Now that you’ve got your cookie decorating tools, what do you do with them?! In this post I’ll show you exactly how to decorate sugar cookies with buttercream frosting using the #4 piping tip.
Being a stay-at-home mom to young children can be very monotonous and sometimes make you feel like your brain is turning to mush, so I think it’s so important to keep learning new skills! My baking and cookie decorating journey when my kids were just a couple of years old. I was looking for a creative outlet that would not only benefit my home, but also give me sense of accomplishment. After already learning to decorate cakes with buttercream frosting, I wanted to find a way to continue using the buttercream for sugar cookies.
One thing I love about decorating sugar cookies with buttercream frosting is that it takes much fewer tools and time than decorating with royal icing. Simply find your favorite sugar cookie and buttercream recipes and I’ll walk you through, step-by-step, how to make a beautiful cookie for your next party or to just take to your next door neighbor!
How to decorate sugar cookies with buttercream frosting.
There are a few different ways to decorate cookies with buttercream frosting. In this post I’m going to show you how to use the #4 round tip which is great to use if you have shaped cookies. Below, you can see some cookies I’ve made using the #4 tip. For this tutorial I am going to use a simple round cookie.
Before you get started, make sure you have these essential cookie decorating tools.
Step 1.
Bake your favorite sugar cookie recipe (I do NOT recommend using store-bought, remade dough) and let them cool completely.
Step 2.
Mix up your buttercream frosting.
You can find my recipe for buttercream frosting at the bottom of this post. I recommend this recipe because the frosting hardens more than most other buttercream, which makes it easier to transport and stack the cookies.
Step 3.
Step 4.
Having one hand gently holding the bottom of the bag (where the tip is), squeeze the top of the piping bag consistently. Outline the shape of your cookie.
Step 5.
Starting at the top of the cookie, slowly pipe straight lines going back and forth across the cookie.
You want your lines of frosting to be close together so that they are touching. If your line gets a little crooked, use a toothpick to gently push it up to straighten it against the row above.
Don’t feel like you have to squeeze the piping bag consistently for the entire cookie without taking a break! When you get to the end of a line, shake your hand out, then start on the next row- you won’t be able to tell that you stopped piping.
Step 3.
After you have piped the whole cookie, now you can add embellishments! Here are just a few ideas…
- Sprinkles
- Small rosette piped on top (use a 1M tip for this)
- Flowers using different tips (I used a #127 tip for my purple flowers)
- Pipe a name or someone’s initials
Practice, practice, practice…
Buttercream Frosting for Cookies
Ingredients
- 5 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter cold
- 6 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the cold butter for 3 minutes to soften butter.
- With the mixer on low, add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and salt.
- Mix on high for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl halfway through to ensure everything is mixed evenly.
- Color frosting if desired.
Notes
- This frosting hardens fairly quickly once you have piped it, so do not wait too long to get it into the piping bag and begin using it.
- It is best to wait a few hours after you have decorated your cookies before stacking or packaging cookies, to give enough time for hardening.
- While this buttercream hardens, it is still soft compared to royal icing. Be gentle when packaging or stacking the cookies.
