These Easter bunny cookies are adorable! They’re sprinkled with sparkly white and pink sugar crystals. Their arms hug a mini Cadbury egg. If you enjoy Easter cheesecake bites, you’ll love these yummy desserts too!
INGREDIENTS
Making decorated Easter sugar cookies has never been more fun. To make a faster version of this recipe, skip the sugar crystals. Go with an understated look: plain (yet adorable) bunny sugar cookies hugging candy eggs.
SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
- Butter
- Vegetable shortening
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Lemon juice
FOR DECORATING
COOKIE CUTTER FOR BUNNY COOKIES
For the bunny cookie cutter, we use a 4.5-inch-tall gingerbread man flipped upside down. The legs become the rabbit’s ears and the head is the rabbit’s body. It makes adorable bunny cookies! Here’s the Amazon affiliate link:
ADJUST THE METAL COOKIE CUTTER: With cutter in hand, gently press bunny ears closer together. Narrow them up slightly. Adjust the arms so they’re in a straight T formation with the body.
NOTE: The creative hack for “bunny hug” Easter sugar cookies was originally shared by Chrissy at Fun Loving Families. Visit her blog for seasonal fun!
BEST BAKEWARE FOR THIS RECIPE
For the best Easter cookies, reach for USA Pan commercial-grade bakeware.
The corrugated surface facilitates air circulation for even baking. For uniform cooling I love their nonstick cooling racks.
KITCHEN SMARTS: When assembling decorated Easter sugar cookies, it’s best to use 3 to 4 quarter sheet pans.
By working in small batches the workflow is even and smooth and the dough stays cold. As a batch chills for 12 minutes, and a tray bakes for 12 minutes, you’re prepping another 5 to 6 bunny cookies in 12 minutes.
CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
With my cut-out sugar cookie recipe, these treats will keep their shape.
For perfect Easter bunny cookies, it’s important to follow these easy step-by-by step directions. Between batches, keep the dough chilled in the fridge.
- STEP 1: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt with a spoon. Put the bowl aside.
- STEP 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter, shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Blend to combine.
- STEP 3: Add eggs, one by one. Add vanilla extract and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
- STEP 4: Gradually add flour mixture to the bowl. Mix until incorporated. But don’t over-mix. We want light tender cookies. Over-mixing will result in tougher chewier cookies. With your hands, gather the dough together.
CHILL COOKIE DOUGH: Divide dough into 3 balls. Between pieces of waxed paper, press the dough down into flat disks. With dough still between waxed paper, chill in the freezer for 25 minutes.
Or slip the disks of dough into zip-top bags. Chill in the fridge 1 to 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
HOW TO PREP FOR DECORATING COOKIES
- Line 3 to 4 quarter sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Add 1/3 cup white sugar crystals to a small bowl. This will be used to decorate the bunnies’ bodies. It’ll make them sparkle!
- In another bowl, mix 1/4 cup white sugar crystals with a few drops of pink gel food coloring. This is for decorating the ears.
CUT, DECORATE & bake BUNNY SUGAR COOKIES
- STEP 1: Transfer 2 disks of dough from freezer to fridge. Put remaining disk of dough on a lightly-floured work surface. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness between 1/4 inch and 1/8 inch. Cut out 5 to 6 bunny cookies with a gingerbread man cutter turned upside down.
- STEP 2: Preheat oven to 350°F. Transfer bunnies to a baking tray, 2 inches apart. Spoon white sugar crystals over the body and head. With the back of a spoon, press sugar into the dough. Gently tilt and tap baking tray to collect excess sugar crystals for reuse. Spoon pink sugar crystals over the ears. Press sugar in place.
- STEP 3: Just below the bunny’s ears, poke 3 deep holes (for eyes and nose) with a toothpick. Place a Cadbury egg between the arms. Fold in arms to “hold” egg in place. Chill tray of cookies in the freezer for 12 minutes. Continue rolling, cutting and decorating more cookies.
- STEP 4: Bake chilled cookies for 11 to 12 minutes. Don’t over-bake. They should still be pale on top when removed from the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
recipe faq & expert tips
When making bunny cookies outside the Easter season, use pastel-colored Jordan almonds instead of mini Cadbury eggs.
Gluten in the flour will over-develop. Also, the dough will incorporate a lot of air in the process, causing the cookies when baked to rise and then fall. Instead of light fluffy cookies, they’ll be flatter, tougher and chewier.
For the best sugar cookie recipe, chilling the dough is an absolute must! While it’s in the fridge or freezer, the butter in the dough solidifies and binds the other ingredients together. It’s the secret for cut-out sugar cookies that don’t spread when baked. They keep their shape.
If you want tender fluffy sugar cookies that aren’t over-baked and crispy, it’s important to remove them from the oven while they’re still pale on top. Adhere to the baking time listed for the recipe.
Yes. It’s very important to use a cool baking sheet for each batch of cookies. Especially when working with cookie dough that needs to be chilled before baking. When dough is put on a warm cookie sheet, the cooking process begins. The bottoms of the cookies will be crisp.
For all baked goods, softened butter and room temperature eggs can incorporate more easily and evenly into the dry ingredients. It gives your recipe a better chance to deliver bakery-quality results.
Cut the prep time in half by skipping the sugar crystals. Instead, go with a stylish understated look. Make plain yet adorable bunny sugar cookies hugging candy eggs.
Serve and enjoy bunny hug cookies for Easter brunch, baby showers, and birthday parties. They’re also an ideal (year-round) drop-off gift to friends and family who could use a few hugs!
When stored in an airtight container, or in cello bags tied with ribbon, decorated Easter sugar cookies will stay fresh for 2 weeks. But bunny cookies are at their best when enjoyed the first week.
more EASTER DESSERTS TO MAKE asap
If you love bunny cookies, you’ll also enjoy these popular Easter desserts. Make and serve them all season long!
- EASTER CHEESECAKE BITES
- LEMON BUNDT CAKE
- CARROT CAKE SCONES
- CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES
- WATERGATE DESSERT SALAD
- KEY LIME PIE
BUNNY COOKIES > rate this recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Friends say these bunny cookies are the cutest Easter sugar cookies they’ve ever seen! If you agree, give this recipe a 5-star rating in the comments.
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BUNNY COOKIES
- Total Time: 2 Hours 12 Minutes
- Yield: 33 Cookies 1x
Description
Bunny hug sugar cookies are super adorable! Although they take a little time to assemble, they’re very easy to make. These little treats are the star attraction of spring dessert tables and Easter brunch.
Ingredients
SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
FOR DECORATING
Instructions
DECORATING PREP
- Add 1/3 cup white sugar crystals to a small bowl. This will be used to decorate the bunnies’ bodies. It’ll make them sparkle!
- In another bowl, mix 1/4 cup white sugar crystals with a few drops pink gel food coloring. This is for decorating the ears.
SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
RECIPE PREP: Line 3 to 4 quarter sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt with a spoon. Put the bowl aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or a mixing bowl and hand mixer), beat butter, shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with a rubber spatula. Blend to combine. Add eggs, one by one. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Blend to combine. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Mix until ingredients are fully incorporated. But don’t over-mix.
- Gather the dough together. Divide it into 3 balls. Place each ball between 2 large pieces of waxed paper. Press the dough down into flat disks. With the dough still between pieces of waxed paper, stick them in the freezer for 25 minutes. [Or slip the disks of dough into zip-top bags. Chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours, or up to 2 days.]
- Transfer 2 disks of dough from freezer to fridge. Put remaining disk on a lightly-floured work surface. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness between 1/4 inch and 1/8 inch. Cut out cookies with a bunny cookie cutter (a gingerbread man cookie cutter turned upside down). Transfer bunnies to a baking tray, 2 inches apart. With a small spoon, scoop white sugar crystals onto the body of the bunny. With the back of the spoon, press the crystals into the body and head. Press pink sugar crystals into the ears. [Kitchen tip: Gently tilt and tap baking tray to collect excess crystals for reuse.]
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Just below the bunny’s ears, poke 3 deep round holes (for eyes and nose) with a toothpick. Place a mini Cadbury egg between the arms. Fold in arms to “hold” egg in place. Chill tray of cookies in the freezer for 12 minutes. Continue rolling, cutting and decorating the next batch of cookies.
- Bake chilled cookies for 11 to 12 minutes. Don’t over-bake. When pulled out of the oven, they’ll still be pale on top. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
KITCHEN TOOL HACK: Turn your gingerbread man cutter into a bunny cookie cutter. In this recipe card, there’s an Amazon affiliate link to the exact cutter I used for these bunny cookies.
ADJUST THE METAL COOKIE CUTTER: With the cutter in hand, gently press the bunny ears closer together. Narrow them up slightly. Adjust the arms so they’re in a straight T formation with the body.
BEST SWAP FOR MINI CADBURY EGGS: Outside the Easter season, use pastel-colored Jordan almonds instead of mini Cadbury eggs. Year round, I’ll drop off batches of “bunny hug cookies” to family and friends who could use a few hugs to lift their spirits.
BEST WORKFLOW ROTATION: When assembling these decorated cookies, it’s best to use 3 to 4 quarter sheet pans. By working in small batches, the workflow rotation is even and smooth, and the dough stays cold. As a batch of cookies chills for 12 minutes, and a tray bakes for 12 minutes, you’re prepping another 5 to 6 bunny cookies in 12 minutes.
A FASTER VERSION OF THIS RECIPE: Skip the sugar crystals. Instead, go with a stylish understated look. Make plain (yet adorable) bunny sugar cookies hugging candy eggs. This will cut the prep time in half.
HOW LONG DO DECORATED SUGAR COOKIES LAST? When stored in an air-tight container, or in cello bags tied with ribbon, they’ll stay fresh for 2 weeks. But these bunny cookies are at their best when enjoyed during the first 7 days.
- Prep Time: 2 Hours
- Cook Time: 12 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Bunny Cookies, Easter Cookies, Sugar Cookies
BUNNY COOKIES > JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Do you enjoy making and gifting Easter sugar cookies? Who would you share a batch of these bunny cookies with? Share your thoughts below!
Soooo cute and so fun! These cookies are super buttery and the added sugar crystal add a fantastic crunch!! then crunchy with the sugar crystals!! Great Easter vibe!!!
★★★★★
Soooo cute and oh so delicious! These cookies super buttery and then crunchy with the sugar crystals!! 100% fantastic!!
★★★★★
These are adorable! Can’t wait to make them for my kids and sneak them into their lunch boxes!
★★★★★
These bunnies are adorable! Thank you for the instructions and making the cookies so simple to make.
★★★★★
Such a fun and cute treat for Easter! Definitely going to give these a try; looks too good to pass up!
★★★★★
These are too cute! My nieces and nephews are going to love making these!
★★★★★
These are so dang cute! what a great recipe to make with the kiddies
★★★★★
I love the step by step instructions! Thank you! I’m going to give these a try.
★★★★★
These bunnies are so super cute! The best part is that they’re as delicious as they are adorable!
★★★★★
How cute are these! I am going to make them with my daughter this weekend. Thanks for the recipe and the detailed instructions with images.
★★★★★
I can’t wait to make these adorable cookies for my kids for Easter. I love that you could take one cookie cutter and make multiple variations. How fun and creative! What a space saver!
★★★★★
These are totally adorable! What a fun treat for the kiddies this Easter season! Making these ASAP.
★★★★★
Dying. These are SO adorable. My kids and I are going to have a blast making these!
★★★★★
The recipe is easy and looks completely doable. My kids will love them for sure. Thanks for sharing these Easter bunny cookies!
★★★★★