Make these cute and easy Santa cookies during this Holiday season and celebrate the jolly Christmas time! I bet they'll be a hit for family & friends!
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Easy Santa Cookies
Happy Holidays! Christmas season is here, and today, I am sharing how to make these jolly Santa cookies. These cookies became a huge hit for my family. The shortbread cookies are buttery and lightly crispy and taste amazing with chewy marshmallows!
There are so many ways to make Santa cookies, such as Santa sugar cookies and slice-and-bake Santa cookies, but this one is the easiest way I've ever shared. No loyal icing is needed to frost it, and you can make them easily with just cookie dough and marshmallows.
And they are so cute! Share the cute Santa cookies with a whole family or friends and celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
7 Success Tips For Santa Cookies
Roll out the dough to less than ¼ inches.
I like to roll it out to about 4mm (0.15 inches) to prevent the dough from spreading too much in the oven. The thicker the dough is, the wider it spreads.
Be careful not to bake them too long to show the bright red color.
Pay close attention toward the end of the baking time to check the color - Once you see that the edges are slightly darker, you can take them out from the oven.
Cut marshmallows thinly.
Cut them thinly so that they stick better on cookies. The cookies also look better with thin marshmallows.
Use cornstarch to prevent the marshmallows from sticking.
When you feel the marshmallows are too sticky and difficult to cut, apply some cornstarch on a knife. Also, apply a thin layer of cornstarch on a chopping board to prevent the cut marshmallows from sticking to it.
Attach marshmallows on top of hot cookies.
To glue marshmallows, attach them to hot cookies immediately after they are out of the oven. We bake the cookies again after attaching the marshmallows, but the steps are easier when the marshmallows are glued a little bit after the first bake.That is why it is important to slice marshmallows in advance before baking the cookies.
Adjust the shapes of the marshmallows after the 2nd bake.
Do not worry, even if the shapes of marshmallows on the cookies are a little bit odd after the first bake. You can push the marshmallows and adjust the shapes after the 2nd bake. If the marshmallows feel too sticky while they are warm, set them aside and let them cool. You can still adjust the shapes even after they cool down.
Bake smaller amounts in the beginning.
I recommend not baking a lot of the cookies at once, especially for the first trial, since many of the marshmallows do not stick as the cookies cool down. I recommend 5 - 7 cookies first to get used to the move, and bake more when you are ready!
Tips For Santa Cookies Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - It's important to use room-temperature butter for all the ingredients to incorporate well.
- Powdered sugar - Check below to learn what difference it makes when using granulated sugar.
- Vanilla extract - Use regular vanilla extract. You can omit it if you like.
- All-purpose flour - Use regular all-purpose flour.
- Cornstarch - The cookie feels lighter and crispier when a little bit of cornstarch is mixed in. Alternate it with all-purpose flour when you don't want to use it. You can also use rice flour or almond flour instead.
- Salt - The little bit of saltiness goes well with the buttery cookies.
- Black and red food coloring - I recommend using gel food coloring to get the best results - With gel food coloring, the consistency of the buttercream does not get affected too much when added a lot. You can also expect brighter colors with gel food coloring.
- Marshmallows - I used typical regular-size marshmallows from grocery stores.
How To Make Santa Cookies
Step 1. Make the cookie dough.
Make one batch of my shortbread cookie dough recipe.
Step 2. Color the dough.
Take about ¼ of the dough for Santa's face and wrap it with plastic wrap.
Color the remaining dough with red food coloring.
Step 3. Roll out the red dough.
Sandwich the red dough with parchment paper and roll it out to less than ¼ inch thickness with a rolling pin.
Transfer it to a baking sheet and chill it in the fridge.
Step 4. Connect the dough and assemble the Santa shapes.
Peel off both sides of the parchment paper. Cut the red dough into 2 (width) by 3-inch (height) triangles. Cut the triangle in half to divide it into Santa's hat and body.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing out the hat and body parts. Fill the plain dough between them to make it evenly thick.
Drop black coloring on parchment paper and attach it to the back of a toothpick. Stamp it on each cookie to create Santa's eyes.
Make tiny dots with the remaining red dough and attach one on each Santa as his nose.
Step 5. Cut marshmallows.
Set the baking sheet aside in the fridge while cutting marshmallows. Also, start preheating the oven. (350ºF)
Slice pieces for the Santa's beard, hat's pompom, and hat's fluffs. Slice thinly and apply some cornstarch if necessary to prevent them from sticking to the knife and chopping board.
Step 6. Bake cookies and attach marshmallows.
Bake the cookies at 350ºF (176ºC) for 10 - 15 minutes until the edges get slightly darker.
Attach the cut marshmallows to the hot cookies as soon as they are out of the oven. Push marshmallows with good pressure to stick to the cookies. If the cookies cool down and the marshmallows do not stick, just place marshmallows on top.
Step 7. Bake the cookies again.
Bake the cookies again at 350ºF (176ºC) for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how warm the cookies are. Be careful not to bake them too long to prevent the marshmallows from spreading too much and getting messy!
Adjust the shapes of the marshmallows after the 2nd bake by pushing them. Do this after they cool down if they are sticky.
Now, it is complete! Enjoy them at home with family or at a home party, or gift them to your friends in a bag or cookie box!
I hope you'll create a wonderful Christmas memory with these Jolly Santa cookies.🎅🏼
Happy Baking,
Aya xx
How To Store The Cookies
Store the cookies in an airtight container. I recommend placing parchment paper on each layer just in case to prevent the marshmallows from sticking to cookies. Add a silica gel in the airtight container if you have to keep the cookies crispy even in a humid environment.
You can store them for about a week at room temperature or about 10 days in the fridge. I usually store them in the fridge if we are not consuming them within 1 - 2 days.
FAQ
You can make 36 - 40 cookies from one batch of the recipe when cutting the red dough into 2 (width) by 3-inch (height) triangles. In the printable recipe at the end of the post, I am also listing the half-batch, just in case you want to make fewer cookies.
Yes! You can change the size as you like. Adjust the baking time accordingly.
Yes, you can! You can frost them with loyal icing, white chocolate, or buttercream, as you like.
Yes! Use the cookie dough recipe that can hold its shape in the oven. It does not work well with the dough, and it spreads a lot when heated.
Store the cookie dough for up to 4 - 5 days in the fridge.
VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
Watch the video tutorial to learn how to make delicious Santa Claus cookies visually and deeply understand each step and technique!
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Other Christmas Cookies Recipes
If you loved these easy Santa's cookies, also try other delicious Christmas cookie recipes!
Printable Recipe
💬 If you loved the easy Santa cookies recipe, please share your feedback! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.
Also, if you have a question about the tutorial, leave it in the comment section below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
Easy Santa Cookies
Equipment
- Spatula
- Parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters The rectangle cookie cutter
- Fork
- Baking tray
Ingredients
- 226 g Unsalted butter
- 90 g Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 290 g All-purpose flour
- 25 g Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- Some Red gel paste food coloring
- Some Black gel paste food coloring
- Some Marshmallows
NOTE: For best results, measure ingredients with a scale. All recipes are designed with weighed ingredients using grams/ounces. Cup measurements (US customary units) are provided for your convenience.
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough - Make one batch of my shortbread cookie dough recipe.226 g Unsalted butter, 90 g Powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 290 g All-purpose flour, 25 g Cornstarch, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Color the dough - Take about ¼ of the dough for Santa's face and wrap it with plastic wrap. Color the remaining dough with red food coloring.Some Red gel paste food coloring
- Roll out the red dough - Sandwich the red dough with parchment paper and roll it out to less than ¼ inch thickness with a rolling pin. Transfer it to a baking sheet and chill it in the fridge.
- Assemble the Santa shapes - Peel off both sides of the parchment paper. Cut the red dough into 2 (width) by 3-inch (height) triangles. Cut the triangle in half to divide it into Santa's hat and body. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing out the hat and body parts. Fill the plain dough between them to make it evenly thick. Drop black coloring on parchment paper and attach it to the back of a toothpick. Stamp it on each cookie to create Santa's eyes. Make tiny dots with the remaining red dough and attach one on each Santa as his nose.Some Black gel paste food coloring
- Cut marshmallows - Set the baking sheet aside in the fridge while cutting marshmallows. Also, start preheating the oven. (350ºF)Slice pieces for the Santa's beard, hat's pompom, and hat's fluffs. Slice thinly and apply some cornstarch if necessary to prevent them from sticking to the knife and chopping board.Some Marshmallows
- Bake cookies and attach marshmallows - Bake the cookies at 350ºF (176ºC) for 10 - 15 minutes until the edges get slightly darker.Attach the cut marshmallows to the hot cookies as soon as they are out of the oven. Push marshmallows with good pressure to stick to the cookies. If the cookies cool down and the marshmallows do not stick, just place marshmallows on top.
- Bake the cookies again - Bake the cookies again at 350ºF (176ºC) for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how warm the cookies are. Be careful not to bake them too long to prevent the marshmallows from spreading too much and getting messy!Adjust the shapes of the marshmallows after the 2nd bake by pushing them. Do this after they cool down if they are sticky.
Video
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