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Monkey Cookies

These adorable monkey cookies bake up soft and chewy and are decorated with the most delicious homemade buttercream frosting.

image of a cute monkey cookies decorated with buttercream frosting

How to Make These Monkey Cookies

Let’s walk through each step of this recipe to make sure it turns out as amazing as possible!

I’ve also shared a video tutorial on how to make them below, along with the tools I used. If you don’t have all of these on hand, feel free to get creative and work with what you’ve got!

Cookie Decorations

Tools / Equipment

Step 1: Make the Chocolate Cookie Dough

The first step is to make the chocolate cookie dough! Follow the recipe card at the bottom of this post to make the dough.

image of chocolate cream cheese cookie dough that's been mixed in a glass bowl

Then divide the dough in half and wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap.

image of chocolate cookie dough that's been wrapped in plastic wrap to be chilled

Chill the dough in the fridge for about 2 hours, in the freezer for 30 minutes, or in the fridge overnight.

If you chill the dough overnight, let it sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes before trying to roll it out. This will make it easier to roll out!

Step 2: Roll and Cut Out the Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C for about 30 minutes before you plan to roll out the dough and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.

Take one piece of dough out of the fridge, leaving the other in there to continue to chill. Unwrap the cookie dough and lay the plastic wrap out flat on your counter.

We will be rolling out the cookie dough on the plastic wrap to make cleanup a breeze and to make it easier to cut out the cookies. Dust both sides of the cookie dough and your rolling pin with flour.

image of chocolate cream cheese cookie dough being rolled out with rolling pin

Roll the chilled dough to be 1/3 inch thick and cut out as many circles as possible with a flour-dusted round cookie cutter. I used a 2 1/2-inch wide cookie cutter.

image of a 3-inch circle cookie cutter being held above a tray of cookies that were cut out using it

Use a kitchen brush to gently brush off any excess flour and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Use a 1 1/2-inch circle cutter to cut out smaller circles from the remaining dough to make the ears of the monkeys. If you don’t have a cutter this size, use a small bottle cap or glass that’s similar in size.

image of circles of cookie dough being cut in half with a knife

Cut out the same number of smaller circles as you have larger circles, then cut the smaller circles in half to divide them into two ears.

Place two of these on the side of each big circle cookie and gently press down where the dough meets to help them stick together.

Chill the cut-out cookies one more time in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 10 minutes to help them keep their shape as they bake.

Step 3: Bake the Cookies

Bake for 12-14 minutes on the middle rack of your oven (time varies based on the size and thickness of the cookies).

image of baked chocolate cookies that are shaped like a monkey's head

Let the baked cookies cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

While the first batch bakes and cools, knead together the cookie dough scraps, and rewrap them in plastic wrap.

Pop them back in the fridge to chill. Pull out the 2nd piece of chilled dough and repeat the steps above. Then repeat with the chilled dough scraps.

Step 4: Make the Peanut Butter Chocolate Buttercream

While the cookies bake and cool, make the buttercream frosting.

If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra tablespoon of heavy cream. Or if it seems too thin, add another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.

If you’re unsure what consistency the frosting should be, check out my frosting consistency guide.

image of peanut butter buttercream being mixed in a glass bowl with an electric hand mixer

Once the frosting is made, stir it by hand with a rubber spatula to get it SUPER smooth.

Then scoop one-quarter (about 1 cup) of the frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a medium round tip (like an Ateco 806). Seal the top with a rubber band or clip and set aside.

If you don’t have that size of a piping tip, you can just cut a 1/3-inch opening at the base of the piping bag.

Add the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and additional heavy cream to the remaining buttercream.

image of chocolate buttercream being mixed in a glass bowl with a hand mixer

Mix until combined and smooth. Place the chocolate frosting in a large piping bag fitted with a medium round tip (like an Ateco 806). Seal the top with a rubber band or clip, and set aside.

image of chocolate and peanut butter buttercream in piping bags

Step 5: Frost and Decorate the Monkey Cookies

Pipe a thin layer of chocolate frosting on the ears of one of the monkey cookies and smooth the frosting toward the center of the cookie (see pictures below).

image of frosting being smoothed onto a monkey shaped cookie

Then pipe a thicker layer of frosting in a circle in the center of the cookie. Smooth this second layer of frosting with an offset spatula or a small piece of acetate sheet.

image of chocolate buttercream being piped onto a monkey cookie
image of chocolate buttercream being smoothed onto a monkey cookie

Don’t worry about getting this layer super smooth, it will mostly be covered up in the next steps.

Pipe a little dollop of frosting at the top center of the cookie to look like a tuft of hair. Use a small sharp knife or scribe/toothpick to add some texture to the frosting.

image of frosting being added to a monkey cookie to look like a cute tuft of hair

Then use the peanut butter buttercream to pipe on the monkey’s face similar to the pictures above.

Carefully smooth the frosting with an offset spatula or a small piece of acetate sheet.

image of a monkey cookie that's being decorated with chocolate and peanut butter buttercream

Gently press a black jelly bean into the center of the cookie to be the monkey’s nose, then use the other sprinkles to make the eyes, cheeks, and mouth.

image of a cute monkey cookie decorated with buttercream frosting

If you don’t have the same sprinkles as me, feel free to improvise with whatever you have on hand.

You can also use fondant to make the facial features. Repeat with the remaining cookies, then enjoy!

Substitutions and Swaps – Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies

Now that we’ve covered how to make these cookies, let’s talk about the ingredients!

This recipe uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand.

Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered. Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.

  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and omit the salt)!
  • Cream Cheese – Full-fat cream cheese that comes in a block works best.
  • Granulated Sugar –  I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar as it will change the spread of these cookies.
  • Large Egg – If you have an egg allergy, try using a flaxseed egg or a vegan egg replacer like this one made by Bob’s Red Mill.
  • All-Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend if needed.
  • Unsweetened Powder – Regular unsweetened cocoa powder works best in this recipe, but you can use Dutch-processed or dark cocoa powder if needed.
  • Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps give these cookies a soft texture. If you don’t have any one hand it can be omitted, but your cookies won’t bake up as soft.
image of a cute monkey cookie that's been bitten into to show how soft and chewy it is

Substitutions and Swaps – Buttercream Frosting

  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place.
  • Creamy Peanut Butter – You really need creamy peanut butter in this recipe to make sure the frosting is smooth. Shelf-stable peanut butter like JIF or Skippy work best. Natural peanut butter with a thinner consistency can cause the frosting to break. If you don’t like peanut butter or have an allergy, use additional butter in place of the peanut butter.
  • Heavy Cream – Whipping cream, coconut cream or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat, coconut) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Vanilla Extract – Other extracts can also be used in place of the vanilla extract if needed.
  • Unsweetened Powder – Regular unsweetened cocoa powder works best in this recipe, but you can use Dutch-processed or dark cocoa powder if needed.regular cocoa powder and add a bit of black gel food coloring to help deepen the color.
  • Dark Chocolate – I like to use dark chocolate to give the frosting a deeper brown color, but semi-sweet or milk chocolate will work too.

How Many Cookies Does this Recipe Make?

This recipe can be used to make 36, 3-inch cookies. The yield and bake time will vary based on the size of the cookie cutter you use.

Tips for Making the Best Monkey Cookies

  • Really cream together the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar in the first step of this recipe. It helps incorporate air into the dough which makes fluffy and soft cookies.
  • Don’t overwork the cookie dough once the flour is mixed in! It can overwork the gluten and result in tough and dense cookies.
  • Roll the cookie dough out to a consistent thickness of 1/3 inch. If some are thicker or thinner than others, they may over or under-bake in the oven.
  • Chill the cookie dough. It helps prevent your cookies from spreading while they bake.
  • Be careful not to pick up the decorated cookies by the ear! They can break off as the buttercream sits on the cookies and softens it.
  • Feel free to get creative with what you use to make the monkey’s face and work with what you’ve got! You can also use fondant if needed.
image of a cute monkey cookie decorated with buttercream frosting

Making These Monkey Cookies in Advance and Storage Tips

You can store frosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature, 5 days in the fridge, or a month in the freezer.

If you want to stack the cookies on top of one another, I recommend chilling them thoroughly before doing so and adding a layer of parchment paper between them. The buttercream will firm up when it’s chilled, but won’t set hard like royal icing.

This cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container. I like to move the cookie dough from the freezer to the fridge the night before I plan to roll it out and bake the cookies.

Baked, unfrosted cookies can also be frozen! These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in an airtight container.

I recommend waiting to frost them until they’ve thawed to room temperature.

Move them to the fridge the day before you plan to eat them, then let them sit out at room temperature for a few hours before frosting them.

image of a cute monkey cookie decorated with buttercream frosting

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for monkey cookies, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment.

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Yield: 36

Monkey Cookies

image of a cute monkey cookie decorated with buttercream frosting

These adorable monkey cookies bake up soft and chewy and are decorated with the most delicious homemade buttercream frosting.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 53 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies

  • 3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp (170g)
  • 1/2 cup or 4 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temp (113g)
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
  • 1 large egg, room temp (56g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (8g)
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (340g)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (50g)
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch (8g)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder (2g)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Buttercream

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (125g)
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract (12g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar (625g)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream (80g)
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder - to be added later (33g)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream - to be added later (60g)
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips - to be added later (85g)

Decorations

Additional Supplies

Instructions

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies

  1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup cream cheese on medium speed with a hand mixer or whisk attachment until smooth.
  2. Next, add in 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and mix on a medium-high speed for a couple of minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color. Add in 1 egg and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix on a medium speed until combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp fine salt, and 1/2 tsp baking powder.
  4. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix on a low speed until it is JUST incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is properly mixed together.
  5. At this point, the dough should still be pretty sticky. Divide the dough in half and wrap each portion of dough in plastic wrap. I like to flatten the dough out into a rectangle that's about 1/2 inch tall to make it easier to roll out once it's chilled.
  6. Chill the dough in the fridge for about 2 hours, in the freezer for 30 minutes, or in the fridge overnight. If you chill the dough overnight, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to make it easier to roll it out.
  7. Turn on the oven to 350 F / 175 C for about 30 minutes before you plan to roll out the dough, and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
  8. Take one piece of dough out of the fridge, leaving the other in there to continue to chill. Unwrap the cookie dough and lay the plastic wrap out flat on your counter. We will be rolling out the cookie dough on the plastic wrap to make cleanup a breeze and to make it easier to cut out the cookies. Dust both sides of the cookie dough and your rolling pin with flour.
  9. Roll the chilled dough to be 1/3 inch thick and cut out 2 1/2-inch circles with a flour-dusted cookie cutter. If you don't have a circle cutter that size, use a round glass that's similar in size. Use a kitchen brush to brush any excess flour off the cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets. The cookies will spread a bit as they bake so that you can place them about 2 inches apart.
  10. Use a 1 1/2-inch circle cutter to cut out smaller circles from the remaining dough to make the ears for the monkeys. If you don't have a cutter this size, use a small bottle cap or glass that's similar in size. Cut out the same number of smaller circles as you have larger circles, then cut the smaller circles in half to divide them into two ears. Place these on the sides of each big circle cookie and gently press down where the dough meets to help them stick together.
  11. Chill the cut-out cookies one more time in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 10 minutes to help them keep their shape as they bake.
  12. Bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Bake for 12-14 minutes on the middle rack of your oven (bake time can vary based on the size of the cookies). Let the baked cookies cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
  13. While the first batch bakes and cools, knead together the cookie dough scraps and rewrap them in plastic wrap. Pop them back in the fridge to chill.
  14. Pull out the 2nd chilled portion of dough and repeat steps 9-12. Then repeat with the chilled dough scraps.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  1. Beat 1 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a stand mixer and paddle attachment or hand mixer, until smooth.
  2. Mix in 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp of salt on a low speed.
  3. Gradually mix in 5 powdered sugar and 1/3 cup of heavy cream. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached
  4. If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar (a quarter of a cup at a time).
  5. Scoop one-quarter (about 1 cup) of the frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a medium round tip (like an Ateco 806). Seal the top with a rubber band or clip, and set aside. If you don't have that type of piping tip, you can just cut a 1/3-inch opening at the base of the piping bag.
  6. Then mix 1/3 cup of cocoa powder and an additional 1/4 cup of heavy cream into the remaining buttercream. Mix until combined and smooth.
  7. Place 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips into a heat-proof bowl and heat them in the microwave in 15-second intervals (stir between each interval) until they are fully melted. Mix the melted chocolate into the remaining frosting. Place the chocolate frosting in a large piping bag fitted with a medium round tip (like an Ateco 806). Seal the top with a rubber band or clip, and set aside.

Decorating These Monkey Cookies

  1. Pipe a thin layer of chocolate frosting on the ears of one of the monkey cookies and smooth the frosting toward the center of the cookie (see pictures above). Then pipe a thicker layer of frosting in a circle in the center of the cookie. Smooth this second layer of frosting with an offset spatula or a small piece of acetate sheet. Don't worry about getting this layer super smooth, it will mostly be covered up in the next steps.
  2. Pipe a little dollop of frosting at the top center of the cookie to look like a tuft of hair. Use a small sharp knife or scribe/toothpick to add some texture to the frosting.
  3. Then use the peanut butter buttercream to pipe on the monkey's face similar to the pictures above. Carefully smooth the frosting with an offset spatula or a small piece of acetate sheet.
  4. Gently press a black jelly bean into the center of the cookie to be the monkey's nose, then use the sprinkles to make the eyes, cheeks, and mouth. If you don't have the same sprinkles as me, feel free to improvise with whatever you have on hand! You can also use fondant to make the facial features. Repeat with the remaining cookies, then enjoy!

Notes

How Many Cookies Does this Recipe Make?

This recipe can be used to make about 36, 2 1/2-inch circular cookies. The yield and bake time will vary based on the size and shape of the cookie cutter(s) you use.

This recipe can be halved to make fewer cookies (use half a scrambled egg in the dough), but I don't recommend doubling it unless you have a commercial (8 qt.) stand mixer.

Making These Monkey Cookies in Advance and Storage Tips

You can store frosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature, up to 5 days in the fridge, or for up to a month in the freezer.

If you want to stack the cookies on top of one another, I recommend chilling them thoroughly before doing so and adding a layer of parchment paper between them. The buttercream will firm up when it's chilled, but won't set hard like royal icing.

This cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container. I like to move the cookie dough to the fridge the night before I plan to roll it out and bake the cookies.

Baked, unfrosted cookies can also be frozen! These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in an airtight container. I recommend waiting to decorate them until they’ve thawed to room temperature.

Move them to the fridge the day before you plan to eat them, then let them sit out at room temperature for a few hours before frosting them.

Tips for Making the Best Monkey Cookies

  • Really cream together the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar in the first step of this recipe. It helps incorporate air into the dough which makes fluffy and soft cookies.
  • Don’t overwork the cookie dough once the flour is mixed in! It can overwork the gluten and result in tough, dense cookies.
  • Roll the cookie dough out to a consistent thickness of 1/3 inch. If some are thicker or thinner than others, they may over- or under-bake in the oven.
  • Take the time to chill the cookie dough. It helps prevent your cookies from spreading while they bake and helps them bake up with a soft texture.
  • Be careful not to pick up the decorated cookies by the ear! They can break off as the buttercream sits on the cookies and softens it.
  • Feel free to get creative with what you use to make the monkey's face and work with what you've got! You can also use fondant if needed.

Nutrition Information

Yield

36

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 288Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 37mgSodium 142mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 1gSugar 26gProtein 3g

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