These Gluten-free Easter Thumbprint Cookies are so adorable! A buttery shortbread cookie is rolled in coconut, topped with delicious buttercream frosting and a Cadbury mini egg. These cookies are easy to make and perfect for kid helpers!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Buttercream thumbprints are a favorite at Christmas and now you can have them for Easter, too! This gluten-free recipe is so easy to make with just a few ingredients. Piping the "grass" on top is so easy and fun for all ages! That little bit of icing and Cadbury mini egg offer the perfect bite of sweetness.
For another festive Easter treat, check out these cookie bars! And if you love these, be sure to check out this jam-filled version, too!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Gluten-free Flour: Most 1:1 blends for baking should work well in this recipe. These have been tested with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Namaste Perfect Blend.
- Sweetened Flaked Coconut: You can substitute granulated sugar or chopped pecans for the coconut, if desired.
- Butter: Substitute Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks for dairy-free.
- Buttercream icing: You can substitute store-bought canned frosting if you don't want to make homemade buttercream frosting. Many are both gluten and dairy-free, making it a great option for ease and affordability.
- Powdered Sugar: You'll need powdered sugar whether you make homemade frosting or use store-bought. The store bought frosting might need a little sugar added to make it thick enough to pipe the grass.
- Cadbury Mini Eggs: These eggs are gluten-free. Little jelly beans would be cute too!
How to Make Easter Thumbprint Cookies
- Separate the eggs.
- Cream butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.
- Add in flour and salt.
- Blend until well combined.
- Whisk egg whites until frothy.
- Roll a ball of cookie dough in egg whites.
- Then roll in coconut.
- Press a thumbprint in the center.
- Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake until golden brown.
- Make green buttercream icing. (Or mix green food coloring in canned frosting.)St
- Pipe grass onto cooled cookies.
- Top each cookie with Cadbury mini egg.
How to Pipe Grass with Buttercream
For the grass icing, you'll need a piping bag and a grass tip #233.
Piping the grass is pretty easy, even if you're inexperienced with piping. Also, it's forgiving because it doesn't have to be perfect, since grass is such an organic shape anyway. This article from Wilton demonstrates how to pipe the grass.
- Prepare a piping bag with the grass tip #233.
- Fill the bag ½ full with medium consistency icing.
- Hold the bag straight up with the tip ⅛ inch above the cookie.
- Squeeze the bag to form grass as you gently pull the bag away from the cookie.
- Stop applying pressure to the bag as you pull up and away. The longer you put pressure on the bag, the longer the strands of grass will be.
- Keep repeating this step until center of the cookie is filled with grass.
Storing the Cookies
While these cookies are best fresh, they will keep up to 3 days at room temperature if kept in an airtight container. You can also freeze them if needed. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
Top Recipe Tips
- If you're using canned icing, add ½ cup powdered sugar along with 1 drop of food coloring and stir until the icing is evenly colored. The extra powdered sugar thickens the icing enough to form grass.
- Practice your piping technique on a plate before starting on the cookies.
- If you don't like how the icing on the cookie looks, scrape the icing off and try again! It's very forgiving and a great way to practice piping technique!
- Make sure cookies are completely cooled before adding icing.
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Even More Gluten-Free Cookies
Gluten-free Easter Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cup 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, such as King Aruthur Measure for Measure or Namaste Perfect Flour Blend
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs, separated
- 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, chopped pecans or granulated sugar
Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, 8 ounces
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1-3 tablespoons cream, or milk
- 1 drop green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and brown sugar.
- Add egg yolks and vanilla. Blend until creamy.
- Add gluten-free four and salt. Mix until well blended.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Place coconut in another small bowl.
- Scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough into a ball.
- Roll in egg whites and then coconut. Roll again between your hands to form a nice round ball.
- Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Make an indent in the center of each ball with your thumb.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely before icing.
Make Buttercream Frosting
- Cream softened butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until combined.
- Add vanilla and blend.
- Add 1 tablespoon of cream/milk at a time until buttercream is of medium piping consistency.
- Stir 1 drop of green gel food coloring into the icing. Stir until icing is uniformly green.
- Prepare a piping bag with a #233 grass tip. Fill halfway with icing.
- Pipe grass on top of each cookie.
- Top with a Cadbury Mini Egg.
Daniela
What a fun idea! Love the detailed instructions
Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
Thank you, Daniela!
Kathy
Great twist on thumbprint cookies. They look delicious.