Bunny Rabbit Sugar Cookies

image of a bunny rabbit cooke that's been decorated with buttercream and sanding sugar

4.68 from 43 rating

Bunny Rabbit Sugar Cookies

These adorable bunny rabbit sugar cookies bake up perfectly soft and are topped with the most delicious homemade buttercream frosting.

Prep Time20

Cook Time12

Additional Time1 30

Total Time2 2

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 354kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 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 temperature 56g
2 tsp almond extract, optional 8g
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
3 cups all-purpose flour 390g
1 Tbsp cornstarch 8g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
1/2 tsp baking powder 2g

Buttercream Frosting for Rabbit 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
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 30g

Additional Supplies

Instructions

Cream Cheese Sugar 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 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, 2 tsp almond extract (optional), and 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. Mix on a medium speed until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour (use a scale or fluff the flour in the bag, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it), 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp fine salt, and 1/2 tsp baking powder.
Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture 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 thick and 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 thick to make it easier to roll out once it's chilled.
Chill the dough in the fridge for about 2 hours or in the freezer for 30 minutes. It can also be chilled overnight. 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. If you put the cookie dough in the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften up a bit before trying to roll it out. 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 make cutting out the cookies easier. Dust both sides of the cookie dough and your rolling pin with flour.
Roll the chilled dough to be 1/3 inch thick (these rolling pin rings help a ton with getting a consistent thickness) and use a 2- or 3-inch cookie bunny cookie cutter (I used one from this set) to cut out as many cookies as you can. The cookies don't spread much as they bake, so you can place them about 1/2 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 for about 10 minutes on the middle rack of your oven (bake time can vary based on the cookies' size and the dough's thickness). 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 9-11. 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 extract and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed
Slowly add in 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Halfway through add in 2 Tbsp of heavy cream or milk to make it easier to mix.
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).Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Place 1/4 cup of frosting into two separate bowls, and use gel food coloring to one pink, and the other black. Alternatively, you can use round black sprinkles for the eyes and skip making the black buttercream.
Place the remaining white buttercream in a large piping bag with a large round tip (like an Ateco 806).
Place the pink and black frosting into small piping bags fitted with small round piping tips (like a Wilton 3).

Decorating these Bunny Cookies

Pipe white buttercream on top of one of the cookies. Dunk the cookie in white sanding sugar or granulated sugar, gently pressing it into the sugar to help flatten out the frosting, and fully cover it in sanding sugar.
Pipe a small pink heart in the center of the cookie, and pipe a pink line in the center of each ear. Use the black buttercream or round black sprinkles to pipe two circles on the sides of the nose to be the bunny's eyes.
Repeat with the remaining cookies, then enjoy! Frosted cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 day at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge.

Video

Notes

Yield

This recipe can be used to make 24 3-inch bunny cookies. The yield and bake time will vary based on the size and shape of the cookie cutter you use.

This recipe can be halved or doubled to make more or less cookies.

Making These Bunny Rabbit Cookies in Advance and Storage Tips

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

If you want to stack the cookies on top of one another, I recommend adding a layer of parchment paper between them.

This cookie dough can be frozen for up to a 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 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 Bunny Rabbit Sugar Cookies:

Flour your cookie cutter before each cut! It helps the dough easily pop out of the cutter and helps the cookies keep their shape.
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 tender and soft cookies.
Don’t over-mix your cookie dough once you add in the flour! It can over-work the gluten and result in tough and dense cookies
Roll your 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 your cookie dough. It helps prevent your cookies from spreading while they bake and helps them bake up soft and chewy.
Don’t overbake your cookies. Err on the side of under-baking your cookies, and remember that the cookies continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven.
If you use frosting to make the eyes, wait to pipe on the eyes until right before you plan to serve the cookies. The black frosting can sometimes bleed into the sprinkles if they've been chilled or if you live in a humid environment.

Nutrition