Snowman Cookies
These adorable snowman cookies bake up perfectly soft and chewy and are decorated with the most delicious homemade buttercream.
A dusting of sanding sugar gives them a wonderful pop of texture, and they come together in a flash because they’re decorated with sprinkles! These are very kid-friendly and sure to be a holiday favorite.
How to Make These Snowman 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 in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, 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! I share some other options in the recipe card.
Cookie Decorations
Tools / Equipment
- parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- large baking sheets /cookie trays
- 2 1/2 inch circle cookie cutter
- 2 large piping bags or freezer Ziploc bags
- large, round piping tip (like a Wilton 1A)
- orange gel food coloring
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough
The first step is to make the cookie dough! Follow the recipe card at the bottom of this post to make the dough.
Then divide the dough in half and wrap each piece of dough in a piece of plastic wrap.
Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours or in the freezer for 30 minutes. You can also chill the dough overnight.
Step 2: Roll and Cut Out the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C 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.
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.
Chill the cut-out cookies one more time in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes to help them keep their shape as they bake.
Step 3: Bake the Cookies
Bake for 12-14 minutes on the top rack of your oven (time varies based on the size and thickness of the cookies). Rotate the tray halfway through to help the cookies bake evenly.
Keep a close eye on the cookies and be sure to pull them out before the edges start to brown. 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 your 2nd chilled piece of dough and repeat the steps above. Then repeat with the chilled dough scraps.
Step 4: Make the Vanilla Buttercream
While the cookies bake and cool, make the vanilla buttercream frosting.
If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. 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.
Once the frosting is made, stir it by hand with a rubber spatula to get it SUPER smooth.
Scoop 1/4 cup of frosting into a small bowl and color it orange with gel food coloring.
Put the orange frosting into a small piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip like a Wilton 10, or snip a small opening at the base of the bag (about 1/4 inch).
Seal the top of the bag with a rubber band or clip and set aside.
Place the remaining white frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip (like a Wilton 1A) and seal the top with a large rubber band.
If you don’t have that type of piping tip, you can just cut a 1/2-inch opening at the base of the piping bag. Set aside.
Step 5: Frost and Decorate the Cookies
Pour about 1 cup of white sanding sugar or granulated sugar into a small bowl. Set aside. Once the cookies have fully cooled, pipe a thin layer of frosting on top of one of the cookies.
Gently press the cookie into the sanding sugar until the entire top is covered. This should even out the frosting.
Use small black sprinkles to add eyes and a mouth. If you don’t have black sprinkles, you can also use mini chocolate chips (flip them upside down so that the flat side faces up) or color a little bit of frosting black.
If desired, add red or pink heart sprinkles to look like cheeks. Then use the orange frosting to pipe on a carrot nose.
Repeat with the remaining cookies, then enjoy!
Substitutions and Swaps – Cream Cheese Cookie Base
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps give these cookies a soft texture and prevents them from overspreading. If you don’t have any one hand, it can be omitted, but your cookies won’t bake up as soft.
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.
- 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.
How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe can be used to make 24, 2 1/2-inch cookies. The yield and bake time will vary based on the size of the cookie cutter you use and the thickness of the dough.
Making These Snowman 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 in the freezer for a month.
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. If I do freeze the cookie dough, 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 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.
Tips for Making the Best Snowman 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! 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.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. Err on the side of underbaking your cookies, and remember that the cookies continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven.
- Feel free to get creative with what you use to make the snowman’s face and work with what you’ve got! You can also use fondant, black frosting, or mini chocolate chips if needed.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you make these snowman cookies, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment.
Snowman Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Soft-Batch Cream Cheese Cookies
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 170g
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) full fat cream cheese, room temp 113g
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 300g
- 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 375g
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch 8g
- 1/2 tsp baking powder 2g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
Buttercream Frosting for Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 454g or 1 lb. box
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 60g
- orange gel food coloring – to be added later
Decorations
Instructions
Soft-Batch Cream Cheese Cookies
- 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.
- 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 incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture in two additions, mixing on a low speed until it is JUST incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between additions.
- At this point, the dough should still be pretty sticky. Divide the dough in half and wrap each portion of dough in a piece of 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.
- 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!
- Turn on the oven to 350°F/175°C 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.
- 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 mason jar lid or 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 don't spread much as they bake, so you can place them about 1 inch apart.
- Chill the cut-out cookies one more time in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes to help them keep their shape as they bake.
- Bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Bake for 12-14 minutes on the top rack of your oven (bake time can vary based on the size of the cookies). Rotate the tray halfway through to help the cookies bake evenly. Keep a close eye on the cookies and be sure to pull them out before the edges start to brown.
- 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 chilled portion of dough and repeat steps 9-12. Then repeat with the chilled dough scraps.
Buttercream Frosting
- Beat 1 cup of butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth.
- Mix in 1 Tbsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed.
- Gradually mix in 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 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. 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).
- Scoop 1/4 cup of frosting into a small bowl and color it orange with gel food coloring. Put the orange frosting into a small piping bag fitted with a small round tip like a Wilton 10 or snip a small opening at the base of the bag (about 1/4 inch). Seal the top of the bag with a rubber band or clip and set aside.
- Place the remaining uncolored frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip (like a Wilton 1A) and seal the top with a large rubber band. If you don't have piping bags, you can also use freezer ziploc bags! And if you don't have that type of piping tip, you can just cut a 1/2-inch opening at the base of the piping bag. Set aside.
Decorating These Snowman Cookies
- Pour about 1 cup of white sanding sugar or granulated sugar into a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once the cookies have fully cooled, pipe a thin layer of frosting on top of one of the cookies.
- Gently press the cookie into the sanding sugar until the entire top is covered. This should even out the frosting.
- Use small black sprinkles to add eyes and a mouth. If you don't have black sprinkles, you can also use mini chocolate chips (flip them upside down so that the flat side faces up) or color a little bit of frosting black.
- If desired, add red or pink sprinkles to look like cheeks. Then use the orange frosting to pipe on a carrot nose. Repeat with the remaining cookies, then enjoy!
Video
Notes
How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe can be used to make about 24, 2 1/2-inch circular cookies. The yield and bake time will vary based on the size of the cookie cutter you use and the thickness of the dough. 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 Snowman 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 Snowman 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! 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.
- Liberally flour your counter before you roll out the cookie dough, and move the dough around while you roll and cut the cookies.
- Don’t overbake your cookies. Err on the side of underbaking your cookies, and remember that the cookies continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven.
- Feel free to get creative with what you use to make the snowman’s face and work with what you’ve got! You can also use fondant, black frosting, or mini chocolate chips in place of the black sprinkles if needed.
Nutrition
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Can you share a link to the rolling pin you use?
Hi there this cookie looks absolutely amazing I can’t wait to make them. But one question though can the cream cheese be substituted with another ingredient? I live in Harare and here it gets so hot don’t know would those cookies if
made with cream cheese will last in the heat.
You can use additional butter in place of the cream cheese if needed! Hope that helps, happy baking!
@Chelsweets,
I want to do the same- should I sub out the same amount/grams of butter for the cream cheese?
Hi Vanessa,
You can do totally do that! They will spread a tiny bit more but they will still be delicious 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
Started making these and rolling them out and specifically measured everything with a roller, but I’m not sure how you’re getting 30 cookies. I got 18 with no scraps all perfect height.???
I made these cookies today they are exactly like yours and they tase delicious!
I did not get 30 cookies but I did get 27 LOL . I will be making these again! Thank you for sharing such a fun and delicious cookie, I am going to freeze and hope they will be good for my trays next week!
Merrry Christmas!!
These cookies are so cute and perfect for a Christmas/winter cookie tray!
Aw thank you Jean!! 🙂 Happy baking
Hi I want to make these Cookies for Christmas but I have a egg allergy is there a way to substituted the eggs
Hi Wilson,
You can try using either a flaxseed egg or a vegan egg replacer like the one made by bob’s redmill. Hope that helps, and that your cookies turn out great!
Hello! Can’t wait to bake these for cookie boxes this year! Would you mind sharing the link for the tiny heart sprinkles?
Thank you!
Absolutely! Here’s the link Maria: https://amzn.to/4q5zsNo
Hope that helps, happy baking!!
Hi
This cookie looks awesome and I want to it
Can you pls let me know which of your other cookies can be made using the same dough ?
Hi Keerthana,
Great question! I use the same dough do make my marbled sugar cookie christmas trees, my polar bear cookies, my stained glass cookies, and my sugar cookies with royal icing! Hope that helps, happy baking!
These look so cute but require a lot of “babysitting.” And I’m not super jazzed about the icing. It seemed like the butter in the icing was melting as I was frosting. I didn’t think it was a good idea to leave these out of the fridge for any amount of time. That said, the cookie is tender and delicious.
Hi Melissa,
That’s wild! Were the cookies still a little bit warm? The buttercream should be pretty thick and very stable at room temperature. What type of butter did you use to make it? Did you use all the powdered sugar that the recipe called for? Hopefully we’ll be able to figure out what happened together!
I made these for a friend get together and they were a hit!