Holly Jolly Santa Cookies.
Festive, easy, and fun…Holly Jolly Santa Cookies – Tis’ the Season! Simple vanilla sugar cookies shaped into the cutest, fattest little Santas, made effortlessly by shaping the dough into round balls. Frosted with a deliciously sweet whipped cream cheese frosting and you’ll have yourself the most perfect Christmas cookie. Fun to bake, delicious to eat, a great homemade gift, and a festive addition to your holiday cookie box!
As I write this the snow is falling outside my NYC hotel room, and well, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! This is so cheesy, but New York in December, and with white fluffy snow, is the most magical experience. I am so happy it decided to snow on my last day here in the city. I’ll be home by the time you read this, and back in the deep, deep Colorado snow. But I’m feeling extra thankful that I was able to see NYC this time of year…and in snowy winter weather too. Next year I’m bringing my mom and little Asher with me. It’s always better with family, especially those two Christmas loving freaks. They would be loving every minute of this snowy, Christmas scene.
Anyway, it feels very fitting to be writing this post as the snow falls. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, these cookies are cute wintry cookies…and of course, delicious. Something about a fat little Santa covered in sweet frosting (and even some chocolate candies too) is always adorable.
Those of you who’ve been following HBH since the VERY early days, there’s a slight chance you’ll remember these cookies. I shared a version of this recipe only a month and a half into HBH’s inception. While looking back through old content a few weeks ago, I stumbled across this recipe.
The crazy thing about developing so many new recipes is that sometimes I forget about the old (and really GOOD) recipes I’ve created. Even though the photos of these cookies were horrid, I still found them to be so cute. And I remember Asher having so much fun helping me bake them. So I’m bringing one of my favorite cookies back to life. And while it is a slightly decadent cookie, I love them so much.
(cookie dough balls lined up and ready to assemble)
(assembling the red parts of Santa)
As you all know, I am no professional when it comes to decorating sweets. BUT I still love to make my desserts, especially the holiday ones, as cute and festive as possible. Enter these easy, rolly, polly, Santa cookies.
The idea is to take simple sugar cookie dough, roll it into tiny balls, attach them together into a “Santa” body, and bake. If you use the photos as guides, it’s the easiest sugar cookie you will make. Not to mention, so much fun! No stress, no pulling out your hair, just fun. Exactly what holiday baking should be.
Here is how you make these Holly Jolly Santa Cookies.
Start with the dough. I used my favorite sugar cookie dough that’s heavy on the butter…and vanilla. I died half of the dough red using food coloring and kept the other half of the dough plain. If you can find a great natural red food die, I would highly recommend using that. Sadly I’ve yet to find one that works well. If anyone has found one they use and love, please let me know!
Once the dough is died, it’s literally as simple as rolling each dough into multiple balls. Again, if you look through the photos you will most likely understand the process much, much easier. You need five white dough balls and five red dough balls to make one Santa.
Attaching the pieces…
This is the step that you might think will be tricky, but it’s actually so easy. To make each Santa, just gently push the dough balls together. Once again, use the photos as guides. Nothing needs to be shaped perfectly or lined up just right. As long as you have a rough body formed, the cookies bake up like adorable fat Santas.
Promise.
Once you have your Santas formed, add mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons, then bake! The process of rolling the balls will take a little time, but to me, this is easier than cutting out shapes…and I think they are way cuter, not to mention a little more unique. Because let’s be real, everyone is making your basic sugar cookies this time of year. Bake something a little different!
Decorating is easy.
Since the cookies themselves are already so cute, decorating is EASY. I used a sweet, creamy, whipped cream cheese frosting to add a layer of excitement to each bite. The frosting is used for Santa’s beard, hat, and hands, but my recommendation? Keep a small bowl of the frosting aside for adding to each cookie while eating. The frosting is SO GOOD and the cookie is made even better with a bit of additional frosting spread all over our little Santas.
For Santa’s nose, I use a mini red M&M. Simple, easy, and so cute.
These cookies make a delicious addition to any holiday party, cookie plate, or even cookie gift box. And if you have young kids these are a must bake before Christmas. They’ll have so much fun attaching the pieces since it’s something they can easily do all by themselves!
I’m really hoping to be able to set aside time one of these days before Christmas to do a baking day with Asher. These are the perfect cookies to make with her!
If you make these holly jolly Santa cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Jolly Santa Cookies
By halfbakedharvest
Fun to bake, delicious to eat, a great homemade gift, and a festive addition to your holiday cookie box!
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-2 teaspoons red food coloring
- mini chocolate chips (for eyes and buttons)
- mini holiday M + M s (for Santa's nose)
Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powder sugar
Instructions
-
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the flour, and salt, beat until combined, and the dough begins to form a ball.
3. Remove 1 cup of the dough and set aside. With the remaining dough, add in 1 teaspoon red food coloring, adding more if needed for better color. Keep in mind that the color will darken over time.
4. From the red cookie dough, make 1 (1-inch) ball and 5 (1/2-inch) balls. From the plain cookie dough, make 1 (3/4 inch) ball and 5 (1/4-inch) balls. You will have a body, head, hat, four red arms and four white hands and a white ball for the top of the hat. I find it easiest to make all the parts first, then assemble.
5. On the prepared baking sheet, place the red 1-inch ball, gently flatten until 1/2 inch thick. Attach four of the red 1/2-inch balls for arms and legs. Next, attach the plain 3/4-inch ball for a head, gently flatten until 1/2 inch thick. Attach the plain 1/4-inch balls for hands and feet. Shape the remaining red 1/2-inch ball into a triangle for a hat and attach it. Repeat with remaining dough, arranging the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Add chocolate pieces for eyes and buttons (see above photos for visuals, this will help!).
6. Transfer to the oven and bake the Santa's for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden
7. To make the frosting. Add the butter and the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until extra light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat together until whipped, about 2 more minutes.
8. To decorate. Transfer half the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small tip. Or, take a ziplock bag and snip a very small portion of the corner off the bag. Use the bag to go around Santa's face, arms, and legs. Put a small dot on the tip of his hat and then place one red mini M&M on his face as his nose.
Recipe Notes
Storing: the frosting will set up, but it's best to store these cookies in a single layer in an airtight container. If using these cookies to fill a cookie box, place a piece of wax or parchment paper between each cookie to help protect them, then carefully stack the cookies, or line them up side by side.
Freezing: unfrosted cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, then decorate as directed.
Our Favorite Recipes
Holiday Cheermeister Bourbon Punch.
Too cute for words, my son would love these. I pinned them 🙂
Honestly they really are too cute for words! Thanks for pinning!
These are the cutest things ever! You are one cookie baking woman!! Thanks for sharing
on our Holiday Cookie Recipe Swap.
Steph
swtboutique.blogspot.com
Adorable! Just a reminder that I allow 3 link ups each week. Thanks!
These little Santas are too cute! I am going to share the photo and your link on my facebook page! I know they will make people smile! Have a good weekend!
Cynthia at http://FeedingBig.com
Thank you that is so nice! They sure made me smile!
these are darling and delish too I’m sure.Hugs
Thank you, they are really fun!
These are adorably festive! Thanks for sharing them at our Holiday Cookie Recipe Swap!
Thanks for hosting and great cookie party!
Your santa cookies are so cute that they made me smile this morning. I’ll be pinning them to my Christmas board!
Yay! I am so happy to put a smile on your face! Thanks for pinning!
These Santa cookies are adorable! Thanks for sharing.
My daughter is going to be gaga over these cute, super cute santas. We are already making your reindeer cupcakes for Christmas. Thanks for the recipes you shared with us on foodie friday.
So happy you like them! And you have to let me know ow your reindeer cupcakes turn out!
Adorable!!!
he’s adorable! i could eat him right up.
hope you’ll find a moment to stop by (if you haven’t already!) and enter a giveaway i am hosting: http://www.hellolovelyinc.blogspot.com/2012/12/personalized-lovely-giveaway.html
smiles and happy weekend to you.
michele
These are so cute and sound amazing!! Thanks for sharing.
I also wanted to let you know that I featured you on my blog today:
http://www.artsyfartsymama.com/2012/12/pinteresting-features-n-shtuff-60.html
Thank you so much! I am so happy you like the cookies! Thanks again for the feature!
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OMG these Santa cookies are TOO adorable!! Love em! Thanks so much for linking up with mine and Whipped Baking’s Christmas Cookie Exchange!
I do love those little fat santa’s!! I think that an easy cookie right now is what I need! It has been a baking frenzy here at my house this past week!
These are the cutest little Santa cookies!!!! I love the frosting beard and his little face! I have avoided royal icing for so long, and with these, I can continue to avoid it!
Glad I could help!
These are SO ADORABLE 🙂 Not sure if I will have the patience for them but pinning anyways! 😉 Found you at Love Bakes Good Cakes 🙂
Oh my!! these are super adorable. I hope you stop by to link to my party: http://atozebracelebrations.com/2012/12/tuesday-link-party-2.html
First time visitor- Nancy 🙂
These are so adorable! Thanks for linking up.
Sooo cute! Pinned and featuring tonight! Thank you so much for sharing your creativity at Mom On Timeout. Hope to see you back tonight!
They are to cute for words 🙂 My grand daughter would love making these cookies. Visiting from Michelle’s Tasty Creations. Have a wonderful evening.
Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday and we would love it if you would link back your recipes to us. Remember to come back and vote on Sunday.
Super adorable! I’m going to show these to my kids, they’ll love them.
These are aDORable! Thanks for bringing them to Tuesday’s Table – hope you come back next week!
this is really cool, I like here!
Delicious Santa clause! They looks good.
These are adorable! My boys are wanting me to make them now! Thank you for sharing on Thursday’s Treasures. I look forward your great recipes! <3 and hugs!
Love these! Im a big fan of Christmas cookies, and your Santa recipe is so cute! =)
Im a new follower from Potluck Weekend, and Im enjoying looking around your blog.
Yay! Thanks for following me! I hope you like what you see! Merry Christmas!
Tieghan,
My kiddos will love making these this weekend! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Michelle
These are adorable — and my kind of cookie decorating, too! Pinned.
Thank you and thanks for pinning! Merry Christmas!
Love them! They are adorable and I am saving this recipe!
Cheers! – Shelley
A little correction: it should be 5 1/4 inch balls of white dough. According to the photo you use white dough for the pompom on santa’s hat. You need 5 1/4 inch balls to do this,.
Thank you for the correction! I will fix the recipe!
I totally agree with you. I mean, it is SUPER overwhelming to see all the gorgeous things that Bridget, Rosie, Angie, etc. make; and I’m just like “Ahhh!” I can’t do that. But your cookies look really doable. Thanks!
Aw wow, thank you Nessa!! These are supper doable!
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These are the most ADORABLE cookies I have ever made! I love them so so much! Tagged you on Instagram. The only problem I ran into, is that you miscounted when you numbered the amount of plain dough 1/4 inch balls needed. You said 4. But that doesn’t leave you one for the hat Pom Pom. So you actually would need 5. I just used icing instead and they turned out fine, but you may want to correct your recipe. Still delicious and SO CUTE! My neighbors loved them. Thank you thank you!
Thank you so much for letting me know!! I will fix the recipe. Please let me know if you have other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
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This is so nice! Thank you so much Johnny!
they are beyond adorable!!!!
Thank you Ruth! Haha I love them! xTieghan
These are adorable. You’re right. The city at Christmas is magical. I’m just a train ride away and my husband and I used to go see the tree every year. This year my son is finally old enough that we don’t have to drag in a stroller. We’re taking him next weekend, and I can’t wait to see his reaction.
Awh that is so amazing! I hope you all have an amazing time! Thank you Lauren! xTieghan
What brand of food coloring do you use? Ive never had luck with dying anything red… it always looks pink no matter how much i use!
HI! I use McCormick red food coloring. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
I made these when the recipe was posted a while ago and made them again because of the cuteness factor. My 4 yr old grandson was able to help put them together although some were wonky. He had fun. I have to say though they don’t have much flavor but they’re just so adorable it doesn’t matter! The only problem you may have is that some of the parts separate from the bodies. Maybe those weren’t pushed together well enough. I’m giving them 4 stars because they’re super cute but not that tasty.
Hi Nancy! I am really glad you enjoyed making these! I am so glad your grandson had fun with them as well! Are there any questions I could help you with? Please let me know! xTieghan
Oh my goodness, these are so cute! ? xx
Thank you Kelly! I am so glad you liked this! xTieghan
What a jolly cookie! I might just make the heads, yes I am that lazy.
Haha I love that! Thank you Julie! xTieghan
Cutest cookies ever!!! Gonna bake this with my son!!!
So cute! I hope you two love these! xTieghan
These are Absolutely Adorable! Adding this recipe to my Christmas cookie file.
Thank you so much Carol! xTieghan
I remember making Roly-Poly Santas from the Better Homes and Gardens cookie cookbook as a kid. Very cute and very similar.
Yes! Thank you Dana! xTieghan
These are adorable, Tieghan! I want to make them but I don’t think mine will ever look this amazing.
I am sure they will! I hope you love these Cristina! Thank you! xTieghan
Adorable. What size should finished cookie be? I’m getting about 3 1/2”
HI! That size is perfect! Mine are roughly the same. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Ho Ho Ho, Tieghan, these are the cutest cookies I’ve seen yet this year. They also look fun to make, so thank you and Merry Christmas. Cheers, Ardith
Thank you so much Ardith! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Love the concept of these cookies – what a gorgeous dessert! FYI, you might want to change the spelling to “dyed” rather than “died”. I don’t think you want to say that! Hugs and thank you for your recipes!
Thank you so much Linda! I am so glad you like these! Also, yes thank you for catching that! xTieghan
Super cute! Making them right now. How much salt for the dough? Thanks!
HI! You need a 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hi,
I don’t see any salt in the ingredient list but step 2 says to add flour and salt. How much salt should be used? Thanks!
HI! You need 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I am in love with these little Santas. Question – how do you keep them from falling apart after baking (and balls from separating)?
HI! As the cookies bake, the balls bake into each other and stay attached. I don’t have any trouble with the cookies breaking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
OOH Nein, sind die putzig! So niiedlich wirklich. Mal schauen ob ich es schaffe, die auch noch vor Weihnachten zu backen. Und dann ist noch die Frage, ob meine dann auch so hübsch aussehen 😉
Du bist so nett! Ich bin sicher, dass sie sich für Sie als großartig herausstellen werden, und ich hoffe, dass sie es tun! Vielen Dank! xTieghan
Made these cookies for a cookie swap today, they are delicious and so cute! The store didn’t have any red dye, so I substituted with beet juice (I bought a beet, grated it, and then squeezed out the juice with a paper towel). They weren’t the same level of red but they are still adorable. I also used some of the beet juice to dye some of the frosting for a pink nose instead of an M&M. Love this recipe and idea!
I am so glad these turned out so well for you Teagan! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Hi Teagan
Do you know the approximate weight of each size ball verses the 1/4” size? I find using a little kitchen scale easier to use than guessing the 1/4” and 1/2” measurements.
Thanks!
Hi Toni, I am sorry I do not know the weights. So sorry I could not help you more!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
I loved making these. They were simple, turned out cute (even after my terrible piping jobs). But it took me way longer than an hour with all of the rolling and decorating. Still…I plan to make this again!
Thank you Lisa! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
First, these beautiful pictures caught my eye. Second, these Santa cookies are adorable. Third, I can’t wait to try this recipe because it looks so good! Great job! I pinned the pictures twice to my “sweets” board! Bobbi Jo
Thank you so much Bobbi Jo! I am so glad this turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
Super fun cookies! My adult son, his girlfriend and I made these. A great group baking project-something for everyone to be involved in. They came out just as cute as pictured above.
Thank you for a great memory making cookie! xoxo
That is so great! Thank you so much for trying these KT! xTieghan
This are so cute and silly, I love them!
Thank you so much Lauren! I am so glad you like these! xTieghan
Hi I was wondering if you had any tips for if I want to do these gluten free?! I’m new to baking with gluten free stuff so I’ll take any advice you can give!
HI! I have never made this with GF flour so I can’t really say how it will turn out. If you do try it, I recommend Cup4Cup flour. Please let me know if you have any other questions and how it turns out. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
These are so, so cute! They were a little time consuming, but so worth it!
Thank you so much Lynsey! xTieghan
Who doesn’t love a cute dessert like this. Ho! Ho! Ho! Thanks for the great recipe and we look forward to trying it soon.
Right?! I hope you love these Ryan! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Amazingly easy cookies to make . I will be measuring my cookie balls next time as they were quite large and only made 6 cookies , lol! But they turned out so cute . And the icing is THE BEST ICING EVER!!
Awh that is so amazing to hear! Thank you for trying this, Brandy! I am so glad it turned out so well! xTieghan
These were delicious and fun to make! They are absolutely adorable also. This is a great cookie recipe. Thank you!!!
Thank you Krysta!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
I made these for my cookie trays-very cute. Easy recipe. Next time I’ll be sure to press the pieces together a bit more and mix my food coloring in better! I think the decorating really makes them-take your time decorating. I didn’t have any decorating tips so I put in plastic bag and cut off the end. It worked. Clearly, if you have a variety of tips you can get that same look. The recipe makes about 5-6 cookies (at least for me, for the sizes I made the little balls) so I made them the highlight of my cookie trays. I placed each of them in a hand-shaped foil in the center of the tray so they wouldn’t break, and put my other cookies and fudge around it. Thanks for the recipe. I’m not a big cookie maker but they are too cute to pass up and relatively easy to make! Happy Holidays!
I am so glad these turned out so well for you Christina! Thank you so much for trying them! Also, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! xTieghan
such fun easy cookies to let the kids help with!!!!!
Yes! Thank you Abby! xTieghan
These were so fun to make and they tasted delicious too!
Thank you Gwen! So happy to hear that! xTieghan
They turned out so cute. Just made them for a New Year’s Eve party last minute. So good.
That is so great! Thank you for trying these Sonya! xTieghan
Hi. These are the most delicious cookies ever. Do they need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese icing?
Thanks!
Hey Katie,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, you can keep these on the counter in an airtight container. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Haven’t made these Santa cookies yet, but gave 5 stars for being so cute! In your blog, there are some misspelled words.
Dyed rather than died. Dye instead of die.
” I died half of the dough red using food coloring and kept the other half of the dough plain. If you can find a great natural red food die,”
Haha thank you for catching that! I hope you love these cookies! xTieghan
These cookies are adorable, meade them today and they are so cute 🙂
Thank you so much Kim! xTieghan
Made these today for a covid-style Christmas cookie swap. They turned out very cute, but were VERY time intensive! I doubled the recipe to make 36 cookies, and it took about 4 hours as I had to roll out 432 tiny balls. Overall, still a fun recipe and will be adorable to put out for Santa!
Thank you so much Cait! I am really glad these turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Give credit where credit is due. Roly Poly Santas – Better Homes and Gardens.
Hi Dana, if there was credit to give I would have certainly given it. I googled this recipe since I didn’t know what your were referring to. If you look at my original posting date, I shared this recipe first in December 2012…2 years before the recipe you referred to was even published. So, hope that clears things right up for you! 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you! And Happy Holidays!! xTieghan 🎄
Do you use the cream cheese frosting if you are going to put them in a cookie box? Do you need to keep them refrigerated then?
Hey Kay,
Yes you can use the cream cheese frosting and you do not need to keep them in the fridge. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other question. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
My cookies came out a little dry? Do you recommend I try anything different?
Hey Raquel,
So sorry your cookies were dry, I need a little more info to help though:) Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Could they have been over-baked? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi!
What flour do you recommend to make these gluten free?
Thanks!
Hey Kristen,
I like Cup4cup GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Did I miss a part about needing to chill the dough? So hard to handle to form into balls?
Hey Kelly,
If your dough is too soft you can pop it into the fridge. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I can’t wait to make these over winter break! Just a few questions..
1. how much is 1 cup of butter? Is it 200g or 150g
2. would using salted butter and then adding the 1/2 teaspoon of salt make it too salty? Could I use I salted butter? (Wasn’t sure, so I figured I should ask)
3. Any recommendations for food coloring brands?
Thank you so much in advance and I so appreciate the metric measurements converter you added to the recipe!!
Hey there,
1 cup of butter is equal to 227 grams. Totally fine to use salted butter, that is actually what I prefer to use. I like to get my food coloring from Whole Foods. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I just made these – they’re adorable and thanks for the creative idea! A few things – it looks from your photos like you’ve rolled the white 1/4” in sugar before baking? This is not noted in the recipe but I did so for the cute texture effect you have in your pics. Second, I used Whole Foods brand 365 natural food coloring and really wish I hadn’t. It’s apparently made from radishes, spirulina and turmeric amongst other things – and it tastes and smells strongly like radishes, spirulina and turmeric. 😖 Even adding a couple of teaspoons of almond extract didn’t disguise the strong taste. I’ll go mainstream next time on the food coloring!
Hey Tiffany,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I did not roll the dough in sugar before baking. So sorry you did not like the Whole Foods food coloring. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
What size star tip did you use?
Hey Deanna,
I used a Wilton 32. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These are just darling. For me though, the dough needs more sugar. There isn’t much icing on it, so I think they taste a little blah. But they are fun to make, and cute as can be!
Hey Sara,
Thanks so giving the recipe a try, I am sorry you did not enjoy the taste. xTieghan
I am wondering what brand of food coloring you used? I used a lot and they are cute but pretty pink.
Thanks, Dawn
Hey Dawn,
I get my food coloring from Whole Foods. Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
Just baked this with my daughter and we had a blast assembling the Santas! We added a belt, gloves and shoes to use more frosting. So adorable and yummy! 😋
Hey Sofia,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Another AMAZING recipe! I was a little worried about the taste of the cookie because sometimes cute cookies compromise the good taste but NOT WITH THESE. Wow, the sugar cookie is just so yummy. The frosting is so simple yet SO perfect. I’m keeping it for ALL my frosting recipes form now on.
I ran into a few issues though that I need to change next time.
First, the dough got warm and super sticky so next time Ill put the batter in the fridge for a few moments before rolling into the balls.
Secondly, I need to put the pieces together better because my poor santa’s arms/legs/head was coming off.
Finally, I need to do something to make them less crumbly. Maybe I need to add a little moisture? Overall, PERFECT recipe and all user error on my end. I can’t wait to make these again for my family on christmas.
Hey there,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving this a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I can’t seem to find it in the recipe description– how many cookies does this make?
Hey Caroline,
This makes 14 Santa cookies. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I am a novice baker and I made these at high altitude (9,600) and they were hands down the cutest! It is an investment in time, but they came out beautifully and people love them.
Hey Erin,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving this a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Such a cute recipe. However, I did not have enough of the white dough to make more than 6 santa cookies, I would suggest reserving 2 cups of the dough and adding food coloring later on if you need more red. I only got 6 santa cookies and had 2 sets of the red balls left with no white dough to use. Really, the most I would have gotten if I had the proper ratio of dough would have been maybe 9 cookies.
Hey Makenzie,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving this a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I loved this recipe…YUM! so cute, my santas were a bit less holly jolly, but a total crowd pleaser!
Hey Caroline,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
They are so adorable and surprisingly easy! My kids loved making them and eating them! This is such a cute cookie to give to people!
Hey Elissa,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Came out exactly as pictured! So cute and good 😌
Hey Maril,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made these with my dad and sister! A lot of fun to make! 🙂
Hey Jenn,
Thanks so much for giving them a try! I am glad you had fun making them:) Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Most adorable cookies ever! Saw them last year but finally made them today. Sooo cute!!!
Hey Kathy,
Thanks so much for giving them a try, I hope you loved them! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Is there something i’m missing in this recipe? I have made it twice and the Santa cookies have been flat as a pancake and melted into mush. I tried to chill the dough the second time to keep the shape, but still no luck 🙁 I wanted to make these so bad since they are adorable, but did not turn out at all
Hey Serena,
So sorry you are having issues with the recipe. Is there anything you could be adjusting? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! About how many cookies does this recipe make?
Hey Whitney,
This recipe makes 14 Santa cookies. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
So, these cookies are adorable and from the reviews that I read it is all about how cute they are. They turned out quite cute but they took way more than an hour, the taste is nothing special at all and the portion of one cookie is too much. We had 3 generations making this recipe together and we enjoyed it but it was a ton of work for what turned out to be 10 cookies that weren’t that flavorful.
Hey Maureen,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry the flavor wasn’t there for you. Is there anything I can help with, most readers love this cookie:) Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These turned out adorable!!!. Time consuming but not difficult!! Love all your recipes (via blog, Instagram and your cook book) and this was no exception!! ( I did a double batch and got 24 out of it.) Thank you thank you!!!! My girls (your age) and I are a huge fan of yours!!! I tell everyone about you!
Hey Karen,
Thanks so much for giving the cookies a try, I am so glad they were enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Do you think I could add some meringue powder to the frosting to ensure that it hardens up?
Hey Zory,
I’ve not tried this but you certainly could! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made these yesterday and loved them so much that I made them as snowmen today. Cute but think the santas are cuter! I posted a pic on Instagram. Thanks again!
Hey Kathy,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed!! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Turned out so good! Only adjustment I’ll be making next time is 1/4 teaspoon of salt instead of 1/2. About half way through rolling the balls, I discovered that rolling a handful into a log at the right thickness and then cutting pieces to then roll made it so much quicker to get the smaller pieces assembled.
Thank you!! So fun!
Hey Katie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi!! Can you make the dough ahead of time? I want to make the dough the day before so the next day we can just decorate!
Hey Taylor,
Yes, totally fine, just keep covered in the fridge. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These cookies are delicious! Perfect level of sweetness. Could not recommend enough! They really put you in the holiday spirit and are a fun activity to do with friends or family.
Hey Emily,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Well these were the cutest things ever. I tried a short cut and bought the dough. They turned out flat and unrecognizable. I can’t wait to try your recipe and hope they turn out better. You are very talented.
Hey Andi,
Thanks so much for trying the cookies, I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hello,
How long will these keep for? I just made them today (Dec. 19) and would like to deliver them in about a week to family. Should I frost them now or before delivering?
Hey Amanda,
I would frost these before delivering, I would also keep them in the freezer if you don’t plan to deliver until next week. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hello! I want to make these but my nephew is allergic to eggs. Do you have any recommendations/effective egg substitutes for this recipe?
Hey Angela,
So sorry, I have not tested this recipe without egg, you could try a chia or flax egg! I hope you love the recipe! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hey! Made these last night and they were the cutest! We did have some trouble with the appendages sticking together – heads would fall off, legs would come apart – we used frosting to perform surgery, but would love to know some tips on keeping these little guys together!
Hey Nithya,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hello! I made these today and they are adorable!! Question: random parts (that were rolled individually) came apart after baking. Any recommendations to “glue” them back together?
Hey there,
Try using the frosting to glue them together. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi! Love the recipe! Do these cookies need to be refrigerated? I was hoping to overnight them in a cookie box to a friend.
Hey Callie,
No need to refrigerate:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
WOW! These were so much fun. I was a little worried that my dough was to sticky but these are very forgiving cookies. I also am obsessed with this icing. This will be my go-to icing for cookies from now on. So so yummy! Thank You for another yummy recipe!
Hey Jodie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I loved this recipe and the Santa’s came out so cute! The cookie and icing are delicious. My only reason for four stars is that these cookies are extremely fragile. We had 3 break after hours cooling. Be careful with them for cookie boxes but enjoyed the cute and yumminess!
Hey Emma,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These were SO much fun to make and delicious! The frosting is AMAZING! My daughter and I had a great time making them today. These will definitely be a new tradition for us every holiday. Thank you for the recipe!! Happy holidays!!
Hey Jaime,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This was my first time with these cookies. They didn’t come out perfect but so cute anyway. Next time I’ll make the red ball for the hat twice as big. A great addition to my cookie tray!
Hey Cheryl,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These are so cute! Made them with my mom and they turned out perfect with such a nice texture! Thank you for sharing such a creative recipe!
Hey Gaby,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These were so cute and delicious! The kids loved them!
Hey Kierstin,
Thanks so much for trying the cookies, I am so glad they were enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I was told that 1 cup of butter was around 220g. This is totally not accurate. Made the batter super soft and the dough just wouldn’t form. Had to add so much extra flour and the cookies came out dry and super breakable.
Hey Keerthani,
So sorry this recipe did not workout for you. One cup of butter is equal to 227 grams. Please let me know how I can help for next time! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi! My sister and I made these and we had a lot of trouble with the legs and arms and heads falling off after baking. Is there something we can do next time to avoid this? Really yummy tasting though!
Hey Lexi,
Thanks for trying the recipe, next time try pushing the balls together a bit so they don’t fall apart. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These Santa’s are so damn cute.. This is the first time I’ll be baking for Christmas and this is definitely on my list. Love your creativity and recipes so much. I also wanted to know how many cookies will we be able to make with this quantity?
Hey Nicole,
This recipe will make 14 Santa cookies. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Did I miss baking powder or soda? Mine are cooking and are flat and huge.
Hey there,
No baking soda or powder, was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe. Let me know how I can help! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Santa cookies are adorable! Just finished decorating mine. I didn’t have mini chocolate chips or mini red M&M’s so I cut regular size to small and it worked. Also no pastry bag but plastic bag worked fine. Used my mother’s sugar cookie recipe (a lot of almond extract and powdered sugar in the dough) and the cookie turned out light and fluffy. Next year I’ll have all the ingredients and a pastry bag! You are so talented!
Hey Lynne,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Second year I make these in a row! They are a favourite of ours. I don’t add extra salt because of the salted butter. The frosting is delicious and highly recommend adding that on, but they’re super cute without it too!
Hey Yiota,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made these last month. My mom doesn’t red dye 40, so I through some cranberries in a pan with a little water and sugar and kept reducing and adding water to make as thick of a red liquid as a could. Then, I strained out the remaining chunks of cranberry. I reduced the amount of sugar in the chunk of dough for the red balls, to try to balance out the addition of the cranberry syrup. The red dough ended up needing more flour, which made the red less intense, and it already wasn’t nearly as intense, nor christmas-red. I still didn’t get it perfect, as it had more liquid content, and thus didn’t bake as fast as the non-dyed dough. However, the taste of both doughs was really good, and my family tends to like doughier cookies, so these were still perfect. The Santa design was a hit and fairly simple to accomplish. I will likely end up making these again or trying out different shapes. I will definitely use cranberries in this dough again, too, because it was a surprisingly tasty addition, adding a little punch of tart, and just more complex cookie.
Hey Shelby,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am glad the cookies were enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan