The Ultimate Melting Snowman Cookies (Decorated Christmas Cookies!)

Imagine a charming, whimsical winter scene right on top of a cookie: a poor, little snowman, melting into a sweet puddle of icing, his marshmallow head looking up with a cheerful smile. That, my friends, is the adorable, story-telling magic of these Melting Snowman Cookies. This is, without a doubt, the most fun and personality-packed decorated cookie you will make this Christmas season.

I promise you, there is no greater holiday baking activity. From creating the messy “puddle” of icing to piping on the tiny stick arms and cozy scarf, every step is a joy. The marshmallow head is a genius touch, adding a soft, chewy texture to the crisp cookie and sweet icing. They are a true show-stopper for any holiday party or cookie exchange.

Get ready to create the most talked-about cookies of the season, a recipe so charming and delicious, it’s guaranteed to melt everyone’s heart.

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Why These Melting Snowmen Will Be a Holiday Hit

You are going to have so much fun bringing these adorable little characters to life. This recipe is a true holiday gem. Here’s why:

• A Genius No-Chill Sugar Cookie Recipe: This cookie dough is a game-changer! It’s ready to roll and bake immediately, saving you hours of chill time.
• Incredibly Adorable and Full of Personality: The “melting” effect is so clever and charming. Each cookie tells a little story and is guaranteed to make people smile.
• The Perfect Texture Combination: You get a soft and chewy sugar cookie, a sweet icing “puddle,” a soft marshmallow head, and crunchy chocolate chip buttons all in one bite!

Recipe Snapshot

Your Shopping List for This Adorable Project

This recipe uses simple, classic cookie and decorating ingredients to create its magic.

→ For the No-Chill Sugar Cookies

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter → Softened to room temperature.
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg → At room temperature.
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour → Spooned and leveled.
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch → The secret ingredient for a soft, tender cookie that doesn’t spread!
• ½ tsp baking powder & ¼ tsp salt

→ For the Icing and Decorations

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2-4 tablespoons water
• Black, orange, brown, and red gel food coloring
• 12 large marshmallows → For the perfect snowman heads.
• Mini chocolate chips → To be the classic “coal” buttons.

Let’s Get Baking! Your Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to create the cutest cookies of the Christmas season? Let’s get started!

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No-Chill Melting Snowman Sugar Cookies

These adorable Melting Snowman Cookies are a fun and festive Christmas treat! The easy, no-chill sugar cookie dough bakes up soft and chewy, then gets decorated with a sweet icing puddle and a marshmallow snowman head.

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Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 12

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 310

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Sugar Cookie Dough:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (115g), room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (227g), spooned and leveled
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Icing and Decorations:

• 2 cups powdered sugar (260g)
• 2-4 tablespoons water
• as needed black, orange, brown, and red gel food coloring
• 12 large marshmallows
• as needed mini chocolate chips

Equipment

• Electric Mixer
• Baking Sheets
• Parchment paper
• Round Cookie Cutter (2 or 3 inch)
• Piping bags or zip-top bags

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together the room temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until a soft dough forms.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out circles and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Make the icing: Whisk together powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth. Add more water as needed to reach the consistency of glue. Portion out small amounts to be dyed black, orange, brown, and red.
6. Decorate the marshmallows: Use the colored icings in piping bags to pipe eyes, a mouth, and a nose on each marshmallow to create the snowman heads.
7. On each cooled cookie, spoon a heaping teaspoon of white icing and spread it into a messy, ‘puddle’ shape.
8. While the white icing is wet, gently press a marshmallow head on top and add a few mini chocolate chips for buttons. Let set for 10-15 minutes.
9. Once the white icing has partially set, use the brown icing to pipe stick arms and the red icing to pipe a scarf. Let everything set completely before serving.

Notes

No-Chill Dough: The cornstarch in the dough is the secret to a no-spread cookie without chilling! If your kitchen is very warm and the dough feels sticky, you can chill it for 20 minutes to make it easier to handle.

Let the Icing Set: Wait for the white ‘puddle’ to set slightly before piping the arms and scarf to prevent the colors from bleeding into each other.

Storage: Store finished cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.