The best, classic, old fashioned, easy jam thumbprint cookies recipe from scratch, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft and tender sugar cookies are indented in the center and filled with apricot or raspberry jam! Perfect for the Christmas holidays. Also known as jam thumbprints or jam drops.
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One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to bake cookies with my kiddo and today's recipe is always a winner. It's also a good addition to your Homemade Christmas Cookie Boxes, along with these Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies. Traditionally, no eggs are supposed to be used in this recipe and a Shortbread Cookie dough is used. However, my family adds an egg yolk because it prevents the cookies from cracking during baking plus it prevents the dough from being too dry and crumbly.
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Key ingredients
- Butter- Unsalted brings the best flavor in this recipe.
- Sugar- Just use the classic granulated for best results.
- Egg yolk- Be sure it is just the yolk and not the whole egg.
- Vanilla extract- Pairs well with all the other flavors.
- Flour- All you need is the every day all-purpose kind.
- Jam- In this recipe, a store bought jam will hold together best.
Variations
- Drizzle melted chocolate- White, dark, or milk chocolate would add a nice rich addition to the cookies. Fill a piping bag with melted chocolate for a clean and professional pattern over the cookies.
- Drizzle vanilla glaze- A simple glaze with just powdered sugar, milk and vanilla is amazing. You can also try out my Royal Icing or Glace Icing.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar- This adds a beautiful appearance. It also adds a subtle sweetness along with the fruity flavor of the jam.
- Filling options- Nutella, peanut butter, melted chocolate or ganache, any flavor of jams and preserves, frosting, orWhy did my cookies spread? How to prevent cookies from spreading and becoming flat pie fillings.
- Try other extracts- Such as lemon, spice, and almond extract.
- Add some zest- Such as orange, lemon or lime zests for a perfect Summer cookie.
- Heart shaped- Instead of a simple press of your thumb into the cookie, make two impressions that resemble a heart. Fill up with jam as usual, but this time it is perfect for Valentine's Day, weddings, or other special events.
- Peanut butter option- You can add a bit of peanut butter to fill the indent first, then some jam, or switch things up and make a peanut butter cookie like I did with these Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies.
- Cream cheese version- Add a creamier base that pairs well with any jelly or jam by using cream cheese in place of half the butter.
- Roll cookie dough balls- In sanding sugar, crushed nuts, powdered sugar, or toasted coconut before indenting and baking.
How to make jam thumbprint cookies?
- Cream together- Butter and sugar.
- Mix in- Egg yolk and vanilla.
- Add flour- To make a crumbly mixture.
- Use your hands- To form crumbles into a dough.
- Scoop out dough- And roll into little balls.
- Roll balls- In a small bowl of sugar.
- Place on a cookie tray- And make center indentations with your thumb.
- Chill dough- Then add the filling.
- Bake- Until edges are firm and golden brown.
Tips and techniques
- Use unsalted butter- Salty cookies really don't taste very good!
- Homemade jam vs. Store-bought jam- Store bought works best. Homemade jams have tendency to spread all over the cookies because they have a thinner consistency.
- Heat jam until warm- Do this in the microwave for a few seconds. This makes it easy to fill into cookie indentations. Use a piping bag for cleaner look.
- No baking powder or baking soda is used- It is not required in this recipe! Adding it will alter the texture.
- Only 1 egg yolk is used- You can't add egg whites because that will make the dough quite wet and the cookies will spread too much, while baking.
- Don't over mix dough- That's because that makes very tough cookies.
- All ingredients should be at room temperature- Because they blend together smoothly and evenly.
- Chill the cookies before baking them- Because if you don't, then the cookies will spread too much and won't taste as good.
Recipe FAQs
There will be a few cracks in the cookie and that's perfectly normal. However, if the cookies cracked a lot, then it may be due to how you shaped the cookies. To prevent this, keep the dough soft, roll it until smooth without any cracks and make the indentations right away.
Typically, crumbly dough is a result of too much flour in the mixture making it so there is not enough moisture in the dough. It could also be that the ingredients may have been measured incorrectly, so make sure you are using measuring cups and spoons. To remedy this, just add a little milk or water to help bring the crumbled dough together.
It all depends on the shape of the cookie dough ball, which must be smooth without any cracks, to begin with. If you start with cracks, they will spread even further during baking. When making the indentations, make sure the indent is narrow rather than wide or else it will bake too flat. Chilling is also very important because it firms up the dough and prevents cookies from spreading too much while baking and helps them hold their shape. There may be a chance that you measured butter incorrectly and added too much of it, which can also contribute to flat cookies
Storage
- Make ahead- These can be made up to 1 month in advance if kept in the freezer in an airtight container. Or you can place in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 1 week before serving.
- Room temperature- Place in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate- Use a sealed container and store for up to 1 week.
- Freeze- Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Thaw before serving.
More classic Christmas cookies
- Gooey Butter Cookies (Cake Mix)
- Stained Glass Cookies (Glass Window)
- Eggnog Cookies (Cake Mix)
- Easy Sugar Cookies (Soft and Chewy)
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies (Cut Out)
Recipe
Jam Thumbrpint cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Unsalted, Room temperature
- ⅔ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg yolk From large egg, Room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Granulated sugar For rolling cookie dough balls
- ½ cup Jam or preserves Warm
Instructions
- Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolk (NO egg whites!), vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Add flour and mix until just combined. The dough will become dry and crumbly. Don't worry!
- Use your hands to combine the crumbles together into a ball of cookie dough. Add a splash of milk or water to help bring the dough together, if necessary. Typically, the warmth of your hands should be enough to bring the crumbles together.
- Scoop out small portions of the dough and make little balls. Make sure they are smooth and there are no cracks to prevent cookies from cracking on the edges during baking.
- Roll cookie balls in a bowl of granulated sugar and place them on a cookie tray, lined with parchment paper.
- Gently, press your thumb in the center of each cookie ball to create an indentation.
- Chill trays with these cookie balls in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. You cannot omit this step or else the cookies will spread during baking!
- Fill each thumbprint with warm jam or preserves.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm and golden brown.
Notes
- Please note that only an egg yolk is used in this recipe. You cannot use a whole egg because that would affect the dough consistency.
- You must use unsalted butter.
- If the dough is too crumbly and difficult to handle, add a splash of water or milk to bring the dough together.
- Try other fillings such as chocolate ganache, thick caramel, dulce de leche, peanut butter or Nutella.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
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