These Beach Crab Cookies are the perfect summer cookies kids love! Made with sugar cookies, frosting, peach rings, orange slice candies, and candy eyes, these adorable little crabs are as fun to make as they are to eat.
I know I’ve shared Oreo Crab Cookies before, but this version is a little different. Instead of sandwich cookies, these use premade sugar cookies, making them an easy no-bake dessert that comes together in minutes. Of course, if you love baking from scratch, you can always use your favorite homemade sugar cookie recipe as the base.
These cute crab cookies are perfect for beach parties, pool parties, an under the sea party, or a fun afternoon activity with the kids. They also make an adorable addition to a dessert table and can easily be adapted into cupcakes if you want something a little different.
If you’re looking for more beach party desserts, also try my sea turtle cookies or ocean gelatin cups!
Why You’ll Love These Beach Crab Cookies
Kids love fun snacks and desserts, and I’ve made plenty over the years for our family movie nights and summer cookouts. These crab cookies are always one of the first treats to disappear!
- Easy no-bake dessert that takes just minutes to decorate
- Made with simple store-bought ingredients
- No special baking skill required
- Easy to transport to parties
- Cute enough to double as a party centerpiece
Beach Crab Cookie Ingredients
- Sugar Cookies: I used store-bought sugar cookies to keep things simple, but homemade sugar cookies work great too.
- Blue Frosting: Use premade blue frosting or tint white frosting with blue food coloring.
- Graham Crackers: Crushed graham crackers create the sandy beach effect on top of the cookies.
- Peach Rings: Cut in half to make the crab’s claws.
- Orange Slice Candies: Used for the crab body and legs.
- Candy Eyes: Brings your crab to life.
- Toothpicks: Helps secure the candy pieces together when assembling the crab.
How to Make Beach Crab Cookies
Step 1: Spread a layer of blue frosting over each sugar cookie.
Step 2: Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs and sprinkle over part of the frosting to create a sandy beach.
Step 3: Add 4 toothpicks to orange slices to create the crab’s body.
Step 4: Cut peach rings in half and attach them to each side of the body on the toothpicks to the create the claws.
Step 5: Cut additional orange slices in half and slide them onto each toothpick in the middle to create the eyes base.
Step 6: Add candy eyes to half piece of orange slice using a small dab of frosting to hold in place. Place the finished crab onto the decorated cookie and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Make colorful candy crabs by using different gummy candies.
- Add blue sanding sugar to the frosting for a sparkling ocean effect.
- Swap sugar cookies for oatmeal cookies.
Helpful Tips for Making Beach Crab Cookies
- Assemble the candy crab first before placing it on the cookie.
- Use frosting instead of toothpicks if serving to very young kids.
- Allow frosting to set for a few minutes before serving.
How to Store Beach Crab Cookies
Store leftover cookies in a single layer inside an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Avoid refrigerating if possible, as condensation can make the graham cracker sand soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can decorate them up to 24 hours in advance and store them in an airtight container until ready to serve.
No, you can also use crushed vanilla wafers, golden sandwich cookies or Biscoff cookies.
Yes, homemade buttercream frosting work great too and allows you to customize the shade of blue for the ocean background.
Recipe
Crab Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 premade sugar cookies
- 1 tub blue frosting
- 12 Peach rings
- 24 Orange slices
- 12 graham crackers
- 24 candy eys
- Toothpicks
Instructions
- Spread a layer of blue frosting over each sugar cookie.
- Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs and sprinkle over part of the frosting to create a sandy beach.
- Add 4 toothpicks to orange slices to create the crab's body.
- Cut peach rings in half and attach them to each side of the body on the toothpicks to the create the claws.
- Cut additional orange slices in half and slide them onto each toothpick in the middle to create the eyes base.
- Add candy eyes to half piece of orange slice using a small dab of frosting to hold in place.
- Place the finished crab onto the decorated cookie and serve.
Notes
Helpful Tips for Making Beach Crab Cookies
- Assemble the candy crab first before placing it on the cookie.
- Use frosting instead of toothpicks if serving to very young kids.
- Allow frosting to set for a few minutes before serving.
How to Store Beach Crab Cookies
Store leftover cookies in a single layer inside an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Avoid refrigerating if possible, as condensation can make the graham cracker sand soft.Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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