Last updated on November 3rd, 2021.
Easter bunny cookies are simple and easy shortbread cookies you can turn into a festive Easter (or any other holiday) dessert.
Easter-themed desserts are the most fun of all (said the Jewish girl…lol), just look at these cute bunnies waving their delicious chocolate tails at us.
You don’t need much to make this recipe and you don’t have to use it as an Easter-themed dessert. It is perfect for any occasion especially because the cookies have sharp edges that do not spread during baking. More so, they are crispy, tender and literally melt in your mouth as you bite into it.
The Secret (S)?
Powdered Sugar & Cornstarch, as we know sugar is made of crystals filled with air. During baking as the sugar melts, the air escapes out in the form of steam. With cakes/cupcakes since the batter is contained in some type of mold (pan, cupcake liner) the air escapes up and leavens the cake or cupcake. However, cookies do not have any mold restrictions so air is escaping to the sides as well and as a result, the cookies spread.
Powdered sugar is basically sugar with no air in it. So there is no air escaping the sides and spreading the cookies. The result? sharp edges cookies.
A small amount of cornstarch replacing some of the flour will reduce the formation of chewy gluten threats as it is gluten-free. The result? tender, crumbly cookies.
Don’t you just love baking science???
What ingredients do you need for these Easter Bunny Cookies?
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract (optional)
- All-purpose flour
- Corn Starch
How to make the cookies
Making these cookies is so easy. What we want is to incorporate all the ingredients into a soft, “playable” dough. As simple as that.
The butter is the key ingredient responsible for the bonding of the dough. Which is why we want it to firstly be at room temperature and secondly gradually incorporate it with the rest of the ingredients. Otherwise, things will get messy and dry. No fun.
So this is how you bake the cookies:
- Beat softened butter with powdered sugar until well incorporated. (then add extract if using)
- Mix flour and corn starch then gradually sprinkle it over the butter mixture.
- Mix until dough is formed.
- Bring the dough together into a round disk, then place it between 2 pieces of parchment paper. This is so we will not need to sprinkle additional flour on our work surface.
- Cut dough using a cookie cutter.
- Transfer to a baking sheet and bake.
Decorating the cookies:
To add the bunny tail, I used easter M&M’s. Once the cookies have cooled, simply melt few pieces of white candy melt (or any other chocolate) and use it to “glue” the M&M’s to the cookies.
Other options:
- Warm-up some honey, brush the cookies then coat with sprinkles.
- Drizzle/dip melted chocolate.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Drizzle frost with icing sugar
Storing The Cookies
In a cookie jar at room temperature would be best. Avoid sealing the cookies in a tight air container, it might soften the cookies.
Few more notes about this Easter Bunny Cookies Recipe:
- Please avoid rolling the dough on a floured surface, the extra flour might dry up the dough and the cookies will not have a smooth surface.
- Prebaked, when the dough is chilled in the refrigerator over 1 hour, the top layer of the cookies might dry out and as a result, as the cookies bake they will have a cracked top.
- You can add your choice of flavor extract, I recommend plain vanilla extract or even vanilla bean paste. However, it is optional.
- You can make the dough ahead of time, roll it then refrigerate. Also, make sure it is covered.
- Please note that while these cookies will not travel well via post, they are very delicate and might break during travel time.
HAPPY BAKING!!!
Here are some more fun recipes you might enjoy:
Also, don’t forget to tag @OneSarcasticBaker on Instagram if you bake this recipe. Would love to see your creations!
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Easter Bunny Cookies
simple and easy shortbread cookies you can turn into a festive Easter (or any other holiday) dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 Stick Butter softened (113 g 4 oz)
- 1/2 Cup Powdered sugar (56 g / 2 oz)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 Cup + 2 TBS AP Flour (140 g / 5 oz)
- 3 TBS Cornstarch (28 g / 1 oz)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325F and line a cookies sheet with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl sift flour and cornstarch and mix to incorporate.
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Mix butter and sugar until well combined add vanilla and mix to incorporate.
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Gradually sprinkle in the flour mixture and mix until dough is formed about 1 minute.
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Roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll it into 1/3" – 1/2" thick.
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Use your choice of cookie cutter to cut the dough then gently lift each cookie and place it on the prepared pan.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies is light gold.
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Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
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For the bunny tail, melt a few pieces of white candy melt. Using a toothpick dot 1 easter m&m with the melted chocolate then "glue" the candy on a cookie.
Hi, I don’t have a mixer. Can I use a spoon and then my hands to make a dough? Thank you!
Hi Joanna,
Yes that should be just fine!
Fantastic, thank you 🙂
My experiencce making these cookies was a diaster. I might have used a bit too much corn starch or maybe it was too old (I got some from a friend) and the dough was too crumbly. So I kept adding butter. I baked a few cookies that were okay. But I put it in the fridge and it was rock solid. It’s been more than 40 years since I’ve had this type of issue with any type of yeast baking. So I’m wondering what went wrong. Is it supposed to be only 4 ounces of butter for all of that flour and confectioner’s sugar? Thanks.
Hi Jacky
So sorry to hear about your experience. It could be that the butter was not warm enough to incorporate the dry ingredients and also you added too much of the dry ingredients. Do you use a kitchen scale? next time, if the dough does not come together, add 1 tbsp of heavy cream or milk.
Would cup-for-cup gluten-free flour work in this recipe?
yes.