Melting Snowman Cookies

These melting snowman cookies combine a classic sugar cookie base with a clever marshmallow topping. The cookies are baked until golden brown and then topped with a plain powdered sugar icing that spreads into a puddle.

Decorating the marshmallows gives each snowman its own personality. The process takes a little over an hour and results in a fun winter treat that looks like a snowman melting in the sun.

Why will you love Melting Snowman Cookies?

Cornstarch in the dough keeps the baked sugar cookies soft and tender.

Waiting for the white icing to set before piping the scarves prevents the colors from bleeding.

Using gel food coloring provides bright details without thinning out the icing.

Melting Snowman Cookies Ingredients

• Unsalted butter: Soften the butter at room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugar.

• Cornstarch: This helps create a tender texture in the cookie base.

• Powdered sugar: Sift the sugar if it has hard lumps before mixing it with water for a smooth icing.

• Marshmallows: Standard large marshmallows work best for the heads. You can trim the bottoms slightly if they seem too tall.

• Gel food coloring: Gel colors are highly concentrated and will not add excess moisture to the icing.

Exact quantities are in the recipe card below.

How to Make Melting Snowman Cookies

Step 1: Make and bake the dough

Cream the butter and sugar, then mix in the wet ingredients followed by the dry ingredients. Roll the soft dough out on a floured surface and cut it into circles. Bake until the edges are light golden brown, then let the cookies cool entirely.

Step 2: Mix the icing

Whisk the powdered sugar with a small amount of water until it forms a thick paste. Divide a small amount of this icing into separate bowls and tint them with the gel food coloring. Place the colored icings into piping bags.

Step 3: Decorate the cookies

Draw faces on the marshmallows using the colored icing. Spread a messy layer of white icing over the cooled cookies to look like melted snow. Attach the marshmallow heads and chocolate chip buttons, let the icing dry briefly, and pipe on the arms and scarves.

What to Serve with Melting Snowman Cookies

Serve these cookies alongside a warm mug of hot chocolate or a glass of cold milk.

Helpful Tricks for Melting Snowman Cookies

If your kitchen is warm and the dough sticks to your rolling pin, chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes before rolling.

Liquid food coloring can thin out the icing too much. If you only have liquid drops, you may need to add more powdered sugar to reach the right consistency.

Trim about 1/4 inch off the bottom of the marshmallows with clean kitchen scissors if you prefer a shorter snowman head.

How to Store and Freeze Melting Snowman Cookies

Store the decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The baked, undecorated cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before icing.

Melting Snowman Cookies Recipe FAQs

Can I use store-bought cookie dough?

Yes, you can bake a roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough according to the package directions and proceed with the icing and marshmallow decorations.

How do I stop the icing colors from bleeding?

Let the white icing puddle set for about 15 minutes before piping the colored arms and scarves on top.

Can I use royal icing instead of a water glaze?

Royal icing works well for this design and will dry with a firmer finish.

Melting Snowman Cookies

Sugar cookies topped with white icing puddles and decorated marshmallows to look like melted snow.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened, 113g
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 210g
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar 240g
• 2 to 4 tablespoons water
• Gel food coloring black, orange, brown, red
• 12 large marshmallows
• 36 mini chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
• Stir in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms. If the dough feels too sticky, chill it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 12 circles using a 2-inch or 3-inch round cookie cutter. Reroll scraps as needed.
• Place the cutouts on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.
• Whisk the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl to make the icing. Add more water a few drops at a time until the mixture resembles thick glue.
• Separate about 4 tablespoons of the icing into four small bowls. Dye one black, one orange, one brown, and one red using the gel food coloring. Transfer these colored icings to separate piping bags with small tips.
• Pipe black eyes and mouths and orange noses onto the sides of the 12 marshmallows. Spoon a small puddle of plain white icing onto each cooled sugar cookie.
• Press a decorated marshmallow head onto the back edge of each white icing puddle. Place three mini chocolate chips in a row on the icing for buttons. Let the icing set for 15 minutes, then pipe brown arms and a red scarf onto the snowmen.

Notes

If your kitchen is warm and the dough sticks to your rolling pin, chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes before rolling.

Liquid food coloring can thin out the icing too much. If you only have liquid drops, you may need to add more powdered sugar to reach the right consistency.

Trim about 1/4 inch off the bottom of the marshmallows with clean kitchen scissors if you prefer a shorter snowman head.

Keyword holiday baking, marshmallow cookies, melting snowman cookies, sugar cookies, winter treats