Bear paw cookies are made with a butter pecan cake mix and chopped pecans for added texture. These soft and chewy cookies are topped with a sweet maple frosting and adorned with chocolate candy melts and chocolate chips for the paw print!
Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix and baking powder.
Add the melted butter and eggs and beat on low with a hand mixer until fully incorporated.
Fold in the chopped pecans.
Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes. This step is optional but will help reduce spreading.
Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to drop approximately 1 ½ tablespoon sized balls onto the baking sheets. Space them a few inches apart to leave room for the cookies to spread.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the tops are just set. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan completely before decorating.
To make the frosting
As the cookies bake, prepare the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
Add the powdered sugar and cornstarch a little at a time and mix until combined.
Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt and mix until well incorporated. It should be smooth and easily spreadable.
To decorate
Once the cookies have cooled, use a small icing spatula to frost about 1 tablespoon of frosting onto each cookie.
Place one candy melt and 3 chocolate chips on top of each cookie to make bear paws.
Notes
You can add another tablespoon of cornstarch if you prefer a thicker frosting without adding more sweetness.Any cake mix flavor can be used as long as it is the 15.25 ounce size.Vegetable oil can be used in place of butter.The butter pecan cake mix doesn’t actually have butter pecan in it so I like to add a little bit for some texture. Swap out to any nut you like or omit it entirely. You can even swap it with chocolate chips if you want!