These easy to make shortbread Easter Bunny Cookies are dipped in white chocolate and have marshmallow and coconut fluffy tails! Cute, fun, festive, delicious and a great addition to your holiday menu!
Shortbread cookies are by far one of my favorite homemade cookies. Although you can make these Easter treats with sugar cookies, I love the buttery taste and the crumbly and flaky texture of this shortbread cookie recipe. It seriously melts in your mouth!
Seriously, how cute are these fluffy tailed bunnies? These Easter cookies are a great addition to your holiday menu and are also a great little party favor to give away to family and friends.
Of course, these cute cookies are not just for Easter. I can definitely see these served at a spring luncheon, a garden party or tea party. They also make the cutest party favors for baby showers or spring and summer bridal showers. You can use candy melts in the appropriate colors for each occasion. Having a boy? baby blue, white chocolate and dark blue could be darling!
- These shortbread cookie recipe is made with simple ingredients.
- They are absolutely delicious and perfect for making cut out cookies. The dough keeps their shape perfectly, making them ideal when making decorated cookies.
- These cute cookies are not just for Easter. They also make the cutest party favors for baby showers or spring and summer bridal showers.
You can make a simple 3 ingredients shortbread cookie, in this version however, I add vanilla extract and a little salt to the dough. You can use almond extract, if you prefer. The fluffy tails are made with mini marshmallows, dipped in melted white chocolate and rolled in sweetened shredded coconut.
You can dip the cookies in white chocolate or use candy melts in pastel colors for spring and Easter.
As for the cookie cutter, I use this super cute Easter Bunny Cookie Cutter. Feel free to make any other shapes like Easter egg cookies, carrot cookies or blossom cookies. You can place the fluffy tails in the center of the blossom or as a carrot top.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix The Wet Ingredients: Beat together the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer (you can also mix the dough by hand). Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Mix The Dry Ingredients: Sift together the flour and salt.
- Combine All Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.
- Shape The Dough: Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface an shape it into a disk.
- Chill: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
- Cut The Dough: Roll the dough and cut into shapes.
- Bake: Bake and cool on a cooling rack.
- Get Your Ingredients Ready: Place the shredded coconut on a plate. Melt the white chocolate and/or candy melts.
- Dip The Cookies: Dip the bottom half of the bunny cookies into the melted chocolate or candy melts. Place the dipped cookies on a cooling rack lined with parchment paper.
- Make The Bunny Tails: With the help of a fork, dip the mini marshmallows into the melted white chocolate and immediately roll them into the shredded coconut.
- Let It Dry: Place the fluffy marshmallow on the cookie. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Yes, you can make the shortbread dough 3 days in advance. Keep the dough tightly wrapped in the refrigerator or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Yes. These Easter cookies are best when eaten within 2 days, however they will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Although shortbread cookie dough doesn’t spread much when baking, I like to refrigerate the cut cookie dough for 5 – 10 minutes before baking them. I think the edges always look sharp when I chill the dough for a few minutes. This step, however, is not necessary if you are short on time.
- Mix the dough only until it starts to come together. The dough will be very crumbly. Just bring it together with your hands into a disk and chill before baking.
- Baked shortbread cookies keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stopping and stirring after each until completely smooth.
- If the chocolate dipped cookie dries too fast, simply add a bit of white chocolate to one side of the coconut covered marshmallow and place it on the cookie (as if using the chocolate as glue).
Take A Look At These Other Spring and Easter Recipes
- Lemon Drop (Martini)
Equipment
- Bunny Cookie Cutter
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces white chocolate *see notes, (or candy melts in pastel colors like pink, yellow, blue and green)
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 30 to 40 mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and the sugar over medium-high speed until they are combined. Add the vanilla and mix well. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and the salt.
- Add the sifted flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. The dough will be very crumbly. Shape the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into bunny shapes with a cookie cutter. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or on a baking mat. I like to chill the cookies for 5-10 minutes before baking however this is NOT a necessary step. See notes.
- Bake for 20 – 22 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the shredded coconut on a plate.
- Put 2-3 ounces of white chocolate in a small glass bowl and melt in the microwave in 30 second increments, stopping and stirring after each until completely smooth. Use this to dip the marshmallows.
- Melt the remaining white chocolate or the candy melts, if using, until smooth (please read the notes). Dip the bottom half of the bunny cookies into the melted chocolate or candy melts. Place the dipped cookies on a cooling rack or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- With the help of a fork, dip the mini marshmallows into the melted white chocolate and immediately roll it into the shredded coconut. Place the fluffy tails (coconut covered marshmallow) on a plate for about 4-5 minutes. Grab each fluffy tail carefully and place them on top of the dipped cookie (in the center). If the melted chocolate on the cookie has dried up, simply dip the bottom of the coconut covered marshmallow in white chocolate (as if using glue) and place on cookie.
- Let the cookies dry up for about 10 minutes.
Notes
- After I cut the dough into shapes and place them on the baking sheet, I like to chill the cookies in the fridge for 5 – 10 minutes, however this is not a necessary step. I just feel the cookies keep their shape better and have beautiful sharp edges when the dough is chilled.
- You will need white chocolate to dip the marshmallows – you need about 3 ounces for this (bunny tails).
- For the cookies, you need about 9 – 12 ounces of white chocolate or candy melts. You can purchase candy melts in any color. For this recipe I purchased, pink, green, blue. I always like to have a little extra because my children always jump in to help and it seems they use way more chocolate than I do.
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