Slice-and-bake Santa’s Whiskers Cookies are a festive addition to any cookie tray! They’re buttery, studded with candied cherries, full of almond flavor, and rolled in sweet shredded coconut.
These sweet little treats are made with a rich, buttery dough (almost like Christmas Shortbread Cookies) that’s infused with almond extract. Candied cherries add sweetness and texture, while the coconut on the edges gives the cookies a delicate, crispy coating.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture: Sweet, buttery almond cookies with hints of coconut and cherry in every melt in your mouth bite.
Ease to Make: Very easy! Slice-and-bake cookies are beginner friendly and great for prepping ahead of time too. No rolling pin or cookie cutters needed.
Top Tip: Rotate the dough (log) a quarter turn after each slice to help maintain the circle shape.
Freeze: Keep unsliced dough (logs) wrapped in plastic wrap and foil in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Storage: Baked and cooled cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Important Ingredient Notes
The full ingredient list is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here are some highlights.
- Unsalted butter – Soften this to room temperature so it mixes easily with the other ingredients. Forgot this step? Use my guide on how to soften butter quickly if you’re in a hurry.
- Pure vanilla extract – Pure vanilla has more depth and better flavor than imitation vanilla. My homemade vanilla extract recipe is perfect.
- Almond extract – Almond extract has a fantastic cherry-like flavor. It makes these Santa’s whiskers cookies irresistible!
- Candied cherries – Candied cherries can be found in red and green in the holiday baking aisle of the grocery store. If you can’t find them, you can substitute maraschino cherries, but you’ll need to pat them dry so they don’t introduce excess moisture (or color!) into your dough.
- Sweetened shredded coconut – Be sure to use shredded coconut, not coconut flakes. The flakes are too large to stick to the edges of the cookies.
How to Make Santa’s Whiskers Cookies
Mix and Shape Dough.
- Mix the cookie dough ingredients until the dough forms a ball. Add in candied cherries.
- Shape cookie dough into 2 logs, about 2 inches thick.
Chill and Bake.
- Roll cookie dough in coconut then wrap in plastic wrap. Chill dough for at least one hour in the refrigerator. Or wrap dough and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Slice chilled cookie dough then bake on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t Skip the Chill Time. This sets the dough and prevents spreading.
- Not a fan of coconut? Try rolling the cookie dough log in sanding sugar, sprinkles, or finely chopped nuts instead.
- For evenly sliced cookies, use a sharp knife and wipe the blade clean if there’s leftover dough on it.
- The dough for Santa’s whiskers cookies can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated or up to 3 months in advance and frozen.
- Baked and cooled cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer-safe container.
Holiday Cookie Recipes
- If you’re looking for another slice-and-bake Christmas cookie recipe, try my Icebox Cookies and use red and green sprinkles. These Lime Swirled Icebox Cookies are super fun too!
- These White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies are not only festive, but also delicious!
- My Grandma’s Peppermint Puff Cookies are unique and one of most requested holiday cookies at my house.
- Christmas Shortbread Bites are just what they sound like, little bites of melt-in-your-mouth holiday cookies with festive sprinkles.
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Santa’s Whiskers Cookies Recipe
Slice-and-bake Santa’s Whiskers Cookies are a festive addition to any cookie tray! They’re buttery, studded with candied cherries, full of almond flavor, and rolled in sweet shredded coconut.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup candied cherries, cut into pieces
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, with paddle attachment, beat butter and both sugars for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add in eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat until fully combined.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt, Mix just until dough comes together in a ball. Add in chopped candied cherries. I turn on the mixer for just a quick second to blend them in without over mixing.
- Lay two large pieces of plastic wrap on your counter (if using press and seal, keep the sticky side down towards the counter). Divide the dough in half and drop each half onto each piece of plastic wrap. Using your hands, roll dough into a log shape, about 2-inches in diameter. The dough will be sticky.
- Sprinkles 1/2 cup of coconut over each log. Roll gently so that the coconut covers the exterior of the entire log. Roll up the plastic wrap and press gently so the coconut presses slightly into the cookie dough.
- Chill cookie dough for at least one hour (or up to 3 days).
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Remove plastic wrap from the cookie dough and slice the dough into 1/4-inch slices. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2-inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on rack 5 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- Candied cherries can be found in red/green in the holiday baking aisle of the grocery store during the holidays. If you can’t find them, you can substitute maraschino cherries. Be sure to pat them dry on a paper towel before using (and don’t overmix or they will turn your cookie dough pink).
- To maintain the log shape, rotate the cookie dough a quarter turn with each cut.
- Icebox cookies can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored wrapped in plastic wrap in the refirgerator. Or you can freeze for up to 3 months (wrapped in plastic wrap then wrapped in foil).
- Baked and cooled cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer safe container.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie
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