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Butterscotch Bird's Nest Cookies (Video)

By 2 Comments

Bird's nest cookies are a classic no-bake treat! Made with butterscotch chips, chow mein noodles, peanuts, and chocolate egg candies---the perfect Easter treat!

You might also like our chocolate peanut butter eggs, our coconut poke cupcakes for Easter or our peeps sugar cookies!

butterscotch birds nest cookies

Watch our step by step video!

Butterscotch haystacks or bird's nest cookies---call them what you want, they are a classic treat that have been around for decades. I first had them at my grandma's house when I was a child. I was putting dishes away for her and found a container full of curious butterscotch treats in the cupboard. I asked her about them and she said, "Oh! I forgot about those!" I'm glad I was so helpful that day because I might not have discovered these unique cookies!

What are Haystack Cookies?

I was a little hesitant to try them, after my grandma said that they were made out of chow mein noodles, but I took a bite and fell in love with the sweet and salty combination of ingredients. I now make them for my own kids and sometimes we add candy to the top to make birds nests. Without the candy on top, they are called butterscotch haystack cookies. With the candy eggs, they are called birds nest cookies.

These bird's nest cookies are made out of butterscotch chips, peanuts, and dried chow mein noodles. All ingredients can be found at your local grocery store and come together in under 30 minutes! You can also make bird's nest cookies with pretzel sticks or potato sticks instead of chow mein noodles, but I've only ever made them with chow mein noodles. Just like my grandma's version.

butterscotch birds nest cookies on bunny player

Butterscotch Bird's Nest Cookie Ingredients

  • 2 bags of butterscotch chips
  • 1 cup unsalted peanuts
  • 5 ounces chow mein noodles
  • candy eggs

birds nest cookies with candy on cookie sheet

Other Add In Ideas:

  • Cadbury mini eggs
  • Peanut M&Ms
  • Hershey's chocolate eggs
  • Jelly Beans
  • Robin Eggs (Whoppers)

bowl of reese's pieces candy eggs

How To Make Butterscotch Haystack (Birds Nest) Cookies

Melt butterscotch chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir. Heat an additional 30 seconds. Continue heating in 10-20 second intervals until melted and smooth. DO NOT OVERHEAT or the butterscotch chips will seize and become hard. Alternatively, you can melt the butterscotch chips in a double boiler.

Stir in peanuts and chow mein noodles.

Scoop mixture onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

birds nest cookies on cookie sheet

Top each cookie with candy eggs.

Allow cookies to set completely.

butterscotch birds nest cookies on cookie sheet

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. This recipe makes 20-24 cookies.

butterscotch birds nest cookies on bunny platter

Butterscotch Bird's Nest Cookies Recipe

birds nest cookies on cookie sheet
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Butterscotch Bird's Nest Cookies

Bird's nest cookies are a classic no-bake treat! Made with butterscotch chips, chow mein noodles, peanuts, and chocolate egg candies!
Course Appetizer, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword birds nest cookies, haystack cookies
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
cool 20 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings 22 cookies
Calories 200kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 bags of butterscotch chips (11 ounces each)
  • 1 cup unsalted peanuts
  • 5 ounces chow mein noodles
  • candy eggs

Instructions

  • Melt butterscotch chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir. Heat an additional 30 seconds. Continue heating in 10-20 second intervals until melted and smooth.
    DO NOT OVERHEAT or the butterscotch chips will seize and become hard. Alternatively, you can melt the butterscotch chips in a double boiler or on the stove over low-medium heat.
  • Stir in peanuts and chow mein noodles.
  • Scoop onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
  • Top each cookie with candy eggs, pressing down into the melted chocolate (butterscotch) with your thumb.
  • Allow cookies to set completely on the counter or in the fridge.

Video

Notes

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. This recipe makes 20-24 cookies.
If you'd like to incorporate more chocolate flavor or less butterscotch flavor you can make them with half butterscotch chips and half milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate chips. Use whatever mixture you'd like.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread (Video)

By 2 Comments

This cinnamon pull apart bread is buttery, sweet, and so delicious! Our recipe makes 1 loaf, but go ahead and double it to share with a friend. 

You might also like our cinnamon swirl bread, our jalapeno cheese bread, or our Amish white bread.

pull apart cinnamon bread in pan and out of pan

Watch our step by step video!

My love for Amish white bread runs deep and I love using the dough as a base to make a variety of delicious loaves of bread. Our pull apart cinnamon bread is a variation of our apple cinnamon pull apart bread. It is filled with a combination of brown sugar, white sugar, and butter. I like using brown sugar for cinnamon rolls and this loaf because I think it gives the bread a richer flavor.

loaf of baked cinnamon pull apart bread

The slices are carefully packed into a bread pan and baked until golden brown. Serving it is easy, simply pull off a slice!

hand pull slice of bread off of loaf

There are 18 slices per loaf. Serve warm or at room temperature, either way it's divine!

two slices of cinnamon bread

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread Ingredients

I love this bread dough because it's super basic.

Dough

  • Warm water
  • Yeast
  • Sugar
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • All-purpose flour or bread flour: I use these interchangeably. You can use whichever you have on hand.

Topping

  • Brown Sugar
  • White Sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Softened Butterbread pan with baked loaf of bread

How To Make Pull Apart Cinnamon Bread Dough

Preheat the oven for a couple of minutes, or until warm. Turn the oven off. You’re just heating it enough to be a warm place for the bread to rise.

Mix water and yeast and sugar. Allow to sit 5 minutes or until yeast looks foamy.  Add remaining dough ingredients and mix in a stand mixer or with a Danish dough whisk until evenly distributed and soft dough forms.  Knead dough on a floured surface for a few minutes until smooth and elastic.

Add 1 Tbsp. oil to the bowl, place the dough into the bowl and turn the dough to coat on both sides. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in the warmed oven. Let rise for until doubled, about an hour.

While the bread dough is rising, prepare the bread pan. Cut a strip of parchment paper long enough to cover the bottom and ends of the pan, and stick up a few inches on each end.

Press parchment paper into the pan. Spray parchment paper and sides of the pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set pan aside.

Once your dough has doubled in size, dump it onto your workspace.

How To Shape Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

bread dough rolled out with butter, cinnamon and sugar, then sliced

Roll dough into a 12"x18" rectangle and spread with softened butter.

Mix brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon together and sprinkle over dough.

Cut dough into 18 squares using a pizza cutter.

stacks of bread dough with butter and cinnamon and sugar

Stack squares.

Baking Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

hands arranging bread dough slices in pan

Arrange the stacks into the prepared loaf pan. Brush up any cinnamon/sugar mixture that may have fallen off of the dough as you placed it into the pan and sprinkle it over the bread.

Allow bread to rise 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

loaf pan with baked cinnamon bread

Bake bread for 30-35 minutes. The top should be dark golden. Allow bread to cool in pan for 20 minutes.

Gently run a butter knife around the sides that are not covered with parchment paper.

Lift parchment paper to remove bread from the pan.

Allow bread to cool on a wire rack.

loaf of cinnamon pull apart bread

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread Recipe

loaf of baked cinnamon pull apart bread
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

This cinnamon pull-apart bread is buttery, sweet, and so delicious! Our recipe makes 1 loaf, but go ahead and double it to share with a friend. 
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword amish, cinnamon swirl, pull apart, pull apart cinnamon bread
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 9
Calories 280kcal

Ingredients

Bread Dough

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 ¼ teaspoon yeast 1 packet
  • 2 Tbsp. white sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 ¾ cup flour

Filling

  • 4 Tbsp. butter softened
  • 6 Tbsp. white sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven for a few minutes. Turn off heat. This will create a warm place to let the dough rise.
  • Let warm water, yeast and sugar proof in a bowl for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
  • Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time until a soft dough forms. You can uase a stand mixer to mix the dough, but I like using my Danish dough hook.
  • Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
  • Place in a well oiled bowl (I use 1 Tbsp. of olive oil), and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.
  • Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
  • While bread dough is rising, prepare the bread pan. Cut a strip of parchment paper long enough to cover the bottom and ends of the pan, and stick up a few inches on each end.
    Press parchment paper into pan. Spray parchment paper and sides of the pan generously with non stick cooking spray. Set pan aside.
  • Roll dough into a 12"x18" rectangle and spread with softened butter.
  • Combine white sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over dough.
  • Slice dough into 18 squares using a pizza cutter.
  • Stack squares into small piles. Arrange piles of stacked bread dough into loaf pan.
    Sprinke the top of the loaf with any cinnamon/sugar mixture that may have fallen out while cutting and stacking the bread dough.
  • Allow loaf to rise 30-40 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake bread for 30-35 minutes. Loaf should be dark golden brown.
  • Allow bread to cool in pan for 20 minutes.
    Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan. Gently lift parchment paper and transfer loaf to a wire rack to cool.

Video

Notes

Store bread in a bread bag or wrapped in plastic. 

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal

Speckled Robin Egg Sugar Cookies (Video)

By 6 Comments

Our speckled robin egg sugar cookies are easy to make and so pretty for spring and Easter! Frosted in buttercream and speckled with Oreo cookie crumbs. Makes 32-36 speckled sugar cookies. This post contains an affiliate link.

You might also like our Peeps sugar cookies, our Easter basket sugar cookies or our soft sugar cookies with marshmallow frosting.

robin egg cookies on in variety of colors

Watch our step by step video!

It's no secret that sugar cookies are my favorite cookie. It's also no secret that I'm not a fan of using royal icing for anything except assembling pop tart houses, so if you're looking for fancy cookies that take all day to make---I apologize. That's not what I make. I'm team buttercream in taste, convenience, and style. I like to think of buttercream sugar cookies as "homestyle" sugar cookies. They are beautiful, but still have a homemade look to them.

robin's egg cookies on parchment paper

My robin egg cookies are SO easy to make. No frosting tips are necessary, simply spread the beautiful frosting over each egg-shaped cookie!

sugar cookies with pastel speckled frosting

BEST SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH AND FROSTING

You’ll need a batch of my sugar cookie dough and a batch of vanilla buttercream (recipes are at the end of the post). The buttercream frosting will set up enough (after an hour or so) to allow you to stack the cookies 2 cookies tall for storage.

Speckled Robin Egg Frosting

four bowls of pastel buttercream frosting

Many times when you see a robin egg-speckled dessert it requires flicking chocolate or food coloring diluted with vodka over the finished product.  Not these. Again, I'm a "homestyle" type of cookie baker. My speckled frosting is buttercream mixed with Oreo cookie crumbs. It's super easy to make and a little goes a long way so you don't need very many crushed cookies. You can use this technique to make beautiful robin egg speckled frosting for piping onto cupcakes or spreading over cakes, too.

Note: If you like the flavor of Whoppers and Robin Egg candy you can add a bit of powdered malted milk to the frosting.

Speckled Egg Sugar Cookies Supplies

hand holding green robin's egg sugar cookie
How to decorated Robin Egg Sugar Cookies

Roll out cookie dough, cut into shapes, and bake sugar cookies. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.

Beat frosting ingredients together.

Twist Oreo cookies to open, scrape out filling, and crush cookies into small crumbs.

robin's egg cookies in a variety of colors

Separate frosting into bowls. Tint frosting, using food coloring, and stir. 1-2 drops is usually enough to achieve the pastel shades.

Stir in a small amount of crushed cookie crumbs into each bowl. Start with ½ teaspoon and add more as necessary. A little goes a long way, and you won't use all of the crumbs.

pink and blue robin's egg cookies

Spread speckled frosting over sugar cookies.

For best results store decorated sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or chilled in the refrigerator.

You can also bake cookies ahead of time and freeze undecorated cookies in a freezer bag until ready to decorate!

Speckled Robin Egg Sugar Cookies Recipe

robin's egg cookies on parchment paper
Print Pin
5 from 5 votes

Speckled Robin Egg Sugar Cookies

Our speckled robin egg sugar cookies are easy to make and perfect for Easter! Frosted in buttercream and speckled with Oreo cookie crumbs.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword robin egg, robin's egg, speckled, sugar cookies, soft sugar cookies, roll out cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
cool 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 36 cookies
Calories 225kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter softened
  • ½ cup shortening
  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup corn starch
  • 4 cup all purpose flour

Frosting

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 6-8 Tablespoons milk
  • 3 Oreo cookies filling scraped off, cookies crushed

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl combine butter, shortening, and sugar. Beat until fluffy with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Turn the mixer down and add egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Add baking powder. Sift in flour* and cornstarch and mix thoroughly.
    *Start with 3 ½ cups of flour, and if the dough seems too soft add the last ½ cup of flour. If the dough seems too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water.
  • Lightly flour your work surface and shape dough into a large ball.
  • No refrigeration necessary.
  • Press ball of dough into a disk shape and roll dough out to desired thickness using a rolling pin (I usually do ¼-1/2") and cut into shapes. Add flour to dough if it feels too sticky but a nice soft dough is what you want. Carefully transfer cut out cookie shapes with a spatula to a baking sheet.
  • Bake on baking sheets at 325 degrees for 9-10 minutes. Cookies will be soft. Let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully moving to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

  • Twist Oreo cookies to open. Scrape filling out with a butter knife. Discard filling and crush cookies into small crumbs.
  • Beat frosting ingredients together. Add more/less milk until desired consistency is achieved. Divide frosting into bowls and tint with a couple of drops of food coloring.
  • Stir in a small amount of cookie crumbs to each bowl of frosting. A little goes a long way. Start with ½ teaspoon and continue adding until you are happy with how your frosting looks.

Decorating

  • Spread frosting over cooled sugar cookies.

Video

Notes

  1. No salt is necessary in this recipe.
  2. You may have extra frosting leftover. We like making extra so that we can make as many colors as we'd like.
  3. If you don't care for almond extract you can omit it and use your favorite flavoring (lemon, coconut, etc.)
  4. Cookies can be made ahead and stored in the freezer until ready to decorate.
  5. Store frosted cookies in an airtight container (or cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap) at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
  6. Cookies can be stacked once the frosting has had a chance to set up. I wouldn't stack them more than 2 cookies tall.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal

Pop Tart Leprechaun House (Video)

By Leave a Comment

This Pop Tart leprechaun house is the cutest decoration for St. Patrick's Day! Loaded with rainbow colors and a pot of gold! I’ll share tips and tricks for decorating your Pop Tart house with candy and royal icing. 

You might also like our Pop Tart bunny house, our Pop Tart haunted house, or our Pop Tart gingerbread house!

pop tart leprechaun house

Watch our step by step video!

Friends, once you switch to Pop Tarts you’ll never go back to graham crackers or gingerbread for making candy houses! It all started in 2020 when I couldn’t find chocolate graham crackers at the store to make haunted gingerbread houses in the fall. My husband suggested using chocolate Pop Tarts. I was skeptical but bought a box to humor him. They turned out awesome! Sturdy, easy to work with, and fun to decorate. We've now used Pop Tarts to make gingerbread houses for Christmas, a bunny house for Easter, and our latest addition---a leprechaun house for St. Patrick's Day!

pop tart leprechaun house

Our leprechaun house is my favorite out of all of the ones we've made. It's just SO COLORFUL and fun. I especially love how the little pot of gold turned out.

oreo pot of gold on the front of the pop tart leprechaun house

Leprechaun House SUPPLIES

You’ll need 6 Pop Tarts. I used cupcake flavored because they had rainbow sprinkles on them, but you can use any flavor you'd like. There is really NO difference between the name brand and the store brand when it comes to making these houses. I've used both and often prefer the store brand.

You’ll also need a variety of colorful candies and royal icing. If you'd like to make a pot of gold go ahead and grab an Oreo.

EASY ROYAL ICING FOR FROSTING Pop Tart HOUSES

Royal icing works great for making candy houses.

My recipe is simply a mixture of powdered sugar and water. It dries hard and works well.

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 teaspoons water

Mix sugar and water together until it reaches the consistency of craft glue. You don’t want it to be too runny.

CAN YOU USE STORE-BOUGHT FROSTING IN A TUB?

Yep! I've had many people tell me that they used storebought frosting with great results. I prefer to use powdered sugar + water because it dries hard quickly, but the store-bought frosting will eventually harden as well.

Pop Tart Leprechaun HOUSE CANDIES

variety of rainbow candies

Rainbow Candies

  • Skittles
  • Twizzler Fruit Flavored Candy
  • SweeTARTS Soft & Chewy ropes (twisted rainbow punch)

Other rainbow candy ideas: Airheads Xtremes, Mike and Ike candies, M&Ms, sour straws, Nerds.

bowl of gold candies

Gold Candies

  • Gold Sixlets
  • Chocolate gold coins

Other gold candy ideas: Rolos, Hershey chocolate nuggets.

I found all of the candy for these houses at Walmart which means they should be readily available.

pop tart leprechaun house

TIPS FOR ASSEMBLING POP TART Leprechaun HOUSE

  • Follow my instructions at the end of the post for cutting your Pop Tarts. ONLY USE A SERRATED KNIFE to cut the Pop Tarts. A paring knife will not work. Gently saw as you cut and you’ll end up with nice clean lines.
  • Add a bead of icing to the pop tarts and use your hands to hold the 4 walls into place for a minute or two. After that, the icing is tacky and will hold it on its own.
  • Repeat for the roof, holding it in place for a minute or so before letting go.

These houses are pretty sturdy once the royal icing has had a chance to set. This takes about 15-20 minutes, but waiting at least 30 minutes before decorating is recommended.

FOR EVEN STURDIER HOUSES, ASSEMBLE THEM THE DAY BEFORE YOU PLAN ON DECORATING THEM TO ALLOW THE POP TARTS TO DRY OUT A BIT.

If you do this you shouldn’t have any issues with your house falling apart and it will stand nice and sturdy for at least a month.

Pop Tart Leprechaun House Tutorial

Print Pin
5 from 3 votes

Pop Tart Leprechaun House

This pop tart leprechaun house is the cutest decoration for St. Patrick's Day! Loaded with rainbow colors and a pot of gold!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword gingerbread, leprechaun house, pop tart, st patrick's day
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 1 house
Calories 1300kcal
Cost $5

Equipment

  • serrated knife
  • plastic sandwich bag

Ingredients

  • 6 pop tarts
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 teaspoons water
  • candy variety of rainbow and gold candies
  • 1 oreo cookie for pot of gold (optional)

Instructions

  • Place 6 pop tarts on the cutting board.

Roof

  • You will be making cuts on 4 out of 6 of the pop tarts. The 2 that aren't cut are the roof pieces. You can set those 2 pop tarts to the side if you'd like.
    WATCH OUR VIDEO for the best visual for cutting the pop tarts into house shapes.

Front and Back Walls

  • Take 1 pop tart and place it on its side, right next to another pop tart.
    hand with knife cutting pop tart on an angle for a roof
  • Cut on a diagonal from the corner of the pop tart that it on its side, to the center of the middle pop tart. Repeat on the other side.
  • You should now have a pop tart that looks like a house. Repeat this step so that you have 2 house-shaped pop tarts.
    two pop tarts cut into house shapes

Side Walls

  • To make the side walls place one pop tart onto your cutting board. Place a second, on it's side next to it. Cut the first pop tart across the top, using the second pop tart as a guide (as shown in photo). Repeat with another pop tart.
    hand with knife cutting 1" off of a pop tart
  • You should now have two roof pieces (un-cut), 2 house-shaped pieces, and 2 wall pieces.
    6 pop tarts cut into shapes to create house
  • Combine powdered sugar and water to make a royal icing glue. Add water ½ teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved (2 ½ teaspoons works well for me). Spoon icing into a Ziploc bag and cut the tip off. Glue the 4 walls together with icing and hold in place for a minute or so.
    4 pop tarts iced together to create house without roof
  • Add the roof pieces and hold in place for a minute or so.
    two pop tarts held together for roof of house
  • Run a line of icing down the center of the roof to add even more stability.
    hand adding icing to roof of pop tart house in plastic baggie
  • Let houses stand AT LEAST 30 minutes before decorating. If making these with kids, assemble the houses the day before you want to decorate them to allow the pop tarts to harden a bit.
  • Dip decorations into icing or pipe icing onto houses to decorate.
    pop tart leprechaun house
  • Note: the pot of gold is made from an Oreo (cut with a serrated knift to make a flat top for the pot), and gold sixlets candies.
    oreo pot of gold on the front of the pop tart leprechaun house

Video

Notes

  • Icing should be the consistency of craft glue.
  • When cutting pop tarts, use a serrated knife and gently saw. Don't press down hard with the knife.
  • To add heavier candies to the houses, like Skittles, add a line of icing to the house and let the icing stand for a couple of minutes before placing the candy on it. This will allow the icing to dry a little and become tacky. 
  • You may need to hold the candy in place or readjust the candy that starts to move as you wait for the icing to dry.

Nutrition

Calories: 1300kcal

Peeps Bunny Sugar Cookies w/ Buttercream (Video)

By 28 Comments

These peeps bunny sugar cookies are a fun treat for Easter and taste a lot better than peeps marshmallows! Frosted in buttercream and covered with sanding sugar. They are easy to make! This post contains affiliate links.

You might also like these Easter desserts: Easter basket sugar cookies, our rainbow sugar cookies, or our Pop Tart bunny houses!

bunny sugar cookies in a variety of colors

Watch our step by step video!

Peeps are a classic Easter candy, and occasionally we’ll buy them for projects like bunny houses, but I think they taste pretty awful. Not to worry, you can still have the cuteness of peeps with the deliciousness of a peeps sugar cookie. I might be impartial, but I think these are the cutest Easter cookies around.

yellow peeps bunny sugar cookie

Peeps Bunny Sugar Cookies

Our peeps sugar cookies are easy to make, easy to frost and so fun for Easter. I frosted ours in buttercream, but if you really want to take them to the next level you can frost them with MARSHMALLOW buttercream.

The cookies are darling with a coating of buttercream, but gently pressing the tops into sanding sugar gives them the signature peeps marshmallow texture and hides any imperfections.

peeps bunny sugar cookies in various colors

Best Sugar Cookie Dough and Frosting

You’ll need a batch of my sugar cookie dough and a batch of vanilla buttercream (recipes are at the end of the post). I prefer the taste of buttercream to royal icing (and I have no idea how to flood cookies or decorate with royal icing). The frosting will set up enough (after an hour or two) to allow you to stack the cookies 2 cookies tall for storage.

You can find sanding sugar (sugar sprinkles) in any color. We made frosting to match the most vibrant colors (this is my favorite food coloring right now), but you can also frost them with white buttercream and dip them into colored sugar.

hand holding yellow peeps bunny sugar cookie

Peeps Bunny Cookies Supplies

Note: my favorite way to decorate the eyes is using black sugar pearls. They look the best, but some brands of sugar pearls bleed after placed onto buttercream. These ones don’t. You can also use mini chocolate chips or black frosting for the eyes.

Let's get started!

peeprs bunny sugar cookies in a variety of colors

How To Decorate Easter Bunny Sugar Cookies

bunny cookie cutter pressed into cookie dough

Cut out and bake sugar cookies. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.

Fill frosting bags with a 1A tip (it is helpful to have a few tips so that you don't have to keep washing and swapping tips).

yellow sugar cookie frosted with buttercream

To use a 1A tip, hold the tip CLOSE to the cookie (¼" away). Squeeze the frosting and drag it across the cookie for a smooth application. Start with the ears in a "v" shape then work your way down to the head and body.

Watch our step by step video at the top of the post for the best visual guide!

bunny sugar cookie frosted with yellow buttercream

If you don't plan on dipping the cookies in sugar sprinkles you can stop right there and gently smooth the frosting with a butter knife. If dipping the cookies, read on...

sugar cookie pressed into yellow sanding sugar

Pour sugar sprinkles onto a plate. Gently press the cookie into sprinkles. Lift cookie then tap gently so that excess sprinkles fall back off onto the plate. If there are any areas that weren't completely by the colored sugar you can sprinkle it on with your fingers.

finger pressing candy eyes into bunny sugar cookie

Press two eyes and nose into the cookie.

yellow bunny sugar cookies

For best results store decorated sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or chilled in the refrigerator.

You can also bake cookies ahead of time and freeze undecorated cookies in a freezer bag until ready to decorate!

Peeps Sugar Cookie Recipe

peeps bunny sugar cookies in various colors
Print Pin
5 from 20 votes

Peeps Bunny Sugar Cookies

These peeps bunny sugar cookies are so fun for easter and taste a lot better than peeps marshmallows! Frosted in buttercream and covered with sanding sugar. They are easy to make! 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword peeps, sugar cookies, soft sugar cookies, roll out cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
cool 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 225kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter softened
  • ½ cup shortening
  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 4 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup corn starch
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 6-8 Tablespoons milk

Decorations

  • sugar sprinkles in a variety of colors
  • black sugar pearls

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a large mixing bowl cream softened butter, shortening, and sugar. Beat until fluffy with an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment. Turn the mixer down and add egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Add baking powder. Add flour* and cornstarch and mix thoroughly.
    *Start with 3 ½ cups of flour, and if the dough seems too soft add the last ½ cup of flour to the mixture. If the dough seems too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water.
  • Lightly flour your work surface and shape dough into a large ball.
  • No refrigeration necessary.
  • Press ball of dough into a disk shape and roll dough out to desired thickness using a rolling pin (I usually do ¼-1/2") and cut into shapes. Add flour to dough if it feels too sticky but a nice soft dough is what you want. Carefully transfer cut out cookie shapes with a spatula to a baking sheet.
  • Bake on parchment paper-lined baking sheets for 9-10 minutes. Cookies will be soft. Let sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully moving to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

  • Beat frosting ingredients together. Add more/less milk until desired consistency is achieved.

Decorating Cookies

  • Fill decorator (we like disposible) bags with frosting and frosting tip.
  • Follow the step by step guide in the post and watch our video for decorating tips!

Video

Notes

  1. No salt is necessary in this recipe if you use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
  2. You may have extra frosting left over. We like making extra so that we can make as many colors as we'd like.
  3. If you don't care for almond extract you can omit it and use your favorite flavoring (lemon, coconut, etc.)
  4. I bake all of my cookies on light metal baking sheets (ungreased or with parchment paper. If you use dark metal baking sheets you may need to adjust the baking time. You can also use a silicone mat on your baking sheet, but my preference is parchment paper.
  5. Cookies can be made ahead and stored in the freezer until ready to decorate.
  6. Store frosted cookies in an airtight container (or cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap) at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
  7. Cookies can be stacked once the frosting has had a chance to set up. I wouldn't stack them more than 2 cookies tall.
  8. If you can't find black sugar pearls you can use mini chocolate chips. They are slightly larger but could work in a pinch.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal

Buttery Cloverleaf Rolls (Video)

By Leave a Comment

Soft, buttery, and taken up a notch with a sprinkling of kosher salt. Our cloverleaf rolls are simply the best! One batch makes a dozen, but you might want to go ahead and make a double recipe. They'll go fast!

You might also like our 1-hour dinner rolls or our quick garlic parmesan breadsticks.

basket of cloverleaf rolls

Watch our step by step video!

What Are Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls?

Cloverleaf dinner rolls are an absolute classic. 3 small balls of dough are packed tightly together in muffin cups to form the clover shape. Once baked, the clover shape makes the rolls easy to section off into thirds simply by pulling. They have a soft, buttery texture and are taken up a notch with a sprinkling of kosher salt.

cloverleaf rolls in basket

They aren't hard to make so there's no reason to only save them for Thanksgiving dinner! Made with our fool-proof Amish white bread dough, these cloverleaf-shaped dinner rolls are perfect to serve with potato chowder or chili!

cloverleaf rolls with butter

The cloverleaf shape is perfect for St. Patrick's Day! I like adding a few drops of food coloring to the butter for "green butter" to spread on toast and rolls on St. Patrick's Day.

cloverleaf roll with green butter

Cloverleaf Rolls Ingredients

You can make cloverleaf dinner rolls with any roll recipe. If you prefer milk bread (rolls made with milk and eggs) you can use our knotted roll recipe for the dough. I like our Amish white bread recipe because it’s fluffy and light, uses the most basic of ingredients and has great flavor!

  • warm water
  • active dry yeast
  • sugar
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • flour (bread flour or all-purpose flour)

Topping

  • melted butter
  • kosher salt

How To Make Cloverleaf Rolls

bread basket full of rolls

How to Make Roll Dough

  1. In a large bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Cover for 5 minutes until foamy.
  2. Add olive oil and salt. Stir.
  3. Add flour, one cup at a time, to the water mixture and stir with a wooden spoon, or a Danish dough whisk, or mix with a stand mixer (with a dough hook) until dough forms.
  4. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
  5. Place dough into an oiled bowl (add a tablespoon of olive oil to your bowl, place dough inside, and flip over to coat evenly).
  6. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled inside, about an hour.
  7. Punch down dough.

bread dough divided into 12 portions

How To Shape Cloverleaf Rolls

  1. Divide dough into 12 sections.
  2. Divide each section into thirds.
  3. Shape into tight balls of dough.

Note: if the dough is sticking to your hands you can lightly oil your fingers to make shaping the rolls a little easer.

roll dough in muffin pan

Baking Rolls

  1. Grease a muffin pan and place 3 balls of dough into each muffin cavity.
  2. Let rolls rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  3. Melt butter in the microwave. Brush rolls lightly with melted butter and then sprinkle with kosher salt before baking.
  4. Bake rolls for 12-14 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

brush adding melted butter to rolls

Brush with remaining melted butter after baking.

cloverleaf rolls in muffin pan

Allow rolls to cool in pan for 5 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.

open roll with butter

What is the Best Flour To Use for Bread and Roll Making?

Bread flour is ideal due to the higher protein which produces gluten. I typically use whatever I have on hand (bread flour or all-purpose flour).

CAN YOU USE INSTANT AND DRY ACTIVE YEAST INTERCHANGEABLY?

For the most part, I use whatever yeast is available. Most of the time it’s the instant yeast that comes in a large package from Sam’s Club. When I use dry active yeast I add 10-15 minutes to the rise time. Technically you do not need to proof instant yeast, only dry active yeast, but I’ve gotten so used to proofing my yeast that I proof it for every recipe.

roll dough in muffin pan

Overnight Dinner Roll Instructions

After shaping the rolls and placing them into the muffin pan, cover gently with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place covered rolls into the refrigerator. A couple of hours before baking pull out and let sit on the counter until rolls have come to room temperature and have puffed up slightly. Bake as directed.

Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls Recipe

bread basket full of rolls
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls

Soft, buttery, and taken up a notch with a sprinkling of kosher salt. Our cloverleaf rolls are simply the best! One batch makes a dozen, but you might want to go ahead and make a double recipe. They'll go fast!
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword clover rolls, cloverleaf, dinner rolls
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
rise 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 54 minutes
Servings 12 rolls
Calories 144kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 ¼ teaspoon yeast (1 packet)
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ¾ cups flour bread flour or all purpose flour

Topping

  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • kosher salt for sprinkling on rolls

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Cover for 5 minutes until foamy.
  • Add olive oil and salt. Stir.
  • Add flour, one cup at a time, and mix until dough forms.
  • Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes until smooth.
  • Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the dough bowl, place dough inside, and turn over to coat dough in oil.
  • Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled inside, about an hour.
  • Punch down dough.
  • Divide dough into 12 sections.
  • Divide each section into thirds.
  • Shape into tight balls of dough (3 per roll).
  • Grease a muffin pan and place 3 balls of dough into each muffin cavity.
  • Let rolls rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Brush rolls lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt before baking.
  • Bake rolls for 12-14 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
  • Brush with remaining melted butter after baking.
  • Allow rolls to cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Video

Notes

Store rolls in an airtight container. Rolls will stay fresh for 3 days at room temperature and can be frozen for longer storage.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal

 

Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (Video)

By 1 Comment

Our chocolate peanut butter cookies are delicious and loaded with peanut butter flavor! A chocolate cookie topped with peanut butter frosting, ganache, and chopped Reese's peanut butter cups!

If you've been here a minute you know how much I love this chocolate cookie dough. I use it ALL THE TIME. Check out 6 more variations including our Texas sheet cake cookies, our Hostess cupcake cookies, grasshopper mint cookies, rocky road cookies, double chocolate chip cookies, and our peppermint chocolate cookies! 

chocolate peanut butter cookies collage

Watch our step by step video!

If you’re looking for an over-the-top decadent cookie THESE ARE IT. So rich and delicious, and best of all, EASY to make!

What makes Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies So Delicious?

The chocolate cookie base is one that can stand on its own. It's soft, chewy, and stable enough to frost while warm (for our Texas sheet cake cookies) or cool for this yummy peanut butter version!

chocolate peanut butter cookies on parchment paper

The chocolate cookies are frosted with the same peanut butter frosting that I use in our Buckeye Sheet Cake. It's so rich and creamy! Now, you can stop right there if you want and the cookies would be amazing, but we take it even farther by topping them with a spoonful of my favorite ganache glaze and chopped mini peanut butter cups.

hand holding chocolate peanut butter cookie cut in half

This recipe makes 30 cookies that can be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled. Lightly cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container (cookies are slightly soft at room temperature, but can be stacked if chilled in the refrigerator). They will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

hand holding reese's chocolate peanut butter cookie

Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Ingredients

For the cookie dough, you'll need melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda, and flour.

The peanut butter frosting is pretty basic too and uses butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk.

The ganache is made from semisweet chocolate chips, honey (or corn syrup), butter, and milk.

You'll also need about 15 MINI Reese's peanut butter cups (snack size) to chop up and sprinkle over the finished cookies.

How To Make the Best Reese's Cookies

cooling rack with chocolate cookies

Prepare your cookie dough and let it chill in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes. Scoop cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Once completely cool go ahead and put the cookies back on the cookie sheet packing as many cookies on there as you can. This will help save space in your refrigerator later when we chill the frosted cookies.

spatulat of peanut butter frosting

Beat frosting ingredients together. Spread over cookies then refrigerate cookies for 15-20 minutes. This will chill the frosting and keep it stable when you pour the warm chocolate glaze over them.

chocolate peanut butter cookie topped with chopped Reese's peanut butter cups

Melt the glaze ingredients together either in the microwave, a double boiler, or on the stove (low heat) and spoon over cookies, spreading it around carefully. Sprinkle with chopped Reese's peanut butter cups. Refrigerate or place in the freezer until cookies are set!

chocolate peanut butter cookies on parchment paper

Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies Recipe

hand holding reese's chocolate peanut butter cookie
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Our chocolate peanut butter cookies are delicious! A chocolate cookie topped with peanut butter frosting, ganache, and chopped Reese's peanut butter cups!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword buckeye cookies, double chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, reeses
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Chill 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 59 minutes
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 270kcal

Ingredients

COOKIES

  • 1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups all purpose flour

FROSTING

  • ½ cup butter softened (1 stick)
  • ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 5-6 teaspoons milk

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

  • 8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 4 teaspoons milk
  • 4 teaspoons honey (or corn syrup)

Topping

  • 15 mini Reese's peanut butter cups (snack size)

Instructions

Cookies

  • Melt two sticks of butter (1 cup) in the microwave. Combine melted butter and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Stir until smooth.
  • Mix brown sugar and white sugar with the butter/cocoa mixture.
  • Add eggs and vanilla.
  • Mix in salt, baking soda, and flour.
  • Cover bowl with plastic and chill dough for 45 minutes.
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Scoop dough onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets using a medium cookie scoop (2 Tbsp. size).
  • Bake cookies for 9 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
    Once cookies have cooled, return cookies to cookie sheet, packing in as many as you can (this helps save space in the refrigerator because we are going to chill the frosted cookies).

Frosting

  • Mix butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar and milk with an electric mixer. Beat until smooth.
    Spread frosting over cooled cookies. Chill cookies for 15-20 minutes.

Glaze

  • Heat glaze ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir. Heat an additional 20 seconds. Stir until smooth and creamy. If additional time is needed do it in 10-second increments.
    Note: You can use a double boiler or small saucepan over the stove to melt the chocolate and glaze instead of a microwave if you want. It’s easier to not overheat the chocolate in a double boiler.
    Spoon glaze over cookies and spread. Sprinkle with chopped mini Reese's peanut butter cups.
    Allow glaze to set up (placing cookies back into the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes will speed this up).
    Cookies can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature.

Video

Notes

I use my stand mixer, but a hand mixer or Danish dough whisk works as well.
I always use salted butter in my baking, but you can use unsalted butter.
Melted butter can be used warm (no need to cool).

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal

 

Buttery Garlic Knots Recipe (Video)

By Leave a Comment

Our homemade garlic knots are buttery, easy to make, and delicious. Shaping them is super easy and makes for a beautiful presentation. Watch our video for an easy tutorial to see how we make these. Brushed with garlic butter and sprinkled with cheese!

You might also like our cheesy garlic ranch twists (like the ones from Round Table!) or our knotted dinner rolls.

garlic knots on baking sheet and in bread basket

Watch our step by step video!

My kids prefer savory treats just as much as sweet treats. I made a batch of garlic knots the other day and as soon as they got off the school bus I heard, "What's that smell?" "Hey! Can I have one of the rolls on the table?" "Oooo! These smell amazing!" 3 kids, eager to dive right in. These are perfect to make on pizza Friday. Because they are made out of pizza dough you can double the recipe and make 12 knots and a pizza. Serve with our chopped Italian salad! 

garlic knots on baking sheet

Homemade Garlic Knots

This recipe is a combination of 3 of my favorite tried and true recipes here on Gluesticks. Our quick breadsticks, our knotted dinner rolls, and our favorite pizza dough. If you take the garlic butter from the first recipe, the knotting technique from the second, and the dough recipe from the 3rd they create these bad boys. Delish.

Best Garlic Knots and Pizza Dough Recipe

You can make garlic knots with homemade or store-bought pizza dough. My favorite dough recipe couldn't be simpler and is made from ingredients that you probably already have on hand. You can also use this same dough recipe to make sausage bread. Ready to make a batch? Let's get started!

child looking at basket of garlic knots

100% not posed. He did this all on his own and was the first one to grab a garlic knot. He said he was going to take the "plants" off of it first (parsley), haha.

Garlic Knots Ingredients

For the dough, you'll need water, yeast, sugar, oil, salt, and flour. The garlic butter is butter (obviously), garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. After they come out of the oven they are sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese (the cheap stuff). You can also sprinkle with a bit of parsley if you have some on hand. So delicious, buttery, and good!

garlic knots on baking sheet

How To Make Homemade Garlic Knots

In a large mixing bowl mix yeast, water, and sugar. Cover and let sit 5 minutes until bubbly. Add oil and salt.
Mix in flour, one cup at a time. Stir until dough comes together. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until soft. Add a splash of oil to the mixing bowl and place dough in the bowl.
spreading butter on roll dough
Cover dough and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Punch dough down and roll out into a 12" x 18" rectangle.
Brush dough with 2 tablespoons of softened butter and fold in half.

How To Shape Garlic Knots

roll dough folded in half
Use a pizza cutter to cut 12 strips (each about 1" wide).
roll dough tied in knot
Tie each strip into a knot and place them onto a greased baking sheet. Let rise for 30 minutes.

Garlic Butter Topping

Melt remaining butter and add garlic powder and Italian seasoning to it. If you don't have an Italian seasoning mix you can add a pinch of oregano, basil, and dried parsley. Brush garlic butter over garlic knots. Save the rest to brush over baked knots.
garlic knots on baking sheet
Bake garlic knots at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with remaining garlic butter after they come out of the oven and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
This recipe makes 12 garlic knots. Store in a plastic bag or air-tight container for up to 2 days if you have any leftovers (you probably won't). They can also be refrigerated.

Buttery Garlic Knots Recipe

garlic knots in bread basket
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Buttery Garlic Knots

Our homemade garlic knots are buttery, easy to make, and delicious. Brushed with garlic butter and sprinkled with cheese.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword garlic knots
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Rise 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 3 minutes
Servings 12 garlic knots
Calories 190kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour or bread flour

Garlic Butter

  • ½ cup butter, softened (2 tablespoon + 6 Tbsp. divided)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Topping

  • grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl mix yeast, water, and sugar. Cover and let sit 5 minutes until bubbly. Add oil and salt.
  • Mix in flour, one cup at a time. Stir until dough comes together. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until soft. Add a splash of oil to the mixing bowl and place dough in the bowl.
  • Cover dough and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Punch dough down and roll out into a 12" x 18" rectangle.
  • Brush dough with 2 tablespoons of softened butter and fold in half. Use a pizza cutter to cut 12 strips (each about 1" wide).
  • Tie each strip into a knot and place them onto a greased baking sheet. Let rise for 30 minutes.
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Melt remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and add garlic powder and Italian seasoning to it. Stire. Brush garlic butter over garlic knots before baking.
  • Bake garlic knots in oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with remaining garlic butter when they come out of the oven and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

Video

Notes

  1. You can use store-bought dough or homemade dough to make this recipe. 
  2. This recipe makes 12 garlic knots. Store in a plastic bag or air-tight container if you have any leftovers (you probably won't).
  3. If you don't have an Italian seasoning mix you can add a pinch of oregano, basil, and dried parsley. Brush garlic butter over garlic knots.
  4. Store in a plastic bag or air-tight container for up to 2 days if you have any leftovers (you probably won't). They can also be refrigerated.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal

Easiest Copycat Star Crunch Cookies (Video)

By 23 Comments

This is the easiest copycat star crunch cookies recipe! Combine melted chocolate, caramel, butter, marshmallows, and Rice Krispies cereal into the most delicious no-bake cookies! Soft, chewy, and tastes like the real childhood treat from Little Debbie!

You might also like our Hostess cupcake COOKIES, our Samoas Rice Krispies treats, or our scotcheroos recipe.

copycat star crunch cookies on parchment paper

Watch our step by step video!

Star crunch cookies are a classic treat that have been around for decades. I love finding ways to recreate our favorite treats and desserts at home (like our copycat Hostess cupcakes, It's It ice cream sandwiches, and Auntie Anne's pretzels) and these were a lot of fun to make for my family.

Copycat Star Crunch Cookies

hand holding star crunch cookie

Star crunch cookies are chewy and sturdy, and the flavor and chewy texture are just as good on day 2. You can enjoy them at room temperature or chilled. Perfectly coated in chocolate, caramel, and marshmallow sauce—perfection. This quick and easy stove-top version is one of my favorite copycat recipes!

What people are saying about these cookies

"These are SO GOOD. Took maybe 30 minutes total and are amazing. Better than the store bought."---on Pinterest.

"I tried it! It came out great. kiddos live them."--- Pinterest

"Absolutely delicious and turned out perfect!! Novice baker and they are great!"

cookie pulled in half

The cookies will be gooey at first but will set up as they cool making them easier to pick up and store.

copycat star crunch cookies on parchment paper

Homemade Star Crunch Cookies Ingredients

This recipe makes 20 large cookies, plenty to share. You can easily make a half recipe without altering the process.

bowls of marshmallows, cereal, caramel bits, chocolate chips, butter and milk

Here's what you'll need!

  • Butter: you’ll need 1 stick of room-temperature salted or unsalted butter.
  • Kraft caramel bits: you can also use individually wrapped soft caramels, but I like the bits because they are always in stock and located right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. You'll need the entire 11-ounce bag.
  • Chocolate chips: I like using milk chocolate chips, but you can use semi-sweet chocolate chips if you prefer. One regular-sized bag (11 ounces) is enough for this recipe.
  • Milk
  • Marshmallows: a 10-ounce bag of mini marshmallows or 10 ounces of jumbo marshmallows. Mini marshmallows melt faster so that's what I generally use for recipes.
  • Rice Krispies cereal: you’ll need about 6 cups of crisp rice cereal.

How To Make Copycat Little Debbie Star Crunch Cookies

chocolate and caramel bits in pot with milk poured over the top

Heat butter, caramel bits, chocolate chips, and milk in a large pot or saucepan on low-medium heat. The key is heating these ingredients low and slow. Stir continually with a wooden spoon as the mixture begins to melt. The caramel bits take the longest to melt. You can mash them as they begin to soften, with the back of the spoon, to speed it up a bit. It will take about 5 minutes to melt everything.

mini marshmallows in pot

Add marshmallows and continue to stir until melted and mixture is smooth.

rice krispies cereal in pot

Remove the pan from heat and stir in cereal. Stir until the cereal is evenly coated.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or place parchment paper onto your work surface).

scoop of cookie mixture in cookie scoop

Scoop ¼ cup of cookie mixture onto the parchment paper. You can do this with a measuring cup or medium cookie scoop (it will take 2 scoops if using a cookie scoop) or use a large cookie scoop.

cookies flattened with plastic measuring cup

Gently press each cookie down with the back of a plastic cup to flatten into discs. Cool 5 minutes then use your fingers to smooth edges and form cookies into perfectly round shapes (it won't be as sticky on your fingers after they've had a chance to sit for a few minutes).

copycat star crunch cookies on parchment paper

The tops of the cookies will set as they cool. If the bottoms of the cookies are sticky, simply turn them over and expose the bottoms to the air for 15 minutes or so. Allowing the cookies to set up completely will make them easier to pick up and store. If you want to take them up a notch, add flaky sea salt to the tops (optional).

One batch makes 20 cookies.

6 star crunch cookies, one with a bite taken out of it

Copycat Little Debbie Star Crunch Cookies

copycat star crunch cookies on parchment paper
Print Pin
4.95 from 19 votes

Copycat Star Crunch Cookies Recipe

The best copycat star crunch cookies made from melted chocolate, caramel, butter, marshmallows, and Rice Krispies cereal!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword caramel chocolate, little debbie, star crunch, star crunch cookies
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
cool 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 20 cookies
Calories 245kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter (1 stick)
  • 2 cups Kraft caramel bits (11 ounce bag)
  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips (11 ounce bag)
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 5 ½ cups mini marshmallows (10 ounce bag)
  • 6 cups rice krispies cereal (crispy rice cereal)

Instructions

  • Heat butter, caramel bits, chocolate chips, and milk on the stovetop in a large saucepan or stock pan on LOW heat.
  • Mash caramel bits as they heat with the back of the wooden spoon to speed up the melting process.
    Continually stir until smooth and creamy. This will take about 5 minutes. Go low and slow to prevent burning.
  • Add marshmallows to chocolate mixture and stir until melted and smooth. Remove mixture from heat.
  • Stir in Krispy cereal. Stir until evenly coated.
  • Cover a cookie sheet or work surface with parchment paper. Add ¼ cup scoops of cookie mixture onto parchment paper (can also use 2 scoops using a cookie scoop for each cookie).
    Press down with a plastic measuring cup or cup to flatten cookies (you can spray the back of the cup with nonstick spray to prevent the cookie mixture from sticking to it).
    Let cookies cool for 5 minutes, then use your hands to press edges smooth and round.

Video

Notes

Cookies will set up as they cool. After tops have set you can flip cookies over to let the bottoms set up if the bottoms are still sticky.
Store cookies in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal

More No Bake Cookie Recipes

Many of these can be made on the stovetop or microwave. Great options for easy, no bake cookies.

Avalanche Cookies

Chex Scotcheroos

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies (a yummy twist on classic no bake cookies that doesn't use cocoa powder)