Snowman Cookies are so popular during the holidays. We all love those cute Starbucks Snowman Cookie. don't we? Not to forget our favorite Gingerbread crinkle cookies, Christmas Tree Cookies, Candy Cane Cookies, & snowball Chocolate Chip Cookies.
What If I told you that we (you and I) could make the exact same snowmen cookies right now!
The recipe for buttery snowman sugar cookies uses royal icing. I know working with royal icing can be a bit intimidating (especially if you are new at it).
But, keep working on small projects with royal icing. You don't have to hop on directly to an intricate design. And eventually, you'll be a master at it.
This recipe for snowman cookies is exceptionally cute. In fact, it's one of those recipe for christmas sugar cookies that you'd want to make ahead and store.
Just like these: Santa Cookies, White Chocolate Cookies, and Hot Chocolate Cookies
You'd want to show off. Send them to your neighbours. Welcome your guests. Start the Christmas countdown, 'coz in here it's time to fill the snowman cookie jar with buttery flakiness and cozy cuteness.
Snowman Cookie Starbucks ingredients
I know most of you ask What are Starbucks snowman cookies made of? Here's what you'll need.
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- egg
- pure vanilla extract
- almond extract
ROYAL ICING
- confectioner's sugar
- meringue powder
- water
- black, brown, orange, and red food coloring
How to make Starbucks Snowman Cookies
- STEP 1: In a bowl combine all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- STEP 2: In a bowl combine unsalted butter and granulated sugar until its completely smooth and creamy. Beat in egg, pure vanilla extract, and almond extract until combined.
- STEP 3: Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients. The dough should be in a rolling consistency.
- STEP 4: Divide the dough into two equal parts. Roll each portion of the dough into a lightly floured baking surface to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- STEP 5: Stack both the dough. Keep parchment paper in between each dough. Wrap it with a plastic wrap.
- STEP 6: Refrigerate for 2 hours or for 2 days.
- STEP 7: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- STEP 8: Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator. Use a snowman cookie cutter to cut them into shapes. Repeat this with the second dough.
- STEP 9: Arrange cookies on a baking sheet 3-inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes until lightly browned on the edges. Allow cookies to cool for 5-minutes before transferring to wire rack for cooling further.
Making the Icing
- STEP 1: In a large bowl combine ingredients for royal icing. Whisk for 1-minute or until it reaches a silky smooth consistency.
- STEP 2: Divide icing in five separate bowl. Combine red food color for one, orange for another, black, brown, and the remaining white frosting.
- STEP 3: Spoon icing into separate piping bags.
- STEP 4: Outline the snowmen with white. Use round icing tip #5 to cover the snowmen with white. Allow to set in the freezer.
- STEP 5: Pipe the red scarf using the same icing tip. Use round decorating tip #1 to pipe the brown hat. Use the same decorating tip to make the snowmen eyes and button.
- STEP 6: Finally, pipe the orange nose using round icing tip #5. Make small polka dots on the red scarf with the remaining white frosting.
- STEP 7: Allow the snowman sugar cookies to set for 2 hours at room temperature.
Enjoy these cute christmas snowman cookies with a delicious French Toast Casserole and a glass of Snickers Hot Chocolate or peppermint white chocolate or simply Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate.
How to Freeze Snowman Cookies
- These decorated sugar cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Make sure you wait out for the cookies to set at room temperature before freezing.
- Layer between sheets of parchment paper and then transfer to a freezer-friendly container.
- Thaw these snowman cookies in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Can I make these Snowman cookies ahead of time?
- Once you make the cookie dough, you can freeze it for 3 months before rolling it out.
- Divide the dough into two halves. Layer them with parchment paper.
- Wrap both of them with plastic wrap. Then freeze.
- Thaw the discs in the refrigerator and for an additional 1 hour at room temperature.
- Now roll out the dough and chill as instructed.
- This time you don't need to chill for 2 hours. 45-minutes of chilling should be good enough.
How do you decorate snowman cookies with royal icing?
Making royal icing is pretty easy. But getting the consistency right requires some practice.
To decorate snowman cookies with royal icing, first you need to make royal icing.
You should aim for a smooth consistency. It should be not too smooth or watery and nor too dry.
In case you find the consistency too dry add some water. If you find the consistency too watery, add some confectioner's sugar.
Now divide the royal icing in five different bowls. Add your desired organic food colors.
Spoon them into a piping bag.
The first step of decorating a snowmen cookie is to flood the snowman with white. Leaving space for the hat. Then freeze it to set quickly.
Then make the scarf with red. Nose with orange. Eyes and buttons with black.
And, finally the hat with brown or black.
How long are snowman cookies good for?
These decorated snowman cookies stays fresh in a snowman cookie jar or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
But, make sure that the royal icing sets completely before freezing.
Arrange them in between sheets of parchment paper and then transfer to a freezer-friendly bag.
Starbucks Snowman Sugar cookie recipe
Snowman Cookies Starbucks recipe
INGREDIENTS
dry ingredients
- 2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour 280g (spooned and leveled)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
wet ingredients
- ¾ cup (1 and ½ stick) unsalted butter softened to room temperature (170g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Icing
- 1 pound confectioners' sugar 500g
- 3 Tablespoons meringue powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8-9 Tablespoons room temperature water
- black, orange, red, and brown food coloring
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk dry ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand held mixer or stand mixer combine unsalted butter and sugar on high speed for 2-minute. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients and form a dough. If you feel the dough is too soft and isn't in a rolling consistency then add 1 tablespoon more flour or until it is in a better consistency for rolling.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts.
- Lightly flour a nonstick silicone mat or a piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough until its about 1/4 inch thick. The shape of the rolled dough doesn't matter.
- Stack the rolled out dough with a piece of parchment paper in between the two onto a 15x21 inch large baking sheet.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for 2 days. If you are chilling for more than 2 hours then top the rolled out dough with a piece of parchment paper.
- Once the dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Line a 15x21 inch large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator and use a snowman cookie cutter to cut out as many snowmen as you can. Re-roll the remaining dough to make more snowmen. Repeat the same with the other piece of dough.
- Arrange the snowmen cookies on a lined baking sheet keeping a gap of at least 3-inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 12-minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool down on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them onto a wired rack for further cooling. I like to wait until the cookies cool down completely before decorating them.
- Finally, bring them back to the baking sheet. I prefer decorating them on the baking sheet. That way, I can keep them in the refrigerator to speed up the chilling process.
Make the icing
- Whisk all of the ingredients for icing using a hand-held mixture or a stand-mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high for 1-2 minutes.
- The consistency should be silky smooth. Lift up the icing using a spatula and it should flow down slowly taking 5-10 seconds to fall into the icing bowl.
- If the icing is too thick then add more water. I generally add 10-12 tablespoons or more of water if my icing is too thick.
- If the icing is too watery, then add a little more confectioners' sugar.
- You will need five small bowls. Arrange the icing in each bowl. Remember you will need significantly more white icing than any other color. So divide the icing accordingly.
- Use red food color for the first, orange for the second, black for the third, brown for the fourth and leave the last one white.
- Spoon the icing in individual reusable or disposable piping bags.
Decorate the cookies
- Use round tip #5 or round icing tip #4 to cover the snowmen with white, leaving space for the hat. Allow the white to set. Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.
- Next use the same icing tip (i.e. #5 or #4) to pipe the red scarf.
- Now use round icing tip #1 to pipe the hats with brown icing.
- Use the same round icing tip #1 to pipe the black buttons and eyes.
- Finally use the same round icing tip #1 to pipe the orange nose.
- And, lastly, use the same icing tip i.e. round icing tip #1 to pipe white polka dots on the scarf.
- Leave out the decorated snowman cookies at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Enjoy the snowman cookies right away. Or wait until the icing sets completely. Once the icing has set you can send these to your neighbours or keep them in your snowman cookie jar or send them to someone as a christmas gift.
- These decorated snowman sugar cookies will stay soft and fresh for up to 5 days when kept tightly closed in a container at room room temperature.
- If you want to keep them for a longer duration, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: These decorated sugar cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in the freezer. Make sure you wait out for the cookies to set at room temperature before freezing. Layer between sheets of parchment paper and then transfer to a freezer-friendly container. Thaw these snowman cookies in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Molly says
Super cute and so delicious cookies!! Loved the recipe so easy to follow instructions!!