Want to bake some fun cookies with kids? These dinosaur footprint cookies are originally from one of my baking books designed specifically for kids and now you can make them at home too! My little nephew is a true dinosaur lover and he insists on making these cookies every time we bake together.
Without the dinosaurs, these dinosaur footprint cookies would simply be lemon shortbread cookies (like these delicious lemon poppy seed shortbread cookies). They’re deliciously buttery and crumbly, and they hold their shape surprisingly well in the oven. You could also use my sugar cookie recipe, which keeps its shape even a little better while baking.
Besides the ingredients for the shortbread dough, you’ll obviously need some toy dinosaurs. No dinosaurs, no dinosaur cookies! Check the dinosaurs’ feet to make sure they leave nice, clear footprints in the dough. And don’t forget to wash and dry their feet thoroughly before pressing them into the cookies.
Apart from needing a toy dinosaur you will need the following ingredients to make these cute cookies.
Take a large bowl and add the soft butter and the powdered sugar together to create the base of the sugar cookie dough. Beat until light and creamy.
Add the lemon zest and the flour and mix until you have a firm dough. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. Not sure why you should chill your dough?
Once the dough is properly chilled, slice it into rounds of around 1/3 of an inch (8mm) and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Make sure you wash your toy dinosaurs thoroughly with warm, soapy water and dry them well.
Firmly press the dinosaur feet into each cookie. They don’t have to be perfect and it’s ok if the cookies lose their shape a little. Bake them for around 14 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool down completely.
Once cooled you use a little cocoa powder and a brush to lightly dust the footprints so they stand out more.
You can store the dinosaur footprint cookies for up to 4 weeks in an airtight container.
Yes, you can also freeze the footprint cookies. They will keep for up to three months in a freezer-safe container. While you can technically also freeze the dough I would not recommend this if you want to add the footprints. You can still do that but since you want to add the footprints you would have to let the cookie dough defrost first before adding the footprints.
For the clearest footprints, choose a dinosaur with well-defined feet. A T-rex, for example, leaves a great, recognizable print. Press the feet firmly into the dough before the cookies go into the oven.
Once the cookies are baked, the prints may not be quite as visible anymore. If that happens, gently press the dinosaur feet into the cookies again as soon as they come out of the oven while they’re still soft. Just be careful, because both the baking sheet and the cookies will be very hot!
Love cookies? Check out the below recipes as well:
No. For shortbread cookies, powdered sugar is essential because it gives the cookies their delicate, crumbly texture.
Absolutely! These cookies are flavored with lemon zest, but you can also use vanilla extract, spices, cocoa powder, or any flavoring you like.
I always use all-purpose flour. Don’t use self-rising flour, because you don’t want these cookies to rise. Rising will make them lose their shape and change their texture.
Bake the cookies for about 14 minutes at 350°F /175°C (conventional oven), or until the edges turn lightly golden.
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