These fun and tasty gumdrop cookies will delight kids of all ages with each bite of colorful fruit-flavored candies packed in a tender sugar cookie! They're also incredibly easy-to-make cookies with no chilling required before popping them in the oven to bake. Though they make great holiday cookies, they are so tasty you'll want to bake them year-round!
Easy Gumdrop Cookie Recipe
The holiday season is a popular time for baked goods, especially cookies! Between baking and decorating, many traditional holiday cookies can be time-consuming. Not these gumdrop cookies!
Gumdrop cookies essentially decorate themselves while they are baking – making them a perfect addition to your holiday dessert plate. Simply mix together a few basic baking ingredients, add a cup of gumdrops, and wait to see these festive cookies bake!
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Everyone loves receiving these easy gumdrop cookies in their Christmas cookie trays!
🥘 Gum Drop Cookie Ingredients
The primary ingredients in these cookies are basic baking ingredients that you may already have in your cupboards. Don’t worry if you need to buy anything additional; you can easily use these staples for additional baking during the holidays or any time of the year.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
- Butter – ¾ cup of butter. I typically bake with salted butter, but salted or unsalted butter will work. I also like to use a shortening/butter blend for these gumdrop cookies.
- Sugar – 1 cup of granulated white sugar. It is a staple in most cookie recipes to provide overall sweetness.
- Egg – 1 large egg. This is the most common size you purchase in the store. Bring your egg to room temperature before mixing the dough for the best baking results.
- Almond Extract – ½ teaspoon almond extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla). Almond extract is a much stronger flavor than the more commonly used vanilla extract, so you will use less than if you use vanilla.
- Baking Soda – ½ teaspoon of baking soda. A common leavening agent that is used in baking.
- Salt – ¼ teaspoon of salt helps to enhance flavors, like the almond extract, in baked goods. It also helps balance the sweetness and prevent baked goods from going stale.
- All-Purpose Flour – 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour. It is the most common type of flour you buy in the grocery store. Many stores have a generic brand that is a great option.
- Gumdrops – 1 cup of chopped gumdrops. These are colored jelly-like candies that are typically fruit flavored. Be sure you're getting the gumdrops and not spice drops (sugar-coated and definitely not fruity)! *I used the whole 6.4-ounce box of Dots gumdrops for this batch of cookies - and I always contemplate adding even more!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
Shortening instead of Butter: The biggest difference between shortening and butter is the texture of the cookie. Shortening will provide a rounder and fuller cookie that has a crumblier texture. Butter provides a softer cookie that will be a bit flatter since it spreads out more during baking.
I also prefer to use butter because it adds to the overall flavor of the cookie. Combining shortening and butter is a great way to get the best of both worlds. A 2-to-1 ratio provides the best results: ½ cup of butter and ¼ cup of shortening.
🔪 How To Make Gumdrop Cookies
The base of these cookies is a simple sugar cookie recipe, but these are even easier than sugar cookies because you don’t have to decorate them! You will need measuring cups and spoons, a mixing bowl, kitchen shears, and a hand mixer or stand mixer or some elbow grease! 🙂
Make the Cookie Dough
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Mix sugar and butter. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together ¾ cup butter (or butter and shortening blend) with 1 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the room temperature large egg and ½ teaspoon almond extract until well combined, then mix in ½ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Add the flour. Gradually mix in 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour until the dough is smooth, then fold in 1 cup of the chopped gumdrops until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Bake the Gumdrop Cookies
- Portion out cookies. Drop the cookies onto your prepared baking sheet in tablespoon portions, leaving 2 inches of spacing between the cookies.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-14 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are just beginning to turn a light golden brown.
- Cool. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
I love to use these cookies as gifts for the holidays! Just arrange them on a festive paper plate and wrap it tightly with plastic cling film or cellophane (Christmas colored if you can find it), and tie it off with a bow. Perfect for teachers, co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Kitchen shears are best for chopping gumdrops. Let the cut pieces drop into a small plate of sugar to coat the sticky side so that the cut pieces don't stick together. I like to do this before beginning any other steps so they are ready to drop in the dough and mix.
- I've baked these cookies as balls, drop cookies, and the way I like them best - a slightly flattened shape after forming the 1-inch round balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon portion each).
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet. The gum drop cookies will continue to cook while sitting on the baking sheet.
- You may make the cookie dough in advance by forming it into a ball and wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap. Keep the ball of dough in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. *I suggest baking within 24 hours for the freshest cookies.
🥡 Storing
These cookies may be kept at room temperature for up to 1 week. Store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag to keep them fresh.
These cookies also freeze well! Wrap up bundles of the gumdrop cookies in plastic cling film then store them in an airtight container or freezer storage bag to freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them on the counter at room temperature before eating.
❓ Recipe FAQs
I prefer to use butter instead of shortening because it adds to the overall flavor of the cookie. A great way to get the best of both worlds is to do a mixture of shortening and butter. I think a 2-to-1 ratio of butter provides the best results: ½ cup of butter and ¼ cup of shortening.
Yes! Gumdrop cookies freeze incredibly well. Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap before storing them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can thaw them out at room temperature when you're ready to eat them!
You don't have to. I like to because it gives you chewy bits of gumdrop in every bite!
🎄 More Holiday Christmas Cookies
- Melting Moments - They are named melting moments because they melt in your mouth!
- M&M Christmas Cookies - Everyone loves these festive red and green M&M cookies!
- Classic Christmas Cookies - A classic vanilla cookie with sugar cookie frosting and your favorite blend of sprinkles!
- Empire Biscuits - A sweet and fruity jam sandwiched in-between 2 tasty shortbread cookies!
- Kringla - Extra soft Scandinavian cookies that are sure to become a family tradition.
- Kolaczki - Delicious 5-ingredient fruit-filled Polish cookies!
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📖 Recipe Card
Gumdrop Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter (or a blend of ½ cup butter and ¼ cup shortening is my preferred ratio)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup gumdrops (chopped)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer cream together the butter (or butter and shortening blend) with granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg and almond extract until well combined, then mix in the baking soda and salt.
- Gradually mix in the flour until the dough is smooth, then fold in the chopped gumdrops until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Drop the cookies onto your prepared baking sheet in tablespoon portions, leaving 2-inches of spacing between the cookies.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-14 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are just beginning to turn a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Kitchen shears are best for chopping gumdrops. Let the cut pieces drop into a small plate of sugar to coat the sticky side so that the cut pieces don't stick together. I like to do this before beginning any of the other steps so that they are ready to drop in the dough and mix.
- I've baked these cookies as balls, drop cookies, and the way I like them best - a slightly flattened shape after forming the 1-inch round balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon portion each).
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet. The gum drop cookies will continue to cook a bit while sitting on the baking sheet.
- You may make the cookie dough in advance by forming it into a ball or disc and wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap. Keep the ball of dough in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. *I suggest baking within 24 hours for the freshest cookies.
- Store gumdrop cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- Wrap bundles of the gumdrop cookies in plastic cling film then store in an airtight container or freezer storage bag to freeze for up to 3 months.
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