Sugar cookie cups are one of those easy little treats that look like you spent way more time on them than you actually did. They are soft, sweet, colorful, and perfect for almost any celebration. Make them for your next holiday treat, whether you are going patriotic with red, white, and blue, planning a gender reveal with pink and blue, or dressing them up in red and green for Christmas.

Sugar Cookie Cups for Patriotic Holidays

My first version of this post had red and blue frosting with red and blue sprinkles, but the sprinkles just did not pop the way I wanted them to. When I came back and updated the post, I switched the look to white icing with red and blue sprinkles. The contrast is brighter, cleaner, and much easier to see on a dessert table. You will still see the red and blue frosting option in the recipe below if you want to make them that way.

Fun fact: sugar cookies have been around in America since at least the 1700s, and they became especially popular because they are simple to flavor, shape, and decorate. Turning them into little cups makes them even more party-friendly because every bite already has a built-in spot for frosting, sprinkles, candies, or even a tiny scoop of filling.

Why You’ll Love These Cookie Cups

These little cookie cups are great for parties because they are easy to grab, easy to decorate, and easy to customize. You do not need perfect piping skills, and you do not have to make every cup match. In fact, a mix of colors and sprinkles can make the whole tray look more festive.

Need a Color Theme?

Just dye white frosting to match your themed party and choose sprinkles, mini candies, or chocolate chips to add on top. Having a gender reveal party? Use blue and pink frosting with white chocolate chips or pearl sprinkles. Hosting a birthday party? Match the frosting to the party colors. The possibilities for sugar cookie cups are endless.

Tip: If you are making multiple colors of frosting, start with vanilla or white frosting and divide it into small bowls. Add food coloring a drop at a time, stirring well between drops. It is much easier to darken a color than it is to lighten one that went too far.

How About Sugar Cookie Cups for Christmas?

Dye the frosting green and red and make a batch of both. You could also tint the cookie dough and frost each cup with the opposite color. Try red cookie cups with green frosting, green cookie cups with white frosting, or classic sugar cookie cups topped with crushed peppermint, holiday sprinkles, or mini chocolate chips.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Sugar Cookie Cups

• Use a mini muffin pan so the cups bake into the perfect bite-size shape.
• Lightly grease the pan or use baking spray to help the cookie cups release cleanly.
• Press the dough gently into each cup, but do not pack it too tightly. The dough needs a little room to puff as it bakes.
• If the centers rise too much, press them down gently while the cookies are still warm using the back of a spoon or the rounded end of a small kitchen tool.
• Let the cookie cups cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing them. Moving them too soon can cause cracking.
• Wait until the cookie cups are completely cool before adding frosting so the icing does not melt.

Decorating Ideas

For patriotic holidays, white frosting with red and blue sprinkles is bright and classic. You can also add star-shaped sprinkles, edible glitter, or tiny red and blue candies. For birthdays, match the frosting colors to balloons, napkins, or party plates. For baby showers, soft pastel frosting and white sprinkles keep the look sweet and simple.

Trick: If you want the tops to look extra neat, put the frosting in a zip-top bag, snip off one small corner, and swirl it into the center of each cookie cup. No fancy piping bag needed.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

You can bake the cookie cups ahead of time and decorate them later. Store the cooled, unfrosted cookie cups in an airtight container at room temperature. Frost them the day you plan to serve them for the freshest look. If you need to stack them, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between layers.

Another helpful tip: keep decorated cookie cups covered until serving so the frosting does not dry out. If your kitchen is warm, chill them briefly before transporting them, then let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

ITEMS/INGREDIENTS USED IN RECIPE – Hey, if you like any of the items I may have used (or are similar to the items I used) in making this recipe, I have listed some of them below. NOTE: These links are affiliate links of which I receive a small commission from the sale of certain item. This does not affect your price, it remains the same.

• Mini Muffin Pan
• Cutting Boards
• Knives
• Mixing Bowls
• Icing Bottles

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Rock on!

~Bobbi

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Sugar Cookie Cups

Make the sugar cookie cups for your next holiday treat. Could be patriotic, like these, or color themed for gender reveal, or red and green for Christmas.

Course Dessert, Snack, snacks

Cuisine American

Keyword fourth of july cookie cups, how to make sugar cookie cups, pillsbury sugar cookie cups, sugar cookie bowls, sugar cookie cups with frosting

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 9 minutes minutes

Cool 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 54 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookie cups

Calories 152kcal

Equipment

• Mini Muffin Tin

Ingredients

• 16.5 Oz Pillsbury Cookie Dough Pkg
• 13.5 Oz Pillsbury Frosting Tub
• Jar Red Sprinkles
• Jar Blue Sprinkles

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° (or follow instructions on package). Spray the cupcake pan with cooking spray.
  
• Slice the cookie dough about 1/4 " – 1/2" slices. Then cut the slice in half. I ended up with some extra dough. I ate it…took one for the team there. Now, roll your half in a ball.
  
• Place the balls in the cupcake pan.
  
• Find something to smash the balls to create a “cup”. I used a juicer. Doesn’t have to be fancy…or even with a design, it will probably bake out. (See mine) Spray your utensil with cooking spray or use flour and go slow so you don’t pull the dough out of the cup or so the dough doesn’t stick.
  
• Bake for 9 minutes depending on your oven. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes.
  
• After the cookies cool, fill with frosting. If you don't have a handy dandy frosting applicator like I do, you can put your frosting in a baggie and cut the corner, then just squeeze. Here's mine.
  
• After all cookies are filled, sprinkle with you choice of sprinkles. **See updated post to see the different colors I used this time**
  

Notes

ITEMS/INGREDIENTS USED IN RECIPE – If you are interested in any of the items I may have used (or are similar to the items I used) in making this recipe, I have listed all or some of them above within the post. NOTE: These links are affiliate links of which I receive a small commission from the sale of certain item. This does not affect your price, it remains the same.

Feel free to change cookie flavor, frosting and color and even the sprinkles. Totally customizable.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg