When the holidays roll around, there’s nothing quite as fun and festive as making treats that everyone will love. Santa Face Cookies are not only delicious, but they’re also the perfect way to spread some holiday cheer! These cute and creative cookies feature Santa’s jolly face, complete with a fluffy white beard and red hat, making them a wonderful project for kids and adults alike. Whether you’re baking with family, looking for a fun dessert for a holiday party, or simply want to treat yourself to a festive snack, these cookies will definitely brighten up your holiday season.
The combination of a buttery, soft sugar cookie base with sweet royal icing, coconut for Santa’s beard, and a pop of red for his hat creates a festive, irresistible treat. These Santa Face Cookies are as fun to decorate as they are to eat, and they make a perfect addition to any holiday cookie platter or a delightful gift for friends and family.
Santa Face Cookies are a festive holiday treat made with soft sugar cookies decorated to resemble Santa Claus. The cookies are adorned with royal icing to create Santa’s face, complete with a fluffy beard made from shredded coconut and a red hat. These cookies are easy to make, visually stunning, and a fun way to get into the holiday spirit. Whether you’re baking for a holiday party or gifting them to friends, Santa Face Cookies are sure to be a hit.
Perfect for any holiday celebration, these cookies combine sweet flavor, fun decoration, and festive charm. They are a fun way to bring some Christmas cheer to your holiday baking.
Exciting Story:
I first made Santa Face Cookies a few years ago when I was looking for a fun, kid-friendly activity to do with my family. We love baking around the holidays, but I wanted to try something a little different from the usual cookie shapes. That’s when I came up with the idea to decorate the cookies to look like Santa’s face. It was such a hit with my kids, and it became a new holiday tradition.
The best part of making these cookies is how creative you can get with the decorations! The coconut “beard” gives the cookies a fun, textured look, and the royal icing is easy to work with to create those jolly red hats and cute little eyes. When we made them for the first time, we had so much fun decorating the cookies together, and they were gone in no time! Now, they’re a part of our annual holiday baking tradition, and I look forward to making them every year.
Why This Santa Face Cookies:
- Festive and Fun: These cookies capture the magic of Christmas with their adorable Santa face design and bright holiday colors.
- Kid-Friendly: Decorating these cookies is a fun activity for kids, making them the perfect holiday project for families.
- Customizable: Use different icing colors or sprinkles to make your Santa faces unique, and experiment with other decorations like buttons or holly.
- Perfect for Gifting: These cookies are ideal for giving as gifts, making them a sweet treat for friends, family, and neighbors during the holidays.
- Deliciously Simple: The sugar cookies themselves are soft, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth good, while the decorations add a sweet, fun twist.
What You Need For Santa Face Cookies:
For the cookies:
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
For the royal icing:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons water (more if needed)
- Gel food coloring (red, black, and any other desired colors)
For the decorations:
- Shredded coconut (for Santa’s beard)
- Red candy melts or red sprinkles (for Santa’s hat)
- Black decorating gel or edible eyes (for Santa’s eyes)
- Mini chocolate chips (for his nose)
How to Make Santa Face Cookies:
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prepare the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), and beat until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
- Roll out the dough: Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Using a round cookie cutter (about 3 inches in diameter), cut out circles and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare the royal icing: While the cookies are cooling, make the royal icing. In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add the water a little at a time, mixing until the icing forms stiff peaks. Divide the icing into separate bowls and color with gel food coloring: red for the hat, white for the beard, and black for the eyes and mouth.
- Decorate the cookies: Once the cookies are cool, start decorating! Use a piping bag or a spoon to pipe white royal icing around the top of the cookie to create Santa’s beard. Sprinkle the shredded coconut over the icing to form the beard.
- Add the hat and face details: Pipe red royal icing at the top of the cookie to form Santa’s hat, and add a small white icing pom-pom at the tip of the hat. Use black decorating gel or edible eyes for Santa’s eyes, and place a mini chocolate chip in the center of the cookie for his nose. You can also pipe a small smile or eyebrows to complete his face.
- Set the cookies: Let the royal icing dry completely before serving or packaging the cookies.
Tips for Santa Face Cookies:
- Make-Ahead: You can make the sugar cookies ahead of time and store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Decorate them the day you plan to serve them.
- Smooth Royal Icing: If your royal icing is too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time to reach the desired consistency. For flooding the entire cookie with icing, it should have a thicker consistency.
- Other Decorations: Feel free to get creative with other decorations, like using red candy sprinkles for the hat or even adding little holly leaves on top for an extra festive touch.
- Piping Tip: If you’re new to piping, you can use a plastic sandwich bag with the tip cut off for a DIY piping bag, or just use a spoon for a less precise look.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to make these cookies gluten-free.
- Different Flavors: Swap the vanilla extract for peppermint extract for a minty twist to these holiday cookies.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free butter and a dairy-free substitute for the royal icing to make these cookies dairy-free.
Make a Healthier Version:
- Reduced-Sugar: Use a sugar substitute like Stevia or Monk Fruit in the sugar cookie dough and royal icing for a lower-sugar version.
- Whole Wheat: Use whole wheat flour in place of regular flour to add fiber to the cookies without compromising flavor.
Closing for Santa Face Cookies:
And there you have it! These Santa Face Cookies are not only fun to make but also delicious to eat. With their festive decorations and sweet, buttery flavor, they’re the perfect treat for any holiday celebration. Whether you’re baking with the kids, making them for a party, or giving them as gifts, these cookies are sure to spread some holiday joy. Let us know how your Santa face cookies turn out, and be sure to check out more of our fun, festive recipes!
Frequently Asked Questions For Santa Face Cookies:
- Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the sugar cookies ahead of time and store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Decorate them the day of serving. - What other decorations can I use for Santa’s face?
You can use candy eyes, mini marshmallows for his pom-pom, or red M&Ms for his nose. - How do I store leftover Santa Face Cookies?
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. - Can I freeze these cookies?
Yes, you can freeze the cookies after baking. Freeze them on a baking sheet and then transfer to an airtight container. Decorate them after thawing. - Can I use a store-bought sugar cookie dough?
Yes, store-bought dough can be used for convenience, but homemade dough gives the cookies a fresher, homemade taste.
These Santa Face Cookies are sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face this holiday season. Enjoy the fun of decorating and the joy of eating them with friends and family!