These thumbprint cookies are made with traditional sugar cookie dough, rolled in granulated sugar, and then filled with your favorite jam! No matter what flavor of jam, jelly, or preserves you choose, these cookies are going to be incredibly delicious! They are buttery, fruity, and the perfect addition to any cookie platter!
Classic Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Thumbprint cookies are classic, and I can't believe it took me this long to get around to adding them to the site! You've probably seen them before around the holidays or on some cookie platters at parties, but they are great for any time of the year!
These easy-to-make little jam-filled cookies are both beautiful and tasty! I recommend using more than one flavor of jam to really add some variety!
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🥘 Thumbprint Cookies Ingredients
These thumbprint cookies use your standard cookie ingredients, with the exception of cornstarch and only using the yolk portion of the egg. Don't forget to use your favorite flavor of jam as well!
- Butter - 1 cup of room-temperature, unsalted butter.
- Sugar - ⅓ cup of white sugar.
- Brown Sugar - ⅓ cup of light brown sugar, packed.
- Egg Yolk - 1 large egg yolk.
- Vanilla - ¾ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- Flour - 2¼ cups of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled.
- Cornstarch - 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
- Salt - ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Sugar - ½ cup of granulated sugar for rolling.
- Jam - ⅓ cup of jam, jelly, or preserves for the filling. You can use any flavor(s) you like!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Thumbprint Cookies
The secret to perfect thumbprint cookies is making sure to chill the dough (this prevents them from spreading in the oven)! You'll need a stand mixer, mixing bowl, silicone spatula, and a baking sheet.
This recipe will make about 2 dozen beautiful cookies!
Prepare the Thumbprint Cookie Dough
- Cream the butter. Use your stand mixer or hand mixer to beat 1 cup of butter until light and creamy.
- Add sugar. Add ⅓ cup of both sugar and brown sugar and beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Then, add in 1 egg yolk and ¾ teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat well.
- Whisk dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2¼ cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Then, gradually add the mixture to the wet dough in small increments with the mixer on low speed until combined. *This dough is meant to be very crumbly and dry.
- Roll into balls. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the dough, and use your hands to roll it into a smooth ball. *Make sure the dough is very smooth, and there are no seams so that your cookies don't crack.
- Coat in sugar. Roll the dough balls in ½ cup of granulated sugar until fully coated, and then place them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Use your thumb (or a rounded teaspoon) to gently press an indention into the center of the balls. Repeat until you have used all of the dough.
- Chill. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and allow the cookie dough to chill for 30 minutes.
Fill & Bake
- Heat the jam. Once chilled, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and place ⅓ cup of jam, jelly, or preserves into a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat the jam for 5-10 seconds, or until you can easily stir it but is not hot.
- Fill the cookies. Use a spoon to scoop the jam into each of the thumbprint indentions, filling the cavity all the way to the brim. Arrange the cookies so that they have 2 inches of space between them on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet(s).
- Bake. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10-11 minutes or until the edges are only beginning to turn golden.
- Cool. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
Thumbprint cookies make a great addition to your favorite Christmas cookies, but they are also fantastic the whole rest of the year! Plus, they are so easy to make that you don't even need to wait for a special occasion. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- To avoid cracking, make sure that you roll the dough into very smooth balls. You don't want there to be any seams, lines, or cracks in the dough balls.
- As the cookies cool off, the jelly will firm up. It will remain slightly tacky to the touch, but you could easily stack the cookies on top of each other without worrying about them sticking together.
- You can use any of your favorite jam, jelly, or preserves for this recipe!
🥡 Storing
Keep your cookies stored at room temperature in a sealed container for 4-5 days.
Thumbprint cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw to room temperature before serving.
To freeze the unbaked dough, roll the cookie dough balls and place them into the freezer until solid. Then, you can transfer them to a different container or bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost overnight before rolling in sugar, filling with jam, and baking as directed.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
If your cookies spread, the odds are that your butter was too warm. This is why it is essential to chill the dough after rolling the balls. The cold butter takes longer to heat up in the oven and therefore melts more slowly.
Sure! If jelly or jam isn't your thing, you can easily fill your cookies with peanut butter, melted chocolate, Nutella, lemon curd, toffee sauce, caramel, or marmalade!
Yes! You can prepare the dough and keep it stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before filling and baking! Additionally, you can fully prepare and bake the cookies and freeze them for up to 3 months!
🍪 More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Mexican Wedding Cookies - Crumbly walnut-filled cookies that are coated in powdered sugar!
- Pistachio Pudding Cookies - Tender cookies that feature pudding mix, chopped pistachios, and white chocolate chips!
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies - Rich chocolate cookie dough is rolled in powdered sugar before being baked!
- Black & White Cookies - Large cake-like cookies that are split with both chocolate and vanilla icing!
- Whipped Shortbread Cookies - A soft and delicious variation of your classic shortbread cookies!
- Cowboy Cookies - Chewy cookies that are filled with pecans, chocolate chips, and coconut!
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📖 Recipe Card
Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (room temperature, unsalted)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar (for rolling)
- ⅓ cup jam (or preserves)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Prepare the Thumbprint Cookie Dough
- Use your stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the butter until light and creamy.
- Add the sugar and brown sugar, and beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Then, add in the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Then, gradually add the mixture to the wet dough in small increments with the mixer on low speed until combined. *This dough is meant to be very crumbly and dry.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the dough and use your hands to roll it into a smooth ball. *Make sure the dough is very smooth and there are no seams so that your cookies don't crack.
- Roll the dough balls in the granulated sugar until fully coated, and then place them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Use your thumb (or a rounded teaspoon) to gently press an indention into the center of the balls. Repeat until you have used all of the dough.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and allow the cookie dough to chill for 30 minutes.
Fill & Bake
- Once chilled, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and place your jam, jelly, or preserves into a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat the jam for 5-10 seconds, or until you can easily stir it but is not hot.
- Use a spoon to scoop the jam into each of the thumbprint indentions, filling the cavity all the way to the brim. Arrange the cookies so that they have 2 inches of space between them on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet(s).
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are only beginning to turn golden.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
Notes
- To avoid cracking, make sure that you roll the dough into very smooth balls. You don't want there to be any seams, lines, or cracks in the dough balls.
- As the cookies cool off, the jelly will firm up. It will remain slightly tacky to the touch, but you could easily stack the cookies on top of each other without worrying about them sticking together.
- You can use any of your favorite jam, jelly, or preserves for this recipe!
- To store: Keep your cookies stored at room temperature in a sealed container for 4-5 days.
- To freeze: Thumbprint cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw to room temperature before serving.
- To freeze dough: To freeze, roll the cookie dough balls and place them into the freezer until solid. Then, you can transfer them to a different container or bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost overnight before rolling in sugar, filling with jam, and baking as directed.
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