If you're looking for holiday treats that are as adorable as they are delicious, then look no further than these penguin cookies! They're rich, sweet, and absolutely the cutest.
I love making cute treats when the holidays roll around or for a special occasion. Taste is only part of the equation. These cute little penguins really make the holidays pop. That's why I love making these easy, adorable cookies for holiday gatherings.
Like my sugar cone Christmas trees, this cute easy penguin cookie recipe really pops on a holiday table. They're the perfect Christmas cookie and are so delicious that everyone loves them. They're so cute that they put a smile on every face!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- They're affordable and so cheery, bringing tons of holiday fun without costing a ton of money.
- They're super easy to make. They only take a few simple steps.
- They're absolutely adorable and full of holiday cheer.
Ingredients
A handful of ingredients is all it takes to make this easy penguin cookie recipe. They're simple, and readily available at any grocery store.
- Mint Milano Cookies or Monaco Cookies in Canada: Make the penguin's body.
- Orange M&Ms: Make the feet.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: To make the brown coating.
- Caramel Candy Corn: For the triangle shape of the beak.
- Small Candy Eyes
The full ingredient list with quantities is in the recipe card at the end of the post.
How to Make Penguin Cookies
Let's take a look at the main things you'll need to do to make this perfect treat. It's not much! For the full instructions, check out the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Melt the chocolate in a small bowl.
2. Dip these little guys in the melted chocolate to coat them fully.
3. Decorate the cookies with M&Ms, candy corn, and eyes to make the penguin's head.
5. Chill for at least 10 minutes on cookie sheets in the fridge to set.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some variations you can try when making these cookies for your next holiday party.
- Cookies: Nutterbutter cookies are delicious substitutes for Milano cookies or your favorite oval cookies.
- Orange Skittles: Work well in place of M&Ms.
- Original Candy Corn: Will work, but keep their white tips in mind and cut off the orange candies.
- Chocolate Chips: Use dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate chips for the black part of the penguin.
- Peanut Putter: Dip the cookies in melted peanut butter instead of chocolate.
- Tuxedo Cookies: Use white chocolate melts to give these penguins a tuxedo look.
What to Serve with Penguin Cookies
These adorable cookies make a great addition to any table this holiday season. Serve them on their own or as part of a dessert table with delicious recipes like:
Equipment
- Measuring cup
- Microwaveable bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Knife
- Cutting board
Storage
Refrigerator: Store these cookies in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You can serve them cold or at room temperature.
Freezer: Store them in the freezer for up to 6 months in an airtight container. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight to serve.
Tips for Easy Penguin Cookies
- Work quickly enough when decorating these cute cookies that the chocolate doesn't set before you're finished.
- Dip the cookies in the chocolate immediately after melting it for the easiest coating. This is the best way to get it to coat evenly.
FAQ
You do not have to use store-bought cookies; you can make your own oval-shaped cookies and use those to make these adorable penguin cookies.
These Minty Milano Cookie Penguins should be eaten chilled. Warming them will cause the chocolate to melt.
Yes, you can make these easy penguin cookies ahead of time and freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Make sure they are frozen flat so that overlapping doesn’t cause the candy features to break off.
Milano cookies are marketed as the Monaco cookie in Canada made by Pepperidge Farm as part of its "European" cookie series.
An oval-shaped butter cookie is usually filled or stuffed with chocolate.
More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
Penguins Cookies
Equipment
- microwave safe bowl medium
Ingredients
- 1 15 count pkg Milano Cookies or Monaco Cookies in Canada
- 15 Orange M&Ms cut in half
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 15 caramel candy corn orange and brown
- 30 small candy eyes
Instructions
- In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, melt semi-sweet chocolate chips according to package directions.
- Holding one side of a mint Milano cookie, dip one side of the cookie into the melted chocolate and then roll it through the melted chocolate until you have both sides and the opposite side from your fingers coated in chocolate.
- Place the cookie on parchment paper and cut the orange half of the candy corn away from the brown half.
- Before the Chocolate has hardened, place the orange half of the candy corn onto the cookie where the penguin’s nose should be, place 2 eyes just above the nose, and then use a small amount of melted chocolate to place 2 m&m halves side by side at the bottom of the penguin for feet.
- Repeat this process for all 15 cookies.
- Chill the penguins in your refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to harden the chocolate.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- These Minty Milano Cookie Penguins should be eaten chilled. Warming them will cause the chocolate to melt.
- You can substitute the Milano cookies with nutter butter cookies.
- You can substitute the orange M&Ms with orange skittles.
- You can substitute the caramel candy corn with original candy corn, but keep in mind they will have a white tip.
- You can substitute the semi-sweet chocolate chips with dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips. You could also use chocolate melting wafers or black melting wafers.
- You do not have to use store-bought cookies; you can make your own oval-shaped cookies and use those to make these Milano cookie penguins
Nutrition
Marie says
Super easy Kids had lots of fun decorating We used two different kinds of cookies and had the best looking treat tray I wish I knew how to add a picture I appreciated being able to have my kids do all the decorating work Thank you again Love your website Keep up the great work ❤️
Karin and Ken says
Thank you for all of your kind words. We love the easy recipe too! Glad the kids were able to do it. Makes life so much easier! Enjoy the rest of your day! Karin