23 Easy Cookie Decorating Ideas: Fuss-Free Designs You'll Love -

Cookie decorating can be a blast, honestly. Whether you’re baking with kids or prepping treats for a holiday shindig, it’s a creative way to get everyone involved.

With a few simple tricks and some playful ideas, you can turn plain cookies into the highlight of any gathering.

A plate with five round cookies decorated with yellow icing and chocolate smiley faces.

Here’s a collection of easy cookie decorating ideas—no matter if you’re a total beginner or a seasoned baker, there’s something here to spark your imagination. Go ahead, get inspired, and see what you come up with in your own kitchen.

Round Outline

A plate of sugar cookies with colorful circular frosting in pastel shades of pink, blue, yellow, and green, arranged neatly on a white surface next to a plant pot.

These pastel sugar cookies keep it simple with colorful icing outlines. They’re the perfect beginner-friendly treat to brighten up any dessert table.

Pastel Flowers

A plate of six sugar cookies decorated with pastel-colored icing flowers in green, pink, purple, yellow, white, and red.

How lovely are these piped flower cookies? With soft colors and a button center, they’re easy to decorate and guaranteed to impress.

Colorful Stripes

A plate of round sugar cookies is decorated with pastel-colored icing. Each cookie has contrasting diagonal stripes: pink on pink, blue on blue, blue on white, blue on green, blue on white, pink on purple, and pink on pink, arranged on a white plate by a window.

These stripey cuties are all about clean lines and color play. Just drizzle frosting across a solid base and you’ve got an eye-catching cookie in minutes!

Balloon Designs

Let these cheerful balloon cookies float into your next celebration. Simply make a balloon outline, fill it with icing, and add an icing swirl for the string—that’s all it takes to make them pop!

Thick Stripes

A tray of round sugar cookies with white icing stripes on top.

You only need a piping bag and steady hand for this minimalist striped design. It’s a go-to option when you want an easy cookie design with a homemade feel.

Heart Outlines

A plate with five heart-shaped cookies, each outlined with icing in different colors: white, green, and various shades of pink and red.

Give your heart-shaped cookies a little extra sweetness with simple pastel outlines. They’re the perfect pick if you want something cute, colorful, and totally doable.

Window Frames

Five square cookies with intricate white icing designs are arranged on a white plate.

Add elegance to your dessert table with easy white icing window frames. This design looks fancy but takes just minutes to master—win-win!

Chevron Patterns

Six round cookies with white icing in a zigzag pattern arranged on a white plate.

Go modern with bold chevron stripes in crisp white. It’s a fun twist on basic lines and super easy to recreate, even for novice decorators.

Heart Shape and POlka Dots

A plate of heart-shaped cookies with pastel-colored icing in pink, green, blue, and white, each decorated with white polka dots.

Who can resist these pastel hearts with playful polka dots (and a piped heart or two)? This design is as easy as dot-dot-dot—and you’re done!

Bright Rainbow

A plate with five rainbow-shaped cookies, each decorated with colorful icing arcs in a pattern resembling a rainbow, on a white table surface.

Make your cookie tray look oh-so-bright with cheerful rainbows. Just layer colorful arcs of icing on rainbow-shaped cookies for a fun, radiant look.

Colorful Sprinkles

A soft base and a center of rainbow sprinkles? Yes, please! These cookies prove that less can definitely be more.

Double Outline

Decorative sugar cookies with pink and white icing, including a round cookie with concentric circles and a crown-shaped cookie.

Here’s a cookie design that’s as simple as it is sweet. The cookies are flooded with icing then decorated with double white borders. A great starting point if you’re new to cookie decorating!

Smiley Faces

Brighten a loved one’s day with a batch of happy-face cookies. Just two eyes and a grin, and you’ve nailed this classic look.

Gift Designs

Close-up view of several gift-shaped sugar cookies decorated with piped bows and ribbons on a clean background.

Perfect for parties or holidays, these pink and white gift cookies are a joy to make. Just pipe some ribbons and bows—no wrapping required!

Thin Minimalist Stripes

Close-up view of several decorated sugar cookies with striped icing on a clean background.

Want something modern? Try sleek, white lines over neutral-colored icing for a minimalist look that’s still totally charming.

Wavy Zigzag Patterns

Close-up view of several decorated sugar cookies with zig-zag icing patterns on a clean background.

Bring a lively vibe to your cookies with these cookies featuring straight lines and zigzags! Choose bright base colors, then pipe on bold, wavy lines for a super fun (and easy!) finish.

Milestone Numbers

Close-up view of several decorated birthday sugar cookies with number outlines arranged on a clean surface.

Celebrating a birthday or an anniversary? These number cookies are a great choice for the occasion. Use different colors for the icing, then pipe on the digits with a steady hand!

Paw Print Outline

Close-up view of several sugar cookies decorated with animal paw print designs made from royal icing, arranged on a clean background.

These paw print cookies are a pet lover’s dream. Outline paw-shaped cookies with thick icing for a bold yet adorable design.

Bright-Colored Icing With Dots

Close-up view of several round sugar cookies decorated with colorful polka dot icing on a plain background.

Bright-colored bases and big white dots make these cookies pop. They’re playful and practically made for beginners!

Snowflake Patterns

Let it snow with these easy snowflake cookies! The design looks fancy but breaks down into super simple lines and dots.

Dotted Border

Close-up view of several decorated sugar cookies with tiny polka dot borders on a clean background.

Looking for something elegant but easy? These dotted border cookies are chic, sweet, and ideal for any occasion.

Outlined Snowmen

Closeup view of several snowman-shaped sugar cookies decorated with icing and small carrot noses on a clean background.

Give your cookies a little winter magic to your kitchen with charming snowmen designs. The simple white outline and bright carrot nose are all you need to make them smile!