This huge, soft, sugar cookie is an addition to our popular collection of giant cookies! Each recipe makes one HUGE cookie, perfect for gifting or snacking. They are easy to mix up in one small bowl and quick from start to finish. This Giant Red Hot Sugar Cookie is inspired by my love of red hots on valentine sugar cookies. What I don’t love is feeling like I’m going to break a tooth so this Giant Sugar Cookie is made with crushed red hot candies in the dough, and more sprinkled on top. The cookie itself is soft and buttery and the flavor combo is addictive! Make sure to read all the tips for tons of great pointers on how to make the perfect Giant Cookie.
Ingredients and Equipment Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Cookie
- Butter – Use real butter.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Red Hot Candies – This cookie gets a little burst of cinnamon flavor from crushed up red hot candies. Find these by the sprinkles on the baking aisle.
Frosting
- Butter – Use real butter.
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cream or milk
- Cinnamon extract or cinnamon flavoring oil – Optional.
Useful Tools
- Meat Mallet – I use my meat mallet to crush the red hot candies in a plastic bag. You could also try using the bottom of a very solid drinking glass.
How to Make a Giant Red Hot Sugar Cookie
- Crush some candies. I use a heavy mallet and place my red hots in a plastic bag to crush them.
- Make the dough. We’ve got all the usual players here: butter, sugar, an egg yolk, vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt. Then the candies go right into the dough. I’ve decreased the amount of sugar in this cookie so basically some of the red hots take the place of the normal amount of sweetness. It gives the finished cookie gorgeous color, too.
- Giant Cookie Tip #1: Use my template! When you are ready to bake, this printable template slips under a piece of parchment paper and gives you a size and shape guide. Spread and shape your dough to the 7 inch circle. There is also a heart option. Bake.
- Giant Cookie Tip #2: Shape your cookie! As soon as the cookie gets out of the oven, take a large spatula and gently nudge the edges in to make a nice circular shape. This not only looks better, but it helps the texture of the cookie so those edges are nice and uniform in size and shape after spreading during the baking process.
- Frost it! I use a fluffy buttercream icing on this cookie. If you love cinnamon, I recommend a few drops of cinnamon extract (or cinnamon flavoring oil) to boost that flavor in the overall cookie. Without a little extract the cinnamon is quite mild. You may prefer it that way, but just wanted to let you know of your options! I prefer a little extra boost of cinnamon.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Homemade cookies are safe to eat for a week or more when stored this way, but they will definitely have the best taste and texture the first couple days.
- Because we are working with such small ingredients it’s important that you measure them correctly. It’s very easy to alter your dough for any of these giant cookies simply by not measuring your flour correctly, packing your brown sugar too much, or using a small egg. We’ve included details in the recipe to help with this!
- Templates and Labels:
Gifting Giant Cookies
- Giant cookies make a great gift for neighbors, teachers, and friends! 10-inch pizza boxes lined with parchment paper* hold one cookie perfectly and are adorable for gifting. *Make sure to line your box and use parchment or waxed paper and not tissue paper. Otherwise the box will absorb some butter and look greasy.
- If you are making several large cookies, I recommend setting out several bowls, one for each batch, and measure ingredients into each one by one. This will help prevent confusion when measuring ingredients and ensure that each dough ball is the correct size for one cookie. Alternately, you can use a food scale to accurately divide your dough into individual cookies.
- If you’d like to, use one bowl for every two cookies, so you can use one whole egg (instead of two yolks) and then just split the dough evenly into two pieces before baking. Again, a food scale is helpful!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze giant cookies?
To freeze baked, unfrosted cookies: To do this, I place them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until frozen on the outside and then stack multiple cookies between sheets of parchment paper, wrapped well in freezer. I wouldn’t freeze them for more than 6-8 weeks.
Freeze unbaked dough: Use your printable template guide to press dough out into the proper size, then freeze for 30 minutes or so until frozen to the touch on the outside and stack multiple dough rounds between pieces of parchment paper. Wrap thoroughly. Let dough rounds thaw at room temperature and then bake as recipe states.
Can I make regular sized cookies with this dough?
Absolutely. If you just want a few cookies, this recipe is perfect. Split the dough into 4-6 pieces before baking. Baking times will be quicker this way, so I’d take a look after about 8 minutes and pull them out as soon they look set.
Giant Red Hot Sugar Cookie
This recipe makes one giant cookie, about 8-9″ in diameter. It has fluffy buttercream icing and crushed red hots for a fun cinnamon-y twist!
Servings large 9″ cookie
Equipment
Ingredients
Cookie
- ½ cup real butter very soft but not melted
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons crushed red hot candies note: you’ll need some more to sprinkle on top
- 1 egg yolk from large or extra large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour lightly spoon into measuring cup and level
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Icing
- 4 tablespoons butter extra soft
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons cream or milk
- cinnamon extract or cinnamon flavoring oil to taste optional
Topping
- 1 tablespoon red hots, crushed to sprinkle on top of frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment and slip our printable template underneath the parchment. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in egg yolk and vanilla until smooth. Add flour, baking powder and salt all at once and mix to combine. Mix in 1 ½ tablespoons crushed red hot candies. Dough will look crumbly at first, that’s normal! Keep mixing, for longer than you think you need to and it will come together. When everything is well incorporated, you can use clean hands to pull it all together.
- Form dough into one large ball.
- Place dough ball on prepared baking sheet and gently press to 7″ in diameter. Smooth edges with hands so here are no craggily edges that can get overcooked. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until set on the edges and slightly soft in the middle. I feel this cookie is best just slightly underbaked so it stays soft! Note: All ovens cook differently and baking time can vary depending on how you pressed your cookie down so set your timer but keep an eye on it and go by look over time! If your edges are getting browned, it’s probably been in there too long!
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- While cooling, mix up all frosting ingredients until light and fluffy. Add as much liquid as you need (a tiny bit at a time) until it is the consistency you like and add cinnamon flavoring to taste, starting with just a few drops.
- When cookie is completely cool, frost and sprinkle with additional crushed candies.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Homemade cookies are safe to eat for a week or more when stored this way, but they will definitely have the best taste and texture the first couple days.
- Because we are working with such small ingredients it’s important that you measure them correctly. It’s very easy to alter your dough for any of these giant cookies simply by not measuring your flour correctly, packing your brown sugar too much, or using a small egg. We’ve included details in the recipe to help with this!
- Templates and Labels:
Nutrition
Serving: 1Cookie, Calories: 2798kcal, Carbohydrates: 358g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 149g, Saturated Fat: 92g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 39g, Trans Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 576mg, Sodium: 1506mg, Potassium: 218mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 256g, Vitamin A: 4716IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 154mg, Iron: 7mg
Calories: 2798kcal
Cost: $4
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Questions & Reviews
Fun and easy treat for Valentine’s Day! This was delicious.
If I use a round cake pan should I line with parchment paper?
I would!
Hi!! Just wondering if you can make these smaller and adjust the cooking time? Trying to make these for my mom, she LOVES red hots and all things cinnamon!!
yes, you bet! I don’t have a specific time for you, you’d just have to eyeball it 🙂
DROOLING!! I’m in my car waiting for my daughter at the grocery store and had to call her to pick up some red hot while she was in there! Thank you so much!
Going to have to try this- red hots are right up my alley! I think I’ll just use an 6 or 8-inch cake pan though, to corral the batter and make a perfect circle!
I hope you like it! The dough won’t spread too much, so a baking sheet works great. If you use a cake pan, it might be a little tricker to get out, after. But let me know how it turns out!