These breast cancer awareness ribbon sugar cookies are sweet, simple, and such a meaningful treat to make for fundraisers, awareness events, bake sales, or just to show support during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They're soft, buttery, easy to decorate, and topped with pretty shades of pink icing and sprinkles.
A Seat at the Table: Being a “Warrior”
When Dr. Rourke told me she was writing, Real Talk, Real Hope, I knew it would be a game-changer for anyone facing a diagnosis. But I was truly humbled when she asked me to be one of the five “warriors” featured in its pages.
In the book, I share my own journey, the raw moments, the “real talk” I had to give myself, and where I found the strength to keep moving forward. Being a warrior doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid; it means you keep showing up, even when the path is uncertain. For me, that often meant finding comfort in my kitchen, surrounded by the people I love. This post was the merging of those two worlds: the clinical wisdom of Dr. Rourke and the sweet comfort of home.
Serve these cookies in their ribbon shape for breast cancer awareness, or make them in the traditional shape for any time of year!
If you love the sweet, classic flavor of sugar cookies, you’ll also want to try my M&M sugar cookies, peppermint sugar cookies, and chocolate frosted sugar cookies.
Jump to:
- A Seat at the Table: Being a “Warrior”
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations
- How to Make Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Sugar Cookies
- Expert Tips
- Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Sugar Cookies FAQs
- Dr. Loren Rourke’s Real Talk, Real Hope FAQs
- Finding Hope in the Kitchen and the Pages of “Real Talk”
- What Being A Warrior Taught Me
- More Delicious Treats You’ll Love
- Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Sugar Cookies
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and buttery texture
- Easy homemade buttercream frosting
- Optional: royal icing instructions
- Great for parties, bake sales, and events
- Fun to decorate
- Easy to tweak for any occasion
- Freezer-friendly and great for prep
- It brings awareness and the importance for women to get their mammograms yearly.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Butter: Gives the cookies a rich, classic homemade flavor and helps keep them soft and tender. It's also what makes the buttercream extra creamy.
- Shortening: Helps cookies hold their shape during baking, perfect for cut-out cookies and fun designs.
- Powdered Sugar: The key to a smooth, fluffy buttercream frosting that spreads easily and tastes sweet and creamy.
- Pink Food Coloring: Mostly for fun, but it gives the cookies that cute festive bakery look.
- Pink Candy Sprinkles: Add crunch, color, and make the cookies feel extra cheerful and party-ready.
Variations
- Add Almond Extract: It adds an extra layer of bakery-style flavor.
- Royal Icing: Use royal icing in place of buttercream for detailed decorating.
- Add Edible Glitter: Gives the cookies extra sparkle and shine.
- Use Different Cookie Cutters: Hearts, ribbons, and similar shapes are perfect for the theme.
How to Make Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Sugar Cookies
1: Mix the butter, shortening, sugar, and egg. Then, mix in the vanilla and milk.
2: Gradually mix in the flour and baking powder until the dough is combined.
3: Roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Then, use a ribbon cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
4: Bake on a cookie sheet until the edges are just brown. Cool on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5: Cream the butter, milk, and vanilla. Then gradually mix in the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Divide the frosting into 3 bowls.
6: One bowl leave plain white, add a drop of pink food coloring to another bowl, and two drops of pink food coloring to the third.
7: Stir the two pink frostings together to create a swirled look.
8: Frost the cookies with the white frosting and both pink frostings. Then, top them with pink sprinkles.
Expert Tips
- Don't overbake, or the cookies may become dry.
- Chill the dough briefly if it becomes too soft.
- Let cookies cool completely before frosting.
- Use gel food coloring for brighter pink shades.
- When rolling out your cookie dough, mix flour and powdered sugar 50/50. Use this mixture and your cookies will taste much better and not leave a flour taste in your mouth.
- Also, these ribbon sugar cookies fit into my philosophy of “bringing people together.”
Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Sugar Cookies FAQs
Yes! You can bake them 2-3 days ahead and store them in an airtight container before decorating.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate them if your kitchen is warm.
Yes. Freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw completely before decorating with frosting and sprinkles.
Royal icing and buttercream frosting works perfectly because royal icing leaves a smooth finish to the cookies, and buttercream frosting is creamy, easy to spread, and simple to color.
Dr. Loren Rourke’s Real Talk, Real Hope FAQs
First, take a deep breath. It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed, scared, or like your world has been turned upside down right now. Dr. Loren Rourke's book was created to be a calm, straight-talking guide through the chaos of those first 24 hours and the weeks that follow. Use her medical guidance to help you ask the right questions, and remember that you are not alone.
Unlike dense medical textbooks or overly clinical guides, Dr. Loren Rourke writes from her perspective as both an experienced breast surgeon and a dedicated patient advocate. It's written in plain, empowering language with empathy and even a bit of humor. It focuses heavily on cutting through the initial noise and chaos of a diagnosis so you can make decisions with clarity and confidence.
While it is an absolute lifeline for anyone who has recently heard the words, "you have cancer," it's also an invaluable guide for family members, friends, and caretakers. It helps loved ones understand the physical, emotional, and practical realities of treatment so they know exactly how to offer the best support.
The book acts as a roadmap for "Breast Cancer Your Way." It walks you through what to do in the chaotic first days following a diagnosis, how to look past screening confusion, how to build your ideal medical care team, and why treating your whole – self, mind, body, and spirit – is just a vital as treating the disease.
Finding Hope in the Kitchen and the Pages of “Real Talk”
Whether you are currently walking this path, supporting a friend, or just want a delicious way to show your support during Breast Cancer Awareness month, I hope these ribbon sugar cookies bring a little sweetness to your day. If you pick up a copy of Real Talk, Real Hope, look for me on page 161. I’d love to hear which part of the book resonated most with you.
Dr. Loren Rourke’s book has been amazingly helpful. I encourage everyone to pick up a copy of “Real Talk, Real Hope” for yourself, for a friend, or someone going through a breast cancer diagnosis. Also, host a “Pink Ribbon Bake Sale” with these delicious breast cancer awareness ribbon sugar cookies to raise funds for the someone in need or even for research.
Drop a comment below: What is your favorite way to share “Real Hope” with someone going through a hard time?”
What Being A Warrior Taught Me
- Accept the Help: As someone who takes care of others through food, it was hard to be the one being taken care of. Real talk? Let your family and friends bring the casseroles. Let them fold the laundry. It’s their way of fighting the battle with you.
- Find Your ‘Normal’ Every Day: Even on the hardest days, I tried to find one thing that felt like ‘me’- whether it was picking up my camera or testing a simple recipe. Those small moments of normalcy are what keep your spirit intact.
- Ask the Silly Questions: Dr. Rourke’s book is all about clarity. If you don’t understand what a doctor said, ask them to explain it again. Being a warrior means being your own best advocate.
- Savor the Sweetness: Cancer takes a lot away, but it can’t take away the joy of a shared treat or a good laugh. Don’t feel guilty for enjoying a dessert or a bright moment in the middle of the storm.
More Delicious Treats You’ll Love
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Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Ribbon Sugar Cookies
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoosn milk
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Buttercream Frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup butter, 1 stick
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pink food coloring
- Pink candy sprinkles
Optional: Royal Icing (in place of buttercream frosting)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°
Ribbon Sugar Cookies
- In a medium bowl, mix together butter, shortening, sugar and egg. Add vanilla and milk. Mix well until combined.
- Gradually stir in flour and baking powder scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Roll out a small amount of dough on a floured surface to about ¼″ thick and cut into shapes.
- Place on cookie sheets and bake until the edges just start to brown. Approximately 10-12 minutes.
- Let sit on cookie sheets for a few minutes then transfer to the cooling rack. Repeat until all dough is used.
- Here's a little cookie tip for you: When rolling out your cookie dough, mix flour and powdered sugar 50/50. Use this mixture and your cookies will taste much better and not leave a flour taste in your mouth.
Buttercream Frosting
- In a medium bowl, cream butter, milk, and vanilla together. Gradually stir in powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Divide frosting into three bowls. Add a drop of pink food coloring to one, two drops to another, stir to combine, and leave one bowl white only white frosting.
- Frost cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles.
Optional: Royal Icing (in place of buttercream frosting)
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk sugar and milk until smooth.
- Add corn syrup and vanilla. Whisk until incorporated.
- Divide icing into separate bowls and add desired food coloring. Stir.
- Spoon icing into piping bags and outline each cookie, then fill it in and use a toothpick to spread the frosting around to cover the area.
- Add candy sprinkles, or once icing hardens, add additional designs with leftover icing.
Notes
- Don't overbake, or the cookies may become dry.
- Chill the dough briefly if it becomes too soft.
- Let cookies cool completely before frosting.
- Use gel food coloring for brighter pink shades.
Nutrition
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