These buttery Jam Thumbprint Cookies are soft and tender vanilla shortbread filled with sweet jam. A classic, festive holiday cookie that’s easy to make and look like beautiful stained glass with the pretty jam centers!
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
If there’s one cookie that instantly brings the holiday magic, it’s these Jam Thumbprint Cookies. Soft, buttery, and filled with sweet fruit jam, they’re the kind of classic cookie that looks beautiful on any Christmas plate, and disappears first.
With a tender, buttery melt-in-your-mouth texture and bright fruity centers, these cookies look beautiful, bake perfectly every time, and are endlessly customizable. The pretty little jam centers look like a colorful stained glass.
Simple to make, endlessly customizable, and always a hit with kids and adults alike, these thumbprints are a must-bake all season long. Whether you're baking for the holidays, bringing treats to a party, or prepping a freezer-friendly dessert ahead of time, these thumbprint cookies never disappoint.
Why You’ll Love These Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Soft, tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture thanks to butter-rich dough
- Versatile and customizable - use any jam, preserves, or fruit spread you love
- Easy to make ahead (the dough freezes beautifully!)
- Perfect for cookie exchanges and holiday gifting
- Minimal ingredients you probably already have on hand
Tips for Perfect Thumbprint Cookies
- Chill the dough after shaping. This is the key to preventing spreading.
- Fix cracks before baking by gently smoothing them with your fingers.
- Don’t overfill. Fill to the top but not overflowing.
- Use room-temperature butter so the dough mixes smoothly.
- Swap flavors easily. These are amazing with any flavor jam, lemon curd, cranberry sauce, or chocolate ganache!
More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
- Texas Sheet Cake Cookies - All the rich, fudgy flavor of classic Texas Sheet Cake, now in soft, chocolatey cookie form. Topped with warm poured icing, these cookies are decadent, gooey, and completely irresistible.
- Oatmeal Scotchies - Chewy, buttery oatmeal cookies packed with sweet butterscotch chips. Warm, cozy, and full of old-fashioned flavor.
- Pecan Tassies - Mini pecan pies with a tender cream cheese crust and sweet, caramel-y pecan filling. Perfect bite-sized treats for holidays, parties, or gifting.
- Peanut Butter Blossoms - Soft, chewy peanut butter cookies rolled in sugar and topped with a melty chocolate kiss.
- Pecan Snowball Cookies - Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies studded with finely chopped pecans. Rolled in powdered sugar for the sweetest snowy finish.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies Video
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Granulated sugar for rolling
- ½ cup jam or preserves flavor of your choice
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add butter and sugars to a large mixing bowl. Cream together until light and fluffy.1 cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup brown sugar
- Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat well.1 large egg yolk, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add flour and salt to the wet ingredients. Turn mixer on low to mix start mixing flour in without spilling out of the bowl. Increase the speed to mix all of the flour in.2¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- Scoop cookie dough into 1 tablespoon sized balls. Roll well so that the ball is round with no cracks or seams.
- Roll each ball into sugar, and place onto a prepared cookie sheet.Granulated sugar
- Use your thumb or the rounded back of a teaspoon to gently press an indent in the center of the cookie dough. Repeat until all of the dough has been used.
- Transfer cookie dough to freezer and chill for 30 minutes.
- When dough is done chilling, preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place jam in a small microwave-safe dish. Heat until jam has loosened but is not hot.
- Spoon jam into each thumbprint, filling each cookie to the brim.
- Place cookies 2-inches apart on the other baking sheet.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden brown.
- Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storage: Store cookies covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 6 days.
- Freezing Instructions: Shortbread cookie dough can be frozen up to 2 months. Baked cookies may be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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