Deliciously soft Frosted Eggnog Cookies are a favorite whether you are a fan of the ‘nog or not. These easy cookies are flavored with rum extract and spiced with a little nutmeg for a unique holiday cookie that is sure to be a hit with everybody!
When we are putting together Christmas cookie plates, we like to include a variety of cookies! Some of reader favorites are Christmas Pinwheel Cookies , Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies , and Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies .
These frosted eggnog cookies were the sleeper hit of my Christmas baking this year. I took them to a holiday cookie exchange along with a few other options and days later I was still getting texts asking for the recipe for them.
Then I made cookies for Paul to take into the office and again, it was these soft eggnog sugar cookies with the buttercream frosting that people were going crazy over. I was honestly surprised because eggnog can be controversial. People either seem to love it or hate it.
But I was told by multiple eggnog-haters that they actually really liked these cookies. And even though we are a house divided when it comes to the stuff, everybody likes it in this form!
Why this recipe works
- Adding eggnog to the batter and frosting makes them super fluffy and soft.
- We boost the ‘nog flavor by adding ground nutmeg and rum extract for that classic holiday flavor.
- It’s a no-chill dough, which means less time to wait before enjoying cookies!
- The frosting gives that creamy vibe to the cookies that is reminiscent of a glass of eggnog.
Ingredient Notes
- Eggnog: Usually I make homemade eggnog (so much better) but on occasion we will buy it from the store. You only need about ¾ cup total for the cookies and the frosting, but if you have eggnog lovers in your household, you might have to hide the carton to have enough before it’s gone.
- Rum extract: You can find this in the baking aisle next to all the other extracts.
- Nutmeg: If you have never tried freshly grated nutmeg, it definitely makes a difference, but regular ground nutmeg works just fine.
How to Make This Recipe
Start by creaming the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the eggs, vanilla and rum extracts, and eggnog. Be sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl so everything mixes together evenly.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon, then mix until combined. The dough will be fairly soft.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop mounds of the cookie dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Space them out so there is room for them to spread while they bake. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F until set around the edges, but don’t overbake so they stay soft.
Transfer the cookies to wire cooling racks to cool completely.
Make the frosting by beating butter in a mixer until soft. Then add the powdered sugar, eggnog, rum extract, and nutmeg and beat again for 3-4 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
You can transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip and pipe it on for a pretty finish, or just use a knife to spread it on the old fashioned way. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little additional nutmeg before serving.
The frosting stays soft, although it might dry out around the edges if left out.
You could replace the eggnog with heavy cream or even coconut cream and just increase the rum extract and nutmeg slightly to make up the difference if you don’t have eggnog on hand and don’t want to go to the store or make an entire batch of homemade eggnog.
Recipe Tips
- Storage: You can keep these cookies on the counter in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Even though there is dairy in the frosting, the sugar will preserve it just fine.
- Freezing: These cookies freeze well for 2-3 months! Just freeze them in single layer on a baking sheet for 1 hour to set the frosting before stacking in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper between the layers. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Don’t overbake: If your cookies are turning out dry, chances are it’s because they are being cooked too long. Remember that they will continue to set after removing them from the oven.
More Cookie Recipes
- Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Glazed Lemon Cookies
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Frosted Eggnog Cookies
Ingredients123
Cookies
- ▢ 3/4 cup salted butter softened (170g)
- ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ▢ 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100g)
- ▢ 2 egg yolks
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
- ▢ 1/2 cup eggnog
- ▢ 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (313g)
- ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
- ▢ 6 Tablespoons salted butter softened (85g)
- ▢ 3 Tablespoons eggnog
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon rum extract
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar (240g)
- ▢ Nutmeg for decorating
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together in a large bowl for 2-3 minutes until creamy and light. ¾ cup salted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and rum extracts, then beat again. Stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl then add the eggnog and mix again. 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon rum extract, ½ cup eggnog
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon, then mix until combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl again. 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them a couple inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until set so they stay nice and soft, but they shouldn’t brown much around the edges. Cool completely.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, eggnog, rum extract, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar together until creamy and light, about 2-3 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. 6 Tablespoons salted butter, 3 Tablespoons eggnog, ¼ teaspoon rum extract, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups powdered sugar
- Frost the cookies with a knife or by transferring the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Sprinkle with additional grated nutmeg before serving. Nutmeg
Nutrition
Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies have a rich cocoa cookie base that is rolled in chopped pecans and filled with soft caramel. Drizzle with a little melted chocolate for a tasty, nutty treat that’s perfect for your next cookie exchange, holiday party or simply just because!
I’m obsessed with turtle desserts. It’s that combination of caramel, chocolate, and nutty sweet pecan crunch that gets me every time.
These decadent cookies never fail to impress and are the chocolate, caramel, pecan counterpart to the classic Jam Thumbprint Cookies . If you have also love desserts loaded with chocolate, caramel, and nuts, be sure to try my Easy Caramel Pecan Brownies , Carmelitas , or Chocolate Salted Caramel Whoopie Pies !
My mom used to make the easiest ever ice cream pie with a graham cracker crust, vanilla ice cream, then drizzles of chocolate magic shell, caramel, and chopped pecans. It’s so easy that it feels like cheating but I keep meaning to post it on here because it’s perfect for dinner parties since you make it in advance and it looks so impressive.
These chocolate thumbprint turtle cookies have the same classic turtle flavor combination of deep, chocolatey chocolate with rich, gooey caramel, and crunchy pecans in a cookie form that is always the store of a cookie plate or cookie exchange.
And they are really fun and easy to make!
What are Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies?
These chewy turtle cookies are a delicious take on a fun and traditional turtle candy . While you don’t have to shape the cookies into tiny turtles, the flavor components are all there. The caramel, nutty crunch and chocolate all help this turtle cookie recipe to shine.
How to make Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the fridge.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until it’s frothy. Prepare another shallow bowl with chopped pecans.
- Divide your dough into 20 evenly-sized pieces and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the frothy egg whites, then into the chopped pecans, pressing the nuts to cover the cookie dough really well. Place on the prepared baking sheet and press a finger or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon into the center of each ball to form an indentation.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until set. Be careful not to overbake.
- While cookies are still hot, using the measuring spoon to press the indentation again so there is a good space for the caramel to go.
- Combine the caramel and water in a microwave-safe bowl and melt them by heating in 20-30 second intervals and stirring in between about 1-2 minutes total. Pour melted caramel into the depression in each cookie.
- Melt the semisweet chocolate with shortening in another microwave-safe bowl in 20-second intervals, stirring between each burst of heat, just until melted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the melted chocolate to a ziploc bag and make a small snip off one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies, then let set before serving.
How Do You Store Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies?
After the cookies have completely set, you can place them inside an airtight container at room temperature for storage. You can also place them in the fridge if you’d like to enjoy them chilled as well, but be warned that the caramel will firm up significantly.
It’s pretty soft caramel, so I don’t think anyone would break a tooth on it, but it would all come off the cookie with your first bite, giving you a chewy mouthful of caramel and cookie.
If you plan on stacking them to get them to fit inside a container, you may want to use a small sheet of wax paper between the layers to prevent the cookies from sticking to each other.
Can You Freeze Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies?
Yes, you can these turtle cookies! Freezing them not only helps to keep you from eating an entire batch in one sitting but it can also prolong the shelf-life as keeping them in the freezer will keep them fresh for up to 2 months.
This is also a great tip for when you plan on making these impressive holiday cookies and want to get the cookies done in advance.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookies
- Dulce De Leche Stuffed Cookies
- Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies
- Fudgy Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies
Ingredients123
Cookies
- ▢ 1/2 cup salted butter
- ▢ 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg separated
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons milk
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 cup pecans finely chopped
Caramel
- ▢ 3/4 cup Kraft Caramel Bites or 16 unwrapped caramel squares
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon water
Chocolate Drizzle
- ▢ 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chopped
- ▢ 1 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat butter and sugar until light, about 2-3 minutes. ½ cup salted butter, 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. 1 large egg, 2 Tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Chill dough for 1 hour in the fridge. 1 cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Whisk egg white in a bowl until frothy. Prepare another shallow bowl with chopped pecans.
- Divide dough into 20 evenly-sized pieces and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the frothy egg whites, then in the chopped pecans, pressing the nuts in to cover the cookie dough really well. Place on prepared baking sheet and press a finger or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon into the center of each ball to form an indentation. 1 cup pecans
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until set. Be careful not to overbake.
- While cookies are still hot, using the measuring spoon to press the indentation again so there is a good space for the caramel to go.
- Combine the caramel and water in microwave-safe bowl and melt by heating in 20-30 second intervals and stirring in between, about 1-2 minutes total. Pour melted caramel into the depression in each cookie. ¾ cup Kraft Caramel Bites or 16 unwrapped caramel squares, ½ teaspoon water
- Melt semisweet chocolate with shortening in another microwave-safe bowl in 20 second intervals, stirring between each burst of heat, just until melted, about 1-2 minutes. ½ cup semisweet chocolate, 1 teaspoon shortening
- Transfer the melted chocolate to a ziplock bag and make a small snip off one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies, then let set before serving.
Notes
- Once the chocolate drizzle has set, you can freeze these cookies for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe ziploc bag. Just thaw completely on the counter before serving.
Nutrition
Frosted Eggnog Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3/4 cup salted butter softened (170g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100g)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
- 1/2 cup eggnog
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (313g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter softened (85g)
- 3 Tablespoons eggnog
- 1/4 teaspoon rum extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar (240g)
- Nutmeg for decorating
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together in a large bowl for 2-3 minutes until creamy and light. 3/4 cup salted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and rum extracts, then beat again. Stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl then add the eggnog and mix again. 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon rum extract, 1/2 cup eggnog
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon, then mix until combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl again. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them a couple inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until set so they stay nice and soft, but they shouldn’t brown much around the edges. Cool completely.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, eggnog, rum extract, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar together until creamy and light, about 2-3 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. 6 Tablespoons salted butter, 3 Tablespoons eggnog, 1/4 teaspoon rum extract, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups powdered sugar
- Frost the cookies with a knife or by transferring the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Sprinkle with additional grated nutmeg before serving. Nutmeg
Nutrition
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