There’s just something magical about biting into a perfectly soft, sweet cookie decorated like a jolly snowman—this Snowman Sugar Cookies Recipe is a festive treat that brings smiles and holiday cheer every time. You’ll love how these cookies are not just cute, but irresistibly delicious and perfect for sharing with friends and family.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I first made this Snowman Sugar Cookies Recipe a few holiday seasons ago, and it's been a joyful tradition ever since. The taste, the texture, and the endless decorating fun are just unbeatable. Plus, they’re a fantastic way to get creative in the kitchen with the kids or friends!
- Perfect Texture: Soft yet sturdy crumb that holds its shape beautifully, ideal for decorating.
- Flavors That Pop: A hint of almond extract takes these cookies beyond basic sugar cookies, adding depth without overpowering.
- Fun to Decorate: Royal icing in bright colors lets you personalize each snowman with scarves, hats, and smiles.
- Great for Gifting: These cookies stay soft days after baking, making them perfect for holiday gifts or parties.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Every ingredient in this Snowman Sugar Cookies Recipe plays an essential role in crafting that tender yet well-shaped cookie base that's so fun to decorate. Using room temperature butter and egg ensures the dough blends smoothly, while the flour, baking powder, and salt work together to give the right rise and subtle flavor balance.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level it to avoid packing in too much flour — this keeps cookies tender, not tough.
- Baking powder: Adds just a touch of lift to give the cookies a delicate crumb.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt level precisely and ensures a creamy, smooth dough.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens without overwhelming and helps create a tender crumb.
- Egg: Binds the dough together and adds richness — make sure it’s room temperature for easier mixing.
- Pure vanilla extract: Classic flavor that complements the other ingredients beautifully.
- Almond extract (optional): Adds a subtle, delightful nuttiness that makes these cookies stand out (I never skip this!).
- Royal Icing: The perfect decorating medium that hardens nicely so designs stay crisp and adorable.
- Gel food coloring: Use vibrant colors for scarves, hats, noses, and eyes to bring your snowmen to life.
Make It Your Way
This recipe is incredibly forgiving when it comes to flavor tweaks and decoration styles, so make it your own! I like swapping almond extract for peppermint during the holidays for a festive twist, but you could try lemon or even pumpkin spice for unique seasonal variations.
- Flavor variation: Last Christmas, I used peppermint extract instead of almond - the kids loved the minty kick paired with the sweet icing.
- Decorating style: Sometimes I let my nephew mix the icing colors, creating fun, unexpected snowmen scarves and hats!
- Diet-friendly tweak: For a dairy-free version, try coconut oil instead of butter—your dough texture might be slightly different, but the flavor remains delightful.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Snowman Sugar Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients with Care
Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl — this ensures everything is evenly combined and helps prevent any pockets of leavening that might make your cookies uneven.
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar Till Dreamy
Using a stand or handheld mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar on high for about 2 minutes. You want it smooth, creamy, and a little fluffy—this is where your cookies get that buttery richness.
Step 3: Add the Egg and Extracts
Beat in the room temperature egg with vanilla — and almond extract if you’re using it — until fully combined. Don't forget to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl to get every bit mixed in evenly.
Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry, Adjust If Needed
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet on low speed until a soft dough forms. If it feels too sticky to roll, add a tablespoon of flour. The dough should be pliable but not clinging to your hands or the surface.
Step 5: Roll, Stack, and Chill
Divide your dough in half and roll each out to ¼ inch thickness between lightly floured parchment or silicone mats. Stack the rolled dough with flour dusting and parchment between the layers, then cover and chill for at least 1-2 hours. This rest is crucial for clean cookie cutter edges and easy handling.
Step 6: Cut, Arrange, and Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Use your snowman cookie cutter to cut shapes carefully. Re-roll scraps to maximize yield. Arrange cookies spaced comfortably on lined baking sheets, bake 11-12 minutes until edges just start to brown, rotate halfway if needed, then cool on racks.
Step 7: Decorate with Joy
Mix small bowls of royal icing tinted red, black, and orange, leaving some white icing plain. Pipe a white base coat leaving space for hats, then layer on scarves, hats, eyes, mouths, buttons, and noses with the colored icings. Patience helps here — chilling the cookies speeds drying and keeps details crisp.
Top Tip
Through making this Snowman Sugar Cookies Recipe multiple times, I’ve realized a few tips can make a big difference between good cookies and show-stopping ones.
- Chill the Dough Thoroughly: This prevents spreading and keeps your snowmen perfectly shaped, making decorating so much easier.
- Room Temperature Butter & Egg: Don’t rush this step — too soft butter can make sticky dough, and cold eggs can cause uneven mixing.
- Use Parchment or Silicone Mats: Rolling dough between these keeps things clean and makes transferring shapes less stressful.
- Be Patient When Icing: Let the white icing dry before adding colored details to avoid blending and smudging.
How to Serve Snowman Sugar Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I usually garnish my snowman cookies with tiny edible glitter and a sprinkle of white sugar crystals to mimic sparkling snow. Sometimes I add small candy pearls for buttons — it’s these little details that make the cookies feel extra festive and fun.
Side Dishes
Pair these cookies with a warm cup of spiced hot cocoa or cinnamon-spiced tea for a cozy treat. They also complement a holiday cookie platter beautifully, alongside gingerbread or peppermint bark.
Creative Ways to Present
For gift-giving, I like to stack cookies in a clear box tied with a festive ribbon, separating layers with parchment paper. Another fun idea is to use a wooden tray lined with faux snow and sprinkle mini pinecones around the cookies for a wintry display that doubles as décor.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, layering them with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They stay deliciously soft for about 5 days this way — perfect if you’re pacing your cookie enjoyment over a week.
Freezing
These Snowman Sugar Cookies freeze beautifully! I wrap decorated cookies individually when the icing has fully set and layer them carefully in a freezer container with parchment paper between. They’ll keep up to 3 months — just thaw gently at room temp or in the fridge before serving.
Reheating
Instead of reheating, I find these cookies taste best fresh or at room temperature. If you prefer your iced cookies a bit warmer, let them sit out for 15-20 minutes after thawing rather than trying to microwave, which can soften the icing.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, you can! The almond extract is optional but highly recommended — it adds a lovely depth to the cookies. If you leave it out, just make sure your vanilla is good quality for the best flavor.
Chilling the dough after rolling it out is the key! The recipe advises a 1-2 hour chill with the dough stacks wrapped — this firms up the butter and helps maintain the shapes while baking.
Try adding more powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time until the icing is pipeable but not dripping. Also, ensure you don’t add too much liquid coloring — gel food coloring is best for less watery, vibrant icing.
Absolutely! You can make and freeze the dough up to 3 months in advance or bake and freeze the decorated cookies once the icing has set. Just thaw carefully when you’re ready to enjoy them.
Final Thoughts
This Snowman Sugar Cookies Recipe holds a special place in my heart because it blends holiday tradition, creativity, and deliciousness in one perfect package. Whether you’re making these for a party, gifting, or sharing over a cozy night in, each bite is a little celebration. Give it a try—you’ll find it’s as rewarding to make as it is to eat.
Print
Snowman Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delightfully festive Snowman Sugar Cookies with a soft texture and classic flavor, decorated with colorful royal icing to bring holiday cheer to your table. Perfect for gifting or enjoying with family and friends during the winter season.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 and ¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)
For Decorating
- Royal Icing
- Red gel food coloring
- Black gel food coloring
- Orange gel food coloring
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again if needed.
- Combine Dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. The dough will be a bit soft; add 1 more tablespoon of flour if too sticky.
- Divide and Roll Out Dough: Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Place each on lightly floured parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Roll each portion to about ¼-inch thickness using a lightly floured rolling pin.
- Layer and Chill Dough: Lightly dust one rolled-out dough with flour, place a parchment sheet on top, then place the second rolled dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or foil, refrigerate for 1-2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Cut Cookies: Remove top dough from refrigerator and separate if sticking. Use a snowman cookie cutter to cut shapes. Re-roll scraps and continue cutting all dough pieces.
- Bake Cookies: Arrange cookies 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes until lightly browned around edges. Rotate pans halfway if needed. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare Icing Colors: Divide royal icing into 4 portions: one plain white, and three with red, black, and orange food coloring respectively. Adjust colors as desired.
- Decorate Cookies: Fit piping bag with Wilton tip #5 or #4 and fill with white icing. Pipe border and fill cookies leaving room for black hat. Let white icing set in refrigerator for faster drying.
- Add Details: Use separate piping bags with tip #1 for black icing to pipe hats, eyes, mouths, and buttons; pipe orange icing for noses; pipe red icing scarf with tip #4 or #5.
- Set Icing and Store: Let icing set 2-3 hours at room temperature. Store decorated cookies tightly covered at room temp for up to 5 days or refrigerate up to 10 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze plain or decorated cookies up to 3 months after icing has set, layered between parchment in a freezer container. Thaw in refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Cookie Dough Freezing: Prepare dough through step 3, divide, flatten into disks, wrap, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge then bring to room temp 1 hour before rolling.
- Flavor Variations: Substitute almond extract with 1 teaspoon maple, coconut, lemon, or peppermint extract, or add 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice or cinnamon. Add lemon zest if using lemon extract.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use cool-to-touch room temperature butter and egg to ensure proper dough texture and mixing.
- Decorating Tips: Use couplers to switch piping tips easily when using same sizes for different colors. Allow icing to fully set for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
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