Frosted Watermelon Cookies Recipe

Oh, how I remember those scorching summer afternoons when Catrina and the boys would run barefoot through the garden, cheeks flushed and their hands filled with slices of watermelon. This Frosted Watermelon Cookies Recipe includes butter, granulated sugar, watermelon extract, pink gel food coloring, mini chocolate chips, flour, and powdered sugar. This playful and refreshing Frosted Watermelon Cookies Recipe makes a sweet summer dessert that takes about 35 minutes to prepare and can be served for up to 24 people.

Frosted Watermelon Cookies Ingredients

• For the Cookies:
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon watermelon extract
• Pink gel food coloring (about 2–3 drops)
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup mini chocolate chips (to mimic watermelon seeds)
• For the Frosting:
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2–3 tablespoons milk (adjust for desired consistency)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Green gel food coloring (1–2 drops, for the “rind” look)

Frosted Watermelon Cookies Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease the cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Cream the Butter and Sugar In a large mixing bowl cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. ( Kinda how Luna beams when she sees the pink dough).
3. Add Egg and Watermelon Flavor Beat in the egg and watermelon extract, mixing until well incorporated. Add pink food coloring drop by drop until you get that soft watermelon hue that makes everyone smile.
4. Separate the dry ingredients In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients gradually to the wet until a soft dough forms.
5. Fold in Chocolate Chips Fold in the mini chocolate chips as you would a normal chocolate chip. You can just tell they have just the right amount of fun in them.
6. Cookie Forming: Coat tablespoon – sized pieces of dough with vegetable oil and roll into balls. Flatten slightly on the baking sheet.
7. Bake Baking time: 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are just slightly golden. But the centers should be soft and tender still. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
8. Bake the Frosting After the cookies are cool mix the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and green food coloring in a bowl until smooth. Just add a little milk if it’s too thick to spread.
9. Frost the Cookies Once the cookies are cool fully, spread a thin layer of green frosting around the edge of each cookie, to look like the watermelon rind.
10. Let Them Set Allow the frosting to set for 15–20 minutes before serving — or sneak one early with a cup of iced tea like I always do when no one’s looking!

Recipe tips

• Use Gel Food Coloring for Vibrant Hues: Because liquid food coloring will make your dough/ frosting very wet and difficult to hold shape / spread properly. A drop or two of gel food coloring will give that sweet pink / green watermelon look without going overboard with texture.
• Chill the Dough for Cleaner Shapes: If the dough feels sticky or soft, put it in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before you scoop it out — that way the cookies will stay nice and round (and they’ll bake evenly).
• Add a Touch of Lemon Zest for Freshness: If you would like it a little warmer than baked by itself just sprinkle 12 teaspoon fresh lemon zest over the butter & sugar; it ‘s a sweet little touch that balances the sweetness nicely.

How To Store Frosted Watermelon Cookies

Refrigerate: Once the Refrigerated Watermelon Cookies are fully cooled and the frosting has set, cover them in an airtight container, separating each layer with parchment paper (so they don’t stick). Then store them in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days.

Freeze: If you want to freeze them make sure the cookies are fully cooled and have stiff frosting. Wrap each individually in plastic wrap or, put them in a layer of parchment paper in a freezer-safe container. You can freeze them for 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

How To Reheat Leftover Frosted Watermelon Cookies

In The Oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Place the cookies on a baking sheet and cover them loosely with aluminum foil (it ‘s fine if you don ‘t want the frosting to melt). Warm for about 5–7 minutes just until the cookies are soft and warm through.

In The Microwave: Put a single or two cookies on a microwave – safe plate and cover with a loose-fitting paper towel. Heat on medium power for 10-15 seconds. No more than that and the frosting will melt or bubble up.

In The Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 300°F (150°C) Remove the cookies from the oven and place on a single layer of parchment paper or a baking-safe tray. Heat for 2–3 minutes, just to check the frosting doesn’t become soft.

What to serve Frosted Watermelon Cookies

Frosted Watermelon Cookies Recipe also goes well with cold lemonade, fruit salad, vanilla ice cream and mint iced tea. You also can serve it with strawberry shortcake, pudding cups topped with whipped cream, grapes and chilled raspberry yogurt to let the flavors mix better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use actual watermelon juice instead of watermelon extract?

It ‘s best to use watermelon extract though, as watermelon juice has not a very strong flavor and can make the dough too wet. The extract will give the dough a very nice fruity taste without changing the texture.

Do I have to chill the dough before baking?

Not necessary, chilling the dough for 15-20 minutes helps the cookies to retain their shape and is easier for scooping (especially if you have little helpers to help)!

Can I make these cookies without the frosting?

Yes you can skip the frosting if you want but the green color glaze gives it that fun watermelon rind look. One way to do it is to just dust the edges with green colored sugar.

More cookie recipes:

• Chewy Pecan Supreme Cookies Recipe
• Halloween Mummy Cookies Recipe
• Salted Cashew Crunch Cookies Recipe