Turn store-bought cookies into adorably cute Dark Chocolate Nutter Butter Penguins with Marshmallow Bellies. They are so fun to make using marshmallows, candy eyes, and Tootsie Rolls.
Nutter Butter Cookies can be transformed into so many cute little characters for Christmas and I thought the shape of the peanut butter cookies was the perfect body for a penguin.
Trying to make this project really easy, I made a few penguins where I just frosted the cookies with Nutella and added the marshmallow belly, Tootsie Roll wings, Circus Peanut beak and feet, and candy eyes, but I didn't like how the sides of the cookies showed, so I went ahead and dipped them in dark chocolate. They taste great either way.
If you don't have much experience working with chocolate, read my Chocolate Making Tips page (here) before you begin. You can use melted and tempered pure dark chocolate or just melted dark confectionery coating/candy melts for this project. Each penguin will use about an ounce of chocolate, but you'll need extra so you can have enough in your bowl to dip the last few Nutter Butter Cookies.
Dark Chocolate Nutter Butter Penguins
Ingredients
- Nutter Butter Cookies
- Tootsie Rolls
- marshmallows
- Circus Peanuts OR orange taffy, orange Starburst Fruit Chews, orange Tootsie Rolls
- candy eyes
- melted and tempered dark chocolate OR melted dark confectionery coating/candy melts
Supplies
- kitchen shears or knife
- dipping fork or kitchen fork
- parchment paper lined baking sheet
Items used to create this project are available on Amazon.com. I earn a small commission when you use the Amazon links to make a purchase at no extra cost to you.
Nutter Butter Peanut Butter...Shop on Amazon 
¼" White And Black Icing ...Shop on Amazon
SweetGourmet Orange Circus ...Shop on AmazonInstructions
Get your decorations ready. Take your Nutter Butter Cookies out of the package. Cut a thin slice from each round end of your marshmallows. (The center slices will be too sticky to use, so just snack on them or save them and dip them in the leftover chocolate.)
Unwrap your Tootsie Rolls and smash them flat. You may need to heat them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them up.
Use kitchen shears or a knife to cut wings from the Tootsie Rolls. Cut off small pieces of your Circus Peanut or other orange candy, and shape them into triangular beaks and teardrop-shaped feet.
Dip one Nutter Butter Cookie in the melted and tempered dark chocolate or melted confectionery coating. Use a dipping fork or kitchen fork to remove the cookie from the chocolate. Tap the fork on the side of your bowl to allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Set on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Immediately attach all your candy decorations while the chocolate is still wet.
Place the marshmallow, cut side down, on your chocolate-dipped Nutter Butter. Attach one wing to each side of the cookie and two feet to the bottom of the cookie. Then add the eyes and beak.
Refrigerate if using pure dark chocolate and freeze if using confectionery coating/candy melts for about 5 minutes, just until the coating hardens.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to several weeks.
These cute little Nutter Butter Penguins will make great Christmas party favors. Wrap them individually in clear cellophane bags to give as treats. I plan to add mine to cookie trays for our Christmas Open House.
Related Recipes
Here are some more fun penguin-themed recipe ideas.
Be sure to check out all my fun Christmas Recipes!
Recipe
- 6 Nutter Butter Cookies
- 6 Tootsie Rolls
- 3 marshmallows
- 3 Circus Peanuts OR orange taffy orange Starburst Fruit Chews, orange Tootsie Rolls
- 12 candy eyes
- 12 ounces melted and tempered dark chocolate OR melted dark confectionery coating/candy melts
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Cut a thin slice from each round end of your marshmallows.
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Unwrap Tootsie Rolls and smash them flat.
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Use kitchen shears or a knife to cut wings from the Tootsie Rolls.
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Cut off small pieces of your Circus Peanut or other orange candy, and shape into triangular beaks, and tear drop shaped feet.
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Dip one Nutter Butter Cookie in the melted and tempered dark chocolate or melted confectionery coating.
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Set on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
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Immediately attach all your candy decorations while the chocolate is still wet.
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Attach two Tootsie Roll wings, one candy beak, two candy feet, one marshmallow belly, and two candy eyes.
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Chill in the refrigerator if using pure chocolate and in the freezer if using candy melts for about 5 minutes until the chocolate hardens.
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Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
AWESOME! I love when a treat uses a store-bought cookie to start with. Brilliant, Mama! 🙂
Sarah @ Miss Candiquik says
I adore these!!! Love Nutter butters, in fact, not even sure I've bought them for normal consumption - I'm usually transforming them into snowmen, reindeer, etc! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Beth Jackson Klosterboer says
Thanks Sarah. I can totally relate to your Nutter Butter buying habits. If my husband knows they are in the house, many do disappear before I can do something fun with them, but they make a great base for many edible crafts.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
Too stinking cute! My niece and nephews would go crazy for these!