Butter – Softened at room temperature for easy mixing and a smooth dough.
- Eggs – Use large eggs at room temperature for the best texture and consistency.
Icing
- Egg Whites – Only the whites are used; the yolks are not needed for this recipe.
- Powdered Sugar – Sift before using to remove lumps and ensure a smooth texture.
- Brown Gel Food Coloring – Gel coloring is preferred for vibrant, consistent color without altering the texture.
Get the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the page.
How To Make Football Sugar Cookies
- Step 1 – Go ahead and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Step 2. Cream the butter and sugar together. It should be smooth and not grainy. You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 3. Next, add each large egg at the same time.
Step 4. Combine until well blended.
Step 5. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Then add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Once the flour mixture is combined and yields a smooth dough, form a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours.
Step 6. Remove the sugar cookie dough from the refrigerator. Spread flour on the cutting board and on the rolling pin. Use a football shaped cookie cutter to make the cookies.
Step 7. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and place the football cookies on it. Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Step 8. While the cookies cool on a wire rack, make the icing. Combine the royal icing recipe in a mixing bowl using medium speed for 4 minutes.
Step 9. Next, if the icing is not stiff enough, add powdered sugar until the icing is a 15 second consistency. This means that when you slice a spatula across the top of the icing, it would take 15 seconds to disappear. Mix a portion of the icing with the brown food gel coloring until it’s a dark brown color.
Step 10. Next, put the brown icing in piping bags and place the brown icing on the cookies. It needs to cool completely.
Step 11. Finally, place the remaining white icing in a wilton piping bag and outline the laces on each of the football cookies. Then allow the white icing to cool completely
Storage
Room Temperature – Store in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days to keep cookies or treats soft and fresh.
Refrigeration – For longer storage, keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, especially if decorated with frosting or meringue.
Freezing – Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 2–3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Separate Layers – If stacking cookies or treats, place parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent sticking or smudging.
Pro Tips
- Measure Flour Correctly – Spoon flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping to avoid packing and ensure accurate texture.
- Use Room Temperature Butter – Softened butter mixes more easily for a smooth dough or batter.
- Separate Egg Whites Carefully – Only use the whites; yolks can affect the texture of meringue or frosting.
- Sift Powdered Sugar – Removes lumps for a silky-smooth frosting or icing.
- Use Gel Food Coloring – Gel coloring provides vibrant color without changing consistency.
- Chill Dough if Needed – Refrigerate cookie dough before rolling to prevent spreading while baking.
- Cool Completely Before Decorating – Ensures frosting, chocolate, or other toppings don’t melt or slide.
- Grease Tools Lightly – Use a lightly greased spatula or knife for easy spreading and cutting.
More Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookies
- Easy Homemade Lofthouse Cookies
- Thanksgiving Sugar Cookies Recipe
More Football Themed Desserts
- Football Oreo Balls
- Football Dirt Cups
- Football Cupcakes
- Chocolate Football Cookies
- Football Cake Ideas
If you are looking to impress your guest for your next game day party, make this sugar cookie recipe. They are easy to make and taste amazing. Please leave a comment once you do.
Football Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 5 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 Large Eggs
For the Icing:
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- Brown Gel Food Coloring
Instructions
For the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Cream the soft butter with the sugar until the combination is smooth not grainy to the touch in a mixing bowl.
- Add all 4 eggs at one time. Continue to mix.
- Sift the four, baking powder, and salt together. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Continue mixing to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended.
- Make the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling wrap completely covering the entire dough ball.
- Put in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or overnight.
- Check to see if the dough is firm. Pull the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and sit it out to soften up a bit.
- Put flour out on the wood cutting board, rub flour on the rolling pin, and work some flour into the batter (if needed), use a football shaped cookie cutter to begin to make your cookies.
- Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a metal spatula move the cut cookies to the parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges.
- Check to see if the cookies are thoroughly baked.
- Take the cookies off of the cookie sheet and put on a wire rack to cool completely.(About 10 minutes).
For the Icing:
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes. (except your food coloring). If icing is not stiff enough add ¼ C powdered sugar until the icing is to a 15 second consistency. Which means that when you slice a spatula across the top of the icing, it would take 15 seconds to disappear.
- Place about 25% of the icing in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the remaining icing with the brown food gel coloring until it’s a dark brown color.
- Place the brown icing in piping bags and place the brown icing on the cookies. Let this icing cool completely (2-3 hours).
- Then place the remaining white icing in a decorated bag fitted with tip #1 and use this to draw the details and laces on each of the football cookies.
- Then allow the white icing to cool completely (2-3 hours).
- Do not cover the cookies while the icing is cooling.
- After the icing has cooled completely, the cookies are ready to enjoy!
