There’s just something magical about baking during the holidays, isn’t there? For me, it’s not just about the delicious treats, but the memories we make in the kitchen. Every year, my family gathers to decorate cookies, and these Snowman Cookies always bring the biggest smiles. They’re so cheerful and really capture the cozy, festive spirit of the season!
Why You’ll Love These Snowman Cookies
- They have the most wonderful soft, chewy texture, thanks to the cream cheese.
- The recipe is surprisingly easy to follow, even for beginner bakers.
- The vanilla buttercream is perfectly sweet and pipes like a dream.
- They’re absolutely adorable and perfect for holiday parties or gifting!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure it’s at room temperature for both the cookies and the frosting. This helps everything cream together smoothly, giving you that perfect texture.
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese: This is the secret ingredient for those incredibly soft, tender cookies. Again, room temperature is key!
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cookie dough and helps with browning.
- Large Egg: Binds the dough together. Use a room temperature egg for better emulsification.
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste: Adds that classic, warm vanilla flavor. I love using paste for those little specks of vanilla bean!
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of our cookie dough. Make sure to measure it correctly – spoon and level!
- Cornstarch: This little hero helps make the cookies extra soft and tender. Trust me on this one!
- Baking Powder: Our leavening agent, giving the cookies a slight lift.
- Fine Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
- Powdered Sugar: Essential for our smooth, pipeable buttercream. Don’t substitute with granulated sugar!
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Thins out the buttercream to the perfect consistency. Start with the recommended amount and add more if needed.
- Orange Gel Food Coloring: For those cute carrot noses! Gel coloring gives a vibrant color without adding too much liquid.
- Coarse Sanding Sugar: Creates that lovely snowy sparkle on top of our decorated Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe.
- Round, Black Sprinkles: For the snowman’s eyes and mouth. Easy peasy!
How to Make Snowman Cookies Step by Step
First, let’s get our cookie dough ready. You’ll start by beating together the room temperature butter and cream cheese until they’re nice and smooth. This step is important for a uniform cookie texture. Then, add in the granulated sugar and beat it for a couple of minutes until the mixture looks lighter and fluffy. This incorporates air, which makes for a softer cookie!
Next, we’ll mix in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk your dry ingredients together: flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Now, slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, half at a time. Mix on low speed until it’s just combined. Don’t overmix! You’ll notice the dough is quite sticky, and that’s perfectly normal. Divide it in half, wrap it up, and flatten it a bit. Pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill. This chill time is crucial for preventing spread and making the dough easier to work with. While it’s chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) about 30 minutes before you plan to roll out the dough.
Once your dough is chilled, take one portion out. Lay down some plastic wrap on your counter – this is my favorite trick for easy cleanup! Dust the dough and your rolling pin with flour, then roll it out to about 1/3 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter (or a glass if you don’t have one) to cut out your circles. Gently brush off any excess flour and place them on your prepared baking sheets. Give them another quick chill for 15 minutes in the fridge or 5 minutes in the freezer. This helps them hold their shape beautifully in the oven. Bake them for 12-14 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through for even baking. You want them to be set but not browned around the edges. Let them cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough, including any scraps you re-knead and chill.
My Top Tips for Success
- I always make sure my butter and cream cheese are truly at room temperature. It makes a huge difference in the texture of the cookies and frosting.
- Don’t skip the chilling steps for the cookie dough! In my experience, this is key to perfectly shaped cookies that don’t spread too much.
- When adding the dry ingredients to the wet, mix on low speed and stop as soon as it’s combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
- Trust me on this one: rolling out the dough on plastic wrap makes cleanup incredibly easy.
- For the frosting, gradually add the powdered sugar and heavy cream. You want a thick, yet pipeable consistency.
- When decorating, pipe a thin layer of frosting and immediately press it into the sanding sugar. This gives a smooth, even, and sparkly finish.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not Chilling the Dough Enough: If your dough isn’t properly chilled, your cookies will spread too much in the oven and lose their shape. Always follow the recommended chilling times!
- Overmixing the Dough: Mixing the dough too much after adding the flour can develop the gluten, resulting in tough, chewy cookies instead of soft ones. Mix until just combined.
- Baking Until Browned Edges: These cookies are meant to be soft and light. If you bake them until the edges are golden brown, they’ll be dry. Pull them out when they are set but still pale.
- Frosting Warm Cookies: If you try to frost cookies that aren’t completely cool, the frosting will melt and slide right off. Patience is a virtue here!
- Too Thin or Too Thick Frosting: If your frosting is too thin, it will run. If it’s too thick, it will be hard to pipe smoothly. Adjust with more powdered sugar or a tiny bit more cream, one tablespoon at a time.
How to Store Snowman Cookies
- Room Temperature: Store undecorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- Decorated Cookies: Once decorated, store them in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If stacking, place parchment paper between layers.
- Freezer (Undecorated Dough): You can wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before rolling.
- Freezer (Baked, Undecorated Cookies): Place fully cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze solid, then transfer to an airtight freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prepare the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before rolling if it’s been chilled overnight.
What if I don’t have a round cookie cutter?
No problem at all! You can use the rim of a mason jar lid or any round glass that’s roughly 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Just make sure to dust the edges with flour so it doesn’t stick.
Can I use store-bought frosting?
While you certainly can, I highly recommend making your own buttercream for these Cream Cheese Cookies. The texture and flavor are far superior and really make these Snowman Cookies special. Plus, it’s easier to tint and pipe!
How can I make the frosting less sweet?
You can try adding a tiny pinch more salt to balance the sweetness, or a bit more vanilla extract. However, powdered sugar is essential for the structure of buttercream, so you can’t significantly reduce it without changing the consistency.
My cookies are spreading too much. What went wrong?
The most common reasons are not chilling the dough enough, your butter or cream cheese being too warm, or overworking the dough. Make sure to follow the chilling steps carefully and ensure your ingredients are at the correct temperature!
I truly hope these Snowman Cookies bring a little extra cheer and deliciousness to your holiday season. They’re such a joy to make and even more fun to share! If you give them a try, please let me know how they turn out in the comments below. Happy baking!
PrintSnowman Cookies
Adorable and soft cream cheese snowman cookies, perfect for holiday decorating with a fluffy vanilla buttercream.
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 14
- Total Time: 150
- Yield: 24-30 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) full fat cream cheese, room temp
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- orange gel food coloring
- 1 cup coarse sanding sugar
- Round, black sprinkles
Instructions
- Beat 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup cream cheese in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth.
- Add 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until lighter in color.
- Add 1 egg and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until incorporated.
- Whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt in a separate bowl.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed until just incorporated.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between additions.
- Divide the sticky dough in half.
- Wrap each portion of dough in plastic wrap.
- Flatten each dough portion into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for about 2 hours, or in the freezer for 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) 30 minutes before rolling out dough.
- Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Take one piece of dough out of the fridge, leaving the other to chill.
- Unwrap the cookie dough and lay the plastic wrap flat on your counter.
- Dust both sides of the cookie dough and your rolling pin with flour.
- Roll the chilled dough to be 1/3 inch thick.
- Cut out 2 1/2 inch circles with a flour-dusted cookie cutter.
- Brush any excess flour off the cookies with a kitchen brush.
- Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
- Chill the cut-out cookies in the fridge for 15 minutes or in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 12-14 minutes on the top rack of your oven.
- Rotate the tray halfway through baking for even cooking.
- Remove cookies from oven before the edges start to brown.
- Let baked cookies cool on the pan for about 15 minutes.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Knead together cookie dough scraps and rewrap them in plastic wrap.
- Chill dough scraps in the fridge.
- Pull out the second chilled portion of dough and repeat steps 13-27.
- Repeat with the chilled dough scraps.
- Beat 1 cup butter on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth.
- Mix in 1 Tbsp vanilla paste or extract and 1/2 tsp salt on low speed.
- Gradually mix in 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup heavy cream.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Beat on low until ingredients are fully incorporated and desired consistency is reached.
- Add additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time) if frosting is too thick.
- Add more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time) if frosting is too thin.
- Scoop 1/4 cup of frosting into a small bowl.
- Color the small portion of frosting orange with gel food coloring.
- Put the orange frosting into a small piping bag fitted with a small round tip or snip a small opening (1/4 inch) at the base.
- Seal the top of the orange frosting bag.
- Place the remaining uncolored frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip or cut a 1/2-inch opening.
- Seal the top of the white frosting bag.
- Pour about 1 cup of white sanding sugar into a small bowl.
- Once cookies are fully cooled, pipe a thin layer of white frosting on top of one cookie.
- Gently press the frosted cookie into the sanding sugar until the entire top is covered.
- Use small black sprinkles to add eyes and a mouth.
- Pipe on a carrot nose with the orange frosting.
- Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Notes
Ensure all dairy ingredients are at room temperature for the best results in both cookies and frosting.
Do not overmix the cookie dough once the flour is added; this can make cookies tough.
Chill the dough and cut-out cookies as instructed to prevent spreading and maintain shape.
Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
