Mushroom Cookies Recipe

These whimsical and delectable mushroom cookies look like they were just picked from the forest! Use them for yule log cake decorations or add them to your holiday cookie tray!

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Mushroom Shaped Cookies

These are the mushroom cookies I used to decorate the yule log cake in the last post. They are made with a vanilla sugar cookie dough and vanilla glaze and are glued together with melted chocolate or extra whipped chocolate ganache that was used to frost the yule log cake. Aren’t they cute?! Pretty tasty too!

The cookie itself is made from a simple vanilla sugar cookie type dough. Paired with the melted dark chocolate the flavor reminds me of a Milano cookie.

I think these are perfect for the winter holiday season. Just imagine the smiles they would bring to your holiday cookie box recipients. They are also perfect woodland decorations for a festive yule log cake.

Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour: The cookie part of this recipe is a basic sugar cookie dough. Unbleached all-purpose flour works best for a soft tender cookie that will hold up structurally for these 3-D cookies. Substitutions: I haven’t tested any other flours in this recipe but for a gluten-free alternative you can try out a 1-to-1 gluten free flour mix such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.

Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar, also called confectioner’s sugar, works best in these cookies because it dissolves easily, whereas granulated sugar crystals will not dissolve fully and leave some grit in the cookie texture. It also contains some cornstarch which will help the cookies hold their structure. Powdered suagr is also used to make the vanilla glaze to decorate the tops the mushroom cookies. Substitutions: You can make powdered sugar by processing sugar down to a powder in a food processor. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for every cup (200g) of sugar. If you’d like to use unrefined sugar, follow the same method to make powdered sugar from coconut sugar or maple sugar. Darker sugars like these will produce darker cookies.

Butter: Use softened unsalted butter to cream together with the powdered sugar. Salted butter may also be used but you may want to reduce the amount of salt added to the recipe. Substitutions: Use vegan butter for a dairy-free alternative. Vegan butters are usually salted so again, reduce the amount of salt added.

Egg: Take the egg out of the fridge when you go to soften the butter to bring it to room temperature. The egg acts as a binder in this recipe and will help the cookies hold their structure. Substitutions: Use a vegan egg-replacer to make for an egg-free alternative. To make a flax egg whisk 1 tablespoon of flaxmeal with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit and thicken.

Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds flavor to this simple sugar cookie dough. Substitutions: If you don’t like the taste of vanilla replace it with almond extract. You can also use vanilla paste or scrape the seed from a vanilla bean for more intense vanilla flavor.

Chocolate: Melted chocolate is the glue that hols the mushroom cookie caps to the stems. You can use any type of chocolate for this. I used chopped dark chocolate from a good quality chocolate bar. Chocolate chips work fine, as do milk chocolate and white chocolate. Substitutions: When I made these to decorate my yule log cake I used the whipped chocolate ganache I made to frost the cake to stick the cookie pieces together and it worked beautifully and was less messy.

Milk: Milk is used in the vanilla glaze that coasts the caps of the mushroom cookies. Substitutions: For a vegan friendly alternative simply use non-dairy milk such as soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk.

Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is used to lightly dust the tops of the mushroom cookies as decoration. It gives them a like-like appearance. Use natural cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa powder. Substitutions: Feel free to get creative and decorate the the tops of the mushroom cookies however you like. For example you can color the glaze with red food coloring and pipe white chocolate dots onto it to make cookies that resemble toadstools.

How to Make Mushroom Cookies

Step 1: Make the Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough

Start by sifting the flour, powdered sugar, and baking powder together and set the mixture aside. Cream together the butter, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Then add the egg and mix until it is evenly combined.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix them together starting out at low speed then medium speed until the dough comes together into a ball for about 2 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is sticky then mix in more flour by the tablespoon until the right consistency is reached.

Form the dough into a disc and wrap it in parchment paper then refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. At this stage, the dough can be chilled overnight or frozen to use later.

Step 2: Form the mushroom cookie caps and stems

Preheat the oven to 350˚F/175˚C and line 1 half-sheet pan and 1 quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough and divide it into 2 pieces, one about 2/3 of the dough and the other about 1/3.

Working with the larger piece of dough divide it into 12-15 pieces and roll them into balls between your palms. I like to do varying sizes, some smaller and some larger so that I will have different-sized mushroom caps.

Arrange the balls of cookie dough on the half sheet pan and gently press them with your palm. Bake this tray at 350˚F/175˚C for about 8-10 minutes until the cookies puff up and the bottoms just start to turn golden brown.

While the mushroom caps bake shape the stems. Hand-shape pieces of the remaining dough to make the mushroom stems. I like to make them in different lengths and thicknesses. Arrange the stems on the quarter sheet pan.

When the caps are done take them out of the oven and place the tray of stems in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes until they are puffed and the bottoms just start to turn golden brown.

While the mushroom caps are still warm scoop out the center of their bottoms with a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon. This must be done as they come out of the oven and are still warm or they will become too firm as they cool and will crack.

Remove the stems from the oven when they are done and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Step 3: Decorate and Attach the Mushroom Cookies

Mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. The glaze should have a thin, runny consistency. Dip the top of the caps into the glaze and place them on a cooling rack to let the glaze drip down the sides.

Before the glaze has set, gently dust cocoa powder over the caps through a small sieve or strainer. Let the glaze set fully then dip the bottom of the caps into the melted chocolate and place them chocolate side up on the wire rack.

Fill the scooped out centers with more melted chocolate and stick in the stems. The stems may fall over if the chocolate is runny. Just stand them back up and they will stay upright as the chocolate cools and sets.

Once the chocolate has set the cookies are ready. Serve and enjoy!

Storage

Store the finished mushroom cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature.

Recipe Tips

Weigh the ingredients: I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients when baking. It is the most accurate way to bake and ensures that you will get the correct results from any recipe.

Chill the dough: The cookie dough needs to chill a bit and can be made the night/day ahead, which is nice for planning out your holiday baking schedule.

Shaping the cookies: I like to make varying sizes of the mushroom caps and stems so they have an organic natural feel like you’ve just picked them from the forest floor. To shape the caps simply rolled the dough into balls in your hands. Gently press them on the baking sheet to make a flat bottom. They will puff up into domes when baked.

The stems are shaped by rolling pieces of dough into varying sizes of logs, some short and wide, some skinny and long. They will flatten out a bit on the bottom side when baked but still give a rounded stem effect. Make a few extra stems in case one of them breaks.

Use a thermometer: Because all ovens are different it is always a good idea to use an oven thermometer so you know the true temperature of your oven. They are inexpensive and widely available.

Scoop the cookies while they are warm: It’s important to scoop out the center of the mushroom cookie caps as soon as they come out of the oven and are still warm or they will become too firm as they cool and will crack.

Make ahead: The cookie dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days before forming the cookies. The dough can also be frozen for up to 6 months and thawed in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.

More cookie decorating ideas: Get creative! Dip them in red-colored white chocolate and top with white pearl sugar or sprinkles to look like toadstools. Or dip them in melted chocolate and top them with chopped nuts.

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