Sugar-Cookie Easter Bunny House – a delicious recipe with flour, baking soda, salt, eggs, vanilla, butter. Easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.
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Special equipment: parchment paper, ruler, scissors, rolling pin, pizza cutter, cookie cutters, disposable pastry bags, small and medium decorating tips
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For the dough: Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
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Mix the eggs and vanilla with a fork in a small bowl.
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Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed until the butter has picked up the sugars, about 30 seconds.
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(If using a hand mixer, beat about 2 minutes.)
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Increase the speed to medium, and beat until slightly creamy, about 1 minute (about 3 minutes with a hand mixer), stopping halfway through to scrape the bowl.
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Reduce the speed to low, slowly add in the egg mixture and beat until combined.
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Add the flour mixture a heaping cup at a time, in 3 additions, stopping a few times to scrape the bowl and beaters (if using a hand mixer, increase the speed as the dough gets thicker to keep the beaters spinning).
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Once all the flour is just incorporated, increase the speed to medium (higher with a hand mixer), and beat until the dough is very smooth, about 2 minutes (about 5 minutes with a hand mixer).
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Turn the dough out of the bowl and bring it together.
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Divide the dough into 3 even pieces, each about 13 ounces.
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Shape each piece into a 6-inch square and wrap in plastic wrap.
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Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.
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While the dough chills, cut templates for the house from paper:
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1 base, 8 by 8 inches
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1 roof, 5 3/4 by 6 1/2 inches
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2 slanted side walls, both 5 inches wide, one 4 inches high on the left and
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3 inches high on the right, the other 3 inches high on the left and 4 inches high on the right, with optional windows cut out
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1 front wall, 5 inches wide by 4 inches high, with a door cut out
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1 back wall, 5 by 3 inches
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To roll, cut and bake the cookies and house: Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (have extra parchment on hand).
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Take 2 of the dough pieces out of the refrigerator, and let them soften until just pliable but still cool and firm, about 15 minutes.
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Dust a piece of parchment with flour.
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Dust one square of dough with flour, and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thick (no thicker) and 9 to 10 inches square.
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Lift the dough occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking to the parchment.
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Cut out cookies with cutters; transfer to a prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between them.
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Freeze while you cut the rest of the dough.
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Reserve the scraps for the house pieces.
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Take the last piece of dough from the refrigerator to soften.
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Dust the parchment and the second piece of dough with flour.
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Roll the dough about 1/4-inch thick and 9 to 10 inches square.
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Lay the base template on top, and use a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife to cut out the base.
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Peel off the scraps from the sides and reserve.
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Pick up the parchment with the base on it, put it on an unlined baking sheet and freeze while you finish cutting the other house pieces.
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Dust a third piece of parchment and the third piece of softened dough with flour.
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Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thick and 11 by 7 inches.
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Put the roof and the front wall templates on top, and use the pizza cutter to cut the pieces.
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Transfer the pieces to the last prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between them.
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Cut out a door from the front wall.
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Combine the scrap pieces with the reserved scraps, and gently knead together on the parchment; flour, roll to 1/4 inch thick and about 8 by 9 inches and cut out the remaining walls.
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Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between them.
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Cut out windows from the walls.
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Freeze for 10 minutes before baking.
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Bake the house pieces until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes.
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Rotate the pans front to back and bottom to top halfway through the baking time.
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Let cool completely on the baking sheets on a cooling rack, about 30 minutes.
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While the house pieces cool, dust the cookies with sanding sugar if using, and bake until very light golden brown, about 16 minutes.
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Let cool 15 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to completely, about 30 minutes.
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To assemble the house: Put 1/3 cup royal icing in a pastry bag fitted with the larger pastry tip.
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Place the roof browned-side up on a work surface with one of the short sides facing you.
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Pipe a thick 5-inch line of frosting along the short side 1 inch in from the edge.
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Let the icing harden while you build the rest of the house.
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(This will prevent the roof of the house from sliding off.)
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Put the base on a large platter or board on which it will be displayed.
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Next, assemble the house using the royal icing as glue and making sure to turn the walls lighter-sides out: Hold up one of the side walls and pipe a line of icing along the bottom and up both sides.
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Set it down while you hold up the back wall and pipe a line of icing along its bottom edge.
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Stick these two pieces together on the base with the icing, pressing them gently together so they adhere.
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Hold the pieces for a few seconds, until they can stand on their own.
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Repeat with the other side wall and the front wall, pressing all four walls together.
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Reserve the royal icing in the pastry bag.
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Whisk water about 1 teaspoon at a time into the rest of the icing to thin it slightly to the consistency of molasses.
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Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with the smaller pastry tip.
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To decorate the house: Decorate the walls as desired: Use the thin icing for piping lines and decorations and for decorating the cookies.
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Use the thick icing to glue heavy pieces of candy to the sides and roof of the house.
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To make a grassy yard, spread a thin layer of icing with a butter knife around the base of the house.
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Press some of the coconut grass into the icing.
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Put some coconut grass inside the house (you don't need to ice inside).
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Decorate the yard as desired.
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Fill the house with candy and cookies (make sure the icing has set).
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Set the roof on top, lighter-side up (don't attach it), and decorate as desired.
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Combine 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar and the meringue powder with a fork in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
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(Alternatively, use a hand mixer and medium bowl.)
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Add 3 tablespoons of water, and mix on low speed until smooth and thick, with a consistency like caulk.
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(If using a hand mixer, beat about 3 minutes.)
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If the icing seems a bit loose, mix in a tablespoon of confectioners' sugar at a time until thickened.
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Transfer to a clean bowl, and lay a damp piece of paper towel on top.
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Cover tightly until ready to use.
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Toss half the coconut and 3 drops food coloring with a fork in a medium bowl until the coconut is uniformly green.
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Add the remaining coconut, and toss gently to combine.
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Cover tightly and set aside.
* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.
No additional tips available.
No specific allergen information. Please check the ingredient list for possible allergens.
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Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes 4 servings. You can adjust the portion size directly on this page.
You need 16 ingredients. The key ingredients include: 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, 2 large eggs, and more.
Yes, Sugar-Cookie Easter Bunny House falls under the Baking & Desserts category and is a great choice for this type of meal.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–5 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months — no need to refrigerate or reheat.