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Easy Tie Dye Rainbow Sugar Cookies

Rainbow sugar cookies! A fun, colorful, kid-friendly treat for spring, summer, or St. Patrick’s Day.

By Danielle Aldorasi March 16, 2026

Bright, colorful, and almost too pretty to eat, these Tie Dye Rainbow Sugar Cookies are a fun treat kids will love to help make. By combining small pieces of vibrant dough, each cookie bakes into a unique swirl of rainbow colors, no two cookies turn out the same.

These cheerful cookies are perfect for spring celebrations, classroom parties, summer playdates, or anytime you want to add a little extra color to your baking. They’re also a festive treat for rainbow-themed celebrations or holidays where a little luck and color are part of the fun.


Tie Dye Rainbow Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks - softened)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cups flour (substitute 1:1 GF flour if you want to make this treat gluten free)
  • Food Coloring (you will need the primary colors and can mix accordingly to get the remaining colors)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  2. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until well combined.
  3. Lower the speed and add the egg and vanilla extract. Scrape down the bowl at least once and mix until fully incorporated.
  4. Add the flour and baking soda, mixing on low-medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
  5. Divide the dough evenly into 6 bowls.
  6. Add the food coloring to each one of the bowls to create red, orange, yellow, green, blue & purple. Mix food coloring and dough until well combined.
  7. Using a 1/2 teaspoon scoop dough from each of the 6 bowls and then gently roll the colors into one ball. This should come together easily, do not over roll as you want to avoid colors mixing too much.
  8. Space the dough about 2 inches apart and the dough will flatten as they bake.
  9. Bake for 11-12 minutes.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. 

Kid Tip: Let kids help mix the food coloring into the dough and roll the rainbow balls together. Don’t overmix the colors, the more separated they stay, the better the tie-dye swirl will look once baked!