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Jello Sugar Cookies

Jello sugar cookies with a soft, tender crumb and sparkly sugar coating—made by creaming butter and sugar, then mixing in gelatin for bright fruit-forward flavor. Bake until the edges are just golden for a classic cookie-jar look.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 41 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.75 cup flour
  • 1 baking powder
  • 1 flavored gelatin mix
Wet ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For rolling
  • 0.5 cup extra sugar for rolling Use more or less as needed to coat the dough balls.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F, and line a sheet pan if desired for easier release. Wait until the oven fully reaches temperature before baking.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. The mixture should look lighter in color and hold soft peaks.
  3. Beat in eggs, vanilla extract, and flavored gelatin mix until smooth. Stop when no streaks remain.
  4. Fold in flour and baking powder until just combined. Mix only until you no longer see dry flour.
  5. Roll dough into balls and coat in extra sugar. Aim for generous coverage so the tops look sparkly before baking.
  6. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 350°F until edges are just golden. The centers should still look slightly set, not fully browned.

Notes

Pro tip: roll the dough balls generously in sugar right before baking so you get a bright, sparkly finish on the surface. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. For a gluten-free swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend in place of all-purpose flour (the texture will be slightly softer).