Jam Thumbprint Cookies
This classic holiday cookie is buttery and chewy with a delicious pocket filled with jam. You can easily create a variety of delicious treats for your cookie tray by mixing it up with your favorite kinds of fillings.
Well, I’ve already gained a couple of pounds this month and it ain’t even Christmas yet, lol. I’m guessing it’s from all the cookies I’ve consumed with my children. Though they don’t look any different, maybe just a little more hyper. But that’s okay because I have all of January to get back into shape. With all the memories I’m making with my kids and seeing the smiles on their little faces, the extra few pounds are worth it. Not to mention how happy my tastebuds are!
This recipe begins with creaming butter and sugar together. Next you add in your egg and extracts. Then you mix in your dry ingredients. Now comes the fun part: rolling the dough into little balls and making an indentation in them for the jam. You can use the back of a small measuring spoon or your thumbs to make the indent or, as I like to do, use the end of a wooden spoon. It makes a perfect round indent for the filling. Fill the hole with your favorite kind of jam(s). I always like to use strawberry, apricot and blueberry. Fill as much as you can because as the cookies spread in the oven, the jam will flatten out. So you want the filling to be rounded over top of the cookie rather than flat. 
These jam thumbprint cookies are rich and buttery with a chewy texture similar to a sugar cookie. The taste is sweet with bursts of fruity jam and a hint of vanilla.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: about 40 cookies
- Category: dessert, snack
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic holiday cookie is buttery and chewy with a delicious pocket filled with jam.
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
- about 1 cup of jam (I used strawberry, apricot, and blueberry)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 or 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the egg, vanilla and almond extract (if using) until incorporated.
- With the mixer on low, stir in half flour until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour.
- Roll the dough into 1″ balls and place about 1″ apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon dipped in flour, 1/4 tsp measuring spoon, or your thumb, make an indent halfway down each cookie.
- Fill each indentation with the jam of your choice. Slightly overfill so that’s it’s rounded on top because the jam will flatten out as the cookies bake.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges just start to brown. Let cookies cool enough to touch before transferring to wire rack.
Notes
Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 113
- Sugar: 8.9 g
- Sodium: 34.4 mg
- Fat: 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.6 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 16.9 mg
Recipe adapted from Wanna Come With.
The cookies were delicious, but mine spread out flat when baked. What could I do differently to prevent this? I thought about either adding 1/4 c more flour or refrigerating the dough before rolling into balls.
Hi Angela, yes you can add a bit more flour or chill the dough before baking and that will definitely prevent it from spreading too much. Thank you for your feedback and enjoy the cookies!
I love them, thank you soo much for recipe and for your work
You’re very welcome, Ramona! Thank you for your kind words – much appreciated:)
Thanks!beautiful and delicious cookies. I also made a few with orange jam!will use this recipe again!!!!
Hi Lily. Just made these with Gluten-free flour and they are perfect. Thank you for another great recipe.
Can you freeze the cookies after they are baked?
Thank you
Antoinette
Just made these today and my family loved them! Now I’ll have to try and see if I can make a gluten-free version for myself…
I’m glad your family loved the cookies. Try using Bob’s Redmill 1:1 gluten-free flour mix. It works like a charm!
I bought these thumbprint cookies to a Christmas party and everybody loved them!!! People had to walk away because they couldn’t stop eating them. They are deliciously buttery with a slight chew, and relatively easy to make. Thank you for the great recipe!
You’re very welcome, Mona! I’m thrilled everyone loved them. Thank you for your lovely review and have a very happy New Year!
I’ve made a similar recipe before. Are these fragile, where they just crumble when you take a bite?
They are not fragile like a very tender shortbread cookie. They are more sturdy like a sugar cookie, so they will not crumble when you bite into them.
Thanks Lily, making them now. can I roll into balls and freeze some unbaked for later?
Yes, I don’t see why not. Just thaw to room temperature, indent, fill, and bake as instructed when ready to use. If the dough cracks when you make the indents because they’ve been frozen, just rub it with your finger and it will smooth out. Enjoy and merry Christmas!