These are the cutest Easter Bunny Cookies and so delicious too. This recipe is a must try for Easter and so easy with step-by-step instructions.
I just love making easy Easter desserts for my family. This recipe for Easter bunny cookies looks adorable and tastes great too. Try these Easy Spring Cookies for a guaranteed hit.
Don’t let the idea of making homemade sugar cookies with royal icing intimidate you. Anyone can make these stunning cookies. Every year I also make Easter Egg Fruit Pizza Recipe, Mini Easter Cheesecakes, Bunny Butt Cupcakes and Homemade Easter Bunny Cupcakes.
The kids look forward to these fun recipes.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe
While they look fancy, this sugar cookies recipe is actually very simple. Everyone will be so impressed with your bakery-quality cookies.
It is an easy treat for Easter baskets. The recipe makes it so easy to make decorated cookies.
Ingredients
Cookies
- All Purpose Flour. Measure the flour accurately by spooning the flour into a measuring cup instead of scooping it.
- Eggs. Large eggs, room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla extract is best. You can also use clear vanilla if you want the dough to stay whiter.
Icing
- Egg Whites. Combine with the cream of tartar to create a thick icing that won’t collapse.
- Cream of Tartar. Acts as a stabilizer for the egg whites.
- Gel Food Coloring. I like to use gel food coloring because it does not add extra liquid to the icing.
The complete recipe and ingredient list can be found at the bottom.
Variations
- Sprinkles. Top the cookies with pastel sprinkles if desired.
- Candies. Add candy to the cookies such as Easter M&M’s, mini eggs and more.
How to Make Easter Bunny Cookies
- Step 1. Preheat the oven. Go ahead and set the oven to 325 degrees. You may need to set the oven to 350 degrees depending on your oven.
Step 2. Get out a mixing bowl or you can use a stand mixer or hand mixer to cream the butter with the sugar. Keep mixing until the combination is smooth and not grainy to the touch.
Step 3. Go ahead and add all 4 eggs at one time. Continue to mix until well combined.
Step 4. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix both of these in a large bowl to make sure all ingredients are well combined. Then add the vanilla extract.
Step 5. Use a separate bowl to sift the four, baking powder, and salt together. Make a ball with the sugar cookie dough. Just roll the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours. Make sure the dough is firm before using.
Step 6. Remove dough from the fridge. Dust a cutting board with flour. Then roll the dough out on the cutting board. Use a bunny shaped cookie cutter to cut out the bunny-shape cookies. Gently move the cut-out cookies to the cookie sheet lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
Step 7. Finally, Bake the cookies. It will take about 8 to 10 minutes. They should be lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Don’t frost the Easter cookies until cool.
How to Make Icing
Step 1. Add all of the icing ingredients into a mixing bowl (except food coloring) and combine on medium speed for 4 minutes. If it is not stiff enough, add ¼ C powder sugar until the icing is to a 15 second consistency.
Step 2. You will need 5 small bowls to separate the icing. Next, combine the icing with the food gel coloring in each bowl.
Step 3. Place the pastel icing in piping bags and then add the pastel icing on the cookies. This needs to cool completely for 2 to 3 hours. This is very important.
Step 4. Make the bunny faces. Place the black icing in a piping bag fitted with tip #1. Use this to place 3 dots on each cookie to form the eyes and nose on the bunny face. Then let this icing cool completely for another 2 to 3 hours
Storage
It is important to make sure that the icing has cooled completely before storing. Then place inside an airtight container at room temperature.
The cookies will keep up to 5 to 7 days.
Tips and Tricks
- Refrigerate the dough. The dough should be firm before using. Make sure to refrigerate the dough overnight or at least 6 hours.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. They should be lightly brown around the edges but not overcooked. Oven times vary so keep a close eye on them.
- Allow to cool before adding the face. Allow the icing to cool and set before adding the bunny face decorations to each of the Easter treats.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Be careful that you don’t overmix the cookie dough or the texture will be dense.
- Decorating the cookies. I like to use the flooding technique. This is where you outline the cookies with icing and then fill in the rest with icing.
- Embellishments. Use a mini marshmallow on the bunny for a cute bunny tail. Melt dark chocolate and use it to dot eyes and a nose.
More Easter Desserts
- Easter Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
- Birds Nest Cookies Recipe
- Easter Dirt Cups Recipe
- Adorable Peeps Cupcakes
- Easter Chocolate Covered Oreos
- Easy Easter Puppy Chow
I am excited for you to try this recipe for Easter Egg cookies. Let me know if you try it in the comment section.
Easter Bunny Cookies
Ingredients
- Cookie Ingredients:
- 5 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Icing Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- Gel Food Coloring
Instructions
- COOKIE INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Cream the soft butter with the sugar until the combination is smooth and not grainy to the touch in a mixing bowl.
- Add all 4 eggs at one time. Continue to mix.
- Then add in the vanilla extract. Continue mixing.
- Sift the four, baking powder, and salt together.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture.
- Continue mixing to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended.
- Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling wrap completely covering the entire dough ball.
- Put the dough in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or overnight. Check to see if the dough is firm.
- Then pull the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and sit it out to soften up a bit.
- Put flour out on the wood cutting board, rub flour on the rolling pin, and work some flour into the batter (if needed).
- Roll the dough out on the cutting board and use a bunny cookie cutter to cut out bunny-shape cookies.
- Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a metal spatula move the cut cookies to the parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Check to see if the cookies are thoroughly baked.
- Take the cookies off of the cookie sheet and put on a wire rack to cool completely.(About 10 minutes).
- ICING INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes. (except your food coloring). If icing is not stiff enough add ¼ C powder sugar until the icing is to a 15 second consistency. Which means that when you slice a spatula across the top of the icing, it would take 15 seconds to disappear.
- Separate the icing into 5 small bowls. Mix the icing with the food gel coloring of your choice. These are the colors I used for the cookies – pastel colors: pink, yellow, purple and blue and then the final bowl is for the bunny faces and I dyed that icing black.
- Place the pastel icing in piping bags and place the pastel icing on the cookies. Let this icing cool completely (2-3 hours).
- Then place the black icing in a decorated bag fitted with tip #1 and use it to place 3 dots on each cookie to form the bunny face. Allow the writing icing to cool completely (2-3 hours). Do not cover the cookies while the icing is cooling.
- After the icing has cooled completely, store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days.
