Christmas Penguin Shortbread Cookies

Name: Christmas Penguin Shortbread Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 200 g Butter, softened ((1+¾ sticks)); 100 g Caster sugar ((½ cup)); 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract; 280 g Plain flour ((2 cups + 2 tablespoons)); 300 g Dark chocolate ((10.5oz)); 30 Edible candy eyes; 15 Mini orange M&Ms ((or any other small orange candies)); Black writing icing ((or you can use leftover melted chocolate))

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

These Christmas penguin cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate. They're great for baking with kids and they make a super cute edible gift.

overhead shot of christmas penguin cookies

I'm so excited to be sharing yet another festive cookie recipe with you- today it's these adorable Christmas penguin cookies.

They're made with crunchy, buttery shortbread, dark chocolate and cute edible eyes. Kids will go crazy for them and they're sure to be a hit at your next Christmas party!

If you've never made shortbread before, don't worry. It's actually super easy and you only need a few ingredients. They're quite forgiving when you're decorating too so no need to panic if they're a little messy.

If you're ready to get baking, read the post below to find out my top tips and ingredient notes. Otherwise, you can skip to the bullet-pointed version in the recipe card at the end of the page. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Here's everything you need to make these Christmas penguin shortbread cookies...

Butter: Use softened butter to make it easier to mix. I typically use unsalted but if you prefer a little salt in your baked goods, feel free to use salted.
Caster sugar: This is a finer version of granulated white sugar (also known as superfine sugar) and will dissolve more easily into the fat, resulting in smooth, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies.
Vanilla extract: For additional flavour. You'll only need a little bit as the butter already brings a lot of richness and flavour to this recipe.
Flour: Plain/all-purpose flour is the best type to use for these penguin shortbread cookies. Self-raising flour will make them more cakey than crunchy, and they'll spread more on the tray.
Dark chocolate: This is for dipping the penguin shortbread into, to create their 'wings'. You can also use milk chocolate if you like but I think that the look of dark chocolate suits the penguin vibe better.
Edible eyes: You will find these in the baking section in most supermarkets. If you can't source them, you can either use fondant or white chocolate buttons with a small dot of melted chocolate in the middle.
Orange candies: These are for the penguin's noses. I used mini orange M&Ms but you can use any small orange sweets you like, orange fondant or even orange icing.
Writing icing: I used black writing icing to pipe on the 'buttons' but you can pipe on some melted chocolate instead.

Equipment

Baking tray: A large one. This recipe will make 15 shortbread cookies but if you only have small trays, you can bake them in batches.
Baking paper: To stop the cookies from sticking to the tray.
Mixing bowls: A large one for making the shortbread dough in and a smaller heatproof one for melting the chocolate in.
Utensils: A wooden spoon, a teaspoon and a tablespoon.
Cookie cutter: I recommend using a 3-inch cookie cutter. If you use a different size of cutter, please note that baking time will vary so just keep an eye on them while they're in the oven.
Piping bag: Unless you're using writing icing, you will need a piping bag to pipe the 'buttons' onto your cookies.

How to make Christmas penguin cookies

Step 1: Line a large tray (or two small ones) with baking paper.

Step 2: Add your butter, sugar and vanilla to a large bowl- you'll need 200g of softened butter, 100g of caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix well until soft, pale and fluffy.

Step 3: Next, add 280g of plain flour to the bowl. Mix everything together and when you feel the mixture starting to stick, press it together to make a ball of dough. Shortbread dough should be a bit crumbly (not completely soft and smooth) but it should hold together easily. If it's too crumbly, add a small splash of milk to help it come together and if it's too sticky, add more flour.

Step 4: Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until it's about ¼-inch thick. Don't make it too thick, otherwise, your shortbread is more likely to burn in the oven.

Step 5: Cut out your cookies using a 3-inch round cookie cutter. If you don't have one, the bottom of a mug or glass about that size will work too. You should get roughly 15 cookies from the dough.

Step 6: Place the cookies onto your lined tray then pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will prevent them from spreading as they bake. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 180°C/325°F.

Step 7: Bake your cookies for 18-20 minutes, or until they're firm to the touch around the edges. Leave them on the tray to cool.

Step 8: Melt 300g of dark chocolate in a bowl. Carefully dip each side of the cookies into the chocolate at an angle, creating the shape shown in the image below. Place them back onto your lined tray.

chocolate dipped cookies with a small triangle uncovered

Step 9: While the chocolate is still wet, place two edible eyes and one orange candy nose onto each of your penguin cookies. Then pipe two icing/melted chocolate buttons onto each.

pressing eyes and nose onto the shortbread biscuits

Step 10: Let the cookies sit on the tray until the chocolate has hardened then enjoy!

Shortbread tips

Dark chocolate can be swapped for milk chocolate if you prefer. Or if you want a more realistic penguin look, use black candy melts.
Use a bowl that's quite deep when melting the chocolate. If the bowl is too shallow, it'll be hard to dip the cookies at an even angle.
Shortbread should not be golden brown when you take it out of the oven- if it is then it's overbaked. It should be pale on top and firm around the edges. It'll feel soft in the middle at first but will become firm and crunchy once it cools.

FAQs

Can I use another type of cookie?

Yes! This recipe will work well with any type of round cookie/biscuit. Homemade sugar cookies would be a great alternative but if you prefer to use something ready-made, try digestive biscuits or rich tea biscuits.

How long do penguin shortbread cookies last?

If you keep them in an airtight container, they will stay nice and crunchy for around 5 days.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, these can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can either put them into freezer bags, in an airtight container or wrap them tightly with clingfilm.

hand holding up a christmas penguin cookie

More Christmas cookies

I hope you like these Christmas penguin cookies! If you make them at home, please let me know what you think by leaving a rating or comment below. Enjoy!