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.
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 gumdrops for Christmas, if you prefer.
Gumdrop Cookies
by Beth Jackson Klosterboer of Hungry Happenings
Ingredients: (makes 3 dozen cookies)1/3 cup sugar to coat gumdrops
Cookie Dough:
1 3/4 cup
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Special Equipment Needed:kitchen scissors or a sharp knife
parchment paper lined baking sheets
#30 ice cream scoop, optional
Instructions:
Prep Gumdrops:
- Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut gumdrops into small pieces, drop into a bowl of sugar, toss to coat.
- Remove from sugar, allowing excess sugar to fall back into the bowl.
Cookie Dough:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream margarine and sugar together until fluffy.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until blended.
- 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.
- These cookies do not flatten out in the oven, so you have to flatten them.
- You can, if you’d like, flatten them all using your hands or the bottom of a glass, but I’m going to share a little trick. 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.
Gumdrop Cookie Recipe
- 16 ounces fruit flavored gumdrops
- 1/3 cup sugar to coat gumdrops
- 1 cup butter or Country Crock margarine softened
- 1 3/4 cup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-
Cut gumdrops into small pieces, toss in sugar, then pour into a colander to remove excess sugar.
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
Cream margarine and sugar together until fluffy.
-
Mix in eggs and vanilla.
-
In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
-
Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until blended.
-
Mix in about half of the gumdrop pieces.
-
Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
-
Flatten cookies.
-
Top cookies with more gumdrops.
-
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.
These Gumdrop Cookies make a great addition to a Christmas cookie platter. Be sure to check out all my fun Christmas Recipes!
Your cookies are so colorful, they sound great!
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?
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:)
The recipe has been fixed!
I love gumdrop cookies too!
gnam gnam!!!!
Now that is a first. I've never seen a gumdop cookie before!
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.
Do you think these would taste good with spice drops?
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!
I too have never seen a gumdrop cookie, but I think my grandbabies would love them!
These look delicious!
Great cookies. Would love to win the OXO prize. Having trouble posting here; trying again!
wondering if these would be good with fruitcake dried candies. Has anyone tried chopping them up instead of gummies
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.
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! 🙂
Never would have thought of this, bet it gives the cookie a nice extra chew.
Never would have though of this. I bet it gives the cookies a nice extra chew.
The gumdrop cookies look fun – and delicious!