make these easy Earth Day cookies to celebrate Earth Day!

what are “Earth Day Cookies”?

As the name implies, they are adorable cookies that look like miniature versions of Earth! Ever since I started seeing these cookies on Pinterest I knew I wanted to make them. I loved the idea of riffing on the bark I made a few years back, but even better because…..cookies!

what kind of cookies are they?

Like my monster cookies, I decided on a crinkle cookie dough, because I wanted a cookie that was soft enough to press the candy heart into. That lemon version was delish, but I switched it up here – making it double vanilla.

what ingredients do you need?

These cookies are a basic crinkle cookie, with the addition of a vanilla bean, food coloring and of course, candy hearts:

butter, room temperature
granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
egg, room temperature
vanilla
vanilla bean
flour
baking powder
salt
gel food coloring
candy hearts

how do you make Earth Day Cookies?

I started with the crinkle dough from my monster cookies, and then read a few posts that I found for Earth cookies. They were not overly “specific”, which led me to believe that this was a straightforward process. Which it was, kind of. Here’s a sample from my first batch:

As you can see, the colors are kind of muddy, and the confectioner’s sugar left a white-ish coating on many of the cookies, which bothered me here. I was also not pleased with the “land-to-water” ratio – I wanted them to look more…………..earth-like.

divide the dough into tinier pieces!

All of the recipes I looked at called for dividing the dough in half and then coloring each blue and green. You then “pull pieces” from each color to make the balls. I get a little more specific than than that, making tinier pieces of dough that – I think – result in prettier cookies.

use gel food coloring!

Again, most recipes I read called for liquid food coloring – you know, the kind you find in a 4-pack in the grocery store. And while I have nothing against it in some recipes, to get these really vibrant colors only the gel food coloring will do. I also went a little lighter than in my test batch, so that the colors would stay bright but also have enough contrast.

Finally, I coated the raw cookies in granulated sugar, which resulted in a subtle “sparkle” and crunch, with no white coating. I think these “tweaks” made all the difference!

Earth Cookies (Double Vanilla Crinkle Cookies)

sherisilver

These pretty "earth" cookies are delicious too - and super easy to make!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 28 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 24

Calories 107 kcal

Equipment

• 2 Sheet pans
• pre-cut parchment sheets
• stand mixer
• Cookie scoop
• 2 wire racks

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• gel food coloring (I used Wilton “Leaf Green” and “Royal Blue”)
• heart sprinkles

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat the butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar till light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides. Add the egg, vanilla extract and seeds from the vanilla bean and beat again. Scrape down the sides. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat again till well combined. Remove half the dough.
• Add the green food coloring to the dough in the mixer and beat till the color is incorporated, adding more if needed till the desired shade is reached. You want the color to be vibrant, but light, so that it contrasts with the blue when the cookies are baked. Repeat with the reserved dough and food coloring.
• Place 1/4 - 1/2 cup of granulated sugar into a small bowl.
• Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough onto one of your baking sheets - you should have 12 - 14 scoops of each color. Divide each scoop in half, for a total of 24 - 28 pieces of dough.
• Working with one piece of dough in each color, divide each into 2 - 3 small pieces, then gather them together and gently roll into a ball. Don't overwork so that the colors stay distinct. Roll in the granulated sugar and place on the other baking sheet, making sure that the prettiest side is facing up. Repeat with the remaining dough, for a total of 24 - 28 cookies. Bake for 8 minutes, or till just turning crinkly on top.
• Remove the baking sheets from the oven and place on wire racks. Working quickly, place one candy heart on top of each cookie, pressing gently to adhere. Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 more minutes, then transfer to the wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 107kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 63mgPotassium: 15mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 127IUCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg

Keywords cookies, earth day, sugar cookies

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For more Earth Day, springtime and cookie inspiration, check out my Pinterest boards!

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