Summer dessert idea: Make watermelon cookies, decorated cookies for summer parties, BBQs, 4th of July, pool parties and more.

Summer cookie idea: Watermelon cookies

I should clarify from the start that these watermelon cookies are watermelon decorated cookies, not watermelon flavored cookies. But if you have a recipe for the latter, feel free to pass it along! Do they make watermelon extract? I made these to bring to a BBQ party. 

more summer cookie ideas

For a different kind of watermelon cookie, try these slice and bake watermelon cookies. Mini popsicle cookies are cute, too. 

how to make watermelon cookies

ingredients you need:

cut out cookie dough
royal icing
3 inch (or greater) circle cookie cutter
sharp knife
food coloring (Americolor soft gel pastes used here, Super Black, Electric Pink, Electric Green, Leaf Green and Bright White)
5 disposable, 12″ decorating bags
5 couplers
5 decorating tips (1 size “5”, 2 size “4”, 2 size “3”)
5 rubber bands
squeeze bottle or spoon

*For tips on finding supplies, click HERE. 

step one: bake your cookies

Chill your cookie dough and roll out on a floured surface. Cut circles with the cutter, then slice in half with the knife to make semi-circles. Bake on a parchment paper-lined cookie tray according to recipe and let cool completely.

step two: make your royal icing

Prepare 5 decorating bags with couplers and tips, and make a batch of royal icing (which should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped).

You will need 5 colors: green, white, hot pink, lime green and black. A half cup of each should be plenty, but make at least double of the hot pink.

Mix colors and fill icing bags, reserving half of your pink frosting. Black and lime green should have a 3 tip, white and hot pink should have a 4 tip, and green should have a 5 tip.

step three: decorate your watermelons

Pipe the rind with the size 5 green. (I piped two lines for a thicker rind). Let set a few minutes.

With white 4 tip, pipe a line inside rind. Let set a few minutes.

Then use the hot pink 4 tip to pipe semicircle outline.

Thin remaining pink frosting with a few drops of water at a time until the consistency of glue. Use an empty decorating bag or use a spoon to pour the icing in the center of the watermelon. Let flood to the sides, encouraging with a small knife or spatula as needed until entire semicircle is filled.

Let set well, about fifteen minutes. When set, pipe wavy stripes on green rind with the lime green 3 tip and pipe seeds with the black 3 tip (I piped a dot, then moved the tip a bit in one direction to make a little point.).

Dry overnight if wrapping. 

fun summer food ideas 

Need more summer fun food ideas?

• Check out these red, white and blue sparkly marshmallow pops.
• Or try my Poppin’ Rockin’ marshmallow pops.
•  Starfish cookies are so easy to make.
• Some cupcakes painted to red gingham with a li’l ant on top.

printable how-tos

This post was original published on May 27, 2009 and updated in June 2020. 

watermelon cookies | the decorated cookie

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Watermelon cookies, a fun summer dessert idea.

Ingredients

• cut out cookie dough
• royal icing
• 3 inch (or greater) circle cookie cutter
• sharp knife
• frosting color (Americolor soft gel pastes used here, Super Black, Electric Pink, Electric Green, Leaf Green and Bright White)
• 5 disposable, 12" decorating bags
• 5 couplers
• 5 decorating tips (1 size "5", 2 size "4", 2 size "3")
• 5 rubber bands
• squeeze bottle or spoon

Instructions

Chill your cookie dough and roll out on a floured surface. Cut circles with the cutter, then slice in half with the knife to make semi-circles. Bake on a parchment paper-lined cookie tray according to recipe and let cool completely.

Prepare 5 decorating bags with couplers and tips, and make a batch of royal icing (which should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped).

You will need 5 colors: green, white, hot pink, lime green and black. A half cup of each should be plenty, but make at least double of the hot pink.

Mix colors and fill icing bags, reserving half of your pink frosting. Black and lime green should have a 3 tip, white and hot pink should have a 4 tip, and green should have a 5 tip.

With green 5 tip, pipe the rind (I piped two lines for a thicker rind). Let set a few minutes.

With white 4 tip, pipe line inside rind. Let set a few minutes.

With hot pink 4 tip, pipe semicircle outline.

Thin remaining pink frosting with a few drops of water at a time until the consistency of glue. Use an empty decorating bag or use a spoon to pour the icing in the center of the watermelon. Let flood to the sides, encouraging with a small knife or spatula as needed until entire semicircle is filled.

Let set well, about fifteen minutes. When set, pipe wavy stripes on green rind with the lime green 3 tip and pipe seeds with the black 3 tip (I piped a dot, then moved the tip a bit in one direction to make a little point.).

Let set overnight if wrapping. 

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