Santa Cookie Bites Recipe

This adorable Santa Cookie Bites Recipe transforms simple refrigerated sugar cookie dough into festive, bite-sized Santas using fresh strawberries and piped frosting. With a vibrant red cookie base acting as the “body” and a juicy berry “hat,” these whimsical treats are as fun to assemble as they are to eat, making them the perfect holiday craft for kids.

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Santa Cookie Bites Ingredients

The Cookie Base:

• One 1-pound log refrigerated sugar cookie dough: A massive time-saver that ensures consistent texture.
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour: Added to make the dough easier to handle and knead.
• Red food coloring: Gel coloring works best for a vivid Santa-suit red without thinning the dough.

The Decoration:

• 24 small to medium strawberries: Hulled and cut flat. These form the iconic Santa hat.
• 3 cups prepared vanilla frosting: Use a stiff frosting (like Betty Crocker or homemade buttercream) so the beards hold their shape.
• 24 mini red candy-coated chocolates: (Mini M&Ms) for the nose.
• 1 string black licorice: Cut into tiny pieces for the eyes.

How To Make Santa Cookie Bites

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 24-cup mini muffin pan with red cupcake liners.
2. Color the Dough: Break up the cookie dough into a bowl and sprinkle with the flour. Squeeze in a generous amount of red food coloring. Knead with your hands (wear gloves to avoid staining!) until the color is uniform and vibrant.
3. Shape and Bake: Roll the dough into 24 even balls. Place one ball into each mini muffin cup. Use your thumb to press a deep indentation into the center of each ball, creating a “cup” shape. Bake for about 20 minutes until puffed and set.
4. Re-Press and Cool: Remove from the oven. If the indentations have puffed up, press them down again gently with the back of a teaspoon while they are still warm. Let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
5. Prep the Hats: Wash and dry the strawberries thoroughly. Slice the leafy green tops off straight so the berry sits flat.
6. Pipe the Face: Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with the vanilla frosting. Pipe a generous swirl into the cookie cup indentation to fill it, then continue piping a ring around the edge. Pipe 2 or 3 short lines down the front of the liner to create a fluffy white beard.
7. Assemble Santa: Place a strawberry (cut-side down) onto the frosting mound. Pipe a tiny dot of frosting on the very tip of the strawberry for the hat pom-pom.
8. Add Features: Press a red mini M&M into the frosting beard for a nose. Place two tiny pieces of black licorice above the nose for eyes. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

• Strawberry Size: Choose strawberries that are roughly the same width as your mini muffin cups. If they are too huge, Santa will look top-heavy; too small, and the hat looks silly.
• Dry Berries: Wet strawberries will make the frosting slide right off. Pat them bone-dry with paper towels before assembling.
• Frosting Stiffness: If using store-bought frosting, you might want to whip in a little extra powdered sugar to stiffen it up. Soft frosting will cause Santa’s beard to melt and droop.
• Licorice Alternative: If kids hate licorice, use mini chocolate chips or black icing gel for the eyes.

What To Serve With Santa Cookie Bites

• Milk: Santa’s favorite beverage is the obvious choice.
• Hot Chocolate: Serve on a platter alongside mugs of cocoa.
• Christmas Cookies: Arrange them on a tray with gingerbread men and snowflakes.
• Eggnog: For the adults in the room.

How To Store Santa Cookie Bites

• Immediate Consumption: Because of the fresh fruit and frosting, these are best eaten the day they are made.
• Refrigerate: If you must store them, keep them in the fridge loosely covered for up to 1 day. The red dye in the cookie might bleed into the white frosting over time.
• No Freezing: Do not freeze these. Thawed strawberries will leak juice everywhere and ruin the Santa face.

Santa Cookie Bites Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Fat: 8g
• Carbohydrates: 26g
• Sugar: 18g
• Protein: 1g

Nutrition information is estimated per cookie bite.

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