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These Thumbprint Cookies are easy to make with a dollop of your favorite jam! They’re soft and chewy cookies made with just 7 ingredients. Perfect for your Christmas cookie tray!
These jam-filled cookies look so pretty, you won’t believe how easy they are to make. From holiday desserts to everyday snacking, they’re sure to be a hit with your family. The flavors are simple and classic, yet irresistible.
The cookie dough is really good at holding its shape, so you don’t have to worry about your cookies over-spreading. You can make these cookies with any kind of jam you like – the possibilities are endless! I love using apricot jam and raspberry jam for mine.
Thumbprint cookies get their name because the jam is placed on the cookies in a divot made from your thumb. Technically you don’t have to use your thumb – I use a measuring spoon – but that’s where the name comes from. Thumbprint cookies can also be made with icing or buttercream, but I like to keep them fruity with fresh jam in this classic version.
Recipe Ingredients
These cookies are made with staple pantry ingredients, so there’s no need to run out and grocery shop! Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Unsalted Butter: Bring your butter to room temperature before starting on your dough.
- Sugar
- Egg Yolks: You won’t be needing any egg whites for this recipe. The yolks contribute to a chewier cookie.
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Salt
- Jam: Use your choice of jam!
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
- Add Egg Yolks: Add the egg yolks one at a time. Mix until well combined after adding each yolk.
- Add Vanilla Extract: Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add Flour & Salt: Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough is just well combined. Do not over-mix.
- Form Cookies: Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll them into a ball, then roll them in additional sugar if desired. Set the balls on the baking sheet.
- Press: Use the end of a spatula, your thumb or the bottom of a measuring spoon to press the centers of the cookies down. Do this immediately after rolling them to help prevent the cookies from cracking.
- Add Jam: Fill the centers with jam. I used roughly 1/2 teaspoon per cookie.
- Bake: Bake your cookies for 10-13 minutes or until the edges JUST begin to brown. You don’t want to overbake them and end up with dry cookies.
- Let Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finishing cooling.
- Use a Food Scale: For the best results, I always recommend using a food scale to measure your dry ingredients. Flour especially. This cookie dough is already fairly thick so that they don’t spread a crazy amount, so over-measuring your flour will very quickly lead to dry, firm cookies.
- Press Immediately: As soon as you form the cookie dough balls (and roll them in sugar, if you choose to do that step), press the centers down. As the cookie dough sits, the edges start to dry out, so waiting to press your cookies can lead to cracking.
- Use a Medium-Colored Baking Sheet: Try to use a medium-colored baking sheet for this recipe. Lighter colored baking sheets cause cookies to spread more, and darker baking sheets cause them to spread less and brown more on the bottom. A medium-colored sheet is just right!
- Avoid Chilling the Dough: There’s no need to refrigerate this cookie dough. You can if you’d like to, but I found that the cookies actually did more spreading after being refrigerated, so keep that in mind.
I recommend keeping these cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag. On the counter, they’ll last for about 3 days. If you store them in the fridge, they’ll stay good for up to a week. If you want to store them long-term, you can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Watch How To Make Them
Print
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 30-35
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These cute little Thumbprint Cookies are easy to make with a dollop of your favorite jam! They’re soft, chewy, and made with just 7 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (104g) sugar (plus 3-4 tbsp for rolling)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260g) all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup jam, any flavor
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix until well combined after each.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough is just well combined. Do not over mix.
- Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll into a ball, then roll in additional sugar (if using), then set the balls on the baking sheet.
- Use the end of a spatula, your thumb or the bottom of a measuring spoon to press the centers of the cookies down. Do this immediately after rolling them to help prevent the cookies from cracking.
- Fill the centers with jam. I used roughly 1/2 teaspoon per cookie.
- Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes or until the edges JUST begin to brown. You don’t want to overbake them and have dry cookies.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to finishing cooling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 91
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 18 mg
- Fat: 5.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 24.5 mg
These cookies are so dang good! So buttery and they melt in your mouth. I make a half batch when I just need a quick homemade treat. Mine do seem to spread more than the photos here for some reason. Maybe my oven runs hot. Doesn’t affect how great they taste though! Use good jam to make them even tastier!
I’m so glad you enjoy them!
I made these cookies to see if they would be appropriate for a bridal shower I am attending soon. They were fantastic and the recipe was simple. Everyone here loved them. Will definitely be making them for my event.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them!
I loved these cookies – added a tart raspberry jam and fresh thyme on the top! I rolled half in sugar so that it wasn’t too sweet. Thank you for such a simple and delicious recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
My mom always used the rounded top of a clothespin to make the indentation.
These cookies were so soft and easy to make. Will definitely be keeping this recipe!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These are amazingly delicious
So glad to hear that!
It’s a good thing you said to weigh the flour! I had to triple it for my preschool class’s Mother’s Day Tea Party, so I needed 780 grams, which was well under the 6 cups…more like 5 1/3 or so cups. They came out great!
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Amazing! These came out great. They taste good and look nearly identical to the picture, I was a little worried my butter was too warm- but, it didn’t affect it really. Easy to follow directions. Thanks again!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
The cookies came out great! I was nervous since I did not have an electric mixer, but my weak arms managed without one. I cooked the cookies for about 15 minutes and I am really happy with the results. Don’t be nervous to take them out a bit earlier than that- I have a couple of ones that browned too much (but they still taste good). I made these for my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day and I can’t wait to give them to him!
My cookies spread out and look nothing like your. I even used a scale to measure and did not refrig. So dissapointed
Did you make sure to use just the egg yolks and not the whole eggs? And did you use a good quality butter, like Challenge Butter or maybe Land O Lakes? Some butters have more water in them than others, which could leave cookies to over spread.
I love your mini cheesecake, ALWAYS a HUGE hit! And making more Friday! But I have quick question, these thumbprint cookies, your cookies base is so perfect – nice and round. When I make these it cracks – what is the secret to making it perfect like yours?
I’m so glad you enjoy the mini cheesecakes! As for the cracks, I’m thinking it could be one of two things. It could be that your cookie dough is a touch dry, possibly from adding too much flour. Do you use a food scale? The other thing is that I press them down almost immediately after rolling them. If they rolled ball sits for too long before you press them down, the sides dry out a touch and that can cause cracking. I hope that helps!
I think there’s a typo – 1.5 tbsp dough balls were absolutely massive and yielded less than 20 cookies that took much longer than 13 min to cook through (and still ended up gummy in the middle. Was this supposed to be 1.5 tsp?
Cookie is also super sweet, might have been better with a higher butter to sugar ratio, skipping the sugar roll, or else just a more tart jam (I used strawberry)