Just in time for Easter, these bunny cookies recipe using a classic sugar cookie dough and sugar cookie glaze will be a hit with your kids and family. These bunny sugar cookies are so adorable and such a fun project to work on with your kids or for those of you who love to bake. Although you could make these as bunny butt cookies, you could also make them as front-facing bunnies and add some google eyes, if that’s more your thing. Either way, these Easter bunny sugar cookies are going to be a family favorite, I’m sure of it.

History of the Easter Bunny

The origin of the Easter Bunny is not entirely clear, but there are several theories and legends about its association with Easter. One theory suggests that the Easter Bunny can be traced back to ancient pagan festivals that celebrated the arrival of spring. Pagan cultures in Europe and the Middle East worshipped a goddess named Eostre, who was linked with fertility and new life. These cultures believed that hares were symbols of fertility and that they laid eggs, which were seen as a sign of new life. As Christianity spread throughout Europe, some of the pagan customs and symbols were incorporated into Christian celebrations, including the hare or rabbit, which became associated with the Christian holiday of Easter.

Another theory suggests that the Easter Bunny was introduced to America by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 1700s. In German folklore, the “Osterhase” or Easter Hare was believed to bring eggs and sweets to children on Easter Sunday. This tradition then spread throughout America and became popular during the 19th century, with the publication of books and stories featuring the Easter Bunny.

Today, the Easter Bunny is a popular symbol of Easter and is often portrayed in children’s books, movies, and decorations. It is also customary for children to go on Easter egg hunts, searching for hidden eggs and treats left by the Easter Bunny.

How to Make Easter Bunny Cookies

If you’re interested in decorating bunny cookies, you can choose to do different colored icing as I did. I used this food coloring. A lot of people prefer using gel food coloring, but this standard food coloring worked well. You could add sprinkles, google eyes too, if you don’t want to use a full glaze as I did. Once I glazed each of the cookies and they were dry, I chose to add a little cotton tail on each of the bunnies using a star tip and clear white sugar sprinkles. I absolutely love how these rabbit sugar cookies turned out.

If you want to make these decorated bunny cookies, I’m sharing the best sugar cookie recipe and sugar cookie glaze. I’ve often struggled to find sugar cookies that don’t spread and a glaze that stays well on the cookies. I’m so happy to say that both of these recipes turned out so well and worked perfectly together. I hope you’ll try these rabbit cookies and let me know what you think.

If you’re looking for other Easter content, click here. If you’re looking for other cookie recipes, click here.

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

1 cup Salted Butter (2 sticks), softened
1 cup Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Large Eggs
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
3 cups All-Purpose Flour

Directions:

Add the 2 sticks of butter and 1 cup of white sugar to your mixer. The butter should be softened but still cold. Cream the butter and sugar until it is completely mixed, about 3 minutes on medium-high speed. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla and 1 egg. Mix the cookie dough until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of Baking Powder and mix.

Mix in the 3 cups of flour one cup at a time. Mix and incorporate the flour into the dough, Don’t overmix.
After you have added the 3 cups of Flour the dough should be firm but not dry or crumbly.  If the dough seems to dry, add a tiny bit of vanilla or milk, a little at a time, and mix again.

You can refrigerate your dough, but you don’t need to with this recipe. Once you’re ready to make the cookies, preheat your oven to 350. Roll a handful of the dough out on a prepared surface until it’s about 3/8 – 1/2 inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.

Bake for 8 -10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie cutter you used. Do not over-bake!  The cookies should not turn brown in this recipe. You don’t want them to dry out. Underbaked is actually better than overbaking. If you roll out thinner cookies or use smaller cookie cutters, then you should only bake for 6 or 7 minutes.

Let your cookies cool completely before frosting. 

Best Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe

4 cups confectioners’ sugar
8 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons light corn syrup

Sift the powdered sugar. Add the corn syrup and 1 tablespoon of water at a time and mix. Add more water until you have the correct consistency. It should be runny, but not too runny, or it will slip off of your cookies. You can test a little bit on the cookie and see if it runs off the side of the cookie. If it does, then you can add more powdered sugar and mix until it stiffens up a bit. If the glaze is too thick, you can add more water until it is a bit thinner. You have to play with it to ensure you get the right consistency. You can add food coloring if desired. 

Yield: 18-24

Bunny Sugar Cookies

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Ingredients

• Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
• 1 cup Salted Butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Eggs
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
• Best Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 8 tablespoons water
• 4 tablespoons light corn syrup

Instructions

1. For the Cookie dough: Add the 2 sticks of butter and 1 cup of white sugar to your mixer. The butter should be softened but still cold. Cream the butter and sugar until it is completely mixed, about 3 minutes on medium-high speed. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla and 1 egg. Mix the cookie dough until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of Baking Powder and mix.
2. Mix in the 3 cups of flour one cup at a time. Mix it only until the flour is incorporated into the dough, Don't overmix. After you have added the 3 cups of Flour the dough should be firm but not dry or crumbly.  If the dough seems to dry, add a tiny bit of vanilla or milk, a little at a time, and mix again.
3. You can refrigerate your dough, but it is not needed with this recipe. Once you're ready to make the cookies, preheat your oven to 350. Roll a handful of the dough out on a prepared surface until it's about 3/8 - 1/2 inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
4. Bake for 8 -10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie cutter you used. Do not over-bake!  The cookies should not turn brown in this recipe. You don't want them to dry out. Underbaked is actually better than overbaking. If you roll out thinner cookies or use smaller cookie cutters, then you should only bake for 6 or 7 minutes.
5. Let your cookies cool completely before frosting. 
6. For the icing: Sift the powdered sugar. Add the corn syrup and 1 tablespoon of water at a time and mix. Add more water until you have the correct consistency. It should be runny, but not too runny, or it will slip off of your cookies. You can test a little bit on the cookie and see if it runs off the side of the cookie. If it does, then you can add more powdered sugar and mix until it stiffens up a bit. If the glaze is too thick, you can add more water until it is a bit thinner. You have to play with it to ensure you get the right consistency. You can add food coloring if desired.