Grinch Thumbprint Cookies
These Grinch thumbprint cookies are a delicious, buttery cookie that is filled with a sweet vanilla frosting. Perfect for a family movie night, holiday parties or a cookie exchange!
We love holiday movies and of course “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is one of our favorite Christmas movies! It is such a fun movie that is full of the true meaning of Christmas! These adorable Grinch Christmas cookies are the perfect sweet treats to enjoy during a Grinch movie night or anytime during the holiday season.
This cookie recipe is great because they are not overly sweet. The cookie base is a buttery, tender, shortbread like cookie that is then filled with a sweet frosting to create the perfect blend of flavors and textures. To represent the Grinch’s heart each cookie is topped with a red heart sprinkle for the perfect finishing touch!
These buttery sweet Grinch cookies are fun for the whole family to help make! The Grinch green filling is simple to make and kids love adding a heart sprinkle to each cookie!
- Other Grinch Recipes You’ll Love
- Grinch Rice Krispie Treats – These tasty Grinch rice krispie treats are the perfect holiday treat! Chewy, crunchy rice krispies treats are drizzled with melted green chocolate for the perfect dessert!
- Grinch Pretzel Bites These sweet and salty Grinch pretzel bites are perfect for holiday festivities or a Grinch movie night! Made with pretzels, caramels and dipped in chocolate they are a tasty, cute and easy treat!
- Easy Grinch Fudge This Grinch fudge is the perfect holiday treat! Whether you whip a batch for a Grinch movie night or for a Christmas gathering this simple fudge makes the perfect addition to all of your holiday festivities!
Can I use a different extract?
Yes! While I like to keep the flavors of these Christmas thumbprint cookies simple with vanilla frosting you can use other flavors of extract. Almond extract gives these cookies a sweet almost cherry flavor that compliments the cookie beautifully. Peppermint extract is another great option that is perfect for the Christmas season!
How to store these cookies?
These festive cookies keep beautifully which makes them a great recipe for gifting or a holiday cookie tray. The best way to store these cookies is at room temperature in an airtight container in a single layer. If you are stacking the cookies in multiple layers place a piece of wax paper or parchment between the layers.
Where can I find heart shaped sprinkles?
For these cookies you’ll need heart shaped sprinkles you can often find them in the baking section of the grocery store or in most craft stores. If you can’t find them locally you can order them on Amazon.
Use Gel Food Coloring-
For the perfect Grinch green I like to use Wilton’s leaf green gel food coloring for this Grinch cookie recipe and all of my other Grinch inspired recipes. You can use any green food coloring but gel is the most concentrated and will yield the most vibrant colored cookies.
Here’s what you’ll need for these Grinch thumbprint cookies
For the Cookies
1 Cup Butter (softened to room temperature)
¼ Cup Sugar
¼ tsp Salt
1 Egg Yolk
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
For the Filling-
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
2-4 tsp Milk
2 tsp Corn Syrup
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
Large Red Heart Sprinkles
Green Gel Food Coloring – I used Wilton’s Leaf Green gel color
Here’s how to make these Grinch Thumbprints-
To make the cookies-
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl whisk flour, and salt, mix until well incorporated.
In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until well incorporated.
Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and continue mixing on medium speed until well mixed.
Add in the flour mixture gradually, mixing after each addition, until it is all added.
Scoop out cookie dough in 1 tablespoon size scoops and roll into balls.
Place on the prepared cookie sheet.
Using the handle of a wooden spoon, your finger, or another small round object press a hole in the center of each dough ball.
Bake cookies for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, gently press in the center of each cookie again.
Place back in the oven and bake 8-10 minutes or until the cookie is light golden brown.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely .
To make the filling-
In a medium bowl combine powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and 2 tsp milk. Mix until well incorporated. If the filling is too thick add additional milk ½ teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. You want it thin enough to scoop out but thick enough to set and not run out of the cookies. Add a little bit of the green food coloring until the desired shade of green color is reached.
Fill each cooled cookie with the filling, you can place the frosting in a piping bag and pipe it into the cookies or use a spoon and spoon it into the center of each cookie.
Immediately place a heart sprinkle in the center of each cookie
Allow the cookies to sit uncovered until the filling has set.
Store in an airtight container.
Grinch Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- Cookies-
- 1 Cup Butter softened
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 2 Cups Flour
- For the Filling-
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2-4 tsp Milk
- 2 tsp Corn Syrup
- ½ tsp Vanilla
- Large Red Heart Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To make the cookies-
- In a medium bowl whisk flour, and salt, mix until well incorporated.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until well incorporated.
- Add in egg yolk and vanilla and continue mixing on medium speed until well mixed.
- Add the dry ingredients in gradually, mixing after each addition, until it is all added.
- Scoop out cookie dough in tablespoon size scoops and roll into balls.
- Place on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon, your finger, or another small round object press a hole in the center of each dough ball.
- Bake cookies for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, gently press in the center of each cookie again.
- Place back in the oven and bake 8-10 minutes or until the cookie is light golden brown.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely .
- To make the filling-
- In a medium bowl combine powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and 2 tsp milk. Mix until well incorporated. If the filling is too thick add additional milk ½ tsp at a time. You want it thin enough to scoop out but thick enough to set and not run out of the cookies. Add in the green food coloring a little at a time until the desired shade of green color is reached.
- Fill each cooled cookie with the filling, you can place the frosting in a piping bag and pipe it into the cookies or use a spoon and spoon it into the center of each cookie.
- Immediately place a heart shaped sprinkle in the center of each cookie
- Allow the cookies to sit uncovered until the filling has set.
- Store in an airtight container.
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