Nutter Butter Referees
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our full disclosure policy.
These Nutter Butter Referees turn classic peanut butter sandwich cookies into referee cookies using candy melts and simple decorations. They’re a playful game-day dessert and one of my go-to cookies when I want something themed and fun.
Easy Referee Cookies
If you’ve been around here long enough, you know I love cute themed foods. I’ve found that Nutter Butter cookies are perfect for decorating into fun things, which is why I’ve used them for recipes like my Nutter Butter Turkeys and Nutter Butter Chick Cookies. Their shape makes them easy to work with, and they hold up well to candy melts and decorations.
I’m also way more into the food than the football, so game day is really just an excuse for themed desserts. These Nutter Butter referee cookies are one of my favorites to make, especially alongside treats like my Football Truffles. Cute desserts like this are how I make game day more enjoyable, even if I’m mostly there for the snacks.
Ingredients
- Nutter Butter cookies – Form the base of the cookies.
- White almond bark or white candy melts – Coats the cookies.
- Black candy melts – Creates the stripe details.
- Candy eyeballs – Used for the faces.
How to Make this Easy Super Bowl Dessert
- Melt the white coating – Melt the white almond bark or white candy melts according to package directions until smooth.
- Dip the cookies – Dip each Nutter Butter cookie halfway into the melted white coating to create the referee uniform. Let excess drip off, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Add the stripes – Melt the black candy melts and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small tip (I used Wilton #3). Pipe thin stripes onto the white coating.
- Add faces – Dab a small amount of melted candy melts onto the back of each candy eyeball and apply to the cookies. Use the black candy melts to pipe mouths and hair.
- Set – Let the cookies sit at room temperature or refrigerate briefly until the coating is firm.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use real chocolate – White chocolate can be used in place of almond bark or candy melts. Thin it with a small amount of neutral oil to help with dipping, but note that it typically won’t be as smooth or set as firmly as almond bark.
- Swap the cookies – Milano cookies can be used instead of Nutter Butter cookies if peanut allergies are a concern.
- Use frosting – Frosting can be used for decorating instead of candy melts, but the cookies will not set firmly and won’t be stackable.
Tips for Success
- Control the coating – Let excess coating drip off before setting the cookies to keep the uniform line clean.
- Work in batches – Melt small amounts of candy melts at a time to prevent thickening.
- Rewarm as needed – Briefly warm candy melts if they begin to set while piping.
- Scale as needed – This recipe is easy to scale up or down, so you can make as few or as many cookies as you need.
Want to be the first to know when the next game day dessert recipe is published? Sign up for our newsletter updates below.
Make-Ahead Game Day Desserts
Check out these recipes that can be prepared in advance so there’s less to do on game day.
Did you love this simple Super Bowl dessert? Please leave a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Nutter Butter Referee Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt the white almond bark or white candy melts according to package directions until smooth.
- Dip each Nutter Butter cookie halfway into the melted white coating to create the referee uniform. Let the excess drip off, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Melt the black candy melts and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small tip (I used Wilton #3). Pipe thin stripes onto the white coating.
- Dab a small amount of melted candy onto the back of each candy eyeball, then apply it to the cookies. Use the black candy melts to pipe mouths and hair.
- Let the cookies sit at room temperature or refrigerate briefly until the coating is firm.
Notes
- Store Nutter Butter referee cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If stacking the cookies, place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is estimated based on automated calculations and should be considered as an approximation. These estimates are provided as a courtesy. Please use your own brand’s nutritional values to verify accuracy.