Shamrock Cookies
Shamrock St Patrick’s Day cookies are cut-out sugar cookies in the shape of shamrocks. They are dipped in chocolate and garnished with green sprinkles!
Who here likes a classic cut-out sugar cookie? I certainly do for the primary reason that it is adaptable to any holiday. For St. Patrick’s Day I used my shamrock cookie cutter and green sprinkles for a festive treat! I wanted to keep things nice and simple for these sugar cookies.
I used my go-to sugar cookie recipe, which requires no chilling the dough. No time in the fridge means the cookies are ready to eat sooner! I like this sugar cookie recipe because it calls for confectioners’ sugar. It makes an ultra smooth dough and a melt-in-your-mouth cookie. When Halloween comes around, I use this same recipe for my cut out pumpkin cookies!
How to make shamrock cookies
Shamrock cookies are made with sugar cookie dough and green sprinkles. Sugar cookie dough ingredients include the following:
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.
Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface and roll the dough out until 1/4-inch thick. Use a shamrock cookie cutter to cut the dough. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 400 F for 8 minutes.
Cookies are done when set. There should be no spreading with this recipe. The edges might be very light golden. Prepare the melted chocolate and sprinkles for decorating.
Where to buy shamrock cookie cutter
I found my shamrock cookie cutter at a local chef store, but they also pop up in larger stores near St. Patrick’s Day. Try Target or Williams Sonoma. Shamrock cookie cutters can also be found online. Amazon has the exact same model I own. You can find it here.
How to decorate shamrock cookies
You can decorate shamrock cookies with green sprinkles. I used nonpareils, but green sugar sprinkles and mini shamrock sprinkles work well too. Royal icing is another option, which is how I decorate my snowflake cookies.
I also like melting chocolate and dipping cookies in chocolate. It helps sprinkles stick better. See more tips for melting chocolate.
How to store sugar cookies
Sugar cookies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Baked cookies make also be frozen for up to a month.
Sugar cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost dough in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature, rolling and baking. For more tips on sugar cookies, check out my recipe for easy cut-out sugar cookies.
Desserts for St. Patrick’s Day
If you’re baking for St. Patrick’s Day, try these dessert recipes!
If you’re looking for an easy dessert recipe for St. Patrick’s Day, this is it. Sometimes I skip the chocolate and just add green sprinkles to the cookies before baking. Get your apron and rolling pin out and start baking these shamrock sugar cookies!
Be sure to tag @ifyougiveablondeakitchen if you make these cookies so I can see your baking creation. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Get the Recipe: Shamrock St Patrick’s Day Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (312 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (two sticks or 226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cup (165 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract , (or almond if preferred)
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon shortening
- ¼ cup green sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together softened butter and confectioners’ sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape down sides as necessary.
- With mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture to the bowl. The dough is ready when most of it sticks to the paddle. When touched it, it has a little give, but does not stick to fingers.
- Flour the work surface and roll dough to about 1/4 inch thick, using flour for dusting as necessary. Use a shamrock cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Place cookies on prepared baking sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Gather up scraps and reroll dough. Repeat until no dough remains.
- In a double boiler (or a makeshift one), melt chocolate with shortening (see tips for melting chocolate here). Dip half of the cookie in the chocolate and place on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet (to catch the drips and sprinkles). Immediately add the green sprinkles on the chocolate. Wait for chocolate to set and then enjoy!
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
19 Comments on “Shamrock Cookies”
So delicious looking cookies. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.
How cute are these cookies?! They look delicious – my kids would LOVE them!
These shamrock sugar cookies look AMAZING!! Your pics are so bright and beautiful. I love a good roll out sugar cookie, although my recipe requires some time in the fridge. I’ll be trying your recipe soon.
These are such a fun and festive treat. I love the idea of using confectioners sugar instead of regular sugar for a smoother dough as well!
This cookies are so cute! what a great idea for St. Patricks day, and so easy to put together, a sure winner with kids and adults alike
These cookies are perfect!! I think I get my love of sugar cookies from my grandmother. She loved them and although at the time, I wanted chocolate cookies, they grew on me. Now, I can’t eat a sugar cookie without thinking of her. Your shamrock cookies are so fun and delicious looking, especially with the chocolate and sprinkles. It’s a win-win in my book and I look forward to making them.
I love how simply you decorated these cookies – and I’m impressed with how clean your edges are on these shamrock cutouts. Great recipe!
These are so cute! I love chocolate-dipped sugar cookies. And I agree with you about almond extract. I used to not like it as a kid, but the older I get, the more I enjoy it in baked goods!
Totally pinning these shamrock cookies! They’re so cute and perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!
I wonder how these would taste with a little mint extract in the chocolate dip? Ooooh.
Very good, I believe! Try 1/4 teaspoon and let me know how it turns out 🙂
Looking for an item to bring to my Irish family reunion. This is perfect!
I don’t have a mixer??? Can I still make these ??
Hi Sharon – Yes, you can try to make these without a mixer. Be sure to mix the butter and sugar really well. Room temperature ingredients work best.
Thank you for this great recipe. They turned out amazing and my family loves them. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
These are pretty good, but be sure to use UNSALTED butter, as the recipe says. I always use salted butter for cooking and baking and have never had an issue, but these were much too salty. I salvaged them by dipping the entire cookie in chocolate.
Hi. Tried the cookies today & while they were delicious I found they puffed in the oven & lost the shamrock shape. Any thoughts why?? Thank you!
Hi! I’m no expert, but perhaps you rolled the dough a little to thick making them puff up as they baked in the oven. Good to hear they were still delicoius! ☘️