Easy Graduation Cap Cookies (Printable)

Crisp buttery cookies decorated with smooth royal icing and festive tassels celebrate graduation.

# Ingredient List:

→ Cookies

01 - 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
04 - 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Royal Icing

08 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 2 large egg whites or 4 tablespoons meringue powder plus 6 tablespoons water
10 - 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - Black gel food coloring
12 - Yellow gel food coloring

→ Decoration

13 - Mini yellow M&Ms or candy pearls for tassels

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
02 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Add egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, mixing until fully combined.
04 - Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until dough forms completely.
05 - Divide dough in half, shape each portion into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 0.25 inch thickness. Cut shapes using a graduation cap or square cookie cutter.
08 - Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are golden. Cool completely.
09 - In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Alternatively, combine meringue powder and water and beat until foamy.
10 - Gradually add powdered sugar to egg whites while beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, approximately 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract.
11 - Divide royal icing into portions. Tint the majority black with gel food coloring and reserve a smaller portion for yellow coloring.
12 - Modify icing consistency by adding water by the teaspoon for flooding or additional sugar for piping as needed.
13 - Using a piping bag, outline each cooled cookie with black royal icing. Spread flooding icing to edges using a toothpick. Allow 30-60 minutes for setting.
14 - Pipe yellow royal icing tassel and button details on each graduation cap design.
15 - Place a mini M&M or candy pearl at the end of each tassel.
16 - Allow cookies to dry thoroughly before serving or packaging, several hours or overnight recommended.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough is forgiving and actually enjoyable to work with, unlike some sugar cookie recipes that fight you every step.
  • Decorating becomes meditative rather than stressful, especially when you realize imperfect caps somehow look more charming.
  • They taste incredible days later, staying crispy on the outside while the icing sets into this satisfying snap.
02 -
  • Room temperature butter is everything—cold butter won't cream properly no matter how long you beat it, and your cookies will suffer for it.
  • Gel food coloring is worth seeking out because liquid coloring will water down your royal icing and make it impossible to work with cleanly.
  • Don't decorate cookies while they're still slightly warm because the icing won't set properly and will slide right off the edges.
03 -
  • Bake all your cookies two days ahead and store them in an airtight container, then decorate the next day when you're fresh and have time to let icing dry without rushing.
  • If decorating feels overwhelming, use store-bought royal icing—there's no shame in this, and it often sets faster and more consistently than homemade.
  • Practice your piping on a spare piece of parchment first; a few test tassels calm your nerves and warm up your hand before you decorate the actual cookies.
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