This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Cookie pops for the holidays! These vanilla bean Christmas cookie pops are so easy to make, and so much fun to eat. They’re cookie lollipops!

Vanilla Bean Cookie Pops

There should be more things on sticks. Every time I have this thought, I am reminded of that scene in There’s Something About Mary where they’re strolling along the boardwalk discussing the lack of meat on sticks. Great movie – and they did have a good point. Why aren’t more treats on sticks?

There’s something very whimsical and fun about eating off of a stick! We’re all familiar with cake pops, but probably not as familiar with cookie pops. I’ll admit, it does complicate the simple cookie baking process a bit, but with a little extra time and patience (in which I’m truly lacking), you can stick-ify your cookies fairly easily.

A few things I’ve learned along the way about creating a Christmas cookie pop:

1. You’ll want to use a fairly sturdy cookie dough base for your pop, so a sugar cookie is a great place to start. You could also use a gingerbread cookie dough, or really anything that isn’t SUPER soft.

2. Roll your cookie dough out to about 1/2″ thickness. Anything less than that, and the stick will likely not make it into the center of the cookie and will bust through the top or bottom. I don’t own one, but a dough guide would be so helpful for this!

3. SPREAD OUT your cookies on the tray, so you have enough room to insert the stick as soon as it comes out of the oven. This means you’ll need multiple trays!

And a few more things…

4. Make sure your cookie sticks are fairly thin – I actually used lollipop sticks as the cookie sticks I bought were way too thick.

5. Use a toothpick to poke the initial hole in the bottom of the cookie – it’ll allow the thicker cookie stick to slide in easily.

6. Do. Not. Touch. the cookies after you’ve inserted the sticks until they’re completely cooled! This ensures the soft dough has molded around the stick and kept it secure.

I think that’s it – don’t be intimidated! It’s really quite easy. 🙂

Do you need to use vanilla bean paste?

Adding the vanilla bean paste just really brings out that vanilla flavour, plus the specks of vanilla bean make a plain sugar cookie a little extra special. I always use Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste – I have to refrain from adding it into everything I bake. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, you can use vanilla extract (as per my recipe card below)!

Not only is this sugar cookie dough the perfect consistency, it doesn’t crumble and it doesn’t have to be chilled!! The dough can also be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge, or even the freezer until ready to use.

Vanilla Bean Cookie Pops

Obviously, since it’s the holiday season I made Christmas cookie pops, but I think cookie pops for a wedding or baby shower, birthday party or really any other celebration would be so fun!

I can’t believe Christmas is less than a week away. The only thing that makes me sad about this is that I think this is my last holiday cookie recipe of the season. Where has the time gone!?

Vanilla Bean Cookie Pops

And some other Christmas cookie ideas for you:

Vanilla Bean Cookie Pops

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Katherine
Total Time: 1 hours 60 minutes
Yield: 40-45 cookies 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Cookie pops for the holidays! These vanilla bean Christmas cookie pops are so easy to make, and so much fun to eat.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla bean paste*

Royal Icing

1/2 cup egg white substitute (about 3 egg whites)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter on high until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and combine, followed by the egg and vanilla paste, mixing just until combined.
With the mixer running on low, slowly add the flour mixture until a soft dough begins to form. Stop mixing as soon as the dough begins to clump together.**
Using your hands, scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, packing the loose pieces of dough together. Roll out the dough to 1/2″ thickness, and cut out the desired cookie shapes.
Place the cookies on the prepared sheets, 1 per row to allow room for the stick (see image in post). Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to brown. Cookies should still be quite soft.
Remove the cookies from the oven, and watching the edges of the hot pan, carefully poke a toothpick into the middle of the bottom of each cookie, then quickly insert your cookie stick until it comes about halfway into the cookie. Leave the cookies to rest on the sheet until mostly cooled, then transfer to a wire rack, using a spatula to lift the cookie and not lifting it by the stick.
Once the cookies have fully cooled, prepare the royal icing. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high until they start to foam. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until the consistency of the icing is thick but still fairly runny***. Add the lemon juice and mix.
If creating multiple colours of icing, separate the icing into different bowls and add the colour (and flavour, if desired), then transfer the icing to a piping bag or squeeze bottle. Use immediately.
Allow the icing to set on the cookies, then enjoy immediately or store.

Cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week in an airtight container, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Notes

*If you don’t have or want to use vanilla bean paste, you can use 1 tsp pure vanilla extract instead.

**If you don’t plan on cutting your shapes right away, wrap the dough in saran wrap and keep it in the fridge (up to 5 days). You can also freeze it in a tightly sealed Ziploc bag (wrap in saran wrap first) for up to 2 months.

***If you’re “flooding” your cookies with icing, you’ll want the icing a bit runnier. If you are decorating fine details, you will want it a bit stiffer, so add more or less powdered sugar as needed.

Sugar cookie recipe originally adapted from Bake @ 350.