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These Fall Leaf Cut Out Cookies are a fun way to celebrate the coming of fall. Colorful cookie dough and sanding sugar makes these a pretty cookie to enjoy all Fall season.
Fall Leaf Cut Out Cookies
I sure love the Fall season and all the delicious comfort food that comes with it. These fall leaf cut out cookies are such a fun cookie to add to your cookie plate during the cooler weather. The marbled colorful dough is an extra step to these cookies but it’s well worth it! They make a great fall gift.
The flavor of these fall leaf cut out cookies are a cross between a sugar cookie and a short bread cookie. The sugar cookie recipe is our family favorite recipe that we use all the time. It is not a super sweet cookie dough as we typically top it with a delicious buttercream frosting. If you prefer a sweeter cookie base you can add a 1/4 cup more sugar, use a store bought sugar cookie mix, or your favorite homemade version.
How to make these Fall Leaf Cut Out Cookies
- Mix your sugar cookie dough and separate into four different bowls. Add a couple drops off food coloring into your cookie dough batter. I used the colors, yellow, orange, green and red.
- Add dollops of colored sugar cookie dough next to each other and roll out as you would normally. Don’t over roll or your cookie dough will become one solid brown color.
- Using different leaf cookie cutters, cut out various leaf shapes.
- Using a small pairing knife make leaf “veins” in the raw dough and sprinkle with a small amount of gold sanding sugar before baking.
For more delicious cookie recipes try these:
The Perfect Sugar Cookie for Cutouts
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar you can add 1/4-1/2 cup additional sugar for cookies not being topped with icing but I personally don't think it's necessary
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch can lower to 1/4 cup for a slightly softer cookies
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cream together butter, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer with paddle attachment.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add flour, cornstarch, and nutmeg. Mix on low until fully incorporated. Pop in refrigerator for 30 minutes if needed.
- Use a rolling pin to roll all of the cookie dough out to a thickness of 1⁄4 - 1/2 inch on a lightly floured surface. Cut cookie dough into desired shapes using your favorite cookie cutters.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes (depending on thickness) or until edges are very lightly browned. Do not overbake.
Notes
Linda says
The BEST cookies to put out for Thanksgiving. My second year of making these and I will continue to make every year. You can make these OVER A MONTH in advance and freeze (in ziplock bags) – take right out of freezer onto pretty serving tray and they are as good as when you first made them. One less thing to worry about. Tips: make the orange or yellow and red dough as per recipe. Make the green dough SEPARATELY and bake green cookies. Since you have to reroll the dough several times, the green food coloring would otherwise turn the cookies a nasty brown, so bake the green by itself. Also, do not wait until you see brown on the edges before you take them out of the oven. You’ve waited too long and cookies will be overcooked. Wonderful, gorgeous holiday cookies. Oh, and sprinkle with large crystal sugar before baking.
Linda says
Gorgeous cookies for Thanksgiving tray! I did not use green food coloring (to prevent that brown color), just yellow, orange, and red and they are so beautiful. Couple things I lesrned: Like the recipe says, take out of oven BEFORE they brown. You won’t think they’re cooked but they harden up when cooled. Use the fridge to make cutting out leaves much h easier. For my Thanksgiving buffet table, I’m putting these cookies out with Hershey Kisses Acorn Treats. So easy but, more importantly, so stinkin’ CUTE and festive for the fall!! 😄
Donna says
These cookies came out so pretty. I sprinkled coarse clear sugar crystals on before baking.They were fun to make and taste good too.
Chris Van says
Grandchildren and I had fun making them. Couldn’t find my leaf cutter so used what we had.
Anna says
These cookies are absolutely adorable! Thank you for the recipe!
Natalie says
These are the prettiest cookies!! They look so real! I bet they taste delicious, too!
Ashley F says
These are perfect! My kids are going to love to be in the kitchen and help me make these!
Melissa says
Wow – these cookies are beautiful and so yummy! I’m making them again this weekend!
Valerie says
Your fall leaf cookies look beautiful! They’d be perfect for entertaining. They’re almost too pretty to eat, but they’re not because obviously, cookies LOL.
Kate says
Could cream cheese work instead of sour cream? Thanks!
Laura Reese says
These cookies are amazing. I love them so much.
Julia F says
What a fun project! I love recipes that involve some creativity! Thank you for sharing.
Natasha says
So beautiful with the fall colors yet so simplistic!
Suzy says
These are seriously the cutest cookies ever! I love the fall season just as much!
Chelsea says
These cookies are AMAZING and sooo fun and festive! Thanks for sharing!
Brenda says
Hi, I love the look of these autumn leaf cookies too. To get the darker colors, it depends on the brand of food coloring that you are using. If you are not using the gel food coloring type, you should give them a try. You can purchases them at Joann Fabrics or Michael’s or Walmart, and on line too. the gels are more condensed colors. the more you uses the darker the dough will be. They also have low moisture so they will not add additional moisture into your recipe.
Sherli says
Hi, your cookies are adorable! I tried them and they are pretty but look more pastel after baking . May I ask if you used a lot of food coloring? Thanks for your help. Sherli
Kim Goodman says
I was wondering the same!!! Hope she answers…
Katie says
I have found that Wilton Gel Food Coloring are more vibrant and work best for baking however, you can still use the regular food coloring, but yes you will need to add enough to make it bright!
Katie says
I have found that Wilton Gel Food Coloring are more vibrant and work best for baking however, you can still use the regular food coloring, but yes you will need to add enough to make it bright!