Amazing Polar Bear Cookies: 3 Easy Steps

If you’ve been searching for a winter baking project that brings pure joy, look no further than Polar Bear Cookies! These aren’t just standard sugar cookies; we’re talking about soft-batch, slightly tangy cream cheese cookies that transform into the cutest little snow creatures you’ve ever seen. I absolutely love making these when the weather turns chilly because the smell of the vanilla and the simple decoration process just feels cozy.

My name is Daniel, and I started Reciqa because I genuinely believe that incredible food shouldn’t require a culinary degree or hours of complicated work. For me, cooking has always been the best way to show people I care—whether it’s a quick weeknight dinner or an indulgent holiday dessert like this one. I want to share recipes that are straightforward, fun, and result in food that makes you smile.

That’s exactly what these Polar Bear Cookies deliver. They look fancy with all that sanding sugar and the little chocolate chip noses, but honestly, the cookie base is shockingly easy thanks to the cream cheese. Forget fussy cutout cookies that spread into flat pancakes; this dough holds its shape beautifully, which is exactly what we need when we’re trying to sculpt little ears!

We’re going to walk through every step, from mixing the perfectly soft dough to getting that gorgeous snowy coating. Trust me, even if you’re nervous about decorating, you’ve got this. Let’s get baking!

Gathering Your Ingredients for Polar Bear Cookies

Before we dive into the fun part of shaping these little guys, we have to get our kitchen organized. For the best results, especially with baking, paying attention to ingredient temperature is key—don’t skip the room temperature rule for the fats and egg! This recipe is split into three parts: the cookie base, the fluffy frosting, and the cute decorations.

Cookie Dough Components

For the softest cookies, make sure your butter (3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks) and cream cheese (1/2 cup or 4 oz.) are truly at room temperature. You also need 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, one large room temperature egg, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or paste. For the dry mix, grab 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt.

Sweet Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

For the snowy coating, we need 1 cup of unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream. Again, make sure that cup of butter is nice and soft!

Decorations for Your Polar Bear Cookies

This is where the magic happens! You’ll need about 1 cup of coarse white sanding sugar—this is what gives us that beautiful snowy look. For the faces, grab 30 large chocolate chips for their little noses. Finally, have some round black sprinkles ready for the eyes and some round red or pink sprinkles to dot on the ears.

Essential Equipment for Perfect Polar Bear Cookies

You don’t need a million gadgets for these, but a few items really help make the shaping easy. A sturdy stand mixer is a lifesaver for getting that light dough base. You absolutely need a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter for the bodies, and a smaller 3/4 inch cutter for the ears. Also, make sure you have a couple of large baking sheets lined with silicone mats or parchment paper. Finally, grab a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip for the frosting application!

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Polar Bear Cookies

Okay, now for the fun part! We’re going to make sure the cookie base is perfect so it doesn’t spread out into weird shapes while baking. Remember, the secret to a soft cookie is mostly in how you mix it.

Preparing the Soft Cookie Base

Grab your big bowl or stand mixer. First, you need to beat that 3/4 cup of softened butter with the 1/2 cup of room-temperature cream cheese until it looks totally smooth—no lumps allowed! Next, dump in the 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and let it whip for a couple of minutes until the mixture gets noticeably lighter in color. This step is crucial for texture, so don’t rush it!

Once that’s fluffy, drop in your egg and the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Mix it just until everything comes together. In a separate bowl, quickly whisk your flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt—just to combine them evenly. Now, add that dry mix to the butter mixture in two separate additions. You want to mix this on low speed, and I mean *low*. Stop mixing the second you don’t see any more streaks of dry flour. Seriously, overmixing the flour is what makes cookies tough, and we want fluffy polar bears!

Chilling and Shaping Your Polar Bear Cookies

The dough will be sticky, so don’t panic! Divide that dough right down the middle, flatten each half into a rectangle about half an inch thick, wrap it tight in plastic wrap, and pop it into the fridge for about two hours. If you’re in a hurry, 30 minutes in the freezer works too, or you can chill it overnight—whatever fits your schedule.

When you’re ready to roll, dust your counter lightly with flour and work with one dough portion at a time, keeping the other chilled. Roll it out to a consistent 1/3 inch thickness. Use your 2 1/2 inch cutter to stamp out the big circles and place them about an inch apart on your prepared baking sheets. Now, for the ears: use your smaller 3/4 inch cutter on the scraps. Cut a little wedge off each small circle—this makes the ear sit flat against the head later. Gently press two of these small circles onto the side of the main cookie circle to form the ears.

Baking the Polar Bear Cookies Perfectly

Before you start cutting, make sure your oven is fully preheated to 350°F (175°C). Once the bears are shaped, put the tray into the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes (5 minutes if you use the freezer). Chilling the cut-outs stops them from spreading too much while baking. Bake just one sheet at a time on the top rack for 12 to 14 minutes. You want them pale—pull them out right before the edges start to look brown. Let them cool right on the pan for about 15 minutes before carefully moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t forget to gather up all the dough scraps, rewrap them, and chill them while the first batch is baking!

Creating the Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

While those cookies cool down—and they must be totally cool before frosting!—let’s make the topping. Beat that 1 cup of softened butter by itself for just 30 seconds until it’s smooth. Add the vanilla and salt on low speed. Now, start adding that powdered sugar slowly, alternating with the heavy cream. Keep scraping down the sides of the bowl. You want it smooth and creamy, but thick enough to hold a shape. If it seems too stiff, add a tiny splash more cream; if it’s too loose, add a bit more powdered sugar until you get that perfect, pipeable consistency.

Decorating Your Finished Polar Bear Cookies

Time for the snowy effect! Pour your white sanding sugar into a shallow bowl. Take your piping bag and pipe a thin, even layer of frosting over the top of one cooled cookie. Then, gently press the frosted side down into the sanding sugar until the entire top is covered in that snowy coating. Don’t press too hard! Next, pipe a small oval shape toward the bottom center for the muzzle. Press one large chocolate chip right into the middle of that oval for the nose. Finally, use your black sprinkles for the eyes and dot those little pink or red sprinkles onto the ears you shaped earlier. Repeat this process for every bear!

Tips for Success Making Polar Bear Cookies

Making Polar Bear Cookies is fun, but a few little secrets can make the difference between a great cookie and an absolutely perfect one. Don’t worry if your first batch isn’t perfect; baking is all about learning the dough!

Achieving the Ideal Soft Cookie Texture

The biggest mistake people make is overmixing the flour. Once you add the flour mixture, mix only until the streaks disappear. Seriously, stop! Overworking that dough develops gluten, and you end up with a chewy, hard cookie instead of the soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture we want. Also, make sure you roll the dough evenly to that 1/3 inch thickness. If some parts are thinner, they’ll bake faster and look sad next to the plump ones.

Best Practices for Frosting Application

When you’re frosting, aim for less rather than more. A thick layer of buttercream makes the cookie slide around when you dip it in the sanding sugar. You want just enough frosting so the sugar sticks everywhere, but not so much that it oozes out the sides when you press it down. Remember to use room-temperature butter for the frosting—cold butter leads to lumpy frosting, and nobody wants a lumpy snowdrift on their polar bear!

Storing and Maintaining Your Polar Bear Cookies

These pretty frosted cookies are best enjoyed fresh, but keeping them nice for a few days is easy if you treat them right. Since they have that lovely buttercream, you need to be mindful about moisture and stacking.

Storage Location	Maximum Time	Important Note
Room Temperature	Up to 2 days	Use an airtight container.
Refrigerator	Up to 5 days	Airtight container is essential.
Freezer	Up to 1 month	Freeze unfrosted cookies, or stack frosted ones with parchment between layers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Polar Bear Cookies

Can I make the Polar Bear Cookies dough ahead of time

Absolutely! I highly recommend making the dough ahead of time because chilling really helps the flavor develop and prevents spreading. You can wrap the dough tightly and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days, or you can freeze it for up to a month. If you freeze it, just thaw it overnight in the fridge before you plan to roll it out. Don’t try to roll it out while it’s frozen solid!

Why are my cookies spreading too much

Spreading is almost always about temperature or mixing. If your butter and cream cheese were too warm when you started mixing, the cookie base won’t have enough structure. Also, if you skip the final 15-minute chill of the cut-out shapes before they go into the oven, they are much more likely to flatten out. Make sure that dough is cold!

How long do these Cream Cheese Cookies stay fresh

These Cream Cheese Cookies are surprisingly good for a few days because of the fat content, but the frosting is the limiting factor. As you saw in the storage guide, they last about two days on the counter in an airtight container. If you need them to last longer, pop them in the fridge, but let them come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving for the best texture on both the cookie and the Frosted Cookies!

Sharing Your Delicious Polar Bear Cookies

Wow, you did it! You made adorable, snow-covered Polar Bear Cookies! I really hope these brought a little extra cheer to your kitchen. I’d absolutely love to see your little snow creatures! Head over to the comments section below and tell me how they turned out, or snap a picture and tag me online. Don’t forget to give the recipe a rating if you loved how soft these cream cheese cookies turned out!

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