A two-in-one cookie combo that’s chewy and crunchy all at once.
“What?” I hear you asking. “What’s the point of putting cookies in a cookie?” Well, you see, these are two very different kinds of cookies. Animal cookies are crunchy, lightly sweet, coated in colorful frosting and topped with sprinkles. But the cookie I’m mixing them into with is a classic sugar cookie, which is soft, chewy, and moist.
Combining these two very different cookies was quite easy. All I did was chop up a bunch of animal cookies and stir them into my sugar cookie dough, along with some extra sprinkles to make them even more festive and colorful. Then I chilled the combined dough, scooped it out onto my cookie sheets, and baked it as usual.
The resulting two-in-one cookie has the soft, chewy texture of the sugar cookie, punctuated by crunchy, colorful nuggets of crushed animal cookies. It’s like eating two delicious classic cookies at the same time. PS. I’m still having a blast coming up with new animal cookie desserts. I can’t wait for you to see all my Circus Animal Cookie Creations! Keep a eye out on the blog for new recipes.
Are circus animal cookies the same as animal crackers?
- Nope! Animal crackers are crunchy like a cracker and lightly sweet. Animal cookies have a satisfying snap, but they don’t crumble like crackers, and they’re topped with that sweet frosting and sprinkles. Both are favorites with kids (because what animal-shaped cookie isn’t?), but they’re definitely not the same.
I’ve never seen circus animal cookies at the store. Where can I buy them?
Do you have any other sugar cookie recipes with different kinds of mix-ins?
- Funny you should ask! I’ve got versions of my classic sugar cookie with candy corn and Andes mints in them, and I’ve also made a giant sugar cookie that you can cut and serve like a cake.
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How to make Chewy Circus Animal Sugar Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars in a stand mixer or with hand mixer.
- Add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
- Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and sprinkles. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until combined.
- Mix in chopped cookies and continue stirring just enough to mix them in completely. Chill the dough for 20 minutes.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop cookie dough onto an un-greased baking sheet.
- Bake 10-11 minutes. Allow to cool on cooling rack.
TOOLS USED FOR THESE CHEWY CIRCUS ANIMAL SUGAR COOKIES
Measuring cups and spoons: Each cup’s “ml” and cup sizes have passed clearly engraved marking, and you can quickly identify the cup scale according to the color of the handle.
Cookie Scoops: This set of scoops comes in 3 different sizes for all your scooping needs!
Cookie Drying Rack: These are great for cooling all you cookies.
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Chewy Circus Animal Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup sprinkles
- 2 cups chopped circus animal cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars in a stand mixer or with hand mixer.
- Add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
- Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and sprinkles.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until combined.
- Mix in chopped cookies and continue stirring just enough to mix them in completely. Chill the dough for 20 minutes.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop cookie dough onto an un-greased baking sheet.
- Bake 10-11 minutes. Allow to cool on cooling rack.
Video
Recipe Notes:
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Miriam says
So delicious! I subbed half the animal crackers for white chocolate chips. The first time I made these the sprinkles dyed the dough, so the second time I added them very last with the crackers and I didn’t have that problem. A wonderful recipe!
Claire says
Can You Make This A Day Before You Need To Bake Them?
Corey says
I haven’t tried that yet Claire, I have only made them right away.
christine decastro says
I didn’t care for the sprinkles so the second time i made them i substituted choc chips. Also I had to bake them for 16 minutes before they looked cooked.