Easy Graduation Cap Cookies (Printable Format)

Crisp, buttery sugar cookies with smooth royal icing shaped like graduation caps.

# What's Needed:

→ For the Cookies

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ For the Royal Icing

08 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 2 large egg whites or 4 tablespoons meringue powder plus 6 tablespoons water
10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - Black gel food coloring
12 - Yellow gel food coloring

→ For Decoration

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

# How To Make It:

01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Gradually incorporate flour mixture, stirring until dough forms. Divide dough in half, shape into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut shapes using a graduation cap or square cookie cutter. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool completely on baking sheets.
03 - In a clean bowl, beat egg whites or meringue powder mixture until foamy. Gradually add powdered sugar while beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, approximately 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. Divide icing into two portions: tint the larger portion black and the smaller portion yellow using gel food coloring. Adjust consistency by adding water by the teaspoon for flooding or additional sugar for piping.
04 - Outline and flood each cooled cookie with black royal icing, using a toothpick to spread toward edges. Allow 30-60 minutes to set. Pipe yellow tassel and button details onto each cap using yellow royal icing. Position a mini M&M or candy pearl at the end of each tassel. Allow cookies to dry completely, several hours or overnight, before serving or packaging.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These cookies are crisp and buttery on the inside while delivering that satisfying snap you crave, and the royal icing creates a professional-looking finish that honestly makes you feel like a pastry chef.
  • People genuinely think you spent hours on these, but the actual hands-on time is surprisingly minimal, especially if you bake the cookies ahead and decorate the next day when you're fresh.
02 -
  • Royal icing consistency is everything, and the difference between outline icing (thicker, for piping clean lines) and flood icing (thinner, for filling) is just a teaspoon or two of water, so start conservatively and adjust as you go.
  • If your icing is too thin, it'll run off the cookie, but if it's too thick, your piping bag will feel like you're squeezing concrete, so having both textures on hand means you can switch between them without stress.
03 -
  • Keep your piping bags fitted with different tips and pre-filled with both black and yellow icing so you can switch between them without stopping to refill, which speeds up the decorating process immensely.
  • If royal icing starts to dry out while you're decorating, cover it loosely with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and it'll stay workable for hours, preventing waste and frustration.
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