Fiesta Sugar Cookies

Step-by-step guide to decorating Fiesta Sugar Cookies with royal icing! From cactus to margarita cut-outs, these Mexican-inspired sugar cookies are perfect for a Cinco de Mayo party or any other fiesta.

I love sugar cookies decorated with royal icing.  I would love to make them for all of my cookie trays and parties.

However, they are very time-consuming and so difficult to perfect.

I finally decided it was time to do my homework and come up with a guide and repeatable process that I could use time and time again to make decorated sugar cookies.

Oh, and share with you!

In this post, we will cover:

1. Decorating with Royal Icing: FAQs
2. How To Make Fiesta Sugar Cookies
   1. Cactus Sugar Cookies
   2. Chili Pepper Sugar Cookies
   3. Margarita Sugar Cookies
3. Ideas For Serving Fiesta Sugar Cookies

I choose to use fiesta sugar cookie shapes for this post because Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner and I love Mexican food and margaritas. Also, the shapes I chose only required 3 different colors (red, white, and green). You can, of course, use the cookie cutter shapes and colors of your choice. 

Decorating with Royal Icing: FAQs

1. What Is Royal Icing?

“Royal icing is a hard white icing, made from softly beaten egg whites, icing sugar, and sometimes lemon or lime juice” – Wikipedia

2. Uhh raw eggs? Is it safe to eat raw eggs?

Yes! Other recipes, like lemon meringue pie and eggnog, also call for raw eggs.  However, if you are concerned, you could also use a royal icing recipe with meringue powder instead.

3. What is the difference between flooding icing and piping icing?

Piping icing is a thicker, toothpaste-like consistency and is used to outline a cookie. Flooding icing is a thinner, honey-like consistency and is used to cover a cookie with icing. You have more control with piping icing.

How To Make Fiesta Sugar Cookies {5 Steps}

1. Bake Sugar Cookies

My favorite sugar cookie recipe is by Handle The Heat. I have been using her recipe for the past four years and my sugar cookies are soft, delicious, and hold their shape every time.

What you’ll need to make almost any sugar cookie recipe: Stand mixer (or hand mixer + mixing bowl), spatula, measuring cups, parchment paper, baking trays, rolling pin, turner, and cooling rack.

2. Make Royal Icing

I used Patti Paige’s two-ingredient royal icing and I highly recommend it. Check out her YouTube video for the recipe.

You will need red, white, and green food gel to make these cookies. Your brand options are Wilton and AmeriColor. This was my first time using AmeriColor, and I’ll never go back. While AmeriColor is over double the price, the colors are much more rich and vibrant.  

What you’ll need to make the royal icing and decorate the cookies: Stand mixer (or hand mixer + mixing bowl), spatula, measuring cups, sifter, 12″ piping bags, Wilton decorating tip, #2 round, scissors, scriber needle, small mixing bowls, dish towel, and spoons.

3. Decorate Cactus Sugar Cookies With Royal icing

What You Need To Decorate Cactus Sugar Cookies

•  Equipment: fiesta cookie cutters, small mixing bowls (2), piping bags (2), #2 decorating tip (1 or 2), scissors, spoon, damp cloth
• Icing: green piping icing, green flooding icing, dark green piping icing

How To Decorate Cactus Sugar Cookies

1. Make green piping icing.

1. Transfer 1 cup of your base royal icing to a small mixing bowl.
2. Add 2 drops of green food gel and mix thoroughly.
3. Transfer 1/3 cup of green icing to a separate small mixing bowl, cover with a damp towel and set aside until Step 5.

2. Outline cactus cookies with green piping icing.

1. Transfer the 2/3 cup of green piping icing to a piping bag with #2 tip.
2. Slowly outline the cookie with icing, leaving ~ 1/2″ between the cookie and the #2 tip.

3. Make green flood icing.

1. Squeeze leftover green piping icing back into your small bowl.
2. Dilute the green piping icing by adding  1/8 to 1/4 tsp of egg whites (or water) and mixing thoroughly.

4. Flood the cactus cookies.

1. Transfer the green flood icing to the piping bag.
2. Slowly cover the cookie with green flood icing.
3. Remove any air bubbles using a toothpick or needle scriber.

5. Make dark green piping icing.

1. Uncover the small bowl with 1/3 cup of green piping icing from Step 1.
2. Add 2 drops of green food gel and mixing thoroughly. 

6. Outline the cactus cookie with dark green piping icing.

1. Transfer the dark green flood icing to a new piping bag.
2. Outline the cookie with icing, again, leaving ~ 1/2″ between the cookie and the #2 tip.
3. Add a line of icing down the center and each ‘arm’ of the cactus cookie.

3. Decorate Cactus Sugar Cookies With Royal Icing

What You Need:

• Equipment: fiesta cookie cutters, small mixing bowls (2), piping bags (2), #2 decorating tip (1 or 2), scissors, spoon, damp cloth
• Icing: green piping icing, green flooding icing, dark green piping icing

Instructions:

1. Make green piping icing.

1. Transfer 1 cup of your base royal icing to a small mixing bowl.
2. Add 2 drops of green food gel and mix thoroughly.
3. Transfer 1/3 cup of green icing to a separate small mixing bowl, cover with a damp towel and set aside until Step 5.

2. Outline cactus cookies with green piping icing.

1. Transfer the 2/3 cup of green piping icing to a piping bag with a #2 tip.
2. Slowly outline the cookie with green piping icing.

3. Make green flood icing.

1. Squeeze leftover green piping icing back into your small bowl.
2. Dilute the green piping icing by adding  1/8 to 1/4 tsp of egg whites (or water) and mixing thoroughly.

4. Flood the cactus cookies.

1. Transfer the green flood icing to the piping bag.
2. Slowly cover the cookie with green flood icing.
3. Remove any air bubbles using a toothpick or needle scriber.

5. Make dark green piping icing.

1. Uncover the small bowl with 1/3 cup of green piping icing from Step 1.
2. Add 2 drops of green food gel and mixing thoroughly. 

6. Outline the cactus cookie with dark green piping icing.

1. Transfer the dark green piping icing to a new piping bag.
2. Outline the cookie with dark green piping icing.
3. Add a line of icing down the center and each ‘arm’ of the cactus cookie.

4. Decorate Chili Pepper Sugar Cookies With Royal icing

What You Need To Decorate Chili Pepper Sugar Cookies

• Equipment: fiesta cookie cutters, small mixing bowls (2), piping bags (2), #2 decorating tip (1 or 2), scissors, spoons
• Icing: green piping icing, green flooding icing, dark green piping icing

How To Decorate Chili Pepper Sugar Cookies

1. Make green piping icing.

1. Transfer 1/3 cup of your base royal icing to a small mixing bowl.
2. Add 1 – 2 drops of green food gel and mix thoroughly.

2. Create stems on chili pepper cookies with green piping icing.

1. Transfer the green piping icing to a piping bag with a #2 tip.
2. Slowly trace and fill in the stem of the pepper cookie with green piping icing.

3. Make red piping icing.

1. Transfer 3/4 cup of your base royal icing to a small mixing bowl.
2. Add 3 drops of red food gel and mix thoroughly.

4. Outline chili pepper cookies with red piping icing.

1. Transfer the red piping icing to a piping bag with a #2 tip.
2. Slowly outline the remaining pepper cookie with red piping icing.

5. Make red flooding piping icing.

1. Squeeze leftover red piping icing back into your small bowl.
2. Dilute the red piping icing by adding  1/8 to 1/4 tsp of egg whites (or water) and mixing thoroughly.

6. Flood the chili pepper cookies.

1. Transfer the red flood icing to the piping bag.
2. Slowly cover the rest of the pepper cookie with red flooding icing.
3. Remove any air bubbles using a toothpick or needle scriber.

4. Decorate Chili Pepper Sugar Cookies With Royal Icing

What You Need:

• Equipment: fiesta cookie cutters, small mixing bowls (2), piping bags (2), #2 decorating tip (1 or 2), scissors, spoons
• Icing: green piping icing, red piping icing, red flooding icing

Instructions:

1. Make green piping icing.

1. Transfer 1/3 cup of your base royal icing to a small mixing bowl.
2. Add 1 – 2 drops of green food gel and mix thoroughly.

2. Create stems on chili pepper cookies with green piping icing.

1. Transfer the green piping icing to a piping bag with a #2 tip.
2. Slowly trace and fill in the stem of the pepper cookie with green piping icing.

3. Make red piping icing.

1. Transfer 3/4 cup of your base royal icing to a small mixing bowl.
2. Add 3 drops of red food gel and mix thoroughly.

4. Outline chili pepper cookies with red piping icing.

1. Transfer the red piping icing to a piping bag with a #2 tip.
2. Slowly outline the remaining pepper cookie with red piping icing.

5. Make red flooding piping icing.

1. Squeeze leftover red piping icing back into your small bowl.
2. Dilute the red piping icing by adding  1/8 to 1/4 tsp of egg whites (or water) and mixing thoroughly.

6. Flood the chili pepper cookies.

1. Transfer the red flood icing to the piping bag.
2. Slowly cover the rest of the pepper cookie with red flooding icing.
3. Remove any air bubbles using a toothpick or needle scriber.

5. Decorate Margarita Sugar Cookies With Royal icing

What You Need To Decorate Margarita Sugar Cookies

• Equipment: fiesta cookie cutters, small mixing bowl, piping bags (2), #2 decorating tip (1 or 2), scissors, spoons, white sugar crystals
• Icing: light green piping icing, light green flooding icing, white piping icing

How To Decorate Margarita Sugar Cookies

1. Make light green piping icing.

1. Transfer 3/4 cup of your base royal icing to a small mixing bowl.
2. Add 1 – 2 drops of green food gel and mix thoroughly.

2. Outline margarita cookies with light green piping icing.

1. Transfer the green piping icing to a piping bag with a #2 tip.
2. Slowly outline the bowl of the margarita glass cookie with light green piping icing.

3. Make light green flood icing.

1. Squeeze leftover light green piping icing back into your small bowl.
2. Dilute the light green piping icing by adding  1/8 to 1/4 tsp of egg whites (or water) and mixing thoroughly.

4. Flood the margarita cookies.

1. Transfer the light green flood icing to the piping bag.
2. Slowly cover the bowl of the margarita cookie with flood icing.
3. Remove any air bubbles using a toothpick or needle scriber.

5. Detail the margarita cookie with white piping icing.

1. Transfer the white piping icing to a new piping bag.
2. Trace the ‘stem’ of the margarita glass cookie with white piping icing.
3. Once the white frosting has hardened, outline the rim of the glass with white piping icing and top with white or silver sugar crystals.

5. Decorate Margarita Sugar Cookies With Royal Icing

What You Need:

• Equipment: fiesta cookie cutters, small mixing bowl, piping bags (2), #2 decorating tip (1 or 2), scissors, spoons, white sugar crystals
• Icing: light green piping icing, light green flooding icing, white piping icing.

Instructions:

1. Make light green piping icing.

1. Transfer 3/4 cup of your base royal icing to a small mixing bowl.
2. Add 1 – 2 drops of green food gel and mix thoroughly.

2. Outline margarita cookies with light green piping icing.

1. Transfer the green piping icing to a piping bag with a #2 tip.
2. Slowly outline the bowl of the margarita glass cookie with light green piping icing.

3. Make light green flood icing.

1. Squeeze leftover light green piping icing back into your small bowl.
2. Dilute the light green piping icing by adding  1/8 to 1/4 tsp of egg whites (or water) and mixing thoroughly.

4. Flood the margarita cookies.

1. Transfer the light green flood icing to the piping bag.
2. Slowly cover the bowl of the margarita cookie with flood icing.
3. Remove any air bubbles using a toothpick or needle scriber.

5. Detail the margarita cookie with white piping icing.

1. Transfer the white piping icing to a new piping bag.
2. Trace the ‘stem’ of the margarita glass cookie with white piping icing.
3. Once the white frosting has hardened, outline the rim of the glass with white piping icing and top with white or silver sugar crystals.

When To Serve Fiesta Sugar Cookies

1. Cinco de Mayo Desserts Board
2. Cinco de Mayo Party
3. Margarita Bar Cart
4. Margarita Gift Basket

Royal Icing Resources

Like I mentioned above, I did a lot of homework on decorating sugar cookies with royal icing. Here are some of my favorite royal icing resources:

1. Food Network’s Royal Icing Recipe: straight to the point – no frills or fluff in this post.
2. Foodal’s Ultimate Guide To Royal Icing: very informational and perfect for holiday cookies.
3. Good Housekeeping’s How To Decorate Cookies For Beginners: this is the recipe I used.
4. CookieliciousNZ’s How To Make Royal Icing Recipe: quick and informational video.

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I Want To Hear From You!

After reading this post, do you feel ready to decorate your own sugar cookies with royal icing? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below!