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Jam Thumbprint Cookies

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With a soft, sweet cookie dough filled with your favorite jam, these Jam Thumbprint Cookies are a holiday classic! The dough can be prepared in advance so you can have freshly baked cookies anytime.

jam thumbprint cookies on a plate

The Best Jam Thumbprint Cookies

We have made lots of thumbprint-style cookies like our popular Peanut Butter Blossoms, Lemon Thumbprint Cookies, White Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies, Red Velvet Peanut Butter Blossoms, and Christmas Red Velvet Cookies.

However, we realized that we had never shared our traditional jam thumbprint cookie recipe! These are going to be such a hit at your next holiday gathering and also make a wonderful edible Christmas gift.

The best part is that they’re easy to make and you can customize them with any flavor of jam you’d like!

jam thumbprint cookies on a platter

Why You’ll Love These Thumbprint Cookies with Jam

  • A holiday classic. What’s a Christmas cookie tray without some jam thumbprint cookies?! This recipe is a holiday classic and so simple and easy to make.
  • Easy to customize. You can use the same jam in all of the cookies or use several different flavors. It’s up to you!
  • Dough can be prepared in advance. This thumbprint cookie dough can be refrigerated for several days, so if you’re short on time and want freshly baked cookies, just prepare the dough ahead of time.

Looking for more Christmas cookie ideas? Try my Sugar Cookies and Cinnamon Roll Cookies too!

thumbprint jam cookies on a platter

What You’ll Need

These thumbprint jam cookies are made primarily with pantry staples. Scroll down to the recipe card for measurements.

  • Unsalted butter – Softened for easy mixing.
  • Sugar – Both granulated sugar and brown sugar are used in these cookies.
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract – Adds a light flavor to the cookie base.
  • Flour
  • Baking soda – Helps the cookies rise in the oven.
  • Salt
  • Jam – See notes below.
  • Powdered sugar – For dusting the finished cookie.

The Best Jam for Thumbprint Cookies

The fun part of making these thumbprint jam cookies is that you can use any flavor of jam you’d like – or even switch it up and use multiple flavors!

Our favorite is raspberry preserves. We love the way the slightly tart raspberry flavor melds with the buttery and sweet sugar cookie. Apricot and blackberry are two other favorites and, of course, classic strawberry jam works well too. You could even use lemon curd!

We opted for seedless jams but seeded would work too, if that’s what you prefer.

jam thumbprint cookies on a cooling rock

How to Make Thumbprint Cookies

Making thumbprint cookies with jam is quite easy. Here’s an overview of the process. Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

using a tablespoon to make an indent in the cookie
  • Make the dough. Beat the butter and sugars until light in fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Add in the dry ingredients and beat to combine.
  • Chill the dough. Form the dough into a disk, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove from the fridge 10 minutes before you plan to use it.
  • Form the cookies. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the middle, making sure to not crack the cookie dough. Fill each cookie with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
  • Chill. Freeze the cookie sheet of cookies for 10 to 15 minutes, until firm.
  • Bake. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, until light golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.
jam thumbprint cookies on a rack

Tips for Success

Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind when making these jam thumbprint cookies.

  • Make sure that your measurements are exact. Too much flour will cause the cookies to be dry and hard. Too little flour will cause the cookies to spread too much. We always recommended spooning the flour into your measuring cups and leveling off with a knife.
  • Ensure smooth cookies. Roll the cookie dough balls between your hands until they are really smooth and there are no lines or cracks in the dough. Gently press the centers with your thumb and make sure the dough does not crack. If the dough happens to crack, press the crack back together and smooth it out with your fingers.
  • Warm the jam.  If your jam is too firm from being in the fridge, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave for just a few seconds, just until it is easy to stir (make sure it’s not too melted, just easy enough to stir).
  • Make sure you chill the dough before baking. This will prevent the cookies from spreading and you will get the pretty results as shown in the photos.

jam thumbprint cookies on a platter

Proper Storage

  • Room temperature. Store thumbprint jam cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You may want to add parchment paper between layers to prevent the jam from sticking to other cookies.
  • Freeze. Freeze unfilled thumbprint cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. When ready to use, thaw in covered containers and fill with preserves.

More Easy Cookie Recipes

jam thumbprint cookies on a plate
5 from 25 votes

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

With a soft, sweet cookie dough filled with your favorite jam, these Jam Thumbprint Cookies are a holiday classic! The dough can be prepared in advance so you can have freshly baked cookies anytime.
Servings: 24
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
chill time: 1 hour

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • Place the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in the large. Beat with a hand held or standing mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat for a couple of minutes until combined.
  • Add the in the dry ingredients. Beat until well blended.
  • Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and form it into a disk. Cover the dough completely with the plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 3 days.
  • Remove the shortbread cookie dough from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before you plan to use it.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Place the balls of dough 3 inches apart on 2 sheets pan lined with silicon baking mats or parchment paper. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the middle of each cookie. Make sure not to crack the cookie dough when you are making your thumbprint. Fill each cookie with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
  • Place the baking trays of cookies in the freezer. Chill for 10-15 minutes or until cookies are firm.
  • Pull out of the freezer and bake for 10-11 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 24g | Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

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7 comments on “Jam Thumbprint Cookies”

  1. 5 stars
    Love these! I decided to make these for Christmas this year because I have so many jellies in my fridge. I ended up using a black raspberry, a rosehips and a key lime jelly. Everyone raved about them. Thank you for sharing your recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    LOVE these cookies! My daughter and I have been making them every year for the past 3 years for Christmas and we always get amazing reviews. My only problem is with making the indent, I can’t seem to master it. The balls are rolled perfectly smooth but when we press down they crack. I find that if you don’t press down deep enough there isn’t enough jam in the cookie. I do try to smooth out the crackers with my fingers but they just seem to open back up when they bake. Still super good and they come out pretty but not like the perfect here! That’s the ultimate goal, any advice? Thank you it’s appreciated, this is my 4 year olds favourite recipe

    1. Did you refrigerate the dough at least an hour? This is my first time making them and they turned out perfect. I did find a post on a different recipe that said she used the round end of a wooden utensil to push down the middle of cookie for the jam, and you can make the opening as wide as you like. Not one of my cookies cracked, so easy doing it with the wooden spoon round handle end!!

  3. 5 stars
    I have a side by side fridge. So I had to get creative with putting the cookies in the freezer.   They came out great. Recipe is great easy. Family loved them.