Frosted Animal Cookies

These homemade Frosted Animal Cookies taste just like the ones from your childhood, only better. They have a few unique (maybe even surprising) ingredients make them extra delicious!

Frosted Animal Cookies | lifemadesimplebakes.com

With our oldest going to kindergarten this year, I thought it would be fun to make an extra special back to school treat to pack in his lunch box for his first day. Something homemade but fun and cute. These bright, colorful frosted animal cookies were perfect! He LOVED them! ?

Frosted Animal Cookies | lifemadesimplebakes.com

If you’ve ever tried the coated animal crackers from the store, these are a lot like them, only made with real ingredients and a lot less sugar.

How to Make Frosted Animal Cookies

The dough does require chilling so make sure to carve out extra time for that. I personally prefer making the dough the night before I plan on baking them so that it’s ready to be rolled and cut. If you are planning on making these with kids I’d highly recommend going that route.

Frosted Animal Cookies | lifemadesimplebakes.com

To start you’ll want to cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer. Get the mixture pale and fluffy. This usually takes about 3 minutes on high. Next add the vanilla. I used Nielsen-Massey’s No Sugar Added Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. It’s a great alternative to their other varieties and has the same rich vanilla flavor I love. Nielsen-Massey is always my go-to vanilla!

I also added a splash of their Organic Pure Almond Extract. It’s amazing. So much better than the cheap stuff. The flavor is unreal. I love the strong vanilla flavor with just a hint of almond. It really makes these cookies!

Frosted Animal Cookies | lifemadesimplebakes.com

Once you mix the extracts and the egg, you’ll whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl. I always get asked why I do this. Not only does it help aerate the flour, but it helps thoroughly mix the ingredients which will be evenly distributed when mixed in with the wet ingredients.

This recipe calls for all-purpose flour, ground old fashioned oats, baking powder and coarse kosher sea salt. I ground my oats by pulsing them in my food processor for a minute. You can also use a high speed blender if you don’t have a food processor on hand.

Frosted Animal Cookies | lifemadesimplebakes.com

The dough will be soft and sticky. That’s how it should be! Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper until it’s ¼ inch in thickness. If your kitchen is warm you may want to freeze it for 15 minutes before cutting out the shapes. Peel the top layer of parchment off, revealing the rolled dough. Using mini animal cookie cutters (I purchased mine at a craft store in a Noah’s Ark set) cut out the animals and transfer to a lined cookie sheet.

Frosted Animal Cookies | lifemadesimplebakes.com

You can place the cookies ½ inch apart, they only spread a little. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown on the bottoms, about 11 minutes.

Frosted Animal Cookies | lifemadesimplebakes.com

While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting. I tried a few different recipes and ultimately decided that white chocolate was the way to go. Not only was it super easy and almost mess-free, but it had the right taste and texture. Melt the white chocolate melting discs with coconut oil, then whisk in some more vanilla extract.

For a more defined animal shape, make sure to only dip the one side, leaving a nice border around the edges. If you want to stay true to the original, you can dunk the entire cookie in, just know that you may loose some definition and you will need to place it on either a Silpat, parchment paper or wax paper to set.

Sprinkle with some rainbow nonpareils and then let the white chocolate set. To speed this process along you can chill the cookies in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Frosted Animal Cookies | lifemadesimplebakes.com

These frosted animal cookies are crisp, sweet, buttery and so fun to eat! They are sturdy enough to hold up in a lunch box which is just what I was looking for. 

Storage Info

You can store these for up to 5 days in an air tight container at room temperature and for up to 10 days in an air tight container in the refrigerator. You can freeze them for up to 3 months in an air tight container – just wait until the icing completely sets and then put wax paper between each layer of cookies.

I hope you will enjoy these adorable frosted animal cookies as much as we did. Do you have a favorite childhood treat? Did you look forward to something special in your lunchbox as a kid? Leave a comment below, I’d love to know!

LEARN HOW TO MAKE FROSTED ANIMAL COOKIES IN THE VIDEO BELOW.


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Frosted animal cookies on parchment paper.

Frosted Animal Cookies Recipe

Experience the magic of childhood with these Frosted Animal Cookies – a delightful fusion of creamy frosting and whimsical animal shapes, crafting moments of joy in every bite!
4.82 from 49 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 72 cookies *
Calories: 68kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

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Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 3/4 c. unsalted butter - room temperature
  • 2/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. almond extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c. finely ground old fashioned oats**
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher sea salt

For the frosting:

  • 10 oz. white chocolate melting wafers
  • 1 tbsp. refined coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Pink gel food coloring - optional
  • 1/4 c. rainbow nonpareil sprinkles

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute on high until smooth. Add the sugar and cream for 2-3 minutes or until pale in color. Add the extracts and egg, and mix until combined, about 1 minute.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, then mix until combined.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and place it on a long piece of parchment paper. Place a similar-sized sheet over the top, then using a rolling pin, roll into a flat, even layer, about 1/4-inch in thickness. If the dough is soft and sticky, transfer it to the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, and set aside.
  • Working quickly, carefully cut out mini animals using animal cookie cutters and place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1/2-inch apart.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the centers are no longer soft and the edges are pale brown in color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl, add white chocolate wafers and coconut oil. Heat for 30 seconds on half power, stir, then repeat twice more if needed. Whisk in the vanilla extract until smooth.
  • Turn each animal cookie upside down and dip it in the white chocolate. Swirl to remove excess. Add rainbow sprinkles, then return to the cookie sheet or additional parchment/wax paper to set. Cookies should be set within 20 minutes (refrigerating them will speed up the process). Cookies stay good at room temperature for up to 4 days. They aren't super fragile, which means they're perfect for lunch boxes!

VIDEO

NOTES

*Makes about 6 dozen mini cookies.
** I used about ¾ of a cup of old-fashioned oats and ground them in my food processor for about 1 minute. You may need to use more oats, and you may need to pulse for longer depending on what type of grinder you use and how strong it is.
STORE your frosted animal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature; they'll stay fresh for up to 4 days. They aren't super fragile, which means they're also perfect for lunch boxes! To FREEZE, place them in a freezer-safe container, separating layers with parchment paper, and they'll last for up to 3 months.
To THAW, let them sit at room temperature for a few hours to maintain their quality.
 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.4mg

I’m partnering with Nielsen-Massey to bring you today’s recipe. All opinions are my own. Thank you for helping me work with companies I love!

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Frances Bautista

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Comments:

  1. 4 stars
    Made these just using the frosting on different cookies, and the flavor was great, but I wondered how you get the cookies to swirl. I measured exactly and microwaved the white chocolate the way the recipe called, and it was smooth, but it wasn’t liquidy enough to allow dipping. I ended up spreading on with a knife instead, and it took forever. Any tips on making this part easier? Also, do you dip both sides?

    1. Hi Tasha, did you add the coconut oil to the frosting? If you did, then perhaps a little more would help make the frosting lighter for dipping. Just dip them a little. We only dip them on one side.