Make your own favorite Starbucks Snowman Cookie recipe. They're perfectly rich, buttery and soft shortbread cookies with a sweet royal icing decorated top.
I love when the seasons change and we head into winter time. Starbucks start selling their Snowman Cookies and I LOVE THEM.
I sort of live in the boonies though and at my nearest Starbucks (about 7 miles away) it's hit or miss if they'll have any. That's when I took to figuring out how to make them at home myself.
Jump to:
What makes this recipe so yummy
- The sugar cookie recipes doesn't need refrigeration. You can whip up the recipe and have it in the oven quickly without it melting.
- I make a fuss-free royal icing recipe that is perfect for beginners.
- With this Starbucks Snowman Cookie Recipe you won't need to go buy them again - with this economy everything is so expensive. It's cheaper to make them at home.
- This fun treat makes a perfect cookies for santa idea. They really have the holiday spirit.
Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Cold Water
- All Purpose Flour
- Meringue Powder
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Egg
- Foor Coloring
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Add 1 Cup of butter to your stand mixer bowl, along with the powdered sugar.
- Mix until fluffy - about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and egg and mix again until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix with a whisk.
- Gradually add to the butter mixture while on low setting.
- Once the cookie dough has come together use your hands and knead a little in the mixing bowl.
- Remove half of the cookie dough and wrap with plastic wrap, set aside.
- Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the remaining cookie dough to about ⅓ or even ½ inch thick.
- Using a snowman cookie cutter cut out shapes from the cookie dough and lay on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Make sure there is 2" between the cookies.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 8 minutes, or until the edges start to brown a little.
- Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack completely before icing.
- To make the royal icing add the powdered sugar and meringue powder to a clean mixing bowl of your stand mixer and mixer together.
- Add the vanilla and water until a good royal icing consistency is reached. It should fall back into the bowl and hold it's shape for about 5 seconds before melting back into the icing.
- Take ¾ of this icing and add to a piping bag (pastry bag).
- The remaining split between 4 small bowls.
- You'll need a little orange icing. A little black (more than the orange though). A little blue and a little red.
- Ad each color to it's own piping bag. You could get away with just painting on the orange with a tooth pick.
- Using the white, pipe the edge of each cookie then fill in to cover the whole cookie. Use a tooth pick to help spread it out. Quickly sprinkle some silver/white sanding sugar on the bottom of each snowman (to represent snow).
- Once that white has dried somewhat you could paint on the other colors. Drop black spots for the buttons, eyes and mouth. The blue for scarves and ear muffs, the same for the red scarf. The orange is only needed for a little carrot nose on each cookie.
- Allow a few hours of drying time before stacking on top of each other.
Hint: Make sure that the cookies are completely cooled before trying to decorate them.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- White Chocolate - melt chocolate chips and decorate for the white using that.
- Egg Whites - This is the old fashioned way of making royal icing (before meringue powder came along). Egg whites with lemon juice or cream of tartar.
- Almond Extract -add a little to the sugar cookies if you like.
Sharing is Caring - Like Our Facebook Page
Necessary gear: Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I love to use my stand mixer for recipes like this however, if you don't have one or prefer you could use a hand mixer or electric mixer.
I have a list of all the equipment used in the recipe card below.
More Christmas cookies I think you'll love
How to store leftovers
Once the royal icing has completely cooled and hardened the snowman cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week, at room temperature.
Mel's kitchen notes
If you don't have a snowman cookie cutter you can use simple round cookie cutters - just lightly make an imprint of snowman shapes using 3 different sizes then use a pizza cutter to roll around the outside edge.
There are also many snowman cookie cutters that have hats. I don't think it's a bad thing - just fill the snowman hat with the black icing - not the white.
If you’ve tried this Starbucks Snowman Cookie Recipe or any other great recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section below, how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You can also follow me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes!
Viral Recipe Alert!
Banana Bread
Due to the secret ingredient in this deliciously moist banana bread it has become one of my most sought after recipes!
Starbucks Snowman Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Each Large Egg
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3-¼ Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1-½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Pound Powdered Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
- ½ Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 6 Tablespoons Cold Water
- Blue Food Color
- Black Food Color
- Red Food Color
- Orange Food Color
- White Sanding Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Add 1 Cup of butter to your stand mixer bowl, along with the powdered sugar.1 Cup Unsalted Butter, 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- Mix until fluffy - about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and egg and mix again until well incorporated.1 Each Large Egg, 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- In a separate bowl add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix with a whisk.3-¼ Cups All Purpose Flour, 1-½ teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Gradually add to the butter mixture while on low setting.
- Once the cookie dough has come together use your hands and knead a little in the mixing bowl.
- Remove half of the cookie dough and wrap with plastic wrap, set aside.
- Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the remaining cookie dough to about ⅓" thick.
- Using a snowman cookie cutter cut out shapes from the cookie dough and lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Make sure there is 2" between the cookies.
- Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes, or until the edges start to brown a little.
- Remove and allow to cool completely before icing.
- To make the royal icing add the powdered sugar and meringue powder to a clean mixing bowl of your stand mixer and mixer together.1 Pound Powdered Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
- Add the vanilla and water until a good royal icing consistency is reached. It should fall back into the bowl and hold it's shape for about 5 seconds before melting back into the icing.½ Tablespoon Vanilla Extract, 6 Tablespoons Cold Water
- Take ¾ of this icing and add to a piping bag.
- The remaining split between 4 small bowls.
- You'll need a little orange icing. A little black (more than the orange though). A little blue and a little red.Blue Food Color, Black Food Color, Orange Food Color, Red Food Color
- Ad each color to it's own piping bag. You could get away with just painting on the orange with a tooth pick.
- Using the white, pipe the edge of each cookie then fill in to cover the whole cookie. Use a tooth pick to help spread it out. Quickly sprinkle some silver/white sanding sugar on the bottom of each snowman (to represent snow).White Sanding Sugar
- Once that white has dried somewhat you could paint on the other colors. Drop black spots for the buttons, eyes and mouth. The blue for scarves and ear muffs, the same for the red. The orange is only needed for a little carrot nose on each cookie.
- Allow a few hours of drying time before stacking on top of each other.
Notes
Nutrition
Sign Up for my emails and never miss another recipe!
I'll never share your email, or send you spam. Pinkie Promise!
Stephanie says
How much powdered sugar goes into the icing and how much powdered sugar goes into the dough?
Melanie Cagle says
Hi Stephanie, I have it separated in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 2 Cups goes into the cookie dough and 1lb goes into the icing.
Will Ellis says
I say 1-1/2 into the dough, and 1/2 in the icing. U might have to add more to the icing depending on the consistency.
Jeannie Aviles says
I made stars . They were so delicious can’t keep them in the house . Absolutely delicious .
Amanda Spitalniak says
I loved these cookies sooo much! The first batch I accidentally added 1 cup of baking powder lol. Don’t ask why. But the second time I did it right, and wow. These taste just like Starbucks but even better and fresher.
Melanie Cagle says
Oh wow, that's funny! lol
I'm glad you enjoyed them Amanda! They're the perfect Christmas cookie aren't they?
Marta says
Am I missing something here. Every recipe I’ve looked up uses royal icing… but aren’t the Starbucks snowman cookies made with chocolate? The ingredients listed are described as “white chocolaty coating.”
Melanie Cagle says
Actually, it's not chocolate that they use. They call it a 'White Chocolatey Coating' - but when you look at the ingredients it's literally sugar and palm oil .... a royal icing is practically identical. A Starbucks Snowman Cookie (from Starbucks) tastes just like this recipe.
Lucy says
I feel like maybe I did something wrong, because my cookies tasted salty, except i only used a teaspoon, as listed. I also was not tasting the starbucks snowman cookie in these, so im wondering if i maybe made the cookies wrong? People in these comments say that they taste like the cookies, and i have no doubt that they do, i just thought mine tasted salty and just overall not great
Melanie Cagle says
The only thing I can think you did wrong here, is perhaps you used salted butter?
Lucy says
Oh yes I did! Thank you so much! I'll make them again and see
Debbie Fekete says
The yield shows 10.. this only makes 10 cookies?
I'm using this recipe for a family cookie decorating event and making 100 cookies. I wanted to check ahead of time so i can make sure I buy enough ingredients.
Melanie Cagle says
Yes, these cookies are quite big. About the size of your whole hand.
Vanessa says
I want to make these so badly, but twice now my dough has been too crumbly to roll out. First time I thought maybe I over worked it. Second time I made sure I didn’t, and even microwaved the dough to see if it would melt the butter and help… still no luck. The first batch I tried adding a tbsp of milk. What could I be doing wrong?! My measurements are correct… help!
Melanie Cagle says
How did you measure out your flour? This can often be a mistake that people make that they add too much flour to a recipe. I recommend to use the spoon and level method. SPoon the flour into your measuring cup, then use a knife to level it off. Having a dough that's too crumbly sounds like perhaps too much flour?
Jennifer Montoya says
are you able to provide the measurements in grams please.
Kristen says
I made these yesterday with my son and doubled the batch. when I took out half the dough and wrapped it, then tried to roll out the other half, it also was crumbly. So I put the half back in the blender and added another egg. It came out perfect! Then before rolling out the other half I had in the plastic, threw that back in the mixed with another egg and it turned out fine too. I think the words 1 egg each threw me off.
Melanie Cagle says
Just so you aren't working with such a big batch - to roll out I mean.
Olivia says
Can I do this without a mixer?
Melanie Cagle says
It is doable, if you have a hand mixer maybe? If you are doing it by hand, then it will take a lot of arm strength to beat to the right consistency.
Jen says
can I freeze dough for later use?
Melanie Cagle says
Yes, definitely.
Carlye says
Horrible recipe. Too much flour. Not enough explanation throughout recipe. Doesn’t even include white chocolate which the starbucks cookie definitely has. Sorry but BLAH.
Melanie Cagle says
Not sure if you made it to the recipe card, as the detailed instructions are found there.
We've never had a problem with the flour ratio, sometimes people don't use the scoop and sweep method for measuring a cup of flour. In this case, I'd always recommend weighing the flour instead. As for the white chocolate comment. They do not use white chocolate, it's candy coating, which I hate. Royal icing works great.