Frosted Christmas Thumbprints are so cute and fun to make! Festive Christmas sprinkles, buttery cookie dough with a touch of almond extract, and homemade buttercream frosting!
Christmas Thumbprints
Start with an easy to make cookie dough. The secret to this thumbprint cookie dough is a touch of almond extract. It gives them that warm holiday flavor!
The cookie dough should be thick and easy to roll into small cookie dough balls after chilling.
I like to use a metal tablespoon to scoop out the cookie dough and roll them into balls. Then roll the cookie dough in non pareils. Use a metal teaspoon to form the thumbprint and bake.
Once the thumbprints are done baking, use the same teaspoon to gently press the thumbprint back down if it has puffed up. Let cookies cool completely and prepare buttercream frosting.
Use an open star tip and piping bag to form stars on top of thumbprints.
Aren’t they so cute and festive?
I’ve made several variations of thumbprint cookies this year and I think these were my favorite. I love the thumbprints with homemade buttercream frosting!
Christmas Thumbprints Recipe
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- Christmas Colored Non Pareil
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time and continue mixing. Add almond extract and salt, followed by flour. Mix until cookie dough is well combined. Refrigerate cookie dough for 1 hour.
Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Scoop 1 tablespoon of chilled cookie dough and roll into a ball. Roll cookie dough balls in Christmas sprinkles, then use a teaspoon to gently create thumbprint.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until bottoms of thumbprints are a light golden brown. Remove from oven and while cookies are still hot, use teaspoon to press thumbprint down again if it has puffed up. Let cool completely.
When cookies have cooled, prepare buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar together until well combined. Add vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Add 1-2 tablespoon heavy cream until frosting is smooth. Pipe onto cooled cookies with a star tip.
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These are always so festive & always a hit!! Love the hint of almond!
These are so simple yet gorgeous! I can not wait to try them for my Christmas parties!
These were so cute and tasted amazing! Such a great Christmas cookie!
These are really cute!! Such a perfect treat for the holidays!