How To Make Delicious Thumbprint Cookies
Learn how to make the perfect batch of thumbprint cookies with this step-by-step guide. These are sure to be a hit at any gathering or as a special treat!
Thumbprint cookies are buttery shortbread rounds with a neat well of jam in the center. They look festive, they taste nostalgic, and they come together with simple pantry items. This guide covers ingredients, mixing, shaping, filling, baking, and storing, so your batch comes out tender, neatly indented, and ready to disappear.
Ingredients You Will Need
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup white sugar, plus ¼ cup for rolling
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2⅓ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup fruit jam, such as strawberry, raspberry, or apricot
Optional swaps and boosters:
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract for a light marzipan note
- Up to ½ cup of the flour can be cake flour for an extra delicate crumb
- Seedless jam for a smooth bite, or keep seeds for a little texture
Step By Step Instructions For Making The Dough
- Heat the oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the softened unsalted butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add ⅓ cup brown sugar and ⅓ cup white sugar. Beat until pale and fluffy. Trapping a bit of air at this stage helps the cookies stay tender.
- Beat in 2 egg yolks and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. If you plan to use almond extract, add it now.
- Sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Add the flour in small portions and mix on low. If the dough becomes hard on the mixer, switch to a rubber spatula and fold until no dry streaks remain. The dough will look slightly crumbly, but it should hold together when pressed.
Tips For Shaping The Cookies
- Use a 1 tablespoon scoop or measuring spoon for even portions.
- Roll each scoop between your palms for at least 30 seconds. This extra time warms the butter slightly and helps the dough bind, which reduces cracking later.
- Roll each ball in the reserved ¼ cup white sugar for light sparkle and a crisp edge.
- Space the dough balls on the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- If the kitchen is warm, chill the rolled balls for 10 minutes before indenting to keep edges tidy.
Creating The Thumbprint Indentation
Press your thumb straight down into the center of each dough ball to make a well about two thirds of the way through. Do not punch through to the parchment. Rotate your thumb slightly to widen if needed. If edges crack, nudge them back together with your fingers, or re-roll quickly and press again.
For a uniform look, use the rounded back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon. Press gently, lift, and clean up any rough edges so the well is deep, centered, and ready to hold a measured spoonful of filling.
Filling Options (Jams, Chocolate, Peanut Butter)
Fruit jam, strawberry, raspberry, or apricot, is classic. Spoon about ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon into each well. Keep it just below the rim so it does not spill in the oven.
Jam tips:
- If jam is very thick, microwave it for 5 to 10 seconds to loosen, then stir and let it cool slightly so it sets nicely.
- If jam is very thin, simmer briefly to reduce. Let it cool until spreadable and glossy.
Chocolate center:
- Add a few chocolate chips to the indentation before baking. After baking, use a spoon to smooth the melted chocolate.
- Or bake the cookies unfilled, then pipe ganache. Make ganache by resting equal parts warm cream and chopped chocolate for a minute, then stirring until smooth.
Peanut butter option:
- Whisk ¼ cup peanut butter with 1 teaspoon powdered sugar and a drizzle of milk until pipeable. Bake the cookies unfilled, cool, then pipe the peanut butter mixture into the wells. Top with a tiny dot of jam for a PBJ moment.
Baking And Cooling The Cookies
Bake at 350℉ for 12 to 14 minutes. The bottoms should be lightly golden, and the edges just set. Rotate the sheet once if your oven has hot spots. The tops will remain pale, which is normal.
Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so the structure sets. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. The jam will firm up as it cools, giving you tidy centers that hold their shape.
Doneness checklist:
- Bottoms are lightly golden, not dark
- Cookies lift cleanly from parchment
- Wells keep their shape without spreading
Creative Ways To Decorate And Serve The Cookies
Simple upgrades, big payoff.
- Powdered sugar dusting right before serving for a soft snowy finish
- Two-tone trays that alternate raspberry and apricot for color contrast
- Thin chocolate drizzle over strawberry centers
- Holiday twist with a pinch of cinnamon in the dough and cranberry jelly in the center
- PBJ riff using the peanut butter filling topped with a small dot of jam
Serving ideas:
- Afternoon coffee spread
- Cookie exchanges
- Dessert boards with a few different jams and shapes
Storage And Shelf Life
Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Use parchment between layers so jam tops do not stick.
Refrigerator: If you filled with ganache or your kitchen runs warm, store for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature for the best texture.
Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in a single layer until solid. Transfer to an airtight container with parchment between layers. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw on a wire rack so any surface condensation dissipates.
Make ahead: Roll dough balls and freeze unbaked without sugar and without indentations. Thaw just until pliable, roll in sugar, indent, fill, and bake. Add about 1 minute to bake time if the dough is still slightly cold.
Troubleshooting And Pro Tips
- Cracks around the wells: Roll longer between your palms and press the indentation more gently.
- Cookies overspreading: Chill the portioned balls for 10 minutes before indenting and filling.
- Jam overflow: Fill slightly less, about ½ teaspoon to start, or use a thicker jam.
- Dry texture: Spoon flour into the cup and level it, do not pack the cup. A packed cup leads to a crumbly cookie.
- Consistent look: Use the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to press every well to the same depth.
- Better mouth texture: A mix of brown and white sugar gives tenderness with light crisp edges.
- Favorite cookie recipe status, unlocked: Keep notes on which jam your crowd devours first so you can plan next time.
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 2 large egg yolks at room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2⅓ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ cup your favorite fruit jam strawberry, apricot, raspberry, etc.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place butter in a large bowl and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat until creamy. Next, add in your sugar and beat until combined and fluffy.
- Next, add in your egg yolks and vanilla and beat well. Then, add in the salt and a little flour at a time. If it's too much strain for your mixer, use a rubber spatula to combine. It will be slightly crumbly, but that's ok.
- Use a 1 tablespoon scoop or measuring spoon to measure out cookie dough and roll into balls. Roll together for a good 30 seconds or more so it is well combined (this will help prevent cracking). Roll the ball in white sugar and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until done.
- Use your thumb to press an indentation into each cookie. Spoon enough jam into each indentation (about ½ a tbsp).
- Bake at 350℉ for 12 – 14 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool in the trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a drying rack.
