Polar Bear Paw Cookies Recipe
These playful winter cookies use a simple chocolate cake mix base and are topped with homemade vanilla frosting and candy decorations to create adorable polar bear paw prints.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box of chocolate cake mix
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
Frosting
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- ½-2 tablespoons milk
Decorations
- ½ cup white sanding sugar
- 16 snack-size peppermint patties
- 64 brown M&Ms
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the cake mix, oil, and eggs in a large bowl until well combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheets using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop leaving at least two inches between scoops.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Frosting
- Beat the butter in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat until well combined.
- Add the milk ½ tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. The frosting should be easy to spread onto the cookies but firm enough not to slide off the side.
Assembly
- Frost the cookies with a generous layer of frosting.
- Place the sanding sugar onto a small plate. Gently press the frosted side of the cookie into the sanding sugar to create an even coating.
- Apply a small smear of frosting on the bottom of the peppermint pattie and attach it to the lower third of the cookie to create the pad of the foot.
- Gently press four M&Ms above the peppermint pattie to create the toes.
- Allow the frosting to set for 15-30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to five days. If you store the cookies in the fridge, the M&M toes will lose their sheen and may have a ‘cloudy’ appearance.
- Use your favorite chocolate cake mix for these cookies. I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate.
Nutrition
Calories: 415kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 3gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 240mgPotassium: 115mgFiber: 1gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 312IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 1mg
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.
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