Melted Snowman Cookies

Make these adorable Melted Snowman Cookies to give away in your Christmas cookie exchanges, make for friends and co-workers, and leave on Santa’s cookie plate. These holiday cookies will become a favorite tradition in your household and your kids will ask for them again and again each year.

One melted snowman with a smiley face in a close up shot

These are the most fun sugar cookies you will make, with easy instructions and fun details you can make them your own, and they are a fun activity to do with the kids.

Just bake up your cookies and have all the topping options ready to go, then gather around the kitchen table to decorate with your kiddos! They taste great with a chewy center, a crunchy exterior, and lots of delicious sugar cookie flavor.

I left instructions to make my delicious royal icing to decorate with! My husband isn’t a fan of royal icing, but this recipe makes a delicious basic icing that you can make thicker or thinner just with a little water, so it pleases even my picky eater – from parents to little ones, ha!)

If you’re looking for more cookies and treats to have ready for a cookie exchange or party check out some of my favorites. I would start with Christmas Brownies because everyone loves a fudgy brownie.

Then add in some beautiful Linzer Cookies or these Snowflake Sugar Cookies to wow your crowd with a little elegance. And don’t forget these Christmas Tree Cookies, with a delicious buttercream frosting and simple decorating that looks way more complicated than it is.

If you are in need of a savory snack after decorating all those cookies and brownies, you’ll love my delicious and beautiful Christmas Charcuterie Board.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE MELTED SNOWMAN COOKIES:

-Easy to make sugar cookies with simple decorations anyone can do

-A fun activity to do with the kids around the holidays

-The sugar cookie base can be used for Christmas or any any other holiday just by changing the shape

Melted snowman with hot cocoa, red beads and candy canes

Ingredients:

Salted butter – you can use unsalted butter if that is what you have
Granulated sugar
Egg
Milk
Vanilla extract – I also use almond extract in addition to vanilla sometimes
Flour – Use all-purpose flour
Baking powder
Salt
Powdered sugar
Meringue powder
Warm water
Large Marshmallows – this is the snowman head, so I would stick with traditional white large marshmallows
Gel food coloring – you can also use the colored icing you find in the baking aisle for cookie icing

See the recipe card for quantities.

Ingredients needed to make snowman cookies

How to Make Melted Snowman Cookies

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla. Then add the flour (start with 2 cups), baking powder, and salt. Beat this until well blended. If the dough is still really sticky you may mix in another ¼ to ½ cup of flour.
Divide the cookie dough into 2 equal-size disks. Wrap these and place them in the fridge for 1 hour (or until firm).
When you remove the dough from the fridge, allow it to sit at room temperature until soft enough to roll easily.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick.
Use a 2 ½ inch, lightly floured cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as you are able to.
Place the cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the edges are just golden. (they can cook quickly so watch carefully after the 5-minute mark)
When the cookies are removed from the oven, move them to cool racks to cool completely before frosting them.
To make the icing: In a large, grease-free mixing bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 5 tablespoons of warm water. Use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or an electric hand-held mixer) to beat at high power for 10 minutes. Check the consistency.
We want to get to a thicker consistency of icing that still has the ability to move and slide on the cookie a bit. Add more water if the icing is too thick and is so still that it will barely move. If it is too thin, beat longer, it thickens the longer you beat it.
When you are ready to ice/make the melted snow, drop a dollop of icing onto the middle of the cookie and carefully spread it out towards the edges. You can make this as perfect or messy as you’d like – after all – it’s a MELTED snowman cookie. Some icing might slowly run off the side, that’s ok. But if it quickly runs off, your icing may be too thin. Either way, just use a little trial and error to get the look you want. There will be plenty to experiment with!
Place one marshmallow on each cookie to represent the head of the snowman.
When you are ready to add the eyes and buttons, add some black gel coloring to some of the icing and pipe on arms and eyes. Do the same with orange food coloring to make icing for the carrot nose. Then drop on some mini m&ms for buttons, licorice for the scarf, and some sprinkles for fun!
The royal icing will take about 2 hours to dry. If you need the icing to firm up more quickly, you can refrigerate them.

Substitutions

Use Sprinkles, M&M Candies, Pull and Peel Twizzlers, or other favorite candies and treats to decorate with, get creative. You could use chocolate chips, candy eyes, and fruit by the foot or ribbon candies.

Variations

If you have a favorite sugar cookie or royal icing recipe you want to use instead just make those and follow the instructions shown above for assembling and decorating your snowman cookies. If you want to make it super easy on yourself use a Sugar Cookie mix that comes in a bag and just add the wet ingredients per the package directions.

If you don’t like royal icing you can use candy melts or white chocolate for the melted snow icing instead.

Equipment

I used a few basic items to make my sugar cookies, like mixing with my stand mixer (you could use a hand mixer), and having a large bowl to combine ingredients. I also used a spatula and a small spoon for shaping and mixing my cookies, as well as a rolling pin.

Storage

The unused icing may be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Iced cookies will freeze well for up to 3 months. Or you may store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Frequently Asked Questions About Melted Snowman Cookies:

Can I make the icing ahead of time?

Yes, it may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Once you’ve brought it to room temperature you may need to whisk it smooth again.

I have been beating my meringue but it just doesn’t seem to be whipping up – what is going wrong?

It is very important to use grease-free bowls and utensils when you are working with meringue. I would start over, using a glass bowl if possible, that is very clean, and for better chances, you could chill the bowl and attachments as well.

I find that the royal icing doesn’t have enough flavor for me – could I add flavor to it?

Yes, you are welcome to add vanilla (keeping in mind that the icing will not be as white unless you use clear vanilla extract). Or you could add almond extract or peppermint extract. You will want to start with 1 teaspoon.

I want to add color to the royal icing – can I use food coloring?

You could use food coloring, but I prefer to use gel color instead because you get a more intense color and don’t need to use as much.

I can’t find meringue powder – what else could I use?

You could substitute pasteurized egg whites. You will substitute pasteurized egg whites (or 6 Tablespoons of pasteurized egg whites from a carton). Whisk the egg whites until foamy, then beat in the powdered sugar at medium speed for 5 minutes. Adjust the water as needed.

Top Tip!

Have fun! Making a snowman cookie with a marshmallow head and a carrot nose made out of an orange sprinkle or icing should be fun! There is no need for perfection or stress with these cookies. If they aren’t perfectly round or all the same, that is ok, they are supposed to resemble a melted pile of snow!