Peeps Sugar Cookies are fun Easter cookies that are shaped like bunnies and topped with spring-colored frosting and sanding sugar. These homemade cookies are easy to make and perfect for the holiday!

Peeps Sugar Cookies

Name: Peeps Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 52 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened; 1 cup sugar; 1 egg; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; Bunny cookie cutter (from Wal-Mart); For the Icicng:; 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow crème; 1 cup butter, softened; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream; 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar; Pink, yellow, and blue food coloring; Pink, yellow, and blue sanding sugar; Black gel icing

This bunny cookie recipe is made with a traditional sugar cookie dough that makes buttery, soft, and delicious cookies. After the dough is mixed it needs to be cooled so you can roll it out and cut out the cute bunny shapes. Be sure you don’t roll the dough out too thin or you won’t be able to transfer the cookies to the baking sheet. These cookies are made from scratch and are perfect for your next Easter party.

How to make Peeps Sugar Cookies

Gather the necessary ingredients.

Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat until a soft dough forms.

Separate the dough into two balls and flatten each ball into a disk.

Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out the dough until it’s around 1/8^th inch thick.

Use a bunny cookie cutter to cut out the dough and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are just beginning to brown on the edges.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cookies are cool, prepare the icing by beating together the butter, marshmallow crème, and vanilla extract until fluffy.

Add half the powdered sugar and one tablespoon of heavy cream.

Beat to combine

Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Add more cream as needed to thin the frosting.

Separate the frosting into three bowls and add pink, yellow, and blue food coloring to each bowl.

Stir until the coloring is fully mixed into the icing.

Transfer each color to a piping bag and pipe the icing onto the cookies.

Pour the sanding sugar onto a plate and dip the cookies into the sugar.

Finish decorating each cookie by adding eyes and a nose with the black gel icing.

Tips for success/variations:

Here are some tips and variations that will help you make the best bunny sugar cookies you’ve ever had.

Frosting: This recipe uses spring pastel colors for the frosting, but you can use whatever colors you like. If you’re keeping with the spring theme, try green, blue, yellow, or pink.
Mix-ins: To make these cookies even more fun, add some crushed oreo cookies, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, or Rice Krispies cereal to the batter.
Sprinkles: This sugar cookie recipe uses sanding sugar for the sprinkles, but you can use rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, Easter-themed sprinkles, or any number of different colors.
Shape: If you’d rather your peeps sugar cookies be shaped like chicks rather than bunnies, go for it!
On your Easter Dessert Table, you could also serve these delicious resurrection cookies from Hilda’s Kitchen Blog.

How to serve:

Here are some other amazing desserts you can make to go with these peeps sugar cookies:

How to store:

These decorated sugar cookies can be kept in an airtight container on the counter for up to four days. You can also freeze these cookies with frosting or without. Be sure to wrap them tightly and you can keep them in the freezer for up to three months.

If they’re decorated, place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes before placing them in a freezer bag or another container. This will harden the frosting so they won’t stick together in the container.

To thaw, leave them on the counter for a few hours. You can eat them when they get to room temperature.

This is a great way to make cookies ahead of time so if you know you’ll be busy around the holidays, you can just pull the cookies out of the freezer instead of trying to make them then.

FAQs:

Are sugar cookies hard or soft?

Sugar cookies are soft. Be sure not to overbake them, or they’ll be crispy rather than soft.

What is the difference between butter cookies and sugar cookies?

Sugar cookies hold their shape when they’re rolled out while butter cookies are very soft and are best when piped onto the cookie sheet.

Why are my sugar cookies dry?

If your cookie dough is dry and crumbly add a small amount of milk to the batter. This will give it more moisture and keep the cookies soft after baking.

Can I leave sugar cookies out overnight?

After you decorate your cookies, it’s recommended that you leave them out overnight to allow the frosting to harden. They are best eaten the next day but can be kept in a container for a few more days if needed.

Yield: 24 cookies