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    Home » Recipes » Everyday Desserts

    Gumdrop Cookies - Sugar Cookies Filled with Fruit Flavored Gumdrops

    Modified: Apr 20, '21 · Published: Dec 22, '18 · By: Beth Klosterboer · Commission earned on paid or sponsored links.

    Jump to Recipe

    These Gumdrop Cookies are my absolute favorite cookies. There's nothing better than soft and chewy gumdrop pieces mixed into a fluffy sugar cookie.

    Originally posted on December 3, 2013. Updated with a new VIDEO tutorial in 2018.

    These Gumdrop Cookies are my absolute favorite cookies. There's nothing better than soft and chewy gumdrop pieces mixed into a fluffy sugar cookie. 

    Baking has always been my passion, and as a child, I'd bake dozens and dozens of cookies to give to family and friends, and the most requested cookies were always my gumdrop cookies.

    The original version of this recipe came from my neighbor. I remember when she first handed me a gumdrop cookie, I resisted, but once I finally gave in and took a bite, I couldn't get enough.

    Each soft sugar cookie is loaded with sweet little gems of fruity goodness.

    Gumdrop Cookies Recipe

    This recipe has evolved a bit over the years and it is still my most requested cookie at the holidays or anytime of year, really.

    I personally enjoy the lemon, orange, grape, lime, and cherry flavors that the brightly colored gumdrops bring to these cookies, but they can be made with just red and green and even white gumdrops for Christmas, if you prefer.

    You can see how I made Christmas Gumdrop Cookies in my How To Host a Cookie Exchange post where I share tips and tricks for hosting an amazing cookie swap at Christmas. These are my favorite cookies to bring!

    Display of cookies arranged on platters and cake stands for a Christmas Cookie Exchange.

    You can make gumdrop cookies for so many different occasions. They are so festive for a birthday party and make great birthday gifts. My mom and brothers hope to see a package of them wrapped up each year.

    For Valentine's Day you can fill these gumdrop cookies with red (and white or pink) gumdrops. Orange and purple gumdrops make fun Halloween cookies. You can use black gumdrops but they are usually licorice flavored and I prefer the grape flavored purple candies.

    Yellow, purple, pink, and orange gumdrops look festive for Easter.

    So many possibilities.

    collage of images showing gumdrop cookies in a purple bowl and on a cooling rack with "gumdrop cookies" text overlay

    How to make Gumdrop Cookies

    You'll need:

    • Gumdrops
      • I like to use fruit slices. You can find these at most grocery or drug stores in the candy aisle.
      • If you can find fruit flavored Jumbo Gumdrops they work great too.
      • DO not use spice flavored gumdrops unless you really want spice flavored cookies.
    • sugar
      • You'll cut the gumdrops and coat the sticky sides in sugar before mixing the candy pieces into the dough.

    Cookie Dough:

    • Country Crock Sticks
      • I have been using Country Crock Baking Sticks to make this recipe since I was a kid.
      • The Country Crock Baking Sticks are soft so they do not need to sit out at room temperature like butter does before making cookie dough.
      • They impart a very mellow flavor thereby allowing the gumdrops to be the star of the show in these cookies.
    • sugar
    • eggs
    •  vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
      • I personally love using vanilla bean paste in all my baking.
      • It adds amazing vanilla flavor.
    • flour
    • salt
    • baking powder
    • baking soda

    Tools needed:

    • kitchen shears (scissors) or a sharp knife
    • parchment paper lined baking sheets
    • #30 ice cream scoop, optional
    How to easily cut up gumdrops for Gumdrop Cookies.

     Cutting Gumdrops:

    • Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut gumdrops into small pieces.
      • You will find that using kitchen scissors will be much quicker and easier than using a knife.
      • Spray the kitchen shears with baking spray, wiping off any excess spray before cutting. This will keep the gumdrops from sticking too badly.
      • Wash your scissors often and respray as needed.
    • Drop the cut pieces of gumdrops into a bowl of sugar then toss to coat.
      • As you cut the gumdrops, coat the sticky part in sugar to make cutting easier.
    • Remove from sugar and shake off the excess.
    • You'll want the gumdrop pieces to be rather small, about ¼ inch or so in length.

    Cookie Dough:

    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
    • Cream the Country Crock Baking Sticks and sugar together until fluffy.
    • Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
    • In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
    • Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until blended.

    Can I freeze the cookie dough?

    • Yes! I freeze this cookie dough all the time.
    • You can scoop the cookie dough and set the scoops on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cover and freeze them until firm, then place them in an zip top freezer bag or airtight container until you are ready to bake.
    • You can bake the frozen cookies but you'll need to add extra time (3-6 minutes) or you can thaw them and bake them according to the recipe.
    • If you prefer you can scoop the dough into a large zip top bag and freeze it then thaw and scoop later.
    • Or you can roll the dough into a few logs, wrap them well in parchment paper then store in a zip top bag. When you are ready to bake the cookies, thaw on the counter for about 15 minutes then cut the logs into slices. This is my favorite way to freeze these cookies.
    • With any of these methods, be sure to have more cut gumdrop pieces to add to the tops of the cookies before baking.
    Homemade gumdrop cookies are the BEST cookies ever!
    • Mix in about half of the gumdrop pieces.
    • Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough using a spoon or preferably a #30 ice cream scoop, onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
      • I always bake my cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. They don't stick and clean up is a breeze .
    How to easily flatten a tray of cookies.
    • These cookies do not flatten out in the oven, so you have to flatten them.
      • You can, if you'd like, flatten them all individually using your hands but I'm going to share a little trick with you that we used to use in my store (when we'd bake thousands of these cookies every week).
        • Place a piece of parchment paper over the tray of cookie dough.
        • Set another baking sheet over the parchment paper.
        • Press down on the baking sheet to flatten the cookies all at once.
    How to easily flatten cookies.
    • Peel the top piece of parchment paper off of the cookies.
    • Then use the edge of your hand to re-shape the cookies into nice rounds.
    Add colorful gumdrops to sugar cookies.
    • Use the remaining gumdrops to fill in the empty spaces on the cookies.
    • Add a variety of colored gumdrop pieces to all of the cookies. 
    Christmas Cookies - gumdrop filled sugar cookies.
    • Bake for 8-12 minutes, just until the tops of the cookies start to look dry.
    • Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then remove and place on a wire cooling rack.

    How to store gumdrop cookies:

    • These cookies are best the day they are made (as are most cookies) but can be store in an airtight container, preferably a metal cookie tin for up to a week.
    • After a few days if the cookies become a little dry, add a piece of white sandwich bread to the container to help soften the cookies up.

    Can I freeze the baked cookies?

    • Definitely! I double this recipe at the holidays and make a lot of cookies which I freeze.
    • Wrap small groups of baked and cooled cookies in plastic wrap then place the wrapped cookies in a large zip top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

    Gumdrop Cookie Video Tutorial

     

    Gumdrop Cookie Recipe

    Print
    Gumdrop Cookies
    Prep Time
    30 mins
    Cook Time
    8 mins
    Total Time
    38 mins
     

    Chewy sugar cookies speckled with fruit flavored gumdrops make any occasion brighter! 

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: gumdrop cookies, sugar cookies
    Servings: 3 dozen
    Calories: 171 kcal
    Author: Beth Klosterboer
    Ingredients
    Gumdrops
    • 16 ounces fruit flavored gumdrops
    • ⅓ cup sugar to coat gumdrops
    Cookie Dough
    • 1 cup Country Crock Baking Sticks or butter, softened
    • 1 ¾ cup sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 3 ½ cups flour
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    Instructions
    1. Cut gumdrops into small pieces, toss in sugar, then pour into a colander to remove excess sugar.
    2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    3. Cream Country Crock Baking Sticks and sugar together until fluffy.

    4. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
    5. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

    6. Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until blended.
    7. Mix in about half of the gumdrop pieces.
    8. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat making 36 scoops.

    9. Flatten cookies.

    10. Top cookies with more gumdrops.
    11. Bake for 8-12 minutes, just until the tops of the cookies start to look dry.
    12. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then remove and place on a wire cooling rack.

    If you love gumdrops and have never tasted a homemade gumdrop I highly recommend making some. They are amazingly good. I've made several recipes to share with you...

    Learn how to make homemade gumdrops. See tutorials for Gumdrop Star, Brains, Skulls, and More at HungryHappenings.com.

    You can find tutorials and all my homemade gumdrop recipes, here.

    Find over 100 wonderful Christmas Recipes to make cute desserts, festive party food, and homemade gifts at HungryHappenings.com. See step-by-step and video tutorials so you can easily recreate all the fun food crafts, sweet treats, and savory appetizers at home.

    These Gumdrop Cookies make a great addition to a Christmas cookie platter.
    Be sure to check out all my fun Christmas Recipes!

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Beth Klosterboer
    Beth Klosterboer
    Hi, I'm Beth Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    Beth Klosterboer
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    1. Victoria says

      January 04, 2024 at 4:52 pm

      Hello, would any of your homemade gumdrops hold up in these cookies or would they melt?
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Beth Klosterboer says

        January 06, 2024 at 9:04 pm

        I've not tried that but I think they would melt. The are quite soft unlike store-bought gumdrops.

        Reply
    2. Sharon E Prince says

      May 14, 2022 at 8:25 am

      My mother-in-law made these cookies. She passed away before I could get the recipe and I've been looking for one for years. Thank you, I will make these, they were so good and a little different to add to the tray of cookies for Christmas.

      Reply
      • Beth says

        May 14, 2022 at 11:17 am

        I'm so sorry to hear about your mother-in-law's passing. I do hope you love these cookies as much as you loved hers! They are my family's favorite treat.

        Reply
    3. Carmen N says

      December 30, 2013 at 1:35 am

      The gumdrop cookies look fun - and delicious!

      Reply
    4. Alexa says

      December 11, 2013 at 5:10 am

      Never would have though of this. I bet it gives the cookies a nice extra chew.

      Reply
    5. Alexa says

      December 11, 2013 at 5:10 am

      Never would have thought of this, bet it gives the cookie a nice extra chew.

      Reply
    6. The Partiologist says

      December 09, 2013 at 2:45 am

      I've never thought about making a gumdrop cookie - so very pretty and festive! Love the idea - I'll have to head
      over to Katrina's kitchen to find out more! 🙂

      Reply
    7. Pat Fry says

      December 08, 2013 at 4:47 am

      wondering if these would be good with fruitcake dried candies. Has anyone tried chopping them up instead of gummies

      Reply
      • beth says

        December 08, 2013 at 5:43 am

        Hi Pat,

        These cookies are a great basic recipe that is great with many add-ins. I've not added the fruitcake candies but think they would work well in this recipe.

        Reply
    8. Cathy Shaw says

      December 04, 2013 at 4:49 pm

      Great cookies. Would love to win the OXO prize. Having trouble posting here; trying again!

      Reply
    9. Heather H says

      December 04, 2013 at 3:38 am

      These look delicious!

      Reply
    10. Karen @ Sugartown Sweets says

      December 04, 2013 at 3:12 am

      I too have never seen a gumdrop cookie, but I think my grandbabies would love them!

      Reply
    11. Natalie Hoffman says

      December 04, 2013 at 1:52 am

      Do you think these would taste good with spice drops?

      Reply
      • beth says

        December 04, 2013 at 2:34 am

        Hi Natalie,

        I tried that once years ago. I didn't like them much, but I'm not really a fan of spice drops. If you really like spice drops, you may think the cookies are great with them!

        Reply
    12. Gianna says

      December 03, 2013 at 8:47 pm

      Now that is a first. I've never seen a gumdop cookie before!

      Reply
      • beth says

        December 04, 2013 at 2:35 am

        Surprising, I know. It seems like a strange thing to put in cookies, and most people are surprised at how good they are and how much they like them.

        Reply
    13. ♥ sara ♥ says

      December 03, 2013 at 6:06 pm

      gnam gnam!!!!

      Reply
    14. Louise says

      December 03, 2013 at 5:11 pm

      I love gumdrop cookies too!

      Reply
    15. beth says

      December 03, 2013 at 3:04 pm

      Thanks so much for pointing that out. Katrina took my post, and pulled the recipe out of it, but accidentally missed typing in "sugar." I let her know, so she can fix it. I really appreciate you letting me know:)

      Reply
      • beth says

        December 03, 2013 at 5:09 pm

        The recipe has been fixed!

        Reply
    16. Trisha Davis says

      December 03, 2013 at 2:48 pm

      In your recipe that was shared, underneath the margarine in the ingredient list it says "1 3/4 cup" but there is no ingredient listed. What should that ingredient be?

      Reply
    17. Lynn@Happier Than a Pig in Mud says

      December 03, 2013 at 11:08 am

      Your cookies are so colorful, they sound great!

      Reply
    Beth Jackson Klosterboer

    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

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