Bear Paw Cookies

These cute and fun Bear Paw Cookies are easy to make and perfect for a kids’ baking project or a festive cookie exchange. Shaped like polar bear paws, they make for a unique and delicious treat that will bring smiles to everyone’s faces.

You just found the cutest and easiest cookies to make! Whether you want to give your child something fun in their school lunches or jazz up your holiday cookie trays with something unique, this delicious cookie will do the trick! Every cookie looks like an adorable polar bear paw print! And the best part is that you don’t have to be a pro cake decorator to make them. 

The coconut flakes look like polar bear fur, which turns a flat cookie into 3D bear claws. It’s like bakery magic! Kids will love helping you make them. And since they are so easy to make, adorable bear paw cookies are a perfect last-minute dessert.  

Why You’ll Love Bear Paw Cookies

• Perfectly chewy cookies. The base of these cookies is cake mix. So they are delightfully soft. 
• Super cute. They look like Polar bear paw cookies.  
• They stand out. They will look perfect on your Christmas cookie tray. 
• Easy to decorate. Kids can add the chocolates on the pad of the paw. 

Ingredients

The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

Get our FREE
e-cookbook

I want it!

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at anytime.

Polar bear paw print cookies use ingredients that are easy to find at grocery stores. All you have to do is buy the stuff, mix it, and get decorating! 

Cookies

• Cake Mix: This already has all the flour and leavening ingredients – no measuring or worrying about complicated ingredients. 
• Baking Powder: The baking powder helps the cookies flatten a bit, making them more like a cookie and less like a cake. 
• Eggs: Binding agents that work best if used at room temperature.
• Unsalted Butter: Use unsalted butter to control how much salt you use. 
• Macadamia Nuts: These are optional but add a delightful crunch to the cookies. 

Frosting

• Unsalted Butter: Use unsalted butter to control how much salt you use. 
• Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar makes the frosting nice and fluffy. 
• Vanilla Extract: For the best flavor, use pure vanilla extract. 
• Coconut Extract: Adding some coconut extract brings out the coconut flavors in the flakes that are on top, 
• Salt: Just a little bit of salt enhances all the other flavors. 

Decorations

• Milk Chocolate Candy Melts: You’ll use a small chocolate wafer as the base of the bear paw. 
• Chocolate Chips: Small chocolate chips are used as the toe pads. 
• Coconut Shreds: The shredded coconut looks like fur on top of the frosting, 

How to Make Bear Paw Cookies

• Step One: Preheat the oven to 350℉, line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, and set aside for later.
• Step Two: Combine the white cake mix and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Then, using a hand mixer, add the melted butter and eggs to the bowl and beat on low until fully incorporated. You can alternatively mix everything with a rubber spatula if you do not have a mixer.

• Step Three: Fold in the chopped macadamia nuts.
• Step Four: Chill for 30 minutes to reduce spreading. (Optional step for a slightly thicker cookie. The baking powder will also help to give it some rise.) 
• Step Five: Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to drop 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls onto the baking sheets. Space them a few inches apart to leave room for the cookies to spread.

• Step Six: Bake at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are set and it reaches the desired doneness.
• Step Seven: Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

• Step Eight: As the cookies bake, you can prepare the frosting. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Then, add the powdered sugar a little at a time and mix until combined. Add extracts and salt and mix until well incorporated, and you have a smooth, easily spreadable frosting.

• Step Nine: Once the cookies have cooled, use a small icing spatula to frost about one tablespoon of frosting on each cookie. Add a chocolate candy melt and three semisweet chocolate chips to make the bear paws. Cover the rest of the frosting with coconut shreds, avoiding covering the paws.

Equipment Needed

This post contains affiliate links.

• Baking Sheets – You will need a cookie sheet to bake the cookies. 
• Parchment Paper – Make clean-up easier by placing parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on the cookie sheet. 
• Large Mixing Bowl – You need a large bowl that is big enough to hold all the cookie batter ingredients. 
• Electric Mixer – While you can make it by hand, a stand mixer makes it easier. 
• Small Cookie Scoop – If you use a medium cookie scoop, it will make fewer cookies.  
• Wire Cooling Rack – This will help the cookies cool faster. 
• Small Rubber Spatula – Use a spatula or piping bag to add the buttercream frosting to the cookies. 

What to Serve with Bear Paw Cookies

These cookies are the perfect desserts for parties! Everyone will love how cute they look and how delicious they taste.   

• Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
• Peanut Butter Bars
• Biscoff Blondies with White Chocolate
• Chocolate Cake Batter Fudge
• Toasted Coconut Muffins

Variations and Substitutions

• Make cat paws. Use four chocolate chips instead of three, which will look like a cat paw.  
• Chocolate cookies. Use chocolate cake mix to make chocolate cookies.     
• Make peppermint cookies. Add a few drops of peppermint extract into the cookie dough. 
• Use frosting instead of coconut flakes. Pipe some frosting to look like fur and leave out the coconut flakes. 
• Use a peppermint patty instead of a chocolate candy melt. And then, use Junior Mints for the toe pads on top of each cookie. 

Storage Instructions 

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies for up to three months.

Bear Paw Cookies Tips and Tricks

• If you don’t have butter, use equal amounts of vegetable oil.    
• You can swap the macadamia nuts for any other nut or omit it entirely. 
• You can skip the baking powder. It will just result in a slightly thinner cookie. 
• You can also skip chilling the dough if you are short on time. Your cookies may just spread out more. It will still be good either way! 

Can I Make Ahead?

Yes, you can make the cookie ahead of time. But I would make the cookies ahead of time and decorate them right before your party. They will stay fresh and tasty if you serve them right after you decorate them. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. 

FAQ

Cookie Recipes       

Did you enjoy making bear claw cookies? Here are some more easy cookie recipes you should make next! 

• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Cinnamon Roll Cookies
• Coconut Butterscotch Cookies
• Cream Cheese Cookies
• Brown Sugar Cookies
• Christmas Spritz Cookies
• Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie, TikTok @simplystacierecipes or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.