Name: Easy 5 Ingredient Delicious Meltaway Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: For the cookies:; 1 cup (2 sticks) of salted butter at room temperature; ⅓ cup confectioners' 10x powdered sugar; ¾ cup cornstarch; 1 cup all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or pure almond extract); For the frosting:; 3 ounces cream cheese at room temperature; 4 tablespoons (½ stick) of softened salted butter; 1 ½ cups (12 ounces) confectioners' 10x powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract; Food coloring if desired

These Easy 5 Ingredient Delicious Meltaway Cookies have the most amazing taste and literally melt in your mouth!

The unique texture is a cross between a sweet shortbread cookie and a Mexican wedding cake cookie.

The soft buttery fine crumb flavor comes from 5 simple ingredients you just might already have in your pantry.

Delicious Meltaway Cookies

There are twenty one round white cookies on a round white plate that has a gold rim and tiny gold specks on it. Six of the cookies have a small swirl of green frosting on them. Seven of the cookies have a small swirl of red frosting on them. Seven of the cookies have a swirl of white frosting on them. The plate is on a white marbled surface.

These soft, lightly sweet, buttery cookies are one of my family’s favorite!

What makes this simple cookie so crazy delicious is the icing.

They’re also very easy to make and you can have fun with them by adding food color, candy sprinkles or even a citrus zest to make these cookies very festive for this time of year.

The Ingredients You Will Need For This Simple Recipe

There are three white bowls with white powder ingredients in them. One has flour in it, one has cornstarch in it, and one has confectioners sugar in it. There is a brown bottle of vanilla extract and two sticks of butter. Items are on a white marbled surface.

Salted butter (not margarine)

Confectioners’ sugar

All purpose flour

Cornstarch

Pure vanilla extract

The Ingredients For The Frosting

There are two white bowls. One has white powdered sugar in it and the other has white cream cheese. There is a stick of butter and a brown glass bottle with vanilla extract in it. Items are on a white marbled surface.

Cream cheese

Salted butter (not margarine)

Confectioners’ sugar

Pure vanilla extract

The Tools You Will Need

2 mixing bowls
Spatula
Large spoon
Oven mitt
Cookie / Baking sheet
Parchment paper (optional)
Wire cooling rack
Mixer (either standup or hand held)
Pastry piping bag or a ziplock bag

Easy 5 Ingredient Delicious Melt Away Cookies

4 ball shape sugar cookies in a row with alternating green and red frosting on a white rectangular plate. The plate is on a clear glass surface.

Why We Love Melt Away Cookies

I absolutely love these baked cookies! You can press the dough down to make a flatter bigger cookie.

My personal preference is to make them as cookie balls for a perfect 1 bite mouth cookie since their texture is so light and crumbly.

You can have some fun with the icing and divide it in two and add a few drops of food coloring to make them festive looking.

They’re the perfect cookie and great addition to the holiday season!

How To Make Meltaway Cookies

There is a large white bowl with cut up butter in it. There is a smaller white bowl with white powdered sugar in it, and a very small clear bowl with a brown liquid (vanilla extract) in it. Items are on a white marbled surface.

Slice room temperature butter and place in a large bowl.

Combine the sugar to butter and beat until light and smooth.

There is a large white bowl with a light yellow creamy mixture in it. There is a light gray rubber spatula resting in the bowl. There are two smaller white bowls in front. One has white flour in it, and the other has white powdered cornstarch in it. Bowls are on a white marbled surface.

Add the vanilla and mix until combined.

There is a large white bowl with light yellow cookie batter in it. There is a gray rubber spatula resting in the bowl. The bowl is on a white marbled surface.

Add the flour and the cornstarch slowly.

Beat until combined.

Rows of uncooked cookie dough in the shape of small balls on a cookie baking pan.

Using about a spoonful, round the dough into a small size ball and place them on the cookie sheet a few inches apart.

There is a stainless steel rectangular baking sheet with sides that has twenty baked round ball like cookies on it. The baking pan is on a white marbled surface.

Bake for 12 to 18 minutes or when the bottoms are slightly brown.

Remove them from the oven, let them rest on the cookie sheet for about 1 minute.

Remember to use an oven mitt, the cookie sheet will be very hot!

Place them on a wire rack for cooling.

How To Make The Icing

There is a large white bowl with a light yellow creamy mixture in it. There is a little light brown liquid poured over the top of the creamy mixture. There is a smaller white bowl in front with white powdered cornstarch in it. The bowls are on a white marbled surface.

In a smaller separate bowl, mix cream cheese and butter.

Add the vanilla.

Beat on low speed until blended.

There is a large white bowl with a light yellow creamy mixture in it. The bowl is on a white marbled surface.

Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar.

Blend until smooth.

There is a clear glass bowl with white cream cheese frosting in it. There is a splash of green food coloring on the frosting. Bowl is on a wood surface.

You can leave the icing white or add a few drops of your favorite color and stir until you get the color you like.

There are three small white bowls. One has red frosting in it, one has green frosting in it, and the third one has white frosting in it. Bowls are on a white marbled surface.

You can also divide the icing up and make multiple colors.

There is a black wire cooling rack with white round cookies on it. There are fifteen cookies with a swirl of red frosting on them. There are seventeen cookies with a swirl of green frosting on them and there are fifteen cookies with a swirl of white frosting on them. The cooling wrack is on a white marbled surface.

Using a spoon or spatula, put the icing in either a pastry piping bag or a snipped corner of a ziplock bag and squeeze icing on top of each cookie.

Store any remaining frosting in an air tight container in the fridge up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to six months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Are They Called Meltaway Cookies?

Meltaway cookies get their name due to their delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

The combination of powdered sugar, cornstarch, and butter, gives them a tender and crumbly consistency that literally seems to melt away in your mouth!

What Does Cornstarch Do In Cookies?

Cornstarch helps create a crumbly and tender dessert-like texture to cookies, cakes, and pie fillings.

Should I Use Parchment Paper On The Cookie Sheet When Baking?

It is not necessary to use parchment paper when making these cookies but you can definitely use it if you prefer.

Can I Make These Cookies With A Different Flavor?

Pure almond extract instead of pure vanilla extract is a wonderful alternative for meltaway cookies.

You can also add lemon zest or orange zest to the dough or icing for a slight citrus taste.

Can I Freeze Shortbread Cookies?

Yes, you can freeze the shortbread meltaway cookies.

I would recommend using parchment paper in between the layers and use a freezer-friendly container.

What If I Don’t Have A Pastry Piping Bag?

No worries if you don’t have a piping bag! Just snip off one corner of a ziplock bag. It does the same thing but remember to only make a small opening on a diagonal for best results.

Love This Recipe?

Check out other holiday recipes you have to try!

Yield: 3 dozen

Easy 5 Ingredient Delicious Meltaway Cookies

Soft, lightly sweet, buttery cookies with cream cheese frosting

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) of salted butter at room temperature
⅓ cup confectioners' 10x powdered sugar
¾ cup cornstarch
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or pure almond extract)
For the frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
4 tablespoons (½ stick) of softened salted butter
1 ½ cups (12 ounces) confectioners' 10x powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Food coloring if desired

Instructions

Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

If using parchment paper, prepare the baking sheet with it.

Combine the sugar and cut butter in a large bowl and mix on medium speed until light and smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add the pure vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Add the flour and cornstarch and mix on low speed until well combined.
Using about a spoonful, round the dough into a small size ball and place them on the cookie sheet a few inches apart.
Bake for 12 to 18 minutes (depending on your oven) or when the bottoms are slightly brown.
Once you remove them from the oven, let them rest on the cookie sheet for about 1 minute. Remember to use an oven mitt, the cookie sheet will be very hot!
Then place them on a wire rack for cooling. Once they are completely cool, it’s time for the frosting!

Frosting: In a small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and butter on low speed until blended.
Add the pure vanilla extract and blend. Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar. Blend until smooth.
Using a spoon or spatula, put the frosting in either a pastry piping bag or a snipped corner of a ziplock bag and squeeze frosting on top of each cookie.

Notes

Helpful Equipment

2 mixing bowls
Spatula
Large spoon
Oven mitt
Cookie / Baking sheet
Parchment paper (optional)
Wire cooling rack
Mixer (either standup or hand held)
Pastry piping bag or a ziplock bag

Recipe Tips

No worries if you don't have a piping bag! Just snip off one corner of a ziplock bag. It does the same thing but remember to only make a small opening on a diagonal for best results.

You can press the dough down to make a flatter bigger cookie.

You can have some fun with the icing and divide it in two and add a few drops of food coloring to make them festive looking.

They're the perfect cookie and great addition to the holiday season!