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Close-up of festive snowman cookies on a white serving plate, featuring detailed frosting and holiday decorations.

Festive Snowman Cookies

These adorable snowman cookies are soft, chewy, and topped with charming royal icing decorations — the perfect holiday treat for gifting, cookie swaps, or baking with the family.
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Course: Dessert, Holiday Treat
Cuisine: American, Christmas
Calories: 180
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ¼–½ tsp almond extract (optional)
  • Royal Icing (powdered sugar, meringue powder, water)
  • Red, black, and orange gel food coloring

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls (medium and large)
  • hand or stand mixer
  • parchment paper or silicone mats
  • Rolling Pin
  • Snowman cookie cutter
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Piping bags and tips Wilton #1, #4, or #5 recommended

Method
 

  1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. Beat softened butter and sugar in a large bowl on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using). Beat until fully combined. Scrape sides as needed.
  4. Gradually mix in dry ingredients on low speed until soft dough forms. If sticky, add a tablespoon more flour.
  5. Divide dough in half. Roll each between parchment to ¼ inch thickness. Stack, cover, and chill 1–2 hours.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
  7. Cut snowman shapes using a cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps as needed. Arrange on baking sheets with 3-inch spacing.
  8. Bake for 11–12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool 5 minutes on pan, then fully on rack.
  9. Make royal icing. Color small portions red, black, and orange. Keep the rest white.
  10. Pipe white icing to flood the snowman bodies. Allow to set slightly before adding scarves, hats, eyes, and buttons with red and black icing. Add orange noses last.
  11. Let decorated cookies set at room temp for 2–3 hours or refrigerate briefly to speed up drying.

Notes

For clean shapes and minimal spreading, always chill the dough thoroughly. Allow icing layers to set between colors to avoid bleeding. Use gel food coloring for the most vibrant shades. For a festive flavor, substitute almond extract with orange or peppermint extract.