Soft, buttery Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies filled with a thick, fluffy cream cheese buttercream frosting! These adorable little pistachio cookies are soft and flaky, but sturdy enough to carry a heapton of rich, tangy cream cheese frosting on top. Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies are a springtime delight!
Good morning! I have a nice springtime cookie to share with you today. Aren’t these Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies cute??
The pistachio flavor in these Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies is delicate, but still very obviously pistachio, and their texture is perfection. They’re buttery, flaky, and a bit like a softer shortbread.
The centers are generously heaped with rich cream cheese frosting. My absolute favorite – cream cheese frosting is hard to beat! This ratio of ingredients is the right sweet spot. It’s ultra-creamy, thick, but still fluffy, and a great balance of sweetness and slight tanginess.
You can adorn these Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies in a few different ways, and I tried to represent that in the pictures… white nonpareil sprinkles, a dusting of finely-chopped pistachios, a sprinkling of colored sugar, or even plain.
These Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies would be lovely for Easter. I also think these are great for Mother’s Day or bridal/baby showers. I think the soft pastel green hue is really fitting for classic springtime events like those!
They’re dainty and delicate, and would look really beautiful on cookie trays, for sure.
These Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies are simple to whip up overall. The cookie dough is a cinch, and the frosting is easy too. The biggest draw on time will be rolling the cookies into balls, depressing the center, and filling them.
There’s some assembly to these Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies, but they’re otherwise a breeze.
I have a few other pistachio recipes that are super excellent! If you want to try another recipe for pistachio cookies, try these Grinch Cookies Pistachio Pudding Cookies. A lot of readers have made those pistachio cookies, and they get great reviews. They’re irresistably soft and have a melt-in-your-mouth quality.
Both these Pistachio Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut Pistachio Bars with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting are also really popular on the blog, and I’ve made each many times for special occasions and holidays.
Come to think of it, many of the pistachio recipes on the blog are hits. My Grandma’s Pistachio Bread is a classic. It’s cake-like enough to work as dessert, but it’s also great as a coffee cake or brunch side dish.
If thumbprints are a fave cookie of yours, besides these Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies, check out these Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints with Kahlua Ganache. They’re a popular one! I have bunches of others, but I really, really love these White Chocolate Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies, and Coconut Macadamia Key Lime Thumbprints too.
Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For cookies:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3.4 oz. box instant pistachio pudding mix
- 1 cup chopped pistachios or sprinkles or a mix of both!
For frosting:
- 4 tbsp. butter softened
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For cookies:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in egg and extracts.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour and pudding mix.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating until just combined.
- Shape into 1-inch balls, and roll in pistachios or sprinkles or both or nothing. I did a variety!
- Arrange two inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Make a thumbprint or indent in the center of each cookie.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned.
- Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare frosting.
For frosting:
- In a small mixing bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Spoon or pipe into the center of each cookie. I used a star tip!
Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies adapted from Taste of Home.
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Soft, buttery Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies filled with a thick, fluffy cream cheese buttercream frosting! Thumbprint Pistachio Cookies are a springtime delight!
Hi! How should these be stored? Are they fine at room temp even though they have cream cheese? Or do they need to be refrigerated (and would that make the cookie doughy)?
Hi Dana! I am personally comfortable with leaving cream cheese frosting at room temperature for 2-3 days, but I would recommend doing what you’re comfortable with. I have seen guidance from the FDA about refrigerating it. I am okay with room temp for a few days personally, but do what you feel is best. These store really well in the fridge, and they’ll last for 7-8 days if you refrigerate them!
Can’t wait to try this do you have a regular thumbprint recipe