Get ready to bake the most adorable and delicious treats around! These Chocolate Chip Bear Cookies are the perfect blend of a classic, chewy chocolate chip cookie and a fun, whimsical design. They are wonderfully soft, packed with gooey chocolate chips, and hold their shape perfectly, making them ideal for cookie cutters. This recipe is not just about making a dessert; it’s about creating a delightful experience, perfect for baking with kids, celebrating a special occasion, or simply adding a touch of joy to your day. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting, you’ll find this recipe straightforward and incredibly rewarding.
Forget plain sugar cookies—these chocolate chip teddy bears bring a whole new level of flavor and fun. The dough is easy to work with, the results are consistently adorable, and the taste is absolutely irresistible. They’re guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone’s face!
Why This Is The Best Bear Cookie Recipe
You might be wondering what makes these Chocolate Chip Bear Cookies so special. It’s the perfect combination of flavor, texture, and an unbelievably cute design that sets this recipe apart from the rest.
- Perfectly Holds Shape: We’ve perfected this cookie dough to ensure it doesn’t spread too much during baking. Your bear shapes will come out of the oven with clean, defined edges, ready for decorating.
- Classic Chocolate Chip Flavor: Unlike most shaped cookies that use a simple sugar cookie base, this recipe delivers the rich, buttery, vanilla-scented flavor of a classic chocolate chip cookie. We use mini chocolate chips to ensure they don’t interfere with the cookie cutter.
- Soft and Chewy Texture: Each bite is a delightful mix of a slightly crisp edge and a wonderfully soft, chewy center. It’s the texture everyone loves in a homemade cookie.
- Fun and Easy to Decorate: This is a fantastic recipe for getting creative! You can use simple melted chocolate, royal icing, or just leave them as they are. It’s a perfect activity for kids and adults alike. For another fun baking project, check out these super popular Pumpkin Pie Cookies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe uses simple, staple ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry. Here’s what you’ll need to gather:
For the Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure it’s softened to room temperature for a smooth, creamy dough.
- Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: The combination of both sugars gives the cookies the perfect balance of sweetness, moisture, and a classic chewy texture.
- Egg: One large egg acts as a binder and adds richness.
- Vanilla Extract: A crucial ingredient for that warm, classic cookie flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for our cookies.
- Cornstarch: The secret ingredient! Cornstarch helps keep the cookies soft and prevents them from spreading.
- Baking Soda: Our leavening agent that gives the cookies a slight lift.
- Salt: A pinch of salt enhances all the other flavors.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: Mini chips work best for cut-out cookies, ensuring you can get a clean cut without hitting a large chip.
For the Simple Decoration:
- Dark or Milk Chocolate Chips: For melting and drawing the cute bear faces. A little goes a long way!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to create your own batch of adorable Chocolate Chip Bear Cookies. We’ll walk you through everything from making the dough to decorating the final product.
1. Prepare the Cookie Dough
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a dough forms. Be careful not to overmix! Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.
2. Chill the Dough (Crucial Step!)
This is the most important step for ensuring your cookies don’t spread. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a 1-inch thick disk, and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight. Chilling the dough solidifies the fat, which means the cookies will melt slower in the oven and hold their adorable bear shape.
3. Cut Out The Bear Shapes
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface and one of the chilled dough disks. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a bear-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies and carefully place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Reroll the scraps until you’ve used all the dough.
4. Bake to Perfection
Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. The centers should still look slightly soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. It’s essential they are fully cooled before you start decorating.
5. Decorate Your Bears
Once the cookies are completely cool, it’s time for the fun part! Place your dark or milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a small piping bag or a ziplock bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Carefully pipe two eyes, a nose, and a mouth onto each cookie to bring your little bears to life!
Pro Tips for Success
Want to make sure your Chocolate Chip Bear Cookies turn out perfect every single time? Follow these expert tips.
- Don’t Skip the Chill Time: I can’t stress this enough! Chilling the dough is non-negotiable for cut-out cookies. It prevents spreading and ensures your bears look like bears, not blobs.
- Use Mini Chocolate Chips: Regular-sized chocolate chips can get in the way of the cookie cutter, leading to messy edges. Mini chips distribute evenly without compromising the shape.
- Even Thickness is Key: Roll your dough to an even 1/4-inch thickness. This ensures all the cookies bake at the same rate.
- Work with Cold Dough: If your kitchen is warm, work with one disk of dough at a time while the other stays in the fridge. If the dough you’re rolling becomes soft, pop it back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. For another recipe where technique matters, try making these bakery-style chocolate chip cookies.
Variations and Fun Ideas
While this classic recipe is fantastic as is, there are plenty of ways to customize it!
- Different Shapes: This dough works well with any cookie cutter! Try other animals, hearts for Valentine’s Day, or stars.
- Add a “Hug”: Before baking, gently press a single almond, pecan, or cashew into the center of the bear’s belly and fold its arms over it to look like it’s hugging a nut.
- Different “Icing”: Instead of melted chocolate, you can use a simple royal icing or a pre-made black icing tube for the faces.
If you love creative desserts, you might also enjoy making these Cookie Dough Cheesecake bars.
How to Store Your Cookies
Proper storage is key to keeping your cookies fresh and delicious. Once the chocolate decoration has fully set, you can store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you’re stacking them, place a sheet of parchment paper between the layers to protect the decorations. You can also freeze the undecorated, baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Yes! This dough freezes beautifully. After wrapping the dough disks in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe bag. The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before rolling and baking.
Absolutely! While a bear shape is cute, this dough is perfect for any cookie cutter you have. You can also roll the dough into balls and press them down slightly for a classic round cookie.
Store them in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you need to stack them, wait until the chocolate decoration is fully set and place a piece of parchment paper between the layers.
The most important step is to chill the dough thoroughly. We recommend at least 2 hours, but overnight is even better. Chilling solidifies the butter, which prevents the cookies from spreading too quickly in the oven.
For simple decorations like the faces on these bears, melted chocolate is the easiest option. For more intricate designs or colors, a simple royal icing (made with powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water) works best as it hardens completely.
Yes! This dough freezes beautifully. After wrapping the dough disks in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe bag. The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before rolling and baking.
Absolutely! While a bear shape is cute, this dough is perfect for any cookie cutter you have. You can also roll the dough into balls and press them down slightly for a classic round cookie.
Store them in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you need to stack them, wait until the chocolate decoration is fully set and place a piece of parchment paper between the layers.
The most important step is to chill the dough thoroughly. We recommend at least 2 hours, but overnight is even better. Chilling solidifies the butter, which prevents the cookies from spreading too quickly in the oven.
For simple decorations like the faces on these bears, melted chocolate is the easiest option. For more intricate designs or colors, a simple royal icing (made with powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water) works best as it hardens completely.
Enjoy Your Adorable Bear Cookies!
We hope you have as much fun making these Chocolate Chip Bear Cookies as you will eating them. They are a truly special treat that’s perfect for sharing with loved ones. If you make this recipe, we’d love to see your creations! Share a photo and tag us, or leave a comment below. For more delicious inspiration, be sure to follow us on Pinterest!
Chocolate Chip Bear Cookies: The Cutest & Tastiest Treat
Whip up a batch of the most adorable and delicious Chocolate Chip Bear Cookies! This easy-to-follow recipe yields soft, chewy cookies that hold their shape perfectly, making them a fun and tasty baking project for all ages.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on low speed until a dough forms. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten into 1-inch thick disks, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with a bear cookie cutter and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, melt the remaining chocolate chips and place in a piping bag. Pipe eyes, a nose, and a mouth onto each cookie. Let the chocolate set before serving.
Notes
Do not skip chilling the dough! This is the most critical step to ensure your cookies hold their shape.
Use mini chocolate chips to make cutting the shapes easier.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Chocolate Chip Bear Cookies: The Cutest & Tastiest Treat
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on low speed until a dough forms. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten into 1-inch thick disks, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with a bear cookie cutter and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, melt the remaining chocolate chips and place in a piping bag. Pipe eyes, a nose, and a mouth onto each cookie. Let the chocolate set before serving.
Notes
Use mini chocolate chips to make cutting the shapes easier.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
