Decorated sugar cookies are one of those treats that instantly make a summer party table look more fun. They’re colorful, cute, easy to customize, and perfect for birthdays, pool parties, BBQs, beach days, picnics, and backyard get-togethers. Make one design for a small party, or mix several together for a bright summer cookie platter everyone will want to grab first.

The basic sugar cookie dough and royal icing recipes I use are at the end, so you can use the same base for every design. You can also find lots of fun cookie cutters at Dollar Tree, Walmart, Target, Amazon, and most grocery stores during summer!

1. Watermelon Slice Sugar Cookies

These bright watermelon cookies are perfect for summer parties because they look colorful, fresh, and fun on a dessert table. The triangle shape is simple, and the design is easy even for beginners.

Ingredients

• Triangle sugar cookies
• Bright pink royal icing
• Green royal icing
• White royal icing
• Dark brown or black royal icing for seeds

Directions

1. Bake triangle-shaped sugar cookies and let them cool completely.
2. Pipe and fill the center with bright watermelon pink icing.
3. Add a thin white icing line near the outer edge for the rind.
4. Pipe green icing along the outside edge.
5. Add a few small dark seed details on the pink section.
6. Let the icing dry before serving.

2. Lemon Slice Sugar Cookies

These lemon slice cookies look fresh and cheerful. They’re great for lemonade parties, brunches, baby showers, and summer dessert trays.

Ingredients

• Round sugar cookies
• Yellow royal icing
• White royal icing
• Pale yellow royal icing, optional

Directions

1. Bake round sugar cookies and cool completely.
2. Cover each cookie with yellow icing.
3. Pipe white lines from the center outward to create lemon sections.
4. Add a white outer ring around the edge.
5. Use pale yellow icing to add soft detail inside each section if desired.
6. Let the cookies dry fully before serving.

3. Strawberry Sugar Cookies

Strawberry cookies are sweet, simple, and very pretty for summer. You can make them with strawberry-shaped cutters or heart-shaped cutters for an easier option.

Ingredients

• Strawberry-shaped or heart-shaped sugar cookies
• Red or pink royal icing
• Green royal icing
• White royal icing for seeds

Directions

1. Bake the cookies and let them cool.
2. Fill the main cookie shape with red or pink icing.
3. Pipe green icing at the top for the leafy stem.
4. Add tiny white seed dots over the red icing.
5. Let the icing set until dry.
6. Arrange with fresh strawberries for a cute party platter.

4. Cherry Pair Sugar Cookies

These cookies are easier than shaped cherry cookies because you use a simple round cookie as the base. The centered cherry design makes them look cute without being too difficult.

Ingredients

• Round sugar cookies
• Red royal icing
• Green royal icing
• White royal icing, optional for tiny shine details

Directions

1. Bake round sugar cookies and cool completely.
2. Pipe two red icing circles near the center of each cookie.
3. Add thin green stems that meet at the top.
4. Pipe a small green leaf where the stems meet.
5. Add a tiny white icing mark on each cherry if desired.
6. Let dry before stacking or serving.

5. Popsicle Sugar Cookies

These are fun for pool parties and backyard cookouts. The key is making them look like decorated cookies, not real frozen popsicles.

Ingredients

• Popsicle-shaped sugar cookies
• Pink, yellow, blue, mint, or lavender royal icing
• White royal icing for drizzle
• Sprinkles, optional
• Tan royal icing for the stick area

Directions

1. Cut the dough into rounded rectangle popsicle shapes with a small cookie stick at the bottom.
2. Bake and cool completely.
3. Fill the top part with one icing color.
4. Use tan icing on the cookie stick section if needed.
5. Add simple icing drizzle lines and a few sprinkles.
6. Let dry completely before serving.

6. Ice Cream Cone Sugar Cookies

These ice cream cone cookies are playful and perfect for summer birthdays. Use soft pastel colors to make them look extra cute.

Ingredients

• Ice cream cone-shaped sugar cookies
• Tan royal icing
• Pink, white, mint, or chocolate brown royal icing
• Sprinkles, optional

Directions

1. Bake ice cream cone-shaped cookies and let them cool.
2. Decorate the cone section with tan icing.
3. Pipe crisscross lines on the cone if desired.
4. Fill the scoop section with your favorite icing color.
5. Add sprinkles while the icing is still slightly wet.
6. Let dry before placing on a serving tray.

7. Beach Ball Sugar Cookies

Beach ball cookies are colorful and easy because they start with a round cookie. They’re great for pool parties and beach-themed dessert tables.

Ingredients

• Round sugar cookies
• White royal icing
• Red, yellow, blue, and green royal icing

Directions

1. Bake round cookies and cool completely.
2. Pipe curved lines to divide each cookie into beach ball sections.
3. Fill some sections with bright summer colors.
4. Leave one or two sections white for the classic beach ball look.
5. Add a small white circle near the top if desired.
6. Let icing dry fully before serving.

8. Flip-Flop Sugar Cookies

Flip-flop cookies are cute, summery, and easy to decorate with just a few icing lines. They look especially fun on a beach party platter.

Ingredients

• Flip-flop-shaped sugar cookies
• Bright royal icing colors
• White royal icing
• Tiny flower sprinkles, optional

Directions

1. Bake flip-flop-shaped cookies and cool completely.
2. Fill each cookie with a bright icing color.
3. Pipe simple white or colorful straps across each cookie.
4. Add a tiny flower sprinkle or icing dot near the strap center if desired.
5. Let the cookies dry completely.
6. Serve with other beach-themed treats.

9. Sunshine Sugar Cookies

These sunshine cookies are shaped like cute little suns with smiling faces. They feel cheerful, bright, and perfect for a summer party.

Ingredients

• Sun-shaped sugar cookies
• Yellow royal icing
• Pale yellow or ivory royal icing
• Black royal icing for the face

Directions

1. Bake sun-shaped cookies with a round center and pointed rays.
2. Let the cookies cool completely.
3. Fill the center with light yellow icing.
4. Decorate the rays with darker yellow icing.
5. Add pale yellow or ivory swirl details on each ray.
6. Pipe two small black eyes and a simple smile in the center.
7. Let dry before serving.

10. Sunglasses Sugar Cookies

Sunglasses cookies are fun, bold, and great for summer photos. They work well with bright icing colors and simple black lens details.

Ingredients

• Sunglasses-shaped sugar cookies
• Black royal icing
• Pink, blue, yellow, or green royal icing
• White royal icing, optional

Directions

1. Bake sunglasses-shaped cookies and cool completely.
2. Fill the lens areas with black icing.
3. Decorate the frame with a bright icing color.
4. Add tiny white icing highlights on the lenses if desired.
5. Let the icing dry completely.
6. Place on a colorful summer dessert tray.

11. Pineapple Sugar Cookies

Pineapple cookies add a tropical look to the table. They’re bright, cute, and easy to decorate with simple yellow and green icing.

Ingredients

• Pineapple-shaped sugar cookies
• Yellow royal icing
• Green royal icing
• Brown or orange royal icing, optional

Directions

1. Bake pineapple-shaped cookies and cool completely.
2. Fill the pineapple body with yellow icing.
3. Pipe green icing on the leafy top.
4. Add simple diagonal lines on the yellow section if desired.
5. Use tiny brown or orange dots for extra texture.
6. Let dry before serving.

12. Seashell Sugar Cookies

These beachy cookies are soft, pretty, and perfect for a coastal summer party. The seashells use simple piped ridges, and the starfish are easy to decorate with a sandy look and tiny white dot details.

Ingredients

• Scallop shell-shaped sugar cookies
• Starfish-shaped sugar cookies
• Blush pink royal icing
• Pale peach royal icing
• Light coral royal icing
• Sandy beige or light tan royal icing
• Ivory or white royal icing
• Sanding sugar, optional

Directions

1. Bake the scallop shell and starfish cookies, then let them cool completely.
2. For the seashell cookies, fill each shell with blush pink, pale peach, or light coral icing.
3. Pipe thin ivory or white lines from the bottom center outward to create the shell ridges.
4. Let the shell cookies dry slightly while you decorate the starfish.
5. For the starfish cookies, fill each one with sandy beige or light tan icing.
6. While the icing is still wet, lightly sprinkle with a little sanding sugar if you want a soft sandy texture.
7. Pipe tiny white dots down the center of each arm and a few extra dots where the arms meet in the middle.
8. Keep the starfish details simple and slightly imperfect so they look homemade.
9. Let all of the cookies dry fully before serving.
10. Arrange the seashell and starfish cookies together on one platter for a pretty beach-themed set.

13. Starfish Sugar Cookies

These starfish cookies are simple but very pretty. The peachy icing and white dot details make them look beachy without being too complicated.

Ingredients

• Starfish-shaped sugar cookies
• Peach, coral, or soft pink royal icing
• White royal icing

Directions

1. Bake starfish-shaped cookies and cool completely.
2. Fill each cookie with peach or coral icing.
3. Pipe small white dots down the center of each starfish arm.
4. Add a few dots in the middle where the arms meet.
5. Keep the dots slightly imperfect for a homemade look.
6. Let dry before arranging on a coastal dessert plate.

14. Pool Float Sugar Cookies

Pool float cookies are playful and colorful. They’re great for pool parties because the design is simple but still eye-catching.

Ingredients

• Ring-shaped or donut-shaped sugar cookies
• Pink, blue, yellow, or orange royal icing
• White royal icing
• Sprinkles, optional

Directions

1. Bake ring-shaped cookies and let them cool.
2. Fill each cookie with a bright icing color.
3. Add white stripe details around the float if desired.
4. Decorate a few with sprinkles for extra fun.
5. Let the icing dry completely.
6. Serve on a tray with popsicle cookies or beach ball cookies.

15. Picnic Gingham Heart Sugar Cookies

These gingham heart cookies are perfect for picnics, BBQs, and summer parties. The pattern looks impressive, but it only uses simple lines.

Ingredients

• Heart-shaped sugar cookies
• White royal icing
• Red, pink, or blue royal icing

Directions

1. Bake heart-shaped cookies and cool completely.
2. Fill each cookie with white icing and let it set slightly.
3. Pipe thin horizontal lines across the cookie.
4. Pipe thin vertical lines over the first set to create a gingham pattern.
5. Use red, pink, or blue for a picnic-style look.
6. Let dry before serving.

16. Citrus Mix Sugar Cookies

A citrus cookie mix is bright, fresh, and easy because you can use the same method for lemons, limes, and oranges.

Ingredients

• Round sugar cookies
• Yellow royal icing
• Orange royal icing
• Green royal icing
• White royal icing

Directions

1. Bake round cookies and cool completely.
2. Choose yellow for lemons, orange for oranges, and green for limes.
3. Fill each cookie with the fruit color.
4. Pipe white lines from the center outward to make citrus sections.
5. Add a white border around the edge.
6. Let dry and arrange the different colors together on one platter.

17. Beach Towel Sugar Cookies

Beach towel cookies are one of the easiest designs because they are just rectangles with stripes. They still look bright and cute on a summer table.

Ingredients

• Rectangle sugar cookies
• White royal icing
• Pink, blue, yellow, green, or orange royal icing

Directions

1. Bake rectangle-shaped cookies and cool completely.
2. Fill each cookie with a base icing color.
3. Pipe straight stripe lines across the cookie.
4. Use two or three colors per cookie for a fun beach towel look.
5. Add tiny white fringe lines on the short ends if desired.
6. Let dry before serving.

18. Beach Shorts Sugar Cookies

Beach shorts cookies are a fun replacement for bow cookies because they fit the summer theme better. They’re cute for beach days, pool parties, and kids’ birthdays.

Ingredients

• Swim trunks or beach shorts-shaped sugar cookies
• Turquoise royal icing
• Coral royal icing
• Yellow royal icing
• Blue royal icing
• White royal icing

Directions

1. Bake beach shorts-shaped cookies and cool completely.
2. Fill each cookie with a bright summer icing color.
3. Pipe a waistband line across the top.
4. Add a small white drawstring in the center.
5. Decorate with stripes, waves, or tiny tropical leaf shapes.
6. Let dry completely before serving.

19. Palm Tree Sugar Cookies

Palm tree cookies bring a tropical feel to the whole platter. They pair nicely with pineapples, beach balls, citrus cookies, and beach shorts.

Ingredients

• Palm tree-shaped sugar cookies
• Green royal icing
• Tan or light brown royal icing
• Dark green royal icing, optional
• Yellow or coral royal icing, optional

Directions

1. Bake palm tree-shaped cookies and let them cool completely.
2. Fill the trunk with tan or light brown icing.
3. Pipe green icing on the palm fronds.
4. Add darker green lines on the leaves for detail if desired.
5. Add tiny yellow or coral accents for a fun party look.
6. Let the cookies dry before adding them to the platter.

Basic Sugar Cookie Dough

Use this dough for all 19 cookie designs. It holds its shape well, which makes it great for cookie cutters and decorated sugar cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract, optional
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
2. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. Mix until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.
5. Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
6. Roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
7. Cut into shapes and place on a lined baking sheet.
8. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden.
9. Let cookies cool completely before decorating.

Basic Royal Icing

This icing works for outlining, filling, and adding small details to the cookies.

Ingredients

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 6 to 8 tablespoons water
• Gel food coloring, as needed

Directions

1. Add the powdered sugar and meringue powder to a large bowl.
2. Mix in 6 tablespoons of water and beat until smooth.
3. Add more water a little at a time until the icing is the right consistency.
4. Use thicker icing for outlines and small details.
5. Use slightly thinner icing for filling larger spaces.
6. Divide the icing into bowls and tint with gel food coloring.
7. Decorate the cookies and let them dry fully before stacking or serving.

These summer sugar cookies are simple, colorful, and easy to make at home, but they still look special enough for a party. You can keep things easy by choosing just two or three designs, or make a full summer platter with fruit cookies, beach cookies, tropical shapes, and picnic-inspired details.

For the prettiest display, mix bright colors with soft pastels, use white plates or trays, and add simple party foods around the cookies like lemonade, fruit skewers, cupcakes, cherries, berries, and mini pies. A little homemade charm makes these cookies feel even more inviting, and that’s exactly what makes guests reach for them first.