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Effortlessly Adorable: Making Polar Bear Cookies Simple!

Decorating Christmas cookies doesn’t have to be a daunting task. In fact, it can be one of the most enjoyable holiday activities, especially when you have a simple yet charming design like these polar bear cookies! We absolutely love creating new round Christmas cookie ideas, and these polar bear treats are not only incredibly easy to make but also serve as the perfect Christmas baking activity for the entire family, particularly for little ones eager to help in the kitchen.

1. No special polar bear cookie cutter required! That’s right, you can craft these delightful round polar bear cookies using common household items. A standard circle cookie cutter, a drinking glass, or even the top of an empty aluminum soup can will work perfectly. This eliminates the need for specialized tools, making these cookies accessible to everyone.
2. Incredibly Easy to Decorate: The charm of these cookies lies in their simplicity. You’ll decorate these cute polar bear faces with just one color of white frosting and a selection of M&M candies. The straightforward process means less mess and more fun, ideal for young decorators.
3. Choose Your Dough Adventure: While we highly recommend our signature thick and chewy cut out sugar cookies (recipe provided below for your convenience), you’re welcome to use store-bought premade dough from brands like Pillsbury for an even quicker start. For those who prefer a fluffier, Lofthouse-style cookie, our fluffy sugar cookie recipe is an excellent alternative.
4. Includes a Free Printable Guide: To make the decorating process even smoother and more engaging for children, we’ve created a complimentary cookie instruction sheet. This printable includes clear, step-by-step illustrations, helping kids visualize each stage of decorating and fostering their independence in the kitchen!

Psst! For even more cute and simple Christmas sugar cookie decorating ideas that are perfect for little hands, don’t miss our guide to 5 EASY Christmas Cookies for Kids!

Essential Supplies: What You Need to Create These Adorable Polar Bear Cookies

One of the best aspects of this recipe is that you don’t need an extensive list of specialized equipment to create and decorate these adorable polar bear treats. Most of these items are likely already in your kitchen, making this a convenient and spontaneous baking project!

• Cut Out Sugar Cookie Dough: Our recipe (included below) yields wonderfully soft and sturdy cookies, perfect for holding their shape and your delightful decorations.
• White Buttercream Frosting: A luscious, creamy frosting is key for that perfect polar bear “fur.” Our recipe and color formula (detailed below) ensures a fluffy and vibrant white base for your M&M faces.
• M&M Candies: These colorful little candies are the stars of our decoration! We recommend using a mix of both mini and regular-sized M&M’s to create expressive eyes, rosy cheeks, and a prominent nose. Feel free to experiment with different colors for unique expressions.
• Circle Cookie Cutter or Glass Cup: As mentioned, no specialized polar bear cutter is needed. A simple 2.5-inch diameter circle cutter, a regular drinking glass, or even a clean, empty aluminum soup can top will provide the perfect round base for your cookies.
• Bonus: Our handy Free Printable Instruction Guide for Kids! Print this out to help your little bakers follow along with the decorating steps. It makes the activity even more interactive and fun.

Important Tip: We strongly advise against using “wet” icings such as royal icing or thin glaze icing for these cookies. The high moisture content in these types of icings can cause the vibrant colors of the M&M candies to bleed into the white frosting, compromising the crisp, clean look of your polar bears. Stick to a classic buttercream for the best results!

Step 1: Bake Your Perfect Circle Cookies

Begin by preparing your chosen sugar cookie dough. Roll it out to an even thickness, ideally between ⅜” to ½”, which helps achieve a wonderfully soft and thick cookie. Use your 2.5-inch diameter circle cookie cutter, a glass cup, or an empty aluminum soup can to cut out round shapes. Carefully place them on a baking sheet. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, typically 8-10 minutes, then let them cool completely on a wire rack. Cooling is crucial before frosting to prevent melting and sliding! Our sugar cookie recipe yields approximately 12 perfectly soft and thick cookies, but you can easily double the recipe to make a larger batch for parties or gifting.

Smart Tip: Don’t own a traditional circle cookie cutter? No problem at all! You can still effortlessly create these charming round polar bear cookies. Simply use a drinking glass (wine tumblers or wine glasses often have a perfect rim size!) or the clean top of an empty aluminum soup can. That’s the sheer beauty and versatility of making holiday circle cookies – so many options and possibilities with just a simple round shape!

Step 2: Frost Your Cookies with Snowy White Buttercream

Once your cookies are completely cool, it’s time to apply a generous layer of our delightful white buttercream frosting. You can use a butter knife or a small offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly across the top of each cookie. For those who prefer a more polished look with cleaner edges, a piping bag with a round tip can be used, but it’s absolutely not necessary for these rustic, adorable polar bears!

Optional Touch for Extra Sparkle: For an extra festive touch and a bit of “snowy” texture, immediately after spreading the frosting, gently dip the frosted cookie into white sanding sugar. White sanding sugar is coarser and sparkles more brilliantly than normal granulated sugar, adding a magical frosty appearance. If you don’t have sanding sugar, a light sprinkle of regular granulated sugar can also provide a subtle shimmer, or you can simply leave them plain – they’ll still be super cute!

Step 3: Bring Your Polar Bears to Life with M&M’s!

Now for the most exciting part: decorating those adorable polar bear faces! Using a piping bag (or a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off) filled with your white buttercream, pipe two small white dots at the top of the cookie for the ears. Then, pipe one slightly larger white dot in the lower center for the muzzle/nose base. Alternatively, for the ears, you can use mini marshmallows cut in half, or even small white candy melts for a different texture.

To create the expressive face, gently press on two mini brown M&M’s for the eyes. For cute, rosy cheeks, use two mini red M&M’s. Finally, for the distinctive polar bear nose, place a regular-sized brown M&M on top of the piped white muzzle dot. While you can certainly use all regular-sized M&M’s, we find that the size variation (mini for eyes/cheeks, regular for the nose) helps the nose stand out beautifully and adds more character to each polar bear.

Handy Tip: Don’t forget to print off our free printable instruction guide! It provides clear visual cues that are fantastic for guiding both you and especially older kids through the decorating process, allowing them to create their own unique polar bear masterpieces with confidence.

What can I use instead of M&M’s for decorating?

If you don’t have M&M’s on hand, there are several fantastic alternatives to create your polar bear faces! For the eyes, you can easily use mini or regular-sized chocolate chips, or even special edible eyeball sprinkles for a cartoonish look. If you’re feeling a bit more ambitious and don’t mind a little extra effort (and potential mess!), you can dye a small amount of your white frosting black or brown and pipe on the eye and nose details using a very fine tip or a toothpick. These cookies would also be incredibly fun to adapt into polar bear cupcakes or even crafted using Oreos and white chocolate, following a similar decorating approach but utilizing all mini M&M’s for a cohesive look. You could also get creative and make polar bear paw cookies by placing one regular-sized brown M&M in the center of the cookie, surrounded by three mini brown M&M’s for the toes!

Can I make these polar bear cookies without a circle cookie cutter?

Absolutely! One of the best features of this recipe is its adaptability. If you don’t own a traditional round cookie cutter, you can still easily make these circular cookies. Simply grab a clean drinking glass – many wine tumblers or standard drinking glasses have a perfect diameter. You can also use the top of an empty aluminum soup can. Anything clean, round, and with a relatively sharp edge will work perfectly to cut out your dough! This makes these easy circle cookies accessible to everyone, regardless of their baking equipment. For even more round Christmas cookie decorating ideas, especially using M&M’s, be sure to check out our 5 EASY Christmas Cookies for Kids guide. You’ll find inspiration to create a whole festive family of M&M-faced sugar cookies!

Can I freeze these polar bear cookies for later?

Yes, you certainly can! These frosted polar bear cookies freeze wonderfully, allowing you to prepare them in advance and enjoy them later. To ensure they maintain their pristine appearance, we recommend freezing them in a single layer on a baking sheet until they are firm. Once frozen solid, you can transfer them to an airtight container, placing sheets of parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking and preserve their delicate decorations. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply thaw them at room temperature. If you opted to add white sanding sugar to your frosting, this actually provides an extra layer of protection for the frosting, helping to keep it intact when stacking or transporting your cookies.

Can I prepare these cookies ahead of time?

Making these cookies ahead of time is a fantastic idea, especially if you’re planning a cookie decorating party or simply want to get a head start on your holiday baking. You have a couple of options: you can bake the cookies, let them cool completely, and then freeze the unfrosted cookies. When you’re ready to decorate, simply let them thaw to room temperature before applying the frosting and M&M’s. This method works perfectly for ensuring fresh-tasting cookies with crisp decorations, making it an ideal choice for a fun and engaging cookie decorating party!

Craving More Easy Christmas Cookie Decorating Ideas with M&M’s?

We absolutely do! If you’ve fallen in love with the simplicity and charm of these round cookies, you’re in for a treat. For a treasure trove of more easy round cookie designs that bring maximum festive impact with minimal effort, dive into our curated collection of 12 EASY Circle Christmas Cookies! We’re huge fans of creating and shaping cookies without the need for intricate cutters, because there are so many imaginative ways you can transform a simple round cookie into something truly magical and holiday-ready. Mastering circle cookies for Christmas has become our new secret weapon for stress-free holiday baking. Here are a few other delightful circle Christmas cookie ideas you might enjoy: