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Easter’s most famous treat is getting an upgrade! Peep Sugar Cookies are a soft sugar cookie topped with silky frosting and vibrant sanding sugar that mimics Peeps.
What are Peep Sugar Cookies?
Peep Sugar Cookies are my newest Easter sugar cookie recipe. These little bunnies are as cute as a Peep, but taste infinitely better! These bunny-shaped sugar cookies are MEGA SOFT and chewy with a slight puff – and bonus, they do not need to chill.
They have cream cheese and my very favorite butter flavoring in the dough, putting a rich and irresistible spin on sugar cookies that might ruin you for others going forward. But to really make these look like Peeps, we dye the frosting in popular Peep colors and finish them off with a sanding sugar that looks (and feels) the exact same as the sugar coating on the marshmallow bunnies.
These little fellas are adorable and delicious – the perfect treat for Easter dinner, stuffing baskets, or an egg hunt party.
Ingredients in Peep Sugar Cookies
Sugar Cookie Base
- Butter – I prefer to use salted butter! Unsalted butter will also work, but you may want to add a little extra salt to the cookie dough.
- Cream cheese – You need to use the cube of cream cheese, not the spreadable kind that comes in a tub for bagels.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Butter flavoring – I recommend my super-strength butter flavoring. It has THE best butter taste.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Water (optional) – You will only add this if your dough is tough to roll out or is too crumbly.
Sugar Cookie Frosting
- Butter – Again, I use salted.
- Powdered sugar
- Clear vanilla – Regular vanilla will work just fine here, but your colors won’t be as vibrant.
- Food coloring
- Coordinating sanding sugar – You can find these at your local grocery store in the sprinkle section.
- Mini chocolate chips – You will use these to make the eyes and nose of your peeps!
How to Make Easter Sugar Cookies
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F.
- In a stand mixer or in a bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar for 2 minutes.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the egg, vanilla and butter flavoring. Mix well.
- Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Mix until a dough forms.
- If the dough is really stiff or you have a hard time rolling out the dough without it cracking, you can mix in 1 tsp of water to the dough, as needed.
- Roll the dough out, leaving the dough about 1/2 inch thick. Use a bunny cookie cutter to cut out the dough. Transfer to a parchment or silicone lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up slightly and no longer look glossy in the center.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan before frosting.
- To make the frosting, first whip the butter in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer for a full 15 minutes. The butter will become white and super fluffy.
- Scrape the sides and mix in the powdered sugar. Whip until combined.
- Now, add the vanilla and whip for an additional 1 minute.
- Divide and color the frosting as you wish. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cookies.
- Pour the sanding sugar into a shallow dish or plate. Press the frosted cookie (frosting side down) into the coordinating color of sanding sugar.
- Place 3 mini chocolate chips onto the bunny for the eyes and mouth.
- Enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Do Peep Sugar Cookies have marshmallows?
Nope! These sugar cookies are inspired by the appearance of bunny-shaped peeps, but do not contain marshmallows.
How to Store Easter Sugar Cookies
After you have frosted these cookies, you can store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. No need to refrigerate, unless you’d like to serve them chilled (which is also very yummy!).
Easter Treats
Peep Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp butter flavoring
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp water (optional)
Sugar Cookie Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp clear vanilla
- food coloring
- coordinating sanding sugar
- mini chocolate chips, for the eyes and nose
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F.
- Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar for 2 minutes.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the egg, vanilla and butter flavoring. Mix well.
- Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Mix until a dough forms.
- If the dough is really stiff or you have a hard time rolling out the dough without it cracking, you can mix in 1 tsp of water to the dough, as needed.
- Roll the dough out, leaving the dough about 1/2 inch thick. Use a bunny cookie cutter to cut out the dough. Transfer to a parchment or silicone lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up slightly and no longer look glossy in the center.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan before frosting.
- To make the frosting, first whip the butter in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer for a full 15 minutes. The butter will become white and super fluffy.
- Scrape the sides and mix in the powdered sugar. Whip until combined.
- Now, add the vanilla and whip for an additional 1 minute.
- Divide and color the frosting as you wish. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cookies.
- Pour the sanding sugar into a shallow dish or plate. Press the frosted cookie (frosting side down) into the coordinating color of sanding sugar.
- Place 3 mini chocolate chips onto the bunny for the eyes and mouth.
- Enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Hi! Where did you find your peep bunny cookie cutter? The ones I’ve seen look too “skinny”, but the cutter you used looks so cute and chubby 🙂
Hi! Here’s the link to my bunny cookie cutter: https://amzn.to/4stZI5F
Great cookie but I think you forgot to write for milk in the icing recipe.
What size cookie cutter did you use for peeps cookies thanks
I used a 4″ cutter. You can find it here: https://amzn.to/4c9rWNd