Polar Bear Cookies
Want a fun cookie that is more of a craft than a recipe? Then try these Polar Bear Cookies I have for you today. I originally saw this cookie on Pinterest and followed it over to Everyday Dishes last year.
Amber and I were all set up to do this fun cookie. We tried it but for the life of me, I could not get the little marshmallows to work for the ears. The cookies kept breaking and the ears kept falling out. Our project was kind of ruined sadly until Amber came up with an ingenious idea to use the candy-coated chocolates as ears also.
That worked so much better for us but we were almost done when she thought up this suggestion, so we packed it in for the year. If you would like another fun fall edible craft try our fun Thanksgiving Turkey Leg Candy or our Snowman Cake Pops. Or if you want to bake some cuteness try our Reindeer Linzer Cookies.
This year I wanted to try again, so we assembled all of the ingredients and went back at it. Please go over to the original post to see what Everyday Dishes did.
You may have better luck than I did with the little marshmallow ears. They are white and would work well colour wise for sure. We used the paler coloured candy-coated chocolates to use for the ears and then the red, blue, purple and brown for the nose. The orange ones………..we ate!!
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Aren’t they adorable? You don’t have to make many of these to liven up your cookie tray for the holidays. They are pretty sweet anyway so the kids will be after them for sure. The recipe makes 12, which I think is just the right amount.
Another thing that I would change up is to use black icing in a tube as opposed to the decorator gel. It doesn’t dry so the cookies are hard to pack away without smearing. These little guys are still a work in progress for us but I had to share them with you now.
Polar Bear Cookies Recipe

Polar Bear Cookies
These no-bake Polar Bear Cookies make a great craft to do with the kids for the holidays.
Ingredients
- 12 double stuffed sandwich cookies
- 36 different coloured candy coated chocolates
- 12 oz. bag white candy melts
- 1 tube black icing
Instructions
- Lay out a sheet of parchment or wax paper to lay the cookies on once dipped.
- Choose lighter coloured candy coated chocolates for the ears and fun brighter, blue, brown, red and purple for the noses.
- Select 12 nice looking white candy melts for the muzzle and set aside. Melt the rest of the package.
- Slide the "ears" into place in between the cookies into the filling and dip the cookies in the melted white candy. Using a fork lift the cookie out and gently bang the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Lay the cookie on the parchment. Place the candy melt on as the muzzle and press in gently to form a ridge around the muzzle. Paint a small amount of the white chocolate candy melts onto the "nose" and place it higher up on the muzzle. When the cookies are dried, use the black icing to dot on the eyes. Let dry completely before storing in a sealed container.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 218Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 54mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 0gSugar: 32gProtein: 1g
Recipe calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
Comments & Reviews
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Oh my gosh! These are so cute. I need to make these. They would be cute at a baby shower too.
Tara Noland says
Thankyou so much Jennifer, enjoy!!
Shari says
What are white “candy melts”. ? Also what are the ears made out of? You just say “slide them
into place “. How are these attached to the cookie?
Tara Noland says
Candy melts are like a chocolate and found at craft stores like Michael’s. The ears are the same as the nose, they are what we call Smarties here but I think you can find M&M’s that would work if you are in the US. The Smarties are slid into the stuffing of the cookie and stay in place on their own. Then all is dipped in the melted candy melts.
Debra says
Thank you for clarifying the “sliding” of the ears
Tracey Shattuck says
How are far in advance can you make these? Or, I suppose I should ask, how long do they keep? These are adorbs! Can’t wait to make them for the littles.
Tara Noland says
We had ours around for maybe a week but they would last longer even in the fridge, nothing to go on them at all.
Arlene says
I have a question I think these would be a great idea for my work but we make everything from scratch do you think I could make a sugar cookie an use in place of the Oreo?
Tara Noland says
I think if you made a sandwich cookie that would work. I am sure your fellow workers would also forgive you because of the cuteness overload on these ones!!
Beth says
Oreos make a white chocolate dipped cookie this year. You could skip all of the dipping and get to the decorating. Plus, the white dipped Oreo is AWESOME tasting.
Tara Noland says
Do you have an idea of how to attach ears? That would be the only thing I can think of that would be hard. There are way more great products in the US that we never see in Canada!
Trish says
If you could cut a bit of of the candy piece, you can “glue” the ears to the side using the same method as attaching the nose
Tara Noland says
Worth a try Trish!!
Leatha says
White chocolate M&M’s
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
Those look so cute! I love a cookie that’s as cute as it is tasty. I can’t wait to try my hand at making these.
Connie says
These are so cute! Definitely will have to try these with the grandkids.
patty says
These little cookies just make me smile every time I look at them. I love that they are no bake
Pam says
These are so cute. What a fun holiday treat o make for kids or just because.
Lisa Favre says
Oh. My. Goodness. This is amazingly adorable! I really can’t handle how cute these are!!!
Vera Sweeney says
These are completely adorable!!! I love how they turned out these wold be a hit at a holiday party!
Dawn Nieves says
Oh my! These are so cute. My kids would love to make these. Saving this for or annual cookie decorating party!
Claudia Krusch says
I wish you had done a step by step tutorial, I would love to see you making them! You are so gifted! Love it!
Tara Noland says
Sorry about that, didn’t even think of it and wasn’t sure if they would turn out for me again. They are easy now once we had a change in plans!
Cathi Crismon says
Oh my goodness! Easy peasy and oh so festive!! I love these!
Jonna says
Those are so cute! I love them! Thanks so much for sharing your creativity and the recipe.
Tammi Roy says
These cookies are so cute and easy to make. I will have to get the ingredients I need to make these this weekend.
Elizabeth Lampman says
These cookies will be perfect for our Holiday party. I will have to make some this week to try.
Ann Bacciaglia says
My kids are going to love helping me make these. They look so cute and delicious.
Emma @ Charlotte construction says
Those look so adorable! I enjoy a cookie that’s as cute as it is yummy. These little cookies simply make me grin every time I look at them. I can not wait to try my hand at making these.
Janis says
What a wonderfully simple and easy Polar Bear cookie to make that is. I bet that would really impress your friends if you shared some of those in a Christmas cookie exchange.
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
These are so adorable! My kids will surely enjoy these treats! Perfect gift for the holiday too!
Brianne says
How cute are these sweet polar bears! I am definitely making these with the kiddies!
Reesa Lewandowski says
I love how this is a treat that can be made all winter long. Often so many treats are christmas themed. Adorable!!
Janeane Davis says
These cookies look so cute. They will probably be a big hit with the family each winter.
Melissa @ The Staten Island family says
These cookies are too cute and so perfect for the holidays! Can’t wait to bake these up!
Jynette says
So cute! You could probably even do little brown bears with chocolate candy coating and Hershey kisses for the muzzles! LOVE
Tara Noland says
Another cute idea too!! Those would totally work Jynette!
Amy Desrosiers says
These are actually the cutest cookies ever! I love how perfect and tasty they look!
Nancy @ whispered inspirations says
This is so darn cute! This would be great for the holidays!
Alma says
Are the ears kisses? Oh by the way these are just adorable. Thank you for sharing.
Tara Noland says
The ears are candy coated chocolate or as you would better know them, Smarties!
Southern Gal says
I was going to ask the same thing! Thanks!
Jennifer says
Hi did you double dip the cookies.. i made them with oreo cookies and could still see the brown through the white chocolate. .. kids still loved them …. thanks so much for sharing ♡
Tara Noland says
No, I didn’t double dip the chocolate, maybe it is a different brand and that made the difference.
Linda says
Maybe try the white chocolate covered oreos
Tara Noland says
I don’t know how you would attach the ears though, suggestions?
Teresea says
I wonder how well they would ship from Texas to London?
Tara Noland says
They might loose a nose or ear 🙁
Sara says
My granddaughter would love these! Yes, adding them to the “must make” list of cookies! Thank you for trying again this year. They came out great!
Wendy says
I made Minnie Mouse cookies similar to this but took apart mini Oreos and stuck them in the bigger Oreo for ears.
Tara Noland says
So cute, would love to see a picture if you have one!
Karen says
I’m just inquiring about the ears…do you cut them somehow? They look smaller than the one on the nose. Thanks!
Tara Noland says
No, they are the same size, the candy coated chocolate (Smarties) are just slid into the sandwich cookie.
Shannon says
What’s a Smarties candy coated chocolate? I’ve not heard of those. I thought the ears were simply white m&m’s. They are so cute…thank you for sharing!
Tara Noland says
https://www.google.ca/search?q=smarties&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=950&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjx5f3y3drQAhUd3YMKHYmWDIgQ_AUIBigB Here are some pictures, the colourful ones I am referring to.
Tara Noland says
You might be able to find different things if you are in the US, M&M’s may be more in a disc shape than the round ones we have.
Bonnie says
What are the noses? M & Ms?
Tara Noland says
They are Smarties, same as the ears. You can use M$M’s if you have them in the US.
Holly Harz says
Where did you find the pastel and white m&ms?
Tara Noland says
They are Smarties, that we have up here in Canada. You could use M&M’s if they are the flat disc kind. The “white ears” are dipped with the rest of the cookie after they have been inserted.
michelle says
you could also use the white chocolate hershey kisses for the nose. take a warm butter knife to flatten it an attach a colored candy
Tara Noland says
Loving everyone’s suggestions. Fun cookie/craft to make your own!!
s carney says
Would love to see how these actually come together for someone. After 3 stores to gather my supplies, haven’t been able to get a single one out of the dipping stage, let alone to be able to hit it against the side to get excess off. I now have a bunch of stuff that I can’t eat and it is too much of a mess to even claim it is a critter of some type.
Tara Noland says
You aren’t able to dip them, is the white candy melts hot enough? They should very easily dip, never had a issue there. Are you using white chocolate instead?
s carney says
The dipping isn’t the issue. I am not a novice at dipping. No not using ‘white chocolate.’ The cookies do not hold together no matter the method used. Finally used a tiny set of tongs and then did as best as could to smooth the face. Too bad, the pictures are so cute.
Tara Noland says
I am sorry, now I understand. I had that issue the first time I tried to make them with taking the cookie apart. They wouldn’t hold together again or broke. Once I used the Smarties that we had for the nose and then for the ears is was not an issue.
s carney says
Hmm, never thought of taking the cookie apart. The smarties must be slimmer than the m&ms. Could not find smarties or another candy that would work. Just as well, I cannot eat any of the components used. Thx for your troubleshooting.
Tara Noland says
Maybe they are slimmer, I was worried about that. I know our M&M are very plump. If you still have white candy melts maybe you can do a bark. Sorry it didn’t work for you.
Elizabeth says
Any tips to keep the candy melt ears from melting?
Tara Noland says
I didn’t use the candy melts for the ears but I used the Smarties.
Jennifer says
How did you get the smarties to stick to the candy melt nose like in the picture? The recipe says to paint on the nose. I’m confused (not hard to do).
Tara Noland says
Paint a little white chocolate onto the nose and attach, I will clarify that.
Diana says
How did you get the actual cookie to stay together?? The ears (mostly) stayed in, but the two halves of he cookie kept falling apart! Also, what cookies did you use?
Tara Noland says
I used double stuffed Oreos. The “Smarties” I used worked great, they are fairly thin as you can see with the nose. I just didn’t push them in too far. Before with the marshmallow ears I had the issue of the cookie breaking and the ears not staying in.
Marla says
I made these today & they did not turn out as nice as yours. How did you get them so smooth? M&M’s are thicker than smarties so I recommend that if you don’t have smarties available to you that you get the mega stuffed oreos. I didn’t have good luck with the M&M’s staying in. They are cute but not as pretty as yours.
Tara Noland says
I guess it all depends what you have available for this. The candy melts that I used just went smooth like that with a few taps on the side of the bowl. I don’t believe we have mega stuffed oreos here in Canada but that is a good suggestion. As I said in the post, these are still a work in progress but fun to make.
Disenda McKinney says
My Granddaughter and I can’t wait to make them for her 3rd grade class!
Mike says
Perhaps small dark dragees for the eyes would be a better choice?
Tara Noland says
Those would work!!
Linda says
Have you tried mini chocolate chips for the eyes or maybe even sprinkles for colored eyes? That would be neater than either frosting or gel.
Tara Noland says
More good suggestions, thank you!!
Sherrin says
These are adorable I’m making them today for my Christmas cookie platter. Thanks
BOB says
what are the other ingredients???
Tara Noland says
They are all noted in the recipe.
Dawn Lowery says
I made these cute bears for my church craft Bazaar last year. They were gone in a few minutes! So, when I found out my daughter was pregnant, I made them as her baby shower favors. The white polar bears became Brown fuzzy bears ( just like her childhood bear) with a note attached that said “Thank you for coming to my Mommy’s shower. I can “bearly” wait to meet you!” Thank you for the inspiration!
Tara Noland says
OMG, cuteness overload, I can “bearly” stand it. I am so glad you are having fun with this recipe. So creative to have done them in a fuzzy bear rendition, love it!!
Michelle says
I made these last December and I used the Smarties for ears and followed the rest of the directions and it was so easy! I wish I could attach a pic here. I making them again next week. Thank you for recipe and for the tip about using Smarties instead of marshmallow. This really is more of a craft than a bake and my nephews loved these!
Tara Noland says
So glad you had fun with these and I agree they are more of an edible craft than a recipe. Happy Holidays!!
Deanna says
Can you freezes these after you make them for later
Tara Noland says
I would think yes but I have honestly never tried, they didn’t last that long 🙂
Lisa says
Can I use regular melted white chocolate and spread it on the cookie with a butter knife? I’m having my special education class make these for cooking. Trying to find a way to make them without getting all the special ingredients. Went to 3 stores and ran out of time looking for the other meltable chocolate discs/smarties.
Tara Noland says
You can try it but I am not sure how smooth it will look. If the chocolate is too thick I have read to add a small amount of Crisco (not the butter flavored) to the chocolate. This will thin it and make it more workable but doesn’t effect the drying time. I personally have not tried it though.
Jennifer Snow says
Hello, thank you for this wonderful idea. I have been making these in bulk for a number of years and have a few helpful hints . Use the mega stuffed oreos -solves the problem of the cookie coming apart when you slide in the m&ms in. Use wilton bright white candy melts. These are available in most craft stores. I usually mix in paramount crystals (available on Amazon) which helps to smooth the candy mixture. Crisco in very small amounts works well too. Once the dipped cookie is set, I use a razor blade to shave off the excess chocolate that pools on the bottom of the cookie. This gives it a clean professional look. Happy dipping!
Tara Noland says
Thanks for the great tips!! So glad you are enjoying making them!!