A thumbprint cookies on a wire rack
Desserts

Thumbprint Cookies (Classic Holiday Cookie)

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5 from 4 votes

The holiday season is a time for warmth, joy, and the sweet aroma of baking cookies filling the kitchen. These classic thumbprint cookies are soft, sweet, and filled with your favorite jam or melted chocolate. 

A thumbprint cookies on a wire rack

The base of a thumbprint cookie is very close to shortbread cookies. It is usually made from a simple mixture of butter, sugar, and flour, resulting in a rich, buttery, and tender cookie. The added filling provides a delightful texture contrast and adds an extra burst of flavor.

What are Thumbprint cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are also known as Hallongrotta (which means “Raspberry Cave” in Swedish). This simple yet delightful cookie is a staple in many households during the holidays, especially during the Christmas season. 

These cookies are named ‘thumbprint’ because of the traditional method of making an indent in the dough using your thumb. These Christmas cookies are typically filled with a sweet jam or jelly, but the options are endless. The result is a delicate, buttery cookie with a sweet center that melts in your mouth.

Thumbprint cookies Ingredients:

This easy Christmas thumbprint cookies recipe requires simple ingredients, usually available in any pantry. It’s easy to make and tastes incredibly smooth!

A bowl of flour, sugar, jam, egg, vanilla, salt and butter
  • All purpose flour
  • Unsalted butter: The butter should be softened at room temperature but not melted. It should still be solid enough to cut through with a knife.
  • Granulated sugar: gives the cookies a light color and tender taste. But you can add brown sugar instead, as it has a deep, caramel-like flavor due to the presence of molasses and helps keep cookies moist and chewy. Also, it gives them a dark color. 
  • Egg: The recipe from all recipes suggests adding egg yolks to the dough. It adds richness and tenderness to the cookies. Save the egg whites for another recipe, or brush on cookies before baking to give them a shiny finish.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Salt to balance the sweetness.
  • Jam or Nutella 
A thumbprint cookies on a wire rack

How do you make these jam thumbprint cookies?

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare the cookie dough: 

  1. In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until combined and creamy. 
  2. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat at low speed until they are combined. The cookie dough will be slightly thick, and that’s fine!
5 steps on how to make the cookies dough

Form the thumbprint cookie dough balls and bake:

  1. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
  2. Press your thumb (or use the back of a small spoon) into the center of each ball to make an indent. Fill the center of each cookie with your favorite jam (Strawberry or raspberry jam)
  3. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden.
  4. Allow the thumbprint cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. Dust some powdered sugar on top.
5 steps on how to form and fill these cookie dough

Baking tips for perfect Thumbprint Cookies

  • Make sure that your egg and butter are at room temperature. If you forgot to take the egg out before baking, place it in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Don’t overbake: keep your eye on the cookies; they should be light golden brown.
  • Don’t overfill: You can use jam, preserves, chocolate, or caramel to fill your cookie. However, be mindful not to overfill the cookies as the filling can overflow during baking.
  • Chill the Dough: If the dough is too warm, the cookies may spread too much during baking. Chilling the dough before baking can help maintain its shape.
A thumbprint cookies on a plate

FAQs

How to Prevent Thumbprint Cookies from Spreading?

Measuring your ingredients correctly, especially flour, is important when baking cookies. Using a scale can provide more accurate results, but if you don’t have one, use a dry measuring cup and spoon the flour into it, leveling it off with a knife. Also, avoid placing your cookie dough on a hot cookie sheet, as it can cause the cookies to melt and spread too much. Make sure the cookie sheet is completely cold before baking the next batch.


How to Avoid Cracking?

Chill your dough: Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to be easy to shape and help prevent spreading and cracking.
Use a measuring spoon: If you want consistency in size and shape, then measure the amount of dough you are rolling using a tablespoon cookie scoop or a measuring tablespoon.
Roll till smooth and firm: Roll the balls between your hands until smooth and do not show any lines or cracks. (I have noticed that the smaller the ball, the easier it is to roll without lines or cracks)
Press Gently: After rolling the balls, gently press using your thumb or the bottom handle of a wooden spoon till you have the perfect indent. If your dough starts to crack, just press it back together gently.


Can I Refrigerate and Freeze the Dough Ahead of time?

Yes! Just place the dough in an airtight container so your dough doesn’t dry out. (Dry dough = Cracking!). Freeze the dough for up to 3 months, and when you are ready to bake it, thaw it overnight in a refrigerator.

A thumbprint cookies on a wire rack

Classic Thumbprint Cookies Filling

The only limit is your imagination when it comes to filling these delicious baked goodies, and that’s why they are all year rounders for me. I used Raspberry jam for this recipe, but a few common examples are:

  • Any Jam or Preserve that you enjoy consuming (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, and apricot jam are just a few ideas)
  • Nutella Chocolate (My family’s favorite)
  • Melted chocolate
  • Caramel filling
  • Homemade lemon curd
A thumbprint cookies on a dish

Storing and freezing

Storing: Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Still, refrigeration is a better option if your cookies are jam-packed with filling.

Freezing: Place them in an airtight container or a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw out at room temperature and enjoy!

Thumbprint cookies are a classic holiday treat that brings a touch of sweetness to any festive gathering. They’re simple to make, versatile, and absolutely delicious.

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Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

5 from 4 votes
Recipe by Raneem Course: DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

16

cookies
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Calories

95

kcal
Total time

30

minutes

These classic thumbprint cookies are soft, sweet, and filled with your favorite jam or melted chocolate. 

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups 1 1/4 All purpose flour (Spooned and leveled)

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature

  • 1/3 cup 1/3 granulated sugar

  • 1 large 1 egg yolk

  • 1 teaspoon 1 vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 salt

  • Dust Dust powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

  • In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and the sugar together on medium speed until combined and creamy for about 2 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  • Beat in the egg and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat at low speed until they are combined. The cookie dough will be slightly thick, and that’s fine! 5 steps on how to make the cookies dough
  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Measure out the cookie dough using a cookie scoop or a measuring tablespoon, roll them into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Gently press your thumb (or use the back of a small spoon) into the center of each ball to make an indent. Fill the center of each cookie with your favorite jam (Strawberry or raspberry jam)
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are set and lightly browned at the bottom.5 steps on how to form and fill these cookie dough
  • Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Dust some powdered sugar on top (Optional).
    A thumbprint cookies on a dish

Notes

  • Do not over mix the dough after adding the flour; that will cause it to dry out and stretch.
  • If you want double the batch, simply double the recipe ingredients.
  • If the dough is too warm, the cookies may spread too much during baking. Chilling the dough before baking can help maintain its shape.

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