Name: jello cookies
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 36
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (416 grams); 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cups butter (339 grams); 1 cup granulated sugar (201 grams); 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 4 packages of Jello (3.5 ounces each) in red, blue, yellow, and green

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Colorful Jello cookies are a super fun treat to make for rainbow parties, with kids, or just for kicks!

rainbow JELLO cookies

I'm in love with these vibrant, fun Jello cookies. Delicious, buttery sugar cookies are mixed with Jello powder to create a rainbow of flavors.

The cookie recipe calls for a generous helping of butter, so these are in the soft and chewy, "melt in your mouth" category of treats.

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overhead view of vanilla sugar cookie bars — sugar cookie bars

close up of warm, chocolatey brownie cookies — sugar cookie bars

overhead view of rainbow cookies with jello flavors

tools you'll need to make rainbow cookies

You will need three baking trays. (If you do not have three, just be sure that the tray you are reusing is totally cool before adding cookie dough.)

A two tablespoon scoop, while optional, is fantastic for portioning cookies evenly.

I highly recommend lining baking trays with parchment paper.

While our recipes provide both the metric and non-metric amounts, a digital scale comes in handy with this recipe to divide the dough into four sections for four Jello colors.

I use an oven thermometer. (This is how I know my oven runs 25 degrees cold.)

JELLO of course! You'll need the small size (3.5 ounces) of Jello in four colors. Any flavor blue, red, yellow, and green. I used Berry Blue, Strawberry, Lemon, and Lime.

Food coloring is optional, but to achieve the vibrant colors shown here, you will need just a few drops of coloring. I used Americolor brand gel paste food coloring:

Electric Pink OR Red
Egg Yellow
Electric Green
Sky Blue

stack of rainbow sugar cookies with Jello

TIPS to make Jello Cookies

STORING COOKIES

Store in an air tight container for up to 5 days. You may also freeze the cookies up to 3 months.

Mixing in the Jello and food coloring

Knead in the Jello and Food coloring with your hands, OR use a standing mixer or electric mixer.

My preferred method is to use an electric mixer so my warm hands don't overwork the dough. Wipe the bowl and beater clean with a paper towel after each color. If you make colors in this order, you minimize spreading one color to the next: Yellow, Green, Blue, Red/Pink.

While working with each color, keep the unused dough in the refrigerator.

You will NOT use all of the Jello powder.

coloring sugar cookie dough with jello powder

Scooping the cookies

Use a 2-tablespoon scoop and roll the dough into a ball. Roll in extra jello powder.

PRINTABLE recipe

Yield: 36 cookies

jello cookies

How to make easy rainbow Jello cookies! Delicious, buttery sugar cookie with Jello for fun flavors and colors.

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (416 grams)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups butter (339 grams)
1 cup granulated sugar (201 grams)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 packages of Jello (3.5 ounces each) in red, blue, yellow, and green

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line three baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, briefly whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a bowl with a hand mixer or in a standing mixer, place the butter and beat.
Beat in the sugar until fluffy.
Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
Gradually beat in the flour mixture.
Divide the dough into four sections. (A digital scale helps to portion the dough.)
Working with one color at a time, with the remaining dough in the fridge, add 2 tablespoons of Jello powder and a few drops of matching food coloring. Place remaining jello powder in 4 small bowls.
Mix each color, wiping the bowl and beaters with a paper towel between colors.
Use a 2 tablespoon scoop to roll cookie dough into a 1-inch ball. Roll the ball in the same color of remaining Jello powder and place 2 inches apart on a baking tray.
Bake until cookie sets, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.

Notes

I suggest using a digital scale and an oven thermometer to ensure the oven is at the correct temperature.

You may knead the Jello and food coloring into the dough, but to avoid overhandling, I prefer an electric hand mixer or standing mixer. Wipe the bowls and beaters between colors.

Use any flavor of Jello you like! To achieve the vibrant color, you will need to add a few drops of gel paste food coloring. (See blog posts for links to food coloring.)

A 2 tablespoon cookie scoop is helpful for even baking.

Unsalted butter is usually used in baking. My personal preference is salted.

Keep unused dough in the refrigerator.

You will NOT use all of the Jello powder.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g

HowToMakeEasyCookies.com offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you use to create this recipe.

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Meaghan Mountford

Hi! I’m Meaghan, the creator behind the edible art and recipes at TheDecoratedCookie.com. I’m the author of two food craft cookbooks: SUGARLICIOUS and COOKIE SENSATIONS. I’ve teamed up with Beth for more fun in the kitchen making easy, sweet treats.