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Santa Bear Cookies

These adorable Santa Bear Cookies are perfect for holiday baking! Featuring a buttery sugar cookie base and decorated with festive royal icing, they're sure to bring joy to any Christmas celebration.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Holiday
Calories: 150
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Dough
  • 1 cup Unsalted butter softened
  • 1.5 cups Granulated sugar
  • 1 Large egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 3 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp Salt
Royal Icing
  • 4 cups Powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp Meringue powder
  • 6-8 tbsp Warm water
  • a few drops Red food coloring
  • a few drops Black food coloring
  • 2 tbsp White sprinkles for hat fluff

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Electric mixer
  • Rolling pin
  • Bear-shaped cookie cutters
  • Baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Wire rack
  • Piping bags
  • Small round piping tips

Method
 

Making the Cookies
  1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, mixing until just combined.
  3. Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out bear shapes.
  5. Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.
  6. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorating the Cookies
  1. Prepare royal icing: beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and warm water until stiff peaks form.
  2. Divide icing; color one portion red for Santa hats and another small portion black for eyes/noses. Leave some white.
  3. Pipe a red Santa hat onto each bear cookie, then outline and flood.
  4. While the red icing is wet, add white sprinkles to the hat brim and pom-pom area.
  5. Once red icing is dry, pipe small black dots for eyes and a nose.
  6. Let decorated cookies dry completely before storing.

Notes

Ensure your butter and eggs are at room temperature for a smoother dough and better cookie texture. For crispier cookies, bake a minute or two longer.