If you're in the mood for a sweet and tangy treat, these pink grapefruit sugar cookies are sure to hit the spot. With a unique twist on the classic sugar cookie recipe, these cookies are perfect for any occasion. Check out the recipe below to try them out for yourself!
Making Pink Grapefruit Sugar Cookies
These cookies would be perfect for a bridal or baby shower. The sugar cookies are soft with a hint of pink grapefruit while the buttercream frosting has a rich buttery flavor and bits of pink grapefruit zest inside. It's also one of my favorite sugar cookie doughs because I can cook it up right after mixing it, or fridge it for an hour and roll it out and cut it into shapes. It's a very adaptable dough.
Gather Your Ingredients
Before you start baking, make sure you have all the necessary ingredients for these delicious pink grapefruit sugar cookies. You'll need butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and pink grapefruit zest. Once you have everything you need, you're ready to start baking!
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp grapefruit zest
- 2 tsp grapefruit juice
- 2 eggs
- 2 ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup grapefruit juice
- 2 tbsp mild honey, preferably clover (for a tarter grapefruit taste, use 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp grapefruit juice)
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
Cream the Butter and Sugar
The first step in making these delicious pink grapefruit sugar cookies is to cream the butter and sugar together. This can be done using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Make sure the butter is at room temperature before starting, as it will be easier to cream with the sugar. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, which should take about 2-3 minutes.
Add in eggs and grapefruit zest
Once the butter and sugar are creamed together, it’s time to add in the eggs and grapefruit zest. Crack two eggs into the mixture and beat until fully incorporated. Then, add in the zest of one pink grapefruit and mix until evenly distributed. The grapefruit zest adds a refreshing citrus flavor to the cookies that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the sugar.
Mix everything together
To Make the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
- In a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, grapefruit zest and grapefruit juice on medium speed until light and fluffy. Turn mixer to low and pour in the eggs, mixing until blended. Stop and scrape the bowl if necessary.
- Add in the flour, baking powder and salt, continuing to mix until blended.
- To bake, drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Note, you can also fridge the dough for one hour and then roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness and then cut the dough into shapes with a cookie cutter.
- Place dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and allow cookies to sit for several minutes on the baking sheet. Move the cookies to a cooling rack to frost once cooled.
To Make the Frosting:
- Beat softened butter until light and fluffy. Add grapefruit juice and honey and incorporate well. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. Spread onto cookies.
Questions
Can I use a substitute for pink grapefruit zest?
If you do not have pink grapefruit zest, you can use regular grapefruit zest or a combination of orange and lemon zest.
How long do pink grapefruit sugar cookies last?
Pink grapefruit sugar cookies can last up to a week when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They can be stored in the refrgerator. They can also be stored in an airtight freezer container for up to one month.
Can I freeze pink grapefruit sugar cookies?
Yes, you can freeze pink grapefruit sugar cookies. Allow them to cool completely, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. When you are ready to eat them, thaw them at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp grapefruit zest
- 2 tsp grapefruit juice
- 2 eggs
- 2 ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup grapefruit juice
- 2 tbsp mild honey, preferably clover (for a tarter grapefruit taste, use 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp grapefruit juice)
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- To Make the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
- In a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, grapefruit zest and grapefruit juice on medium speed until light and fluffy. Turn mixer to low and pour in the eggs, mixing until blended. Stop and scrape the bowl if necessary.
- Add in the flour, baking powder and salt, continuing to mix until blended.
- To bake, drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Note, you can also fridge the dough for one hour and then roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness and then cut the dough into shapes with a cookie cutter.
- Place dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and allow cookies to sit for several minutes on the baking sheet. Move the cookies to a cooling rack to frost once cooled.
- To Make the Frosting:
- Beat softened butter until light and fluffy. Add grapefruit juice and honey and incorporate well. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. Spread onto cookies.
Like These? LOVE Our Pink Grapfruit Cupcakes!!
I never would have thought to make grapefruit cookies!! I bet they are fabulous! Thanks so much for linking up to Freedom Fridays - pinned and scheduled to share on Fb! 🙂
That buttercream frosting sounds amazing! Thanks for linking up to The Creative Exchange! xo, Laura