Egg Hunt Easter Cookies
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure PolicyTurn your Easter celebration into a delectable adventure with these Egg Hunt Easter Cookies. With a simple sugar cookie base, vibrant green frosting, and a nest of chocolate eggs, they’re a feast for the eyes and the palate. Perfect for Easter baskets, dessert tables, or as a charming gift for friends and neighbors!
It feels as though I’m a bit behind in preparing for spring. However, since realizing that Easter is only a couple weeks away, I’ve been busy working on decor ideas, entertaining tips, and tasty recipes. To kick off the new season, I’m sharing these Egg Hunt Easter Cookies.
Tell me they are not the cutest!? They are one of my favorite wow-worthy Easter recipes!
I enjoy reinventing classics, and that’s what I did with these Easter cookies. I took my go-to sugar cookie and frosting recipes and styled them in a new way for spring. Now mini chocolate eggs are hidden among grass frosting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These Egg Hunt Easter Cookies are as fun to make as they are to eat, and they’re sure to be the centerpiece of your spring celebration!
- You don’t need a pantry full of exotic ingredients to whip up these beauties. With everyday baking staples, you can create cookies that look like they’ve hopped right out of a gourmet bakery window.
- Want to switch up the colors or add your own twist? These cookies are the perfect canvas for your creativity. Go wild with the food coloring or add a dash of sprinkles for extra pizzazz. You can get the kids involved too!
- Whether you’re filling up those Easter baskets or just bringing a smile to a friend’s face, these cookies are made for giving. They’re like edible postcards that say “Happy Spring!”
Ingredients
Before we can get to ‘hiding the eggs’ let’s gather up some ingredients. Here’s what you will need.
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our cookies, all-purpose flour keeps them structured and perfect for cutting into those neat circles.
- Baking Powder: This little leavening agent ensures our cookies have just the right amount of puff without losing their shape.
- Salt: A pinch of salt is the secret to balancing the sweetness and bringing all the flavors together.
- Vegetable Shortening: Crisco gives our cookies a tender crumb and ensures they’re delightfully flaky. Along with butter, It’s also the base for the frosting.
- Sugar: It’s all about that sweet base, setting the stage for a cookie that’s just the right kind of sweet.
- Eggs: Binding everything together, eggs add moisture and richness to our cookie dough.
- Vanilla: A splash of vanilla infuses a warm, aromatic essence that elevates the cookies from simple to special.
- Buttermilk: The slight tang and creaminess of buttermilk make our dough tender and add a subtle depth of flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Softened butter adds that melt-in-your-mouth quality to our frosting, complementing the shortening with its rich taste.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: It sweetens and thickens our frosting to a lush, spreadable consistency.
- Milk: Just a tablespoon or two gives our frosting the perfect texture for piping without being too stiff.
- Green Food Coloring: This is where the magic happens, turning our frosting into a vibrant bed of ‘grass’ for those chocolate eggs to nestle into.
- Piping Bags and “Grass” Tip: These tools are your paintbrushes for creating those whimsical tufts of green that transform a simple cookie into an Easter wonderland.
- Chocolate Eggs: The hidden treasures in our grassy knolls, these chocolate eggs are the sweet surprise that everyone will love to discover. I used these mini eggs.
How to Make
Ready to have some fun and whip up these adorable Egg Hunt Cookies? Me too! Let’s do it! I’ll walk you through the steps below. I’ve also provided a full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Begin by preparing the cookie dough. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the vegetable shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined, add half of the dry ingredients. Begin to mix and pour in the buttermilk. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Refrigerate the dough overnight or for at least four hours.
- After the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- On a well-floured surface, roll out about a quarter of the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out the dough using a 3-inch circle cookie cutter. Transfer each cutout to an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until the first sign of browning appears on the surface of the cookies. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cutting board or your counter top to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, prepare your frosting*. With a mixer, cream together the vegetable shorting and butter. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add milk as needed for a smoother consistency. Thoroughly mix in the green food coloring to achieve the desired color.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag with a “grass” tip.
- Once your cookies have cooled, use the prepared piping bag to add “grass” to your cookies. Top with three chocolate eggs.
- Allow the frosting to set before packing and storing the cookies in an airtight container.
With that, our Egg Hunt Easter Cookies are ready for the big day. Sealed in an airtight container, they’ll stay fresh for a week or two, so feel free to make them in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prepare the dough and refrigerate it overnight, or even freeze it for later use. Just make sure to let it thaw in the fridge before rolling it out.
What if I don’t have a ‘grass’ tip for the frosting?
No worries! You can cut a small snip off the corner of a piping bag or use a star tip to create a similar effect. The key is to have fun with it, and remember, it’s the homemade charm that counts.
My frosting is too thick, what can I do?
If the frosting is too stiff to pipe, you can add a little more milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches a smooth, pipeable consistency.
How should I store the finished cookies?
Once the frosting has set, store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep like this for several days, making them perfect for gifting or gradual snacking.
What’s the best way to get the chocolate eggs to stick to the frosting?
Simply press them gently into the frosting right after you pipe it. The frosting acts like glue, holding the eggs in place as it sets.
More Dessert Recipes I Know You’ll Love
- Cream Puff Cake
- Coconut Macaroon Nests
- Easter Dessert Kabobs
- Carrot Cake Truffles
- Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
- The Ultimate Coconut Cupcakes
Voila! You’re Egg Hunt Easter Cookies are complete. And don’t worry – they may look complicated, but they are fairly easy and quick to make. Once you get the hang of piping the “grass,” you’ll have them frosted in no time.
Enjoy your baking and have a Hoppy Easter! I think you’re going to love them! If you do, please leave a comment and a 5-star rating below.
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Egg Hunt Easter Cookies
Ingredients
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup buttermilk
Frosting:
- 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 7 cups (2 pounds) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3 tablespoons milk as needed
- Green food coloring
- Piping bags and “grass” tip
- 2 bags small chocolate eggs
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the cookie dough. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the vegetable shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined, add half of the dry ingredients. Begin to mix and pour in the buttermilk. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Refrigerate the dough overnight or for at least four hours.
- After the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- On a well-floured surface, roll out about a quarter of the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out the dough using a 3-inch circle cookie cutter. Transfer each cutout to an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until the first sign of browning appears on the surface of the cookies. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cutting board or your counter top to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, prepare your frosting*. With a mixer, cream together the vegetable shorting and butter. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add milk as needed for a smoother consistency. Thoroughly mix in the green food coloring to achieve the desired color.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag with a “grass” tip.
- Once your cookies have cooled, use the prepared piping bag to add “grass” to your cookies. Top with three chocolate eggs.
- Allow the frosting to set before packing and storing the cookies in an airtight container.
adorably creative, thank you for this wonderful idea!
Loving your Spring playlist! Maybe I will get inspired to organize under my sink or wipe down the baseboards…hahahaha
Copied it and then popped over to see how to make these adorable cookies!
Thanks! Spring is ALMOST here!
love them! so cute!
Too cute
Does this icing get firm enough to stack the cookies
Thanks
Yes, it does. Plus, the eggs are higher than the frosting, so your essential stacking the cookie onto the eggs. 🙂
xo Michael
Your creativity never fails to inspire me, Michael. These are the cutest Easter cookies I’ve ever seen!
You are the sweetest! Thanks so much, Jamie!
xo Michael