Baked sugar-cookie rings with a thin pastel glaze and colorful sprinkles.
The feature to preserve is the shaping: Cut 3-inch rounds from chilled ¼-inch dough and remove a 1-inch center. Place 2 inches apart; bake small centers separately.
Before mixing, measure without packing the flour. Cut a generous 1-inch center from each 3-inch round and chill the rings until firm before baking. These are flat cookie rings, not raised doughnuts.
Use the observable baking cues as well as the timer. Whisk glaze sugar with milk until smooth; tint with an optional tiny gel-color drop. Dip cooled ring tops, add sprinkles and let set 45 minutes.
Sugar Cookie Donut Rings
Per tray: 9–12 minutes · 2 batches, about 12 pieces per 13 × 18-inch half-sheet pan.
Allow about 179 minutes: 30 hands-on, 60 required chilling, 24 baking all batches sequentially, 20 cooling including pan rest, and 45 finishing/set time. Preheat during preparation or final chilling. Extra trays and optional decoration add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- US measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl and silicone spatula
- Electric hand mixer
- 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Rolling pin with thickness guides
- 2½-inch cookie cutters
Baked sugar-cookie rings with a thin pastel glaze and colorful sprinkles.
Ingredients
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches. Keep piece size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Cookie dough
Ring glaze
Ring decoration
Instructions
Mixing
- Make the doughBeat cool-soft butter with sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in the egg or yolk and vanilla, scraping the bowl. Whisk the flour, salt and any leavener separately; add on low speed just until the dough comes together.
Thermal management
- Prepare for shapingDivide dough in half and roll each between lightly floured parchment sheets to ¼ inch thick. Stack the covered slabs flat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until firm. Cut shapes from the chilled slabs.
Shaping
- Shape the batchCut 3-inch rounds from chilled ¼-inch dough and remove a 1-inch center. Place 2 inches apart; bake small centers separately.
Baking
- Bake to the right texturePreheat to 350°F (175°C). Bake on the center rack for 9–12 minutes. Edges should be set and only lightly colored; centers must lose their wet sheen. Use cool pans for subsequent trays.
Cooling
- Cool before servingRest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack. Allow about 20 minutes total cooling before storing; the center firms as steam escapes.
Finishing
- Add the finishWhisk glaze sugar with milk until smooth; tint with an optional tiny gel-color drop. Dip cooled ring tops, add sprinkles and let set 45 minutes.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Keep the holes open
Cut a generous 1-inch center from each 3-inch round and chill the rings until firm before baking. These are flat cookie rings, not raised doughnuts.
Shape with purpose
Cut 3-inch rounds from chilled ¼-inch dough and remove a 1-inch center. Place 2 inches apart; bake small centers separately. Bake similar-sized pieces together.
Serving and texture
Baked sugar-cookie rings with a thin pastel glaze and colorful sprinkles. Let the crumb cool fully before judging texture; pack only once the finish has set.
Storage & Make-Ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 3–4 days | Cool completely and seal in an airtight container. Keep unfrosted cookies separate from moist or strongly flavored treats. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Cover raw dough tightly. Refrigerating plain baked cookies is unnecessary and can dry them; let chilled dough become workable before shaping. |
| Freeze raw | Up to 2 months | Freeze cut shapes flat, then transfer to a sealed freezer bag. Bake from frozen and begin checking near the usual time; extra time may be needed. |
| Freeze baked | Up to 2 months | Freeze fully cooled, plain cookies in a sealed container with parchment between layers. |
| Restore | 30–60 minutes | Thaw baked cookies in their closed container at room temperature. For a freshly warmed plain cookie, use a 300°F oven for 2–3 minutes; cool briefly before serving. |
Notes
- US measures are shown first; gram weights help avoid packed flour. Spice weights are approximate: use measuring spoons for small quantities. Egg weights exclude shells. Temperatures are for a conventional oven.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 24; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A few helpful answers before you bake.
Why did the centers close in the oven?
Cut a generous 1-inch center from each 3-inch round and chill the rings until firm before baking. These are flat cookie rings, not raised doughnuts.
What makes sugar cookie donut rings different?
Baked sugar-cookie rings with a thin pastel glaze and colorful sprinkles. Keep the holes open. Follow the specified technique rather than substituting the shaping method from a different sugar-cookie recipe.
Can I make sugar cookie donut rings ahead?
Prepare with the storage instructions below. Complete the required finish after the base has cooled. Whisk glaze sugar with milk until smooth; tint with an optional tiny gel-color drop. Dip cooled ring tops, add sprinkles and let set 45 minutes.
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