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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Cookies

    Circus Animal Sugar Cookies (Video)

    January 20, 2022 By Brandy 1 Comment

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    Our circus animal sugar cookies are soft, delicious, and super fun! We start with a cloud-like sugar cookie, top it with white chocolate, and add a circus animal cookie. Oh, and don't forget the sprinkles!

    You might also like our bakery style sugar cookies or our sugar cookie bars! 

    circus animal sugar cookies

    Watch our step by step video!

    What is it about circus animal cookies that make them so insanely delicious? They've been one of my favorites since I was a child. I love that they now come in fun seasonal shapes and colors, too! We revamped one of our favorite sugar cookie recipes with sprinkles, white chocolate, and circus animal cookies to create these colorful and delicious cookies!

    two sugar cookies overlapped

    Circus Animal Sugar Cookies

    These cookies start out with the SOFTEST sugar cookie. These aren't rolled sugar cookies, but rather the ones that you'd find at the bakery with frosting and sprinkles.

    baking sheet of unfrosted sugar cookies

    I normally frost them with marshmallow frosting (which is SO easy to make), but switched things up with white chocolate this time. Both versions are delicious, depending on what you're going for! If you want a soft frosting, make our marshmallow frosting for the circus animal sugar cookies. If you'd like a thin white chocolate coating, use melted white chocolate chips!

    circus animal sugar cookie on cooling rack

    Sugar Cookien Dough Ingredients

    • butter
    • white sugar
    • powdered sugar
    • eggs
    • vanilla
    • almond extract
    • oil
    • salt
    • flour
    • baking soda
    • cream of tartar
    • sprinkles
    • white chocolate
    • circus animal cookies

    hand holding circus animal sugar cookie

    How To Make Soft Circus Animal Sugar Cookies

    You'll start out by beating the butter until it's soft and fluffy, followed by the sugars. Add in the eggs and mix thoroughly before mixing in the oil, vanilla and almond extract.  You might wonder why you need oil AND butter in this recipe. This, my friends, is what makes these cookies insanely soft. Don't skimp!

    Add the dry ingredients, and finally a handful of sprinkles.

    Scoop dough into balls and bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes.

    Once cookies have had a chance to cool, melt white chocolate chips and spread a thin layer over each cookie followed by more sprinkles and a circus animal cookie!

    frosted circus animal sugar cookies

    This recipe makes 40 cookies that will stay soft for days! Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

    Circus Animal Sugar Cookie Recipe

    sugar cookies on parchment paper

    Circus Animal Sugar Cookies

    Our circus animal sugar cookies super fun! A soft sugar cookie topped with white chocolate, a circus cookie, and sprinkles!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 22 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3 dozen
    Calories: 200kcal

    Ingredients

    Cookies

    • 1 cup  butter softened
    • 1 cup sugar
    • ¾ cup powdered sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 4  cups all-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup non parelis rainbow sprinkles (+extra for adding after frosting)

    Frosting Option 1: White Chocolate

    • 1 12 oz. bag white chocolate chips

    Frosting Option 2: Marshmallow Frosting

    • 1 cup butter softened
    • 16 oz. Marshmallow Creme
    • 4 cups powdered sugar
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla
    • 2 Tbsp. milk

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
    • Beat butter in a large bowl with a stand or hand mixer until nice and fluffy, continue to beat (lowering speed) and add in sugars.
    • Stop mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Add eggs, 1 at a time, followed by vanilla and almond extract, then oil. Add baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.
    • Add flour 1 cup at a time until soft dough forms. Add in sprinkles and mix just until sprinkles have dispersed throughout dough. Do not overmix.
    • Roll dough into walnut sized balls (or drop onto baking sheets using a cookie scoop) and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12 minutes.
    • Cool 1 minute on pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Frosting Option #1- White Chocolate

    • Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir. Heat an additional 30 seconds. Stir until smooth and creamy.
    • Spread a small amount of white chocolate over each cookie. Add sprinkles and a circus animal cookie.

    Frosting Option #2- Marshmallow Frosting

    • Mix butter and powdered sugar together using an electric mixer until fluffy.
    • Stir in vanilla, milk, and marshmallow creme and mix well.
    • Spread or pipe over cookies. Add sprinkles and a circus animal cookie to each sugar cookie.

    Notes

    Note: if you are going to pipe the marshmallow frosting over the cookies, make a full batch of frosting. If you'd prefer to spread a thin amount over each cookie using a butter knife, you can make half batch of frosting.
    Optional mix-in: If you want more circus animal cookie flavor, add a handful of crushed animal cookies to the dough mixture before rolling into balls.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 200kcal
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    About Brandy

    Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

    Comments

    1. Brandy says

      May 30, 2025 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      Hi everyone! Brandy here, these are such a nostalgic cookie, a fun twist on the classic circus animal cookie. You can frost them with buttercream or use white chocolate like I did. I hope you like them.

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote

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    I'm Brandy! I love to create and share my ideas through easy-to-follow recipes and tutorials.

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