Whip up a darling batch of rainbow cookies with storebought dough.
Nothing beats a super simple recipe for adorable cookies that are perfect for a sweet treat. This one is awesome because it uses dough that is already pre-made and available in the refrigerated aisle at the local grocery store. I think the best way to describe these treats is halfway homemade. What is halfway homemade? It is when you start with something store bought (like the dough) then turn it into something that has an element of homemade.
I started with a sleeve of sugar cookie dough and turned that into these adorable cookies. I love these easy rainbow shaped cookies because they are quick to do in a short amount of time. They are perfect for a birthday party, a Saint Patrick’s Day treat or really any occasion.
BUT BEFORE WE MAKE THESE COOKIES – LOOK AT ALL OF THE OTHER RAINBOW DESSERTS!
More Unicorn and Rainbow Dessert Ideas
There are so many awesome ways to celebrate with sweet treats using the unicorn and rainbow magical themes. Here are some of my favorites that are all tried and true in this house. They are all here on the blog with recipes, tips and tricks.
Unicorn Candy Bark – Super easy and so adorable too. This has a free printable tag.
Rainbow Layered Cake – Get all the tips and tricks to successfully bake a rainbow cake.
Rainbow Cake Stacks – This has a super fun free printable too.
Unicorn with Hidden Sprinkles Cupcakes – Sprinkles in the hidden cavity make these cupcakes full of surprises.
Rainbow Shaped Cookies – This is an easy peasy recipe for last minute baking.
Sugar Sprinkle Drop Cookies – I LOVE this as a super last minute go-to recipe for all the things.
Be sure to share this post and pin it for later. It is full of so many SWEET ideas.
Ingredients and Supplies Needed for Rainbow Cookies
This recipe is really flexible. While I used the cookie dough from the refrigerator aisle at the store, you could also use a box mix or even a homemade recipe.
- Sugar Cookie Dough
- White Frosting
- Rainbow Colored Candies
- Cookie Sheet (I like the oversized one from Wilton best.)
Directions to Make Halfway Homemade Rainbow Shaped Cookies
Start by making ball sized cookies but roll the dough and shape into an arch like a rainbow on the cookie sheet. I love the giant sized cookie sheet from Wilton (Mega Size 15 x 21 inches) because it fits a whole batch at once. This makes sure that the cookies all bake evenly.
Bake as instructed and let cool. One the cookies are totally cool, they are ready to decorate. You can decorate on the cookie sheet or remove the rainbow shaped cookies and do it on a countertop or large cutting board. The cookies should be cooled at room temperature for at least an hour. To speed the process up, the cookies could be placed in the refrigerator for a bit of time, if your cookie sheet fits. It is best to not remove the cookies from the sheet until they are cooled.
If you are doing this activity with a group of kids, it works best to put two or three cookies on a paper plate for each kiddo. If the kids are really young, one cookie is best. To make frosting bags, fill a ziploc up and close it. Cut a corner in the bottom and let them use this to decorate the clouds and such. This keeps them organized and accountable for their own baked delights. It also makes an easy way to cover the plates with saran wrap to send the rainbow shaped cookies home.
If your cookies come out of the oven and the bottoms have joined from the dough spreading out, just gently slice the center and separate the sides while the cookies are still hot. It works best if the dough is chilled before going into the oven. The warmer the dough going in, the more likely that it will spread on the sheet during the baking process. I have found that the pouch of cookie mix works better at high altitude (in Colorado) than the refrigerator dough.
Craft Ideas to go with the Cookies
If you are looking for crafts with rainbows, here you go!
Rainbow Table Covers (Great for Parties) – This is such a FUN way to decorate for younger troops. Make the clouds on butcher paper with 3D paint ahead of time. It takes hours to dry. Then have crayons available to add rainbows between clouds.
Rainbow Button Cloud Pillow – These are a fun little craft that could be made at a meeting.
Stacked Felt Rainbow – I love this idea as a craft to make after the ceremony while celebrating.
Rainbow Wands – These are super fun and easy to make. What a fun way to celebrate by waving these wands.
Rainbow Pom-Pom Garland – So exciting to make and fun to use to decorate…
Felt Garland Craft – This one is awesome for kids to make. It is part of a rainbow sprinkle party to take on the go.
How to Frost Rainbow Shaped Cookies
Some of the frosting you can buy in the grocery store is perfect for the next step. The brand Wilton has an icing that comes in a pouch that also has tips you can buy to fit it. The four tip pack includes the following four: round, star, leaf and petal. This is what I think works best for quick baked treats that are adorable like these cookies. I like the star tip for the clouds on these cookies.
Next, add six little dollops of frosting to attach the rainbow colored candies to the cookies.
Add the candies to the dollops in rainbow order.
Aren’t they so dang adorable. There are just as yummy as they are cute.
Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies
Grab the recipe to make these adorable rainbow sprinkle sugar cookies too. They are equally as easy and adorable and YUMMY!
Free Rainbow Printable
YUM! Here is a super fun little game printable that you can download to give to your kiddos to do while they snack. You can grab it HERE and download it to complete.
Cheers to RAINBOW SHAPED COOKIES and Celebrations,
Laura
I like that you can save time using pre-made dough for making your cute cookies! I’m featuring you at this week’s #HomeMattersParty. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! Thank you so much!
These are so cute! Thanks for sharing on Happiness is Homemade! Hope to see you over at Crafty Creators!
Niki | Life as a LEO Wife
These are just so cute, they are a feature over at Handmade Monday this week 🙂