These fun and colorful football cookies are a game day must, no matter which team you are rooting for. Decorated to resemble a football stadium filled with thousands of cheering fans, these cookies are not only delicious, but they are something any aspiring cookie decorator can make. No hall of fame status required! Just follow my step-by-step photos and recipes, and you can bring these sweet treats to your next tailgate or homecoming celebration.
Everyone will love these touchdown-worthy cookies. Here's why!
Decorated cookies are kind of my "thing."
I've decorated thousands of cookies over the years. Most have been for theme parties, holidays, or special events, but 100 of those designs were for my cookbook: 100 Best Decorated Cookies. Creating colorful and fun new designs....and teaching YOU how to create them, too, if one of my favorite pastimes.
Did I mention they're colorful?
While there is a great argument for bringing a football-shaped cookie to a football-themed event, these are a little more fun and whimsical....and they are certainly more colorful. Plus, the rainbow non-pareil sprinkles are always a big hit with kids
You can make these (promise!)
I know, I know. I get very "rah rah" when it comes to convincing you that you, too, can decorate cookies. But that's kind of my job. And I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't provide you with the tools to guide you along your football cookie decorating journey. Below are step-by-step photos, instructions, a video tutorial, and links to my go-to sugar cookie and royal icing recipes to help you. You've got this!
Ingredients and special tools
Football cookie ingredients
- One recipe Vanilla Orange Sugar Cookies dough
- One recipe Royal Icing for Decorating Cookies
- Lemon juice: for thinning royal icing: Feel free to substitute a different flavoring and water instead. Read my Royal Icing recipe for suggested. flavor variations.
- Green and yellow gel paste food coloring
- Round rainbow sprinkles or "non-pareils": Don't substitute regular long rainbow sprinkles or "jimmies," as they won't look like a crowd of fans in the stands.
Football cookie special tools
To learn more about each of these tools, read my post about royal icing
- 3-½ to 4 inch round cookie cutter
- Piping bags
- Couplers
- Piping tips: #2 and #3 round tips
- Squeeze bottle
Step by step photos and instructions
- Cut out and bake 3-½ to 4 inchround sugar cookies according to the instructions in my Vanilla Orange Sugar Cookies recipe.
- Prepare one batch of my Royal Icing Recipe for Cookie Decorating.
3. Place one cup of icing into each of two small bowls. Tint one yellow and leave the other one white. Using lemon juice, thin the icings only slightly, so that they are less stiff but still not runny and will hold their shape when piped. Transfer the yellow icing to a piping bag fitted with a coupler and a #3 round tip. Transfer the white icing to a piping bag fitted with a coupler and a #2 round tip.
4. Divide the remaining icing into two bowls. Color one green and leave the other one white. Using lemon juice, thin the icings to "two step" consistency (see post for Royal Icing for Cookie Decorating) and carefully transfer each color to a squeeze bottle. Top each bottle with a coupler. Place a #3 round tip on top of each bottle.
5. Using the white icing in the squeeze bottle, pipe and fill half of one of the round cookies, creating a semicircle shape.
6. While icing is still wet, sprinkle the top with the rainbow colored non-pareils, filling the white surface completely and gently shaking off extras. Repeat with remaining cookies.
7. Using green icing, pipe and fill the remaining semicircular area of each cookie. Allow the icings to set for at least one hour.
8. Using the white icing in the piping bag, pipe 5 evenly spaced field lines, with the center line perpendicular to the yellow line and the four side lines slightly slanted, as in the photo.
9. Pipe a "5" and a "0" on either side of the center line to represent the 50 yard line.
10. Using yellow icing, pipe a line down the center of each cookie, diving the rainbow colored "crowd" from the green "field." Allow cookies to dry at least 5 hours or overnight.
Video tutorial: Watch these football cookies take shape!
Troubleshooting
For party favors or shipping, wrap cookies individually in clear cellophane bags tied at the top with a ribbon or twist tie or sealed with tape. You can find these bags at craft stores. sold in sets of 10 to 100.
When shipping cookies, do not overcrowd the box. Package cookies in layers and separate them with tissue paper for cushioning. Make sure the box is sturdy enough to withstand any accidental bang ups!
If you don't have a round cookie cutter of the correct size, you can use the rim of a drinking glass. Dip the rim of the glass in flour, so that it doesn't stick, an invert it onto the rolled out cookie dough, pressing firmly to cut out your shape.
Tiny air bubbles are common in freshly mixed icing because of the whipping motion used to make it. To prevent the bubbles, let freshly mixed icing rest for 10 minutes before tinting, or mix the icing on very low speed for a few minutes to coax out the air bubbles. If bubbles are still visible on the surface of your cookie after flooding, pop them with the tip of a toothpick or a clean needle.
Want to try your hand at some more delicious and colorful decorated cookies? Here are some of my favorites!
Tried this recipe and loved it? Take a photo and tag me on Instagram or give it a review!
Football Cookies
Equipment
- 1 3½ to 4 inch round cookie cutter
- 2 squeeze bottles
- 2 piping bags
- 4 sets of couplers (see Ingredient and Equipment list, above)
- #2 and #3 round piping tips
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Vanilla Orange Sugar Cookie dough
- 1 recipe Royal Icing for Decorating Cookies
- Green and yellow gel paste food coloring (see Ingredient and Equipment list, above)
- lemon juice
- 1½ cups rainbow non-pareil sprinkles
Instructions
- Cut out and bake round sugar cookies according to the instructions in my Vanilla Orange Sugar Cookies recipe.
- Prepare one batch of my Royal Icing Recipe for Cookie Decorating.
- Place one cup of icing into each of two small bowls. Tint one yellow and leave the other one white. Using lemon juice, thin the icings only slightly to piping consistency, so that they are less stiff but still not runny and will hold their shape when piped. Transfer the yellow icing to a piping bag fitted with a coupler and a #3 round tip. Transfer the white icing to a piping bag fitted with a couple and a #2 round tip.
- Divide the remaining icing into two bowls. Color one green and leave the other one white. Using lemon juice, thin the icings to "two step" consistency (see post for Royal Icing for Cookie Decorating) and carefully transfer each color to a squeeze bottle. Top each bottle with a coupler. Place a #3 round tip on top of each bottle.
- Using the white icing in the squeeze bottle, pipe and fill half of one of the round cookies, creating a semicircle shape. While icing is still wet, sprinkle the top with the rainbow colored non-pareils, filling the white surface completely and gently shaking off extras. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Using green icing, pipe and fill the remaining semicircular area of each cookie. Allow the icings to set for at least one hour.
- Using the white icing in the piping bag, pipe 5 evenly spaced field lines, with the center line perpendicular to the yellow line and the four side lines slightly slanted, as in the photo.
- Pipe a "5" and a "0" on either side of the center line to represent the 50 yard line.
- Using yellow icing, pipe a line down the center of each cookie, diving the rainbow colored "crowd" from the green "field." Allow cookies to dry at least 5 hours or overnight.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to refer to my post on Royal Icing for Decorated Cookies for detailed information on icing consistencies, decorating tools, and ingredients.
- This recipe makes a large amount of cookies. If you don't need quite so many, you can halve the recipe both my Vanilla Orange Sugar Cookie dough and my Royal Icing.
StaceySnacks
What a great idea!
Sara
Congrats to Mandy! These look great.
Lo!
Congrats, Mandy!
What a cute superbowl idea!
The Duo Dishes
Nice job to Mandy!
Blond Duck
Those are so cute! I can't wait to see what other shapes you can create with those.
Sara
This is so cute! It sounds delicious too.
Tracy
What a great idea, I am going to have to steal that idea.
PaniniKathy
Many congrats to Mandy, these are just too cute!! 🙂
Marcie
Wow! Congrats, Mandy! What a neat idea, along with all the others on your blog! I will definitely take some notes. I have to say, I am a little envious of that Sam's card...
Thanks for hosting such a cool contest, Julie!
shannon abdollmohammadi
How cute is that!!!!! Julie, you are so amazing with all your fun and delicious ideas!!!
shannon abdollmohammadi
Mandy Heaston
I am BEYOND excited about this!!! I love Sams Club almost as much as I love cooking!! THANK YOU!
Karen
Congratulations, Mandy! Off to read the recipe...