Rum-Flavored St. Patrick's Day Cookie Dough (A Slight Upgrade to Our Go-To)

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Roll)

• This is our go-to cookie cutter + stamp dough, just upgraded for St. Patrick’s Day.
• We doubled the cinnamon, removed almond extract, and added rum flavoring.
• Want green cookies? Add food coloring while mixing (slowly… it launches).
• Chill 1–1.5 hours, then stamp + cut and bake at 325°F for 10–13 minutes (we like 11).
• Base recipe (the original): perfect cookie dough recipe

What This Post Is (and Isn’t)

This is our “same dough, better flavor” update.

We already had a cookie dough that stamps cleanly and holds its shape. But for St. Patrick’s Day we wanted something that felt more festive than “plain sugar cookie”… without becoming complicated.

So we tweaked the flavor. And this batch ended up being our best-tasting cookies yet.

What’s Different From Our Original Recipe

Here’s what changed — and why:

• Cinnamon: was 1 tsp → now 2 tsp (doubled). Warmer, richer.
• Almond extract: removed. Keeps the rum flavor from competing.
• Rum flavoring: added. The fun, slightly “grown-up” note.
• Green coloring: optional. Because it’s St. Patrick’s Day and we’re leaning in.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (doubled)

Wet Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Rum flavoring/extract (see note below)
• Green food coloring (optional)

A Note on Rum Flavoring

People search this a lot, so here’s our real answer:

Rum extract vs rum — Use rum extract/flavoring, not actual rum, for consistent flavor and dough texture. Rum extract is concentrated, so a little goes a long way.

How much? Start with a small amount and adjust next batch if you want it stronger. We aim for:

“Warm, fun rum note” …not “cookie that yells at you.”

(If you want alcohol-free “rum vibes,” look for imitation/non-alcoholic rum flavoring.)

How to Make the Dough (Our Real-Life Method)

Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In one bowl, whisk together:

• flour
• baking powder
• salt
• cinnamon

Set aside.

Step 2: Cream the Butter + Sugar

In another bowl:

• mix butter + sugar until smooth and a little fluffy-ish.

It doesn’t have to be a perfect ribbon of air. Just “creamy and combined.”

Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients + Rum Flavor

Add:

• egg
• vanilla
• rum flavoring

Mix until it looks consistent.

Going green? Add your food coloring now, while mixing. Friendly warning: food coloring comes out FAST. We used a lot because we forgot it shoots out. Good thing our mixer is green. If you want a deeper green without adding a ton of liquid coloring, use gel coloring if you have it. If you don’t, liquid still works — just add slowly.

Step 4: Slowly Add the Dry Ingredients (This Is the Workout)

With the mixer on low:

• slowly pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

It might look crumbly at first, then it turns into real dough. It always does this. Trust.

Step 5: Chill the Dough (Don’t Over-Chill)

• Form into a ball
• Split in half
• Press each half into a disk, about ½–¾ inch thick
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 1.5 hours

Our one request: Don’t leave it in the fridge forever unless you love “crumbly dough puzzles.” It’s still usable, it’s just harder than it needs to be.

Can you freeze it? Apparently yes. Have we tried yet? Not yet. We’re “bake them and eat them immediately” people.

Roll, Stamp & Cut (The Fun Part)

Once the dough is chilled, roll it out on a floured surface. We roll a little thicker because we like a softer cookie. If you’re focused on ultra-crisp stamp detail, slightly thinner can help — but don’t go paper thin. Best rule: pick a thickness you like eating, then chill the dough if the stamp starts sticking.

For these cookies we used our St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Cutter + Stamp from our starter set. Browse the full holiday collection: Holiday Cookie Cutters & Stamps

How we do it (simple version):

1. Press stamp into the dough
2. Cut out the shamrock
3. Place on parchment-lined tray
4. Chill again briefly if they feel soft

Want the full breakdown on stamp order (stamp → cut vs cut → stamp)? How to Use Cookie Cutters and Stamps Together

Quick stamping tips for clean lines:

• Press straight down, lift straight up (no rocking)
• Keep the stamp and cutter dry
• If sticking happens: dust lightly + chill dough a bit longer

Baking

• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Bake 10–13 minutes
• We like 11 minutes for that “soft when warm, perfect when cool” result.

Let cookies cool on the tray a few minutes, then move to a rack.

Then take one. This is required.

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Decorating Ideas (3 Fun Shamrock Looks We Did)

This is the part people are searching for when they type things like: “easy St Patrick’s Day cookie decorating ideas” or “shamrock cookies decorating”

Stamped + Baked (No Decorating Needed) — Just a clean stamp impression. This looks finished all by itself, especially on green dough.

White + Green Chocolate Dip — Dip half in white, drizzle green, or do a two-tone dip. Add sprinkles while chocolate is still wet.

Glittery Sprinkles — A little frosting swipe or melted chocolate + glittery sprinkles = instant party.

If you want a “decorating night” vibe format (like we did for Galentine’s): Galentine’s Day cookies post

Troubleshooting (Because Cookies Like to Humble Us)

These are the quick answers to the most common search-type problems:

Dough sticking to the stamp?

• Chill longer
• Dust lightly
• Press and lift straight up
• Keep tools dry

Dough too hard or crumbly after chilling? It’s just too cold (or chilled too long). Let it sit 10–20 minutes, then press/roll gently until it relaxes.

Cookies spreading too much?

• Chill cut cookies on the tray before baking
• Make sure oven is fully preheated

Stamp detail looks shallow?

• Roll slightly thicker
• Press more evenly
• Make sure flour isn’t packed into stamp grooves

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Wrapping Up

Make-ahead tips:

• You can make the dough ahead and chill it — just don’t overdo the fridge time unless you’re okay with a firmer dough.
• If you bake a day early, store cookies airtight and decorate later.

If you want a St. Patrick’s Day cookie that tastes festive, stamps cleanly, and feels like more than “just a sugar cookie”… this rum + cinnamon version is our current favorite.

Want to shop the shamrock set (and other holiday cutters/stamps)? Holiday Cookie Cutters & Stamps

Want a custom plaque (Lucky, Kiss Me, a name, a party phrase)? Request a Custom Shape | Custom Orders