• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Cooking Tips
  • Subscribe

One Hot Oven

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Cooking Tips
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Cooking Tips
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Iced Valentine's Day Thumbprint Cookies

    Published: Jan 16, 2023 by Jere Cassidy · This post may contain affiliate links. · 40 Comments

    • Share80
    • Flipboard
    Jump to Recipe
    Thumbprint cookies.
    A pinterest pin for iced thumbprint cookies.

    These melt-in-your-mouth Iced Valentine's Day Thumbprint Cookies are rich and buttery cookies perfect to bake for your special someone.  The recipe for these cookies is so easy with basic pantry ingredients, plus you will love the pretty-as-can-be red, white, and pink nonpareil sprinkles and colorful icing.  Perfect for parties, gifts, and those times you want a festive cookie!

    Valentines Thumbprint cookies on a white tray.
    Thumbprint cookies with icing

    This may contain affiliate links, please see my full DISCLOSURE POLICY for details.

    What is a Thumbprint Cookie

    Originating in the 19th century in Sweden these cookies are also known as "hallongrotta," which means "raspberry cave," because the indent is usually filled with raspberry jam.   The dough is usually an enriched shortbread dough or a sugar cookie dough that gets rolled into balls and has an indent made in the center of the cookie with your thumb.

    Instead of filling these cookies with jam, today's recipe is for icing thumbprint cookies, and the powdered sugar icing matches the sprinkles for a real showstopper cookie.

    Have plenty of sprinkles on hand

    For this recipe, you want to make sure to have these Valentine's Nonpareil Sprinkle Mix. Pretty aren't they?

    I like this sprinkle mix so much I have used them on these Dark Chocolate Shortbread Cookies and these Inside Out Red Velvet Cookies have a surprise filling and lots of sprinkles. Both are delicious and perfect for Valentine's Day.

    Who can resist colorful sprinkles?

    Red white and pink nonpareil sprinkles.

    Ingredients

    • Unsalted butter
    • Shortening
    • Brown Sugar - I used light brown sugar
    • Large Egg
    • Vanilla extract
    • Flour
    • Salt
    • Colored nonpareils - I used the valentine's sprinkle mix

    Let's bake cookies

    These sweet little cookies are super easy to make.  Just mix the batter in a bowl with a big wooden spoon and the best part is you don't need to refrigerate the dough. Just mix, roll and bake. You can also use a heavy-duty handheld mixer or a kitchen aid mixer.

    Step 1. Get things ready. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat, and put the sprinkles in a big bowl so you can roll the cookie dough balls in.

    Step 2. Place the softened butter, shortening, egg yolk, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix to incorporate. Then add the flour and salt and mix in with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough. You can also use a mixer if you prefer.

    Step 3.  Using a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop, scoop 1" balls then immediately roll in the sprinkles then set them on the baking sheet.

    Step 4. Using a teaspoon, press the rounded bottom into each cookie ball to make an indent in the center.   You can also use your thumb to make the indent.

    Step 5. Bake the for 10 minutes, then set the cookies on a cooling rack. Sometimes you need to press down on the indents right after the cookies come out of the oven to make them deep again.

    Steps for making thumbprint cookies.

    Step 6. While the cookies are cooling make the icing. Sift the powdered sugar then mix with milk and corn syrup until smooth. Separate the icing into three small bowls, it will be about a ¼ cup, then tint with pink and red gel food coloring, and leave one of the bowls white.  Cover the bowls with plastic wrap until ready to use.

    Step 7.  Using a small spoon fill each cookie with one of the icings.

    Spooning pink icing into a thumbprint cookie.

    Step 8. Let the cookies set out so the icing can harden before storing them in an airtight container

    Cookies on a white tray and a sign the says Be Mine.
    Sprinkle cookies for Valentine's Day

    Tips for the perfect thumbprint cookie

    Get those sprinkles to stick - right after you roll the dough balls put them in the sprinkles, the warmth of your hands will make the dough balls a bit sticky and the sprinkles will stick better.

    Shaping the dough - once you press the teaspoon into the dough ball you may see some cracking around the edges, if so just reshaped the dough with your fingers to make them nice and round.

    How to keep these cookies from spreading - using a silicone baking mat will help, make sure your oven has heated up to the correct temperature, and use cool baking sheets for each batch of cookies.

    Making the indent deeper - sometimes after the cookies are baked the indent gets shallower, if this happens just press the teaspoon into the cookie to make the indent deeper.  Also, once the cookies cool the indent will get deeper.

    Cookie Options

    Today's recipe has you covered for Valentine's Day, but what about other times you want a thumbprint cookie? Luckily these cookies are so easy to change up to make for an occasion.

    You can roll the cookies in so many ingredients

    • Chopped nuts
    • Colored sugars
    • Raw sugar
    • Poppy seeds
    • Any color of sprinkle you can think of

    You can fill the cookies with lots of fun flavors

    • Melted chocolate
    • Jams and jellies
    • Marshmallow
    • Caramel
    • Lemon curd
    • Different colors of icing

    Pin this to your Pinterest Board for later

    More cookie favorites to bake

    • Try these Pecan Thumbprint Cookies filled with apricot jam for a different take on this classic cookie.
    • Lemon Slice and Bake Shortbreads are tender cookies with lemon zest baked right in.
    • Have you been looking for Cacao Nib recipes? For something chocolaty bake a batch of cacao nib shortbread cookies. They are easy to make.
    • Rose Petal Shortbreads are the most delicate cookie topped with rose petals and made with rice flour so they are gluten-free.

    Don't forget the Valentine's sprinkles. These red, pink, and white nonpareils make these cookies extra festive and add a fun crunch too!

    There are always more recipes

    • Chopped vegetables on a cutting board with a knife.
      How To Master Basic Knife Cuts
    • A group of small cups with whipped cream and candy corn in them.
      Candy Corn Jello Cups
    • Slices apples on a white board with text overlay.
      Best Baking Apples
    • A bowl of potato chowder with ham and cheese.
      Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup

    Recipe

    Valentines Day Thumbprint Cookies

    Iced Valentine's Day Thumbprint Cookies

    Jere' Cassidy
    These Iced Valentine's Cookies are the sweetest bite-sized treats rolled in colorful sprinkles with matching powdered sugar frosting that are perfect for a holiday celebration or an any day celebration.
    4.94 from 29 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 45 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 55 minutes mins
    Course Cookies
    Cuisine Dessert
    Servings 36 cookies
    Calories 61 kcal

    Equipment

    • Baking sheets
    • large mixing bowl
    • wooden spoon

    Ingredients
      

    Cookie Dough

    • ¼ cup butter, softened
    • ¼ cup solid shortening can use butter
    • ¼ cup brown sugar I use light brown sugar for this recipe
    • 1 egg yolk
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 cup AP flour
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 5 ounces Red, white and pink nonpareils

    Powdered Sugar Icing

    • 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
    • 2 tablespoons milk
    • 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
    • drops red and pink food coloring gel

    Instructions
     

    Making the Cookie Dough

    • Preheat oven to 350° F., and prepare sheet pans with a silicon mat or parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, shortening, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until completely mixed.
    • Mix in the flour and salt until combined and the dough holds its shape.
    • Place the nonpareils in a bowl big enough to roll the dough balls.
    • Shape the dough into 1" balls using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, then immediately roll in the nonpareils. The warmth of your hands helps make the dough balls a little soft so the nonpareils will stick better.
    • Place the balls 1" apart on the baking sheets then press your thumb into the center of each dough ball or use the bottom of a teaspoon to create an indent.
    • Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Then remove from oven to cooling rack.

    Powdered Sugar Icing

    • Mix the sifted powdered sugar and milk to make a smooth mixture. This icing sets up hard after it sits for a couple of hours.
    • Separate the icing into three small bowls.  Tint one pink and one red with the food coloring.
    • With a small spoon fill each cookie with one of the three icings. 
    • Store the cookies in an airtight container for several days.

    Notes

    • This is a quick and easy dough to make and does not need to be chilled.
    • The cookie dough balls need to be rolled in the sprinkles immediately after making the balls so the sprinkles stick.
    • The icing will harden after sitting for a while so make sure to cover the bowls of icing with plastic wrap until you are ready to use.
    Try these other Valentine's Day Cookies - they have sprinkles too!
    Dark Chocolate Slice and Bake Cookies
    Red Velvet Sprinkle Cookies

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Calories: 61kcalCarbohydrates: 5.3gProtein: 0.08gFat: 4.1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 39mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me on Facebook @onehotoven and tag #onehotoven to show me your dish!

    First Published: Jan 19, 2020... Last Updated: Jan. 16, 2023

    What a wonderful day, full of sweets, flowers, and love.

      Wishing you all the best this Valentine's Day!

    My inspiration for making these thumbprint cookies

    There’s a little bakery in Richmond, Indiana called Joy Ann’s Cake Shop, it’s been there for years.  I actually use to work around the corner from this bakery,  which was dangerous; I went there a lot.  I couldn’t resist their baking pans filled with thumbprint cookies, and they always had a pretty pastel icing on them. I would buy them by the bag full. The last time I was in Richmond I went to Joy Ann’s just for my cookies and they didn’t make any that day, I thought I might burst into tears.  For crying out loud didn’t they know I was in town and needed a thumbprint cookie?

     

    Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog.  Please leave a comment to say Hello or just let me know what you are baking these days, I always love hearing from fellow bakers.  Have any questions or just want to chat about the recipe? Please visit my about page for information, and I’ll be happy to help!

    About Jere'                             

    From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending.  Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.

    One Hot Oven Logo.

     

    More Cookies

    • Stack of homemade oatmeal cookies.
      Oatmeal Copycat Crumbl Cookies
    • Maple leaf sugar cookies.
      Autumn Leaf Sugar Cookies with Maple Syrup
    • Sugar cookies with sprinkles for the 4th of July.
      Red, White & Blue 4th Of July Cookies With Sprinkles
    • M&M cookies on a white plate with a bite taken out of it.
      Easy Fourth Of July Cookies (With M&Ms)
    • Share80
    • Flipboard
    Click to get a seasonal One Hot Oven recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Alexandra

      February 04, 2021 at 6:39 pm

      5 stars
      These are so beautiful and I love the decoration options! Pretty and festive!

      Reply
    2. Corina Blum

      February 07, 2019 at 1:31 pm

      5 stars
      My kids absolutely love anything with sprinkles and these are just so cute! I could quite easily eat quite a few they look so addictive!

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        February 28, 2019 at 9:19 pm

        I'm a sucker for sprinkles.

        Reply
    3. Lucy Parissi

      February 07, 2019 at 1:29 pm

      5 stars
      I love the vibrant colours you have chosen to fill and decorate these thumbprints with - so much fun for Valentine's Day.

      Reply
    4. Jane Saunders

      February 06, 2019 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      Oh gosh, you sound like when I was pregnant with my first child, only my addiction was sausage rolls - and they had to be warm! The heartbreak I felt if I couldn't find one. Danishes and pastry aside, these cookies are gorgeous. I think my kids would love to bake them and eat them.

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        February 28, 2019 at 9:18 pm

        These are definitely kid-friendly.

        Reply
    5. Heidi Roberts

      February 06, 2019 at 7:52 am

      5 stars
      I think Valentine's Day is my favourite holiday. I love to go mad making things heart shaped or red!

      Reply
    6. Sisley White

      February 06, 2019 at 6:50 am

      They are so cute! I wish I had one ready made in front of me. It would be perfect with a cup of tea.

      Reply
    7. Kelly Johnson

      January 29, 2019 at 5:00 pm

      5 stars
      Unfortunately, Joy Ann's is not going to be open much longer. The woman running it now is posting insane things in Facebook groups insulting her customers. I haven't lived there in 15 years and I don't know her, but I'm dealing with stages of grief thinking the bakery will be gone soon. They're only open Thursday through Saturday from 10 - 4 now.

      The owner said that her customers are trash and told them that they have no class and eat possum. It was out of control. From one former Richmond person to another, you can understand my pain when I read that. It's so needless and unnecessary.

      That said, I can't wait to try your recipe!

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        February 05, 2019 at 1:39 pm

        Oh my, how sad to see such a long time bakery come to an end. I know when I lived there over 25 years ago that the owner had changed. Well, I have fond memories of delicious treats.

        Reply
        • Annie

          October 22, 2019 at 8:37 pm

          I’m from Richmond too. My parents still live out by Hayes Arboretum. I miss Joy Ann’s bakery. I used to sneak out at lunch when I went to RHS, and would go with friends to the bakery. Is this the actual recipe for their thumbprint cookies? I could have sworn there was some kind of nut flour in them. Maybe I’m wrong! Can’t wait to try these! Thanks for posting.

        • Jere Cassidy

          October 23, 2019 at 1:09 pm

          Hi Annie, Glad you found my recipe for the Thumbprints. They are really good, but no like the good old Joy Ann's. I agree they had to use something other than AP flour to make their cookies. We lived very close to the Arboretum too back in the late 70's. Will be visiting Hagerstown next week. Let me know how your cookies come out. Jere'

    8. Krista Price

      January 28, 2019 at 9:12 am

      5 stars
      There's nothing quite like a sweet and delicious thumbprint cookie! I've finally bounced back from the dozens I ate during the holidays (no regrets). Looks like I'll be eating a dozen more for Valentine's Day -there's no way I can resist making these cookies! 🙂

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        February 05, 2019 at 1:40 pm

        I made Apricot Pecan Thumbprints for the holidays and now these. A bit obsessed with these cookies.

        Reply
    9. Fred N

      January 28, 2019 at 8:55 am

      5 stars
      This is such great work of art; a well designed cookies with a well taken pic. And the cookies look great, my son will be a fan, he likes colorful cookies.

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        February 05, 2019 at 1:41 pm

        Thanks for your kind comments. I too love colorful cookies.

        Reply
    10. Neli Howard

      January 28, 2019 at 3:36 am

      5 stars
      These are absolutely amazing. I am so happy I decided to try this recipe.

      Reply
    11. Sandhya Hariharan

      January 28, 2019 at 3:31 am

      5 stars
      Omg.. such cute little thumbprint cookies loaded with sprinkles. Anyone will fall in love with them:)

      Reply
    12. Annie @ Annie's Noms

      January 28, 2019 at 1:37 am

      I love anything with sprinkles! These are adorable and just perfect to make for your sweetheart! Although... they look addictive, so it would be hard to share!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Thumbprint cookies.
    A pinterest pin for iced thumbprint cookies.

    Welcome, I am Jerè. I love sharing recipes both sweet and savory that inspire you to bake at home. Food has a way of bringing us all together, from a simple batch of cookies to a three-tier cake.

    More about me →

    🍂Irresistable Cinnamon Recipes🍂

    • A slice skillet cake with apples in an iron pan.
      Apple Cake with Cinnamon
    • Madeleines on a wire cooling rack.
      Cinnamon Madeleine Cakes
    • Crescent rolls on a white plate with strawberries and blackberries.
      Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls
    • Pull apart bread loaf
      Cinnamon Bread Pull Aparts

    Getting Rave Reviews!

    • A shortbread tart made with chocolate.
      Chocolate Tart Crust
    • Tea scones on a white plate.
      Earl Grey Scones
    • A slice of breakfast casserole.
      Easy Egg Sausage & Hashbrown Casserole
    • A loaf of glazed cranberry bred on a wire rack.
      Spiced Orange Cranberry Bread

    Fall Baking Favs

    Favorite Fall Desserts

    Get an Exclusive Copy of a Favorite Seasonal Recipe!

    Privacy Policy
    Get the baking substitution guide image.

    Footer

    Thumbprint cookies.
    A pinterest pin for iced thumbprint cookies.

    ↑ back to top

    A graphic with various business logos

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign-up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • CCPA

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright 2023 · One Hot Oven