Father's Day Cookies
Soft, buttery Father's Day cookies decorated with ties, mustaches, and simple '#1 Dad' designs make an easy homemade gift that still feels special.
Prep
20 min
Cook
10 min
Total
30 min
Servings
24 cookies
Ingredients
Tools that make this easier
Optional — the recipe works without them.
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- Most useful here Wooden Rolling Pin Rolls each dough disc to 1/4-inch between sheets of parchment for the cutouts. Check price on Amazon
- Half Sheet Pan Bakes the tie and trophy cookies 2 inches apart on parchment for 9 to 11 minutes. Check price on Amazon
- Piping Bags and Tips Outlines each tie cookie in royal icing before the center is filled. Check price on Amazon
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl until evenly combined. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until the mixture looks pale and fluffy with no visible sugar pockets.
- 2
Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl so the dough stays even.
- 3
Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms. The dough should feel smooth and slightly firm, not sticky. If it clings heavily to your hands, chill it for 15 minutes before rolling.
- 4
Divide the dough into two discs and roll each between sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thick. Chill the rolled dough for at least 30 minutes until it feels cold and firm all the way through.
- 5
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut out shapes for ties, shirts, trophies, or classic circles. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- 6
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges look set and the bottoms are lightly golden. The centers should still look soft, not browned. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
- 7
Once fully cooled, decorate with royal icing or frosting. For clean tie cookies, many home bakers find it easier to outline the design first, then fill the center after a few minutes. Let the icing dry completely before stacking or packaging.
Used in this recipe: Wooden Rolling Pin Half Sheet Pan Piping Bags and Tips (Amazon, affiliate links)
Nutrition (per serving)
160 kcal
Calories
2g
Protein
20g
Carbs
8g
Fat
0g
Fiber
130mg
Sodium
These Father’s Day cookies are cut-out sugar cookies shaped like neckties, shirts, mustaches and “#1 Dad” circles, then decorated with royal icing or buttercream. The dough is a no-spread vanilla sugar cookie with a little almond extract, so the shapes keep sharp edges for piping. One batch makes about 24 cookies, with 20 minutes of prep and about 10 minutes in the oven, plus chilling and decorating time.
They make a simple homemade gift, and the dough is easy enough for kids to help with cutting and sprinkling.
Ingredients
For the sugar cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional; gives a bakery-style flavor)
For decorating
- Royal icing or thick buttercream frosting
- Gel food coloring
- Sprinkles or sanding sugar
- Piping bags with small round tips, if using royal icing
Necktie, shirt, star and rectangle cutters are the easiest dad-themed shapes. A plain round cutter can become a baseball, golf ball, badge or “#1 Dad” medal with a little piping.
How to Make Decorated Father’s Day Cookies
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Add the egg and extracts. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract until smooth, scraping down the bowl.
- Form the dough. Add the dry ingredients gradually and mix just until a smooth, soft dough forms. If it sticks heavily to your hands, chill it for 15 minutes.
- Roll and chill. Divide the dough into two discs and roll each between sheets of parchment to about 1/4 inch thick. Chill the rolled sheets for at least 30 minutes, until cold and firm.
- Cut the shapes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut out ties, shirts, circles and other shapes and place them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. If the cut shapes have softened, chill the tray for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake. Bake about 10 minutes (9–11 depending on size), until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly golden while the tops stay pale. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
- Decorate. When the cookies are completely cool, outline each design with icing, wait a few minutes, then fill in the center. Let the icing dry fully before stacking.
Decorating Ideas for Dad-Themed Cookies
- Neckties: flood with a solid color, let it set, then pipe stripes, polka dots or a knot line in a contrasting color.
- Shirts: outline a collar and buttons on a rectangle or shirt-shaped cookie, then add a small tie.
- Mustaches: dark brown or black icing on a mustache cutter, or piped onto round cookies.
- Hobbies: round cookies decorated as sports balls, rectangles as grill grates, or mugs for coffee lovers.
- “#1 Dad” medals: a round cookie with a gold or yellow flood and simple lettering.
For deep navy, black or red, use gel coloring; liquid coloring thins royal icing. If bubbles appear in wet icing, tap the cookie gently on the counter or pop them with a toothpick.
Why Cut-Out Cookies Spread or Turn Crisp
- Shapes spread and lose detail: the dough was too warm. Chill after rolling, and again after cutting if the kitchen is warm.
- Uneven browning: bake cookies of similar size together, since small cookies finish before large ones.
- Too crisp or hard: they baked too long. Pull them when the tops still look pale and move them off the hot pan after 5 minutes.
- Puffy tops that are hard to decorate: the dough was rolled unevenly or overmixed after adding flour. Mix just until combined and roll to an even thickness.
Flavor Variations
- Chocolate cookies: replace 1/3 cup of the flour with cocoa powder for a dark cookie base that pairs well with caramel or espresso frosting. The dough is slightly drier; chill it well.
- Chocolate chip: fold mini chocolate chips into the dough for a more casual cookie. The shapes will be less crisp-edged.
- Plain vanilla: leave out the almond extract if anyone has a nut allergy concern or prefers a simpler flavor.
For a full Father’s Day dessert table, see these Father’s Day dessert ideas or bake this Father’s Day chocolate cake. The same dough and decorating method also works for holiday sets like these July 4th sugar cookies.
Making Them Ahead and Packaging as Gifts
- Dough: wrap the rolled dough sheets and refrigerate for up to 2 days before cutting and baking.
- Baked, undecorated cookies: store in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for about 2 months and decorate after thawing.
- Decorated cookies: let royal icing dry completely, often several hours or overnight, before stacking. Buttercream-frosted cookies should be kept in a single layer.
- Packaging: once the icing is dry, stack cookies in treat bags or bakery boxes with parchment between layers, and tie with ribbon.
FAQ
Royal icing or buttercream?
Royal icing gives crisp outlines and dries hard, so the cookies stack and travel well. Buttercream is softer, quicker and easier for kids, but it doesn’t set firm, so the cookies can’t be stacked.
Can I use store-bought dough?
Yes. Choose a sugar cookie dough made for cut-out cookies, and chill it before cutting. Softer refrigerated doughs spread more, so simple shapes like ties and circles work best.
How thick should the cookies be?
About 1/4 inch. Thinner cookies turn crisp and can break when decorated; thicker ones may need an extra minute in the oven.
