Snowman Cookies
These adorable Snowman Cookies are super easy and fun to make! Cake mix sugar cookies are topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting, then decorated with candies and sprinkles to bring these little frosty friends to life!
For more Christmas cookie recipes, be sure to check out my Molasses Crinkle Cookies, Cranberry Bliss Bar Cookies, and Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies!
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These little snowman cookies are a lot of fun to make, and almost too cute to eat!
This recipe is a great one to make with the kiddos. The base of the cookies starts with a cake mix, making them simple and easy to prepare.
If you’re short on time, you can substitute canned prepared frosting for the homemade buttercream. Though I always recommend homemade if you can make it work!
Once the cookies are baked and frosted, the real fun of decorating begins!
Feel free to let your imagination run wild with these, but I included all the toppings I used to get you started. My favorite part of these cookies is the adorable peppermint earmuffs! So darn cute!
And, if you’re in the mood for a wintery cupcake recipe, try these Snowglobe Cupcakes. They’re super fun to make with the kids, too!
Ingredients for Snowman Cookies
- white cake mix
- vegetable oil
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- unsalted butter
- powdered sugar
- milk
- Pull N Peel Twizzlers
- Round Peppermint Candies
- Black pearl candies
- Orange jellybeans
- Bow shaped candy sprinkles
How to Make Snowman Cookies – Step by Step
Step 1: Prepare baking sheet
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
Step 2: Make cookie dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, eggs, and vanilla and stir by hand until well mixed. Set the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Prepare dough
Preheat the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and scoop the dough into medium-sized balls and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches between each dough ball. Gently press the tops of the balls to flatten slightly.
Step 4: Bake
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are just set. Do not overbake. Allow your snowman cookies to cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Make sure your cookies are completely cooled before adding the frosting.
Step 5: Make the vanilla buttercream
To make the frosting, add the butter to a medium sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about one minute. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk and beat until smooth. Using a butter knife or spatula, frost the cooled cookies with the buttercream frosting.
Step 6: Decorate
To make the snowmen, add the black pearl candies for the eyes and mouth. Add a jellybean for the nose. Peel one piece of the Twizzlers Pull’n’Peel and shape it around the top of the snowman’s head. Cut it right where the “ears” would be. Add two round peppermint candies to make the rest of the earmuffs.
To make the snow-women, add the black pearl candies for the eyes and mouth. Add a jellybean for the nose. Add one or two bows and additional pink/purple jumbo sprinkles on the top and sides of the foreheads. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Notes
- Where to find the toppings/decorations: The jellybeans, Twizzlers, and peppermint candies can all be found at your local grocery store, Walmart, Target, etc. The black pearl candies can be purchased from them Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann’s, Walmart, or online from Amazon here. The bow sprinkles can be purchased from Walmart, Etsy, or online from Amazon here. You can also make your own bow sprinkles from a mold using candy melts! I’ve done this before also. This is the mold I have.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. They will get very tough if they overbake!
- Line the sheet pan with parchment paper. This will help prevent the cookies from burning on the bottom and make clean up a breeze.
- Use a cookie scoop to help scoop out the dough. When you use a cookie scoop, all the cookies will be the same size, so they will cook evenly.
- Don’t skip the chill time for the dough. If you don’t let the cookies chill, they will spread out too much, and your cookies will be too thin.
How to Store
Store prepared cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
How to Freeze Your Snowman Cookies
To freeze just the dough, simply place the chilled cookie dough balls into a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in the fridge before baking as directed.
To freeze unfrosted/undecorated cookies, place in a freezer safe container or zipper freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before enjoying, or topping with frosting and decorating.
More Holiday Dessert Recipes You Might Enjoy!
- Grinch Cupcakes
- Starbucks Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream
- Spicy Gingerbread Cake
Recipe: Snowman Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 15.5 oz box white cake mix
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Vanilla Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (1 stick) softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
For decorating
- Black pearl candies, for eyes and mouth
- Orange jelly beans, for noses
- Twizzlers Pull'n'Peel licorice
- Round peppermint candies
- Bow shaped candy sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, eggs, and vanilla and stir by hand until well mixed. Set the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and scoop the dough into medium-sized balls and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches between each dough ball. Gently press the tops of the balls to flatten slightly.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are just set. Do not overbake. Allow your snowman cookies to cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Make sure your cookies are completely cooled before adding the frosting.
- To make the frosting, add the butter to a medium sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about one minute. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk and beat until smooth. Using a butter knife or spatula, frost the cooled cookies with the buttercream frosting.
- To make the snowmen, add the black pearl candies for the eyes and mouth. Add a jellybean for the nose. Peel one piece of the Twizzlers Pull’n’Peel and shape it around the top of the snowman’s head. Cut it right where the “ears” would be. Add two round peppermint candies to make the rest of the earmuffs.
- To make the snow-women, add the black pearl candies for the eyes and mouth. Add a jellybean for the nose. Add one or two bows and additional pink/purple jumbo sprinkles on the top and sides of the foreheads. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Where to find the toppings/decorations: The jellybeans, Twizzlers, and peppermint candies can all be found at your local grocery store, Walmart, Target, etc. The black pearl candies can be purchased from them Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann’s, Walmart, or online from Amazon here. The bow sprinkles can be purchased from Walmart, Etsy, or online from Amazon here. You can also make your own bow sprinkles from a mold using candy melts! I’ve done this before also. This is the mold I have.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. They will get very tough if they overbake!
- Line the sheet pan with parchment paper. This will help prevent the cookies from burning on the bottom and make clean up a breeze.
- Use a cookie scoop to help scoop out the dough. When you use a cookie scoop, all the cookies will be the same size, so they will cook evenly.
- Don’t skip the chill time for the dough. If you don’t let the cookies chill, they will spread out too much, and your cookies will be too thin.
- How to Store: Store prepared cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
- How to Freeze: To freeze just the dough, simply place the chilled cookie dough balls into a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in the fridge before baking as directed. To freeze unfrosted/undecorated cookies, place in a freezer safe container or zipper freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before enjoying, or topping with frosting and decorating.
These snowman cookies are so freaking cute. I am going to have to make these this Winter season.
What an adorable idea! My kids are obsessed w/making multiple batches of sugar cookies at Xmas, but sometimes we just don’t have the time to get out all the cookie cutters and then clean up the related mess afterward – so this is a great alternative!
These are adorable and so creative! And I love that it uses buttercream instead of icing.
OMG! These are really cute! Gotta try this with the kids this Christmas!
These are so cute and not too hard either! I need to make them over the weekend