Chocolate Chip Bear Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chip Faces
By Sloane Park
Prep
20 min
Cook
12 min
Total
32 min
Servings
24
Level
Easy
Chocolate chip bear cookies are a simple baking recipe for a decorated holiday cookie that you can make on the weekend without extra icing and other decorations. I use a non-spreading cookie dough recipe to shape bear cookies with round heads, tiny snouts, and ears, with mini chocolate chips for the face. The cookies are soft and chewy and decorated with chocolate chips.
Start by creaming room-temperature unsalted butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and mix just until incorporated to prevent tough cookies. Reserve some mini chocolate chips to add later. Add the other mini chocolate chips to the dough.
Chill dough for at least 1 hour to ensure cookies hold their shape after baking and resemble bears. Small cookie scoops or other tools can help make cookie shapes uniform, like heads of bears. Press firmly to form snouts and ears. Excessive pressure when pressing can cause cookies to take on the shape of a bear head.
I bake these bear-shaped cookies in parchment-lined pans about 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are lightly golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on the pans, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 24 small bear cookies.
Why you'll love this recipe
- 1The shaping process does not require icing and can be done by younger helpers for the heads and ears.
- 2A batch makes 24 cookies. These could be a good serving size for a buffet or multiple school lunches.
- 3Miniature chocolate chips are appropriate because of their size and can be used to help place other decorations for eyes and a nose.
- 4The cold dough will hold its bear shape when baked. The ears will be in the same location in the baked product as in the dough.
- 5For parties, provide snacks. For other events, pack snacks in your children's lunches and give wrapped snacks as gifts.
- 6A little homemade chocolate syrup added after baking can give some chocolate flavor.
Ingredients
- •1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- •2 tbsp cornstarch
- •½ tsp baking soda
- •¼ tsp salt
- •½ cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- •¼ cup granulated sugar
- •½ cup brown sugar (packed)
- •1 large egg
- •1 tsp vanilla extract
- •1 cup mini chocolate chips (divided, with a small handful reserved for decorating)
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- 2
Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- 3
Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- 4
With the mixer on low, gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- 5
Fold in most of the mini chocolate chips, reserving a small handful for the bear faces.
- 6
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- 7
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 8
Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a smooth ball and place it on a prepared baking sheet for the head.
- 9
Roll 1/4 teaspoon of dough into a ball for the snout and gently press it onto the lower middle of the head.
- 10
Roll two 1/4 teaspoon portions of dough into balls and press them onto the top left and top right of the head for the ears.
- 11
Press 3 reserved mini chocolate chips, pointy side down, onto the face for the eyes and nose.
- 12
Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- 13
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- 14
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
110
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