Hamburger Cookies are such a cute and fun treat for the summer BBQ season. But this recipe actually makes delicious cookies, too! These would be perfect for your next family get-together. Don’t miss these cookies that look like hamburgers. Follow these keys to success for perfect results every time.
Table of contents
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🔑 Key to Success #1 – Make the Frosting Extra Thick
These Hamburger Cookies are so cute and yummy.
I always get rave reviews when I bring these to events and potlucks.
No weird dyed coconut flakes in this recipe.
This recipe starts with making thick frosting in red and green.
The keyword is thick.
You want your frosting to be thick enough that it won’t slide off your cookies.
Try to make your frosting as thick as playdough.
Make your frosting as thick as playdough.
For each color frosting, you’ll use 2 cups of powdered sugar and just 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
I highly recommend using a good quality gel food coloring to color your frosting.
I have this Americolor Gel Food Coloring Student Kit that has a great mix of classic colors.
You can find this kit for about $25 when it’s on sale and the bottles of food coloring last a very long time.
If you use liquid food coloring, you may need to reduce the amount of milk in your frosting.
🔑 Key to Success #2 – Let the Cookies Rest and Firm Up
Let me tell you exactly how I put the Hamburger Cookies together.
- Use a butter knife to smear a little glob of green frosting on the bottom of a vanilla wafer then press the bottom of a Grasshopper Cookie on top of the green frosting.
- Use a separate butter knife to smear a little glob of red frosting onto the bottom of another vanilla wafer.
- Press the red frosted vanilla wafer on the top of the Grasshopper cookie. Gently press the cookies together until the frosting just starts to spread to the edges of the cookies.
- Place Hamburger Cookie onto a sheet of waxed paper to firm up.
After you put the Hamburger Cookies together, let them sit on the countertop for an hour or more to let the frosting completely firm up.
🔑 Key to Success #3 – Use Honey to Make the Sesame Seeds Stick
After the Hamburger Cookies have firmed up, use the tip of a butter knife to spread honey on the top of each cookie.
I put a little honey into a small bowl then dip the tip of my knife into the honey and smear it on the top of the vanilla wafer.
You do not have to completely coat the Hamburger Cookies with honey.
Just do a quick smear and then move on to the next one.
When you get honey on all the Hamburger Cookies, sprinkle the sesame seeds on the top of the cookies.
Yes, real sesame seeds. Trust me on this one.
You can use as little or as much as you want.
They don’t have to be perfectly spaced.
After you add the sesame seeds, let the cookies sit overnight.
This will give the honey time to absorb and will leave the sesame seeds stuck in place without any evidence of sticky honey on the top.
The vanilla wafers will soften a bit to create the perfect bite.
📌 Get the Printable Recipe for Hamburger Cookies
Save this Hamburger Cookies recipe to your favorite Cookie board or your Cute Snacks board.
Hamburger Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 pkg 10 oz Keebler Grasshopper Fudge Mint Cookies
- 1 box 11 oz Nilla Wafers Cookies
- 4 cups powdered sugar divided
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1-2 drops red gel food coloring
- 1-2 drops green gel food coloring
- honey
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- In medium bowl, mix together 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp milk, and a few drops of red gel food coloring. Frosting should be thick like playdough.
- In a separate bowl, mix together 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp milk, and a few drops of green gel food coloring. Frosting should be thick like playdough.
- Take one vanilla wafer and smear a small amount of the green frosting on the bottom of the cookie. Press a Grasshopper cookie on top of the green frosting. Smear a small amount of the red frosting on another vanilla wafer then press it on top of the Grasshopper cookie. Repeat for all remaining cookies.
- Allow cookies to set up for about an hour. Then use a butter knife to smear a small amount of honey on the top of each hamburger cookie. Sprinkle tops with sesame seeds. Sesame seeds with stick to the honey.
- Allow cookies to set overnight before serving.