Pink Velvet Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese

Pink Velvet Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese will add a pop of pink to your cookie platter. Soft and chewy with a creamy cheesecake filling, these eye-catching cookies will be the hit of your Christmas party.

We’ve hit the holiday baking homestretch, people. If you haven’t done so already, ditch all those ingredients going stale in your pantry and stock up on fresh because it’s prime time for cookie baking. Cut-out sugar cookies, jam-filled linzer, chocolate crinkles, gingerbread and peanut butter blossoms: I’m talking about all the traditional cookies of yore.

On a side note, how come no one under 90 uses ‘yore’ in a sentence, besides me? This is the type of question that keeps me up at night.

Another reason I can’t sleep is it appears I’ve depleted the candy cane supply in South Florida. So far this month I’ve made Peppermint Brownies with Whipped Ganache, Peppermint Mocha Cookies, Boozy Peppermint Bark, Chocolate Donuts with Peppermint Schnapps Glaze, Peppermint Schnapps Truffles and Pinwheel Cookies with Crushed Candy Canes.

I need a 12-step program to get over my peppermint addiction. Step 1 is admitting I have a problem. Okay, fine, I’ll say it: there are no full-size candy canes left on the shelves because I can’t control myself around hook-shaped Christmas candy. Surprisingly, this program is a piece of cake. Uh oh, peppermint cake sounds so delicious right now…

Step 2 is forcing myself to make a recipe without peppermint on the ingredient list. Basically this step goes against every minty instinct in my soul. Delighted with how pretty-in-pink my Crushed Candy Cane Pinwheels turned out I’ve been desperate to make a coordinating cookie. But how can I pull off the perfect color match without peppermint?

Pink Velvet is how.

In fact, Pink Velvet thumbprints are everything you want in a cookie. The inside is ultra-soft and velvety, the outside is sugary crisp and the centers are topped off with a teaspoon of cream cheese filling. Not only are they delightfully cute, they’re quite possibly the most delicious cookie you’ll taste all season.

Keep that tidbit between us, peppermint cookies don’t like competition.

Before sharing the recipe for Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese, here are a few baking tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips and Tricks

Above all, always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping overpacks flour into the measuring cup and, as a result, leads to dry, dense cookies.

To avoid lumps in your cream cheese filling, make sure cream cheese and egg yolk are both at room temperature before beating.

I recommend gel dye for this recipe because gel is more vibrant in color and less batter diluting than liquid dye.

Preparation Tips and Tricks

For evenly proportioned thumbprints, cookie scoops are the way to go. The one I used had a 4 teaspoon/1.3 Tablespoon capacity.

Chill thumbprint-indented cookie dough for 30 minutes prior to baking. Chilling helps cookies maintain their shape in the oven. Therefore, if you skip this step don’t be surprised if your cookies are sad and flat.

Storage and Freezing Tips for Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese

Store cookies between layers of parchment paper then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 3 months. Bring cookies to room temperature before serving.

Unbaked cookie dough can be shaped into balls then stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough balls in the refrigerator overnight then make thumb indents before baking.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese. Please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of this blog when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you like pink cookies you’ll love these Pink Velvet Chocolate Kiss Cookies. A delicious twist on a Christmas classic and a pretty addition to your cookie tray, these pink crinkles are soft, chewy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. 

Pink Velvet Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese

Heather Wolf

Pink Velvet Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese will add a pop of pink to your holiday dessert platter. Soft and chewy with a creamy cheesecake filling, these eye-catching cookies will be the hit of your Christmas party.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Chill 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 22 minutes mins

Course Cookies and Bars

Cuisine American

Servings 22 cookies

Ingredients

  

Pink Velvet Thumbprint Cookies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla pure
• 1/8 tsp pink gel food coloring
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt fine
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies

Cream Cheese Filling

• 4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 pinch sea salt fine
• 1/4 tsp vanilla pure

Instructions

 

Pink Velvet Thumbprint Cookies

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Cream butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• Add egg, beating until combined.
• Add vanilla and gel food coloring then beat until evenly incorporated. Note: If a more intense shade of pink is desired, add food coloring one drop at a time stirring after each addition. Do not mix in food coloring after this step or you risk the chance of overmixing the batter.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together baking soda, salt and flour.
• Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just incorporated.
• Use a cookie scoop to form dough into evenly-sized balls then roll balls in granulated sugar until evenly coated. Note: My cookie scoop had a 4 teaspoon/1.3 Tablespoon capacity.
• Place cookie balls on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Using your thumb or the back of a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indent in the top of each cookie ball.
• Place cookies in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. While cookies are chilling, prepare cream cheese filling.

Cream Cheese Filling

• Combine all cream cheese filling ingredients in a medium bowl then beat with an electric mixer until smooth and lump free. Set aside.

Baking and Assembly

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Space cookies 1.5-inches apart on baking sheet then bake for 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and deepen the thumbprint indents.
• Fill the indent of cookie with 1 teaspoon of cream cheese filling. Return cookies to the oven and bake for 12 minutes until filling is firm.
• Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. If desired, top cheesecake filling with decorative sprinkles.
• Cookies will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator if stored between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Keyword cookies, pink, thumbprint, velvet