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Home » Recipes » Cinnamon Polar Bears

Cinnamon Polar Bears

By: Liz  /  Published: December 13, 2022  /  Updated: December 13, 2022  /   Leave a comment

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These Cinnamon Polar Bears are festive and fun holiday cookies. Dusted with powdered sugar, the soft and fluffy bears have adorable faces complete with cinnamon candy noses and chocolate chip eyes. They’re irresistible Christmas cookies and add cheery fun to cookie platters.

cinnamon polar bear cookies

Love polar bears? Check out my other Polar Bear Cookies recipe!

Why I Love This Cinnamon Bear Cookies Recipe

  • They feature my favorite spice – cinnamon!
  • Cinnamon Christmas cookies make a great addition to holiday cookie tins and platters.
  • Kids (and adults!) love them. (They’d be fun at a birthday party too.)
  • They’re fun to make!
  • Each cinnamon polar bear cookie looks unique—they have personality!

Key Ingredients

ingredients for cinnamon polar bear cookies
  • Cinnamon candies (also called red hots or cinnamon imperials) – These can be found in the baking aisle and/or in the candy section.
  • Mini chocolate chips are the perfect size for the cinnamon polar bears’ eyes.
  • Butter – I always use unsalted for baking.
  • Powdered sugar
  • Granulated sugar
  • All-purpose flour
  • Egg
  • Cinnamon

How to Make Cinnamon Polar Bears

Step 1: In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Mix in flour and cinnamon.

creamed butter and sugar
add egg to creamed butter and sugar
add flour and cinnamon to butter mixture
cinnamon polar bear cookie dough

Step 2: Chill dough AT LEAST 2 hours or overnight. Please don’t skip this step. Look in the expert tips section for details.

Step 3: For each cookie: Shape dough into 1-inch ball and place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Form 3 (1/4-inch) balls. Place two above the bigger ball for ears and one on top for the nose. Flatten slightly. Leave about 2 inches between cookies.

cinnamon polar bear cookie dough balls
cinnamon polar bear cookie dough on cookie sheet
close-up of bear cookie before baking

Step 4: Chill prepared cookies on the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before baking. Bake 12-14 minutes or until firm to the touch. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to a wire rack.

just baked bear cookies

Step 5: Dust cinnamon polar bears with powdered sugar. (You can lightly dust them or go heavier; it’s up to you!) Gently press in a cinnamon candy nose and two mini chocolate chip eyes. Let cool completely.

cinnamon polar bear cookies on wire rack_

Expert Tips

  • Chilling the dough is an ABSOLUTE MUST for these cookies or they will spread and flatten too much. Yes, they’ll still taste good, but we want them to be puffy and fluffy, not flat. This dough warms up quickly so once you’ve assembled the bears, you will want to chill them on the cookie sheet for at least 15 minutes before baking.
  • Use a quality baking pan (this is precisely what I use) and line it with parchment paper. I don’t recommend non-stick pans for these cookies.
  • Bake one tray at a time so that you can decorate the cinnamon bear cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
  • A mini strainer is perfect for sprinkling powdered sugar over the cookies.
  • After dusting with powdered sugar, quickly add the cinnamon candy noses first so that they’ll easily push into the freshly baked cookies.
  • Don’t worry about perfection when decorating. Every polar bear cookie will have its own personality. It’s part of the charm.
cinnamon_polar_bears
cinnamon polar bear cookies

Cinnamon Polar Bears

Liz – Eat Move Make
These Cinnamon Polar Bears are festive and fun holiday cookies. Dusted with powdered sugar, the soft and fluffy bears have adorable faces complete with cinnamon candy noses and chocolate chip eyes.
5 from 31 votes
Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
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Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Chill Time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 42 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 30
Calories 159 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 egg
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (This is approximate. You may use more or less.)
  • 96 mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 48 red cinnamon candies

Instructions
 

  • In electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Mix in flour and cinnamon. Cover dough with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  • For each cookie: Shape dough into a 1-inch ball and place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Form 3 (1/4-inch) balls. Place two above the larger ball for ears and one on top for the nose. Flatten slightly. Space cookies about 2 inches apart. Chill prepared cookies on the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before baking.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Bake for about 12 minutes or until firm to the touch. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Gently press in a cinnamon candy nose and two mini chocolate chip eyes. Let cool completely.

Notes

Expert Tips

  • Chilling the dough is an ABSOLUTE MUST for these cookies or they will spread and flatten too much. Yes, they’ll still taste good, but we want them to be puffy and fluffy, not flat. This dough warms up quickly so once you’ve assembled the bears, you will want to chill them (again) on the cookie sheet for at least 15 minutes before baking.
  • Use a quality baking pan (this is precisely what I use) and line it with parchment paper. I don’t recommend non-stick pans for these cookies.
  • Bake one tray at a time so that you can decorate the cinnamon bear cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
  • A mini strainer is perfect for sprinkling powdered sugar over the cookies.
  • After dusting with powdered sugar, quickly add the cinnamon candy noses first so that they’ll easily push into the freshly baked cookies.
  • Don’t worry about perfection when decorating. Every polar bear cookie will have its own personality. It’s part of the charm!
All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only and nutrition may vary according to exact products and the online nutrition calculator being used. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on EatMoveMake.com should only be used as a general guideline.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 4mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 199IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About Liz

Liz is a midwestern mom gone southern (accent in transition). She lives in North Carolina and loves cooking, baking, traveling, movies, crafts, hot and cold tea, wine, pizza and the occasional nap. She also revels in the fact she's a crazy cat lady.

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Welcome!

I’m Liz! Thank you for visiting Eat Move Make. Here you will find a collection of easy & delicious year-round recipes, seasonal ideas, and DIY craft inspiration. Visit my About Me page for more of my story.

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Hey there, i’m Liz!

I’m the founder of Eat Move Make and a North Carolina mom of two humans and six cats. I love to cook, bake, craft and travel. I’m also addicted to tea (but not sweet tea).

When I’m not creating something in my kitchen, and since my kids are now adults, I’m all about my bucket list of travel destinations and adventures.

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