Name: Back-to-School Alphabet Sugar Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 egg; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon almond extract; 2¾ cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup butter; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon almond extract; 2½-3 cups powdered sugar; food coloring

Our Back-to-School Alphabet Sugar Cookies are soft, chewy, and have just a hint of almond flavor. They never lose their shape when cooked and they're topped with a fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting - a great way to start your school year off on the right foot.

‘Tis the season for school! We wanted to start a fun tradition for our family, and these alphabet sugar cookies seemed like the perfect fit.

Soft and chewy with just a hint of almond, they won’t lose their shape when cooked (even when they’re thin letters). We topped them with our favorite fluffy vanilla buttercream and they were a hit all around.

How to make alphabet sugar cookies

We are big sugar cookie fans over here, so I took one of our most-popular sugar cookie recipes and adapted to make it a little more cut-out friendly. Then I added some almond extract because I think it makes every sugar cookie taste better (you could always leave that out).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer (if you don’t have one, you could use a hand mixer and lot of arm strength), cream together butter and sugar. Add in egg and extracts.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour and baking soda. Gradually add in flour to the butter mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Be careful not to over mix.

Remove the dough and roll it into a ball, then roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/4″ thick, then cut into desired shapes (we did the alphabet for back to school).

We got our cookie cutters from World Market (unfortunately they don’t sell them anymore), but we found similar ones here and we love these smaller letters, too.

Place cookies on a parchment lined (or using a silicone baking mat) baking sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes (this will help them keep their shape).

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until bottoms start to turn slightly golden. Let sit for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

This recipe will make about 36 cookies, but it will make more or less depending on what size cookie cutter you use.

How to make vanilla buttercream frosting

I used one of our very first frosting recipes and added exchanged some of the vanilla extract for a little almond extract (you could just use all vanilla if you’re not a fan). It turns out perfectly every time.

In a stand mixer, whip butter for 3-4 minutes. Don’t skip this part! Whipping it for this long is what makes it a fluffier buttercream. The butter will lighten and get incredibly creamy (you can see it pictured above).

Scrape down the sides as you go. Turn down the speed and add in vanilla extract and almond extract.

Gradually add in powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup at a time) until it reaches your desired consistency. Add food coloring. I placed my frosting in 3 separate bowls and colored each bowl individually.

Pipe frosting (this is the tool I used) onto cookies once they’ve cooled and serve.

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Related recipe: Love these cute, colorful cookies? You’ll love our Mini Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza, too!

Looking for more Back to School Ideas? Check these out:

Serves: 36 cookies