I have the sweetest most lovable cookies today…because we all need something sweet and smiley in our lives. We just do! You guys, these cookies!!! I am so excited to share these cookies with you all. Just looking at them alone makes me smile. They’re truly the most lovable little cookies and I really, really hope they bring some much-needed joy to you all today. I made these cookies this week after seeing the cutest little teddy bear photo on my Pinterest feed. The photo made me immediately smile. I was instantly inspired to create the cookie version, because you know, what’s even better than a cute bear photo? An even cuter, even sweeter, real-life cookie that’s not only fun and easy to create, but delicious too. Here’s the truth. I know things have been hard this week. Everyone is struggling and everyone is feeling a little bit on edge. These are certainly strange times, and I’m sure the days are starting to feel long. So my goal? To bring you all the fun, happiness, and deliciousness I can. Yes, I’m hoping these cookies can bring you some much needed Friday cheer…or just a fun cookie to bake up on a Friday night spent at home.
(dough balls before assembling, full body teddy bears at the top, faces at the bottom)
The inspiration.
As mentioned, I saw a photo of a teddy bear and immediately thought to make cookies. With things being the way they are, recipe development has been hard. Food is a little hit or miss around here and I know it’s the same for many of you. I also know that a lot of you have been finding comfort in baking, so I figured this could be the perfect recipe to share today. I also know that many of you are looking for activities to do with your kids. So I kept that in mind while creating this recipe and I tried to keep the steps simple and EASY. But let’s be real, I did that more for my own sanity. I’m no professional baker, and certainly not a professional dessert “decorator”. I’m right there with you all when it comes to decorating…perfectly imperfect! So… the inspiration was first a photo, then all of you, and then it was your kids…but most importantly? I really just wanted to create an easy and delicious cookie recipe for all of us to enjoy today. Because Friday’s need cookies…especially this week!
Here is how to make these sweet and salty Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles.
One, gather your ingredients. You’ll need the basics…butter, sugar, flour, oats, etc. Plus some cinnamon sugar. Simple, nothing fancy, but all good. Two, the additions are the most important part. You’ll need old fashioned oats, salted pretzel twists, white chocolate, and semi-sweet or milk chocolate. Three…beat, mix, stir, roll…a lot of dough balls out. Then roll through cinnamon sugar, add pretzel pieces, bake, wack that pan on the counter, bake again, decorate, have fun…and enjoy way too many cookies. Yes, there’s not one complicated thing about this recipe. These are easy cookies that are hard to mess up…because they’ll always turn out cute.
Attaching the pieces to form the bears…
As you all know, I am no professional when it comes to decorating sweets. BUT I still love to make my desserts look as cute as possible. Enter these cute Teddy Bear cookies. The idea is to take the oatmeal cookie dough, roll it into tiny balls, attach them together into a “Teddy Bear” body, and bake. If you use the photos as guides, it’s the easiest cookie. Not to mention, so much fun! No stress, no pulling out your hair, just fun. Exactly what baking should be. Now, attaching the pieces? This is the step that you might think could be tricky, but it’s actually so easy. To make each Teddy Bear, just gently push the dough balls together. Once again, use the photos as guides. Nothing needs to be shaped perfectly or lined up just right. As long as you have a rough body formed, the cookies bake up like adorable fat little Teddy Bears. The process of rolling the balls will take a little time, but to me, this is easier than cutting out shapes…and I think these are way cuter, not to mention a little more unique. Everyone bakes cookies, but let’s bake something a little different!
Decorating is easy.
Since the cookies themselves are already so cute, decorating is EASY. I used melted white chocolate and melted milk chocolate to simply draw on the bear’s faces, hands and fat little stomachs. So simple. So delicious.
What I love about these cookies is that they’re so easy to make. They require no chilling and I almost always have these ingredients on hand. And when it’s Friday night and the urge for a delicious yet simple oatmeal snickerdoodle cookie comes on? These cookies will be my new go-to. They’re just perfectly crisp on the edges, but soft in the center, heavy on the cinnamon, with a nice crunch and a little saltiness from the pretzels on top. The best kind of cookie. Bake these tonight, or sometime in the next few days. Promise you, these are sure to keep your kids busy…and certain to put a smile on everyone’s face.
Looking for some other kid-friendly baking ideas? Try these… Homemade Animal Crackers Cinnamon Sugar Brown Butter Popovers Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Krispie Treats If you make these sweet and salty Teddy Bear snickerdoodles, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
